How useful is a buffer in knifemaking?

B

BubbaW

Joined
Feb 17, 2019
Messages
46
Taking a trip to HF tomorrow and I was thinking about picking up one of their 6" buffers.

I don't really plan on doing any mirror polish blades, but for scales or other stuff I'm probably not thinking of?



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Great for certain handle materials. If you buff the edges of a kydex sheath it looks really good. I'll also buff a blade that I'm doing a satin finish on. It helps to see if I missed any scratches.

All that being said, none of this requires a buffer it's just handy. The buffer ìs great as long as you don't impale yourself. Simple little life has a decent video called buffer of doom or something like that.
 
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I've been using 8" buffs mounted on mandrels and chucked up in my floor mount drill press (3/4 hp) for over 20 years. This has several advantages, no pinch points, variable speed and it utilizes an already existing tool so no new machine purchase is necessary.
Jim A
 
The best (and safest) buffer by far is using a 1/4 hp to 1/3 hp (max 1/2hp) motor of 1725 rpm. With motors of this type you don't have to worry about an expensive motor, just something you can pull from scrape pile, or purchase cheap off Craig's List.

In knife making you're not trying to remove metal with the buff, but "touch up" metal that's already been sanded to 1200 to 2,000 grit already. For wood, you don't want any pressure, just "touch" the buff to bring out the shine.

When buffing metal using a narrow soft buff will allow the wheel to collapse rather than hang and throw the blade with force.
 
Ken H> said:
The best (and safest) buffer by far is using a 1/4 hp to 1/3 hp (max 1/2hp) motor of 1725 rpm. With motors of this type you don't have to worry about an expensive motor, just something you can pull from scrape pile, or purchase cheap off Craig's List.

In knife making you're not trying to remove metal with the buff, but "touch up" metal that's already been sanded to 1200 to 2,000 grit already. For wood, you don't want any pressure, just "touch" the buff to bring out the shine.

When buffing metal using a narrow soft buff will allow the wheel to collapse rather than hang and throw the blade with force.
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I'm with Ken. I got a 1725 rpm motor from a scrap yard. I don't know what it was attached to. Then bought a left hand arbor from one of the knife supply places. Have been using it for years. Pretty much on every knife.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Those are way too fast for safe use on knives.

Buffers are one of the more dangerous tools in the knife shop. Do a search on "Buffer Safety" and you will find lots of info.
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I'm sure I've heard some of the stories, but thanks for the reminder

I think I'll just try the buffing wheel and mandrel adapter and use it on the drill press...
 
No offense to Jim, but I am going to step on some toes here:
Putting a mandrel and buffing wheel on a drill press is a terrible idea for knife work. It may work for buffing turned pens and stuff, .... but a knife is just asking to get cut. The only possible use would be slow speed buffing on handles with well taped blades.

A large reason for these comments is physiology and physics. Grab 12" length of doweling by the ends and hold it in front of you at benchtop height like a knife to a buffing wheel. You can move it side to side easily with firm control. Have someone try to pull it away from you ... it is hard to do.
Now, hold the stick with one hand high and one hand low ... you have poor control and much less grip strength. Your body is not made to have much strength in that plane.

Make a standard horizontal buffer if you want to buff and have it able to run at speeds between 500 and 1000 RPM. Use 6" buffs to start, and only go to 8", 10", and 12" buffs with experience. Make it with the wheels sticking off the mounting so there is nothing below the wheels but the floor. A grinding pedestal is what you want. HF sells a cheap one that works fine. The benchtop is not a good place for a buffer. Yes, I have a buffer with 6" wheels there, but I have buffed metal for over 40 years .... and occasionally I even have a knife grabbed and tossed by the buffer. My 12" wheels are on a buffing pedestal.
 
Jim, I wanted to send you a separate message, but you don't allow messaging. I understand that you have learned how to buff on your system, but on a public forum like this a million 16 year old kids will read that and say .. Heck, it is easy. My comments are meant to those who don't know what they are doing when buffing.
 
I've used the larger buffers and they scare the crap out of me. Watched a Mastersmith teaching a class fling a blade 20ft right by my head 10 years back and yeah, no interest into owning one of them now.

That said, i couldn't live without my jeweler sized buffer with adjustable speed. tiny little motor, very little power, and can crank it down real slow if i want. Works perfect on handles, guards, fittings, even if already attached to the blade as it just doesn't have the power to really rip the piece out of your hands, and even if it did, not enough force to do serious harm.
 
Stacy
No problems. I have thick skinned toes. I wasn't aware I had messaging turned off, thanks, I'll fix it.
By the way, I don't hold the knife at Arms length and I don't hold it perpindicular to the plane of the buff.
Jim A.
 
A angle grinder and buffing discs works better for me and is cheaper. And wool discs. But that's just me I have one of those and it works swell for things to touch up
 
1- that buffer shown runs to fast imo.
2- I dont understand the buffing on a drill press is safe? How would just turning the buffing wheel sideways make it safe? The buffing wheel would still have a safe side to use and a side that would grab it and throw it at you right?? What am I missing?
3- Jim I think only paying members have the option of getting private messages.
4- I use one of these arbors https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-1-2-Heavy-Duty-Portable-Shaft/H8024 from grizzly and a 1/2hp motor that I run using my VFD
 
Just to be clear, I am not saying the people haven't used buffers without getting hurt, or that no one should use a buffer. What I am saying is that a new person who is just getting started should really understand the risks of a buffer before using one on knives.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Just to be clear, I am not saying the people haven't used buffers without getting hurt, or that no one should use a buffer. What I am saying is that a new person who is just getting started should really understand the risks of a buffer before using one on knives.
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I don t want that piece of sh.......t in my shop ! I saw/hear for very bad injuries ......on experienced workers .That thing is dangerous , you never know when and how things can turn bad !!! You can have all the experience of the world.......it just happens in split of second !
 
We use a buffer here all the time on loose scales but never on a knife
 
Natlek said:
I don t want that piece of sh.......t in my shop ! I saw/hear for very bad injuries ......on experienced workers .That thing is dangerous , you never know when and how things can turn bad !!! You can have all the experience of the world.......it just happens in split of second !
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I totally agree. The many past threads on buffer dangers support that. All we can do here is advise the new folks about how dangerous they can be and give the best advice on how to limit the danger.

If a new maker saw how people who buff sharp stuff dressed in industrial settings they would understand the danger - full face shields of heavy Lexan, chain mail tunics (and sometimes chaps), kevlar gloves and sleeves, etc.
 
Well, you've convinced me on the buffer.

I think I'll try one of the buffing wheels that fits in the chuck of a cordless drill. That way i could put the knife in a vise and use the drill on the scales. Of course, I could also just hand buff. lol
 
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