Buffing wheel

neetones

neetones

Joined
Apr 30, 2001
Messages
701
Where can I find a good quality buffing wheel to attach to a drill press? All the ones I see at home improvement stores are sewn together so that the ends fray out considerably, making for very coarse and inaccurate buffing. Any sources/suggestions for making my own?

Nitin
 
Knifemakers supply houses usually have good buffing wheels. Link below.
You want to be careful buffing on a drill press, the bearings are not made to withstand lateral, or side stress. It wears them out fast. You might want to get a 1750/1800RPM motor and use that for a buffer, even an old washing machine motor works OK.
http://www.kovalknives.com/
 
Sewn buffs with about 1/2" spacing between rows of stitching is what I consider ideal. Tighter spacing on the stitching keeps the edge together better but the edge will glaze over and become useless in a matter of a minute or so. Loose buffs tend to wrap around small objects like a knife and turn the knife into a deadly missile.

Buffing on a drill press certainly is not and excercise that I would attempt, it sounds like an accident about to happen to me. Get a used motor and fix it on a bench, it is much safer.

Take care, if you are going to get injured in a knife shop it will be while working on the buffer. Better still get someone to give you a lesson before you try it yourself, it could save your life.
 
thanks guys. I'll definetly take your advice on this. I'll probably stick to my dremel instead of risking flying parts. I was going to use it primarily just for buffing metal parts, as in gunsmithing rather than for working on knife blades. But careful I will be. Thanks.

Nitin
 
Nitin,
I've had luck using an old motor with one of those adapters on the end of the shaft. It's just a pipe like peice on one end and screw threads on the other. For an 6" buffing wheel use 1750 speed motor. If you want to use a motor with more speed, use smaller buffing wheels.
I've had good luck with a motor under the bench with pully and belt passing through a hole to a double ended shaft above. Mount it high enough to clear the buffing wheels you will be using. Adjust the pully size to keep the speed down. This has the added advantage of not having the motor in the way.
Making do, Lynn
 
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