Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Buffing Wheels
William
>Hey all,
I was looking at the prospect of the Beall buffing system. 3 wheels plus compound. It's not a cheap system, $69 for one system and nearly $90 for the other.
Was wondering about alternatives? Are Beall buffing wheels that much different than what you find at Home Depot, Auto store etc.
Thanks in advance!
William
Re: Buffing Wheels
bill crommett in Seneca
>'Glad you asked that question because I have been using buffing wheels for years of many types and with many compounds including glue-based. I have never used the "Beal System" but I have wondered what is so magical about the "Beal". I hope we get some profound answers to your question.
Bill
Re: Buffing Wheels
Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.
>The three buffing wheels are different. The wheel for the tripoli compound is linen. The wheel for the white diamond compound is a linen-cotton blend, and is softer. The wheel for applying wax is all flannel. I assume that Beall has determined that the differences make the system work better. True or not, I don't know.
Wally
Re: Buffing Wheels
Joe Fleming
>I will add to what Wally said with the following. In addition to the Beall system, Oneway and Wood-n-Things (available from Don Pencil) also have buffing systems. All three use different materials for the buffs with all cotton/flannel for the wax wheel.
Most metal buffing wheels have a spiral stitch through the side to make the wheel perform "harder". Wood is a soft material in comparison and could be damaged with these relatively "hard" wheels. This becomes even more important when buffing on a complex shape and you want the plys of the wheel to conform to the shape of the object.
Wheel hardness is also a function of speed. The faste the wheel spins, the "harder" the plys of material will act.
When you buy these kits, you usually get three wheels, three buffing compounds (typically tripoli, white diamond and carnuba wax) and a mounting system. The Wood-n-Things system comes with the parts needed to mount it on your lathe. The Oneway system needs an extra lathe adapter or mandrel. I think the Beall system needs an extra gizmo too. When you add it up individually, you end up paying about $10-12 for each buff, $4-6 for each compound and $15 to 30 for the adapter. The kit prices are pretty cheap in comparison.
Joe Fleming - San Diego
Re: Buffing Wheels *LINK*
Lyn J. Mangiameli
>I wrote an extended article (and later an updated one) on buffing and the buffing components for More Woodturning. It is available in pdf format at the link.
In it the main commercial systems are described and compared. I also give you references to some good sources if you wish to obtain the components individually.
http://www.fholder.com/Woodturning/lyn.html