Lessons in Buffing

Get Russ' Video

tdaniel

>Russ has an excellent set of videos on finishing. I just finished Vol.1 and it covered sanding and buffing. Russ did a good job on this video explaining good sanding and buffing techniques and tips.

TD

Re: Lessons in Buffing

John K Jordan

>>...and finished it with Walnut Oil.

>Atttempted to buff the finished bowl...

Did you let it dry enough before buffing? I haven't used walnut oil, but I've used several other oils such as one of the danish oil mixtures. It takes me nearly two weeks to finish. I saturate with the first coat of oil and let it dry for a couple of days, then rub on another coat and let it dry for 1/2 a day, then repeat for about a week. Near the end, I use a cloth with just a bit of oil and rub it on vigorously several times during the day. I then let it dry another few days or a week before buffing. I use the Beale with tripoli, white diamond, and wax.

Also, make sure the buffing wheels are very clean. One small particle of a coarse grit, perhaps from sandpaper) can destroy a finish. (I used to run a small metallography lab and I often fought with this, especially with porus metallic/ceramic things that could hold grit.) I occasionally clean the buffing wheels by spinning against somthing hard (some recommend a hacksaw blade), apply the buffing compound, then use a piece of hard wood to press the compound into the wheel and knock off the excess (good use for cocobolo scraps!). It's best to keep polishing wheels in separate bags or devise some other way to keep them clean.

If you have scratches from a coarse grit particle, it may have caused subsurface damage, in which case no amount of polishing will fix it. You must return to sandpaper to remove the scratches, then refinish.

JKJ in East TN

Re: Lessons in Buffing

DGD

>Thanks for the feedback. The buffing wheels were brand new (I had used them on another turning just before this one, right out of the plastic bags). The bowl was treated with Walnut Oil and left to dry for over two weeks, so that shouldn't have been a problem. Maybe I need a different type of finish that will be guaranteed to dry.

I guess I had assumed I would get a shinier finish by buffing, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Apart from applying some wax, I'm not sure what to expect from buffing. Will have to get that video. Thanks again..

DGD

Re: Lessons in Buffing

tek-Brunswick, Ohio

>What kind of Walnut Oil did you use? Mike Mahoney's is heat treated so it will dry faster, and his takes a while to dry. I've heard that the kind from the grocery store never really does get hard. My bet is the oil wasn't hard yet or you didn't have enough of oil on it.

Re: Lessons in Buffing

John Lucas

>Are you sure you aren't seeing scratches from the sandpaper. sometimes buffing brings out an underlying problem. I just buffed a big bowl finished with 5 coats of Walnut oil that had set for to or 3 weeks before buffing. I wasn't impressed with the gloss. It was a glossier look than plain walnut oil but not anywhere near what I get with a coat of two of lacquer.

Re: Lessons in Buffing

DGD

>The scratches appeared after buffing with tripoli and the swirls match the size of the buffing wheel. They are definitely not from sandpaper. Although very visible, I can't feel them.

I am using Walnut Oil from Lee Valley. I think the time to dry was sufficient (over 2 weeks) but maybe its a finish that never fully cures. Don't know. There was a previous response about viewing Russ's video. Any further directions available to his web site or where his video can be found? Thanks again.

DGD

Russ' video

tdaniel

>Russ is on the road now. He will be with Mark Kauder's club this Saturday. You might email Mark and have Russ ship you a set of videos from there. Post a note to Mark here and he'll see it.

TD

Re: Lessons in Buffing

Les Robison

>How hard are you pressing the piece to the wheels? You want to use a light touch. Be sure your buffs have no build up of old material or chips from the shop. Also, what speed are you turning the wheels. Beal recommends 1750 for the 8" buffs and 3000 for the 3" bowl buffs.

Re: Lessons in Buffing

DGD

>I didn't think I was pressing that hard, but maybe it was too strong. Speeds may have been a problem. I was buffing with an 8" wheel at about 800 rpm. All 3 buffing wheels were brand new and only used once before (immediately before I tried to buff this butternut bowl). Still can't figure out why I can leave a trail mark on the bottom of the inside of the bowl with my finger. Maybe I applied too much carnuba wax? Don't know. Thanks for the feedback.

DGD