Beall Buffing

Re: Beall Buffing *LINK*

Stuart Johnson

It is worth the money but you can build something similar and save a few dollars. It wouldn't take much to make individual or single buffs. I haven't priced any of the parts lately.


3 wheel buff

Re: Beall Buffing

Dave Paine

I have the Beall system although not all the wheels. If I had to do this again I would just purchase the Tripoli wheel.

I use the Tripoli wheel the most.

Folks in my turning club said that the White Diamond works but if the piece is exposed to rain, it will create white spots.

I do not use the Carnuba wheel since I am not using wax as a finish.

Re: Beall Buffing

David Walser

I have Don Pencil's version and like it very much. Buffing can be a quick and easy way to improve a finish. In addition to the standard three wheels -- tripoli, white diamond, wax (I use renwax) -- I also have Don's wheel for plastics. It's a finer compound than white diamond and is great for putting a high-gloss shine on to an item finished with lacquer or poly. It's also good for plastics (or an item finished with CA).

Caution: There are two different Beall buffing "systems": the three-in-one and the separate wheel versions. (Those are my names for them.) The three-in-one has three wheels mounted on a shaft. It's very nice if you turn a lot of small items like pens or bottle stoppers. You can buff these small items without having to switch wheels. Very handy.

The three-in-one system is NOT very handy if you want to buff larger items. It's hard to buff a large bowl with the white diamond wheel (the middle one) without bumping into the other two wheels. It's also hard to get inside a bowl with this system. For such items, the separate wheel system works fine. Yes, you have to switch wheels, but that's fairly quick.

I have bowl buffs, too. These are ball shaped buffing "wheels" that make it easy to get inside of a bowl. I have them, but almost never use them. With the separate wheel system, I've never had a problem getting into the bottom of the bowl. That, of course, depends on the shape of the bowls you turn.

HTH.

Re: Beall Buffing

josh bowman

I have the beall wheels and ball buffs. Not certain the ball's are worth it, but the wheels make a nice feeling quick finish. I do find after about 6 months some bowls need buffed with wax, it seems to absorb or go somewhere on some wood. And I would buy them again. Each wheel is made of different texture cloth. They seem to hold up well.

Re: Beall Buffing

john lucas

I bought the Beal system. didn't like the 8" wheels so I bought the 3" wheels from Craft Supplies. I use the Don Pencil 8" extender and do my buffing on the lathe. Don't use the white diamond on porous woods like Walnut or Mahagony. On those I just use the Tripoli. The opposite is true for white porous woods, don't use the Tripoli.

Remember you are finishing the finish with buffing systems. so your sanding and finishing up to the buffing systems needs to be well done or the buffing can amplify the scratches.

Re: Beall Buffing

John K Jordan

Ron, I've used the Beall buffing wheels for at least a decade. I like the finish, with some of the caveats others have mentioned. I use it mostly on hard oil finishes but have polished many other types of finishes.

I use the 8" wheels but mount them a bit different than most - I bought extra morse taper mandrels to put each wheel on its own mandrel. This makes them very quick to change on the lathe and avoids the clearance problems you get with all three wheels mounted on one shaft.

I bought mine before they offered the quick change mount. Perhaps this would be just as good and cheaper.

One thing you learn the hard way but quickly. Anything less then a consciously firm grip and your full attention will result in the work being grabbed out of your hands and violently thrown against the wall. This does not improve the finish.

JKJ

Review, Description, and an Extender

Doc Green

Alan Stratton (As Wood Turns) does a review of the Beall system in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YyB3c87ucw

Here is an overall description of the system with a link to Jerry Beall's demo:

http://www.docgreenwoodturner.com/buffing.html

You can make a mandrel to mount the Beall wheels on your lathe. No metal work and no threading is required:

http://www.docgreenwoodturner.com/lathebuffing.html

And finally, a Must See is Alan demonstrating that a buffing wheel can take a piece out of your hands in a heartbeat, with a most unusual consequence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWtsMXV5Ouk

All of Alan's videos are good, but the really exciting part begins at 7:45 in the above video. I've been there and done that, but not with the flair and drama that Alan provides.

~Doc Green

Re: Beall Buffing

don stephan

Three wheels and buffs remain unused on my shelf. I was planning to start using it until another woodworker told how much better bowls feel after using the Tripoli, white diamond, and finally wax. My preference is for bowls that can be used and washed, and I've read many times about the propensity for waxes to water spot. Another concern was the potential for red or white spots on open pored woods, as I don't like a thick film finish that would fill the pores.

Re: Beall Buffing

David Walser

If you use a sanding sealer to fill the pores, you can then use an oil finish such as tung, BLO, or walnut oil. Once the oil finish cures, you can buff with Tripoli and white diamond without fear you'll leave behind dark or white spots in the pores. If you use a microcrystalline wax (such as renwax), it won't water spot.

Re: Beall Buffing

don stephan

Thanks for the clarifications

Re: Beall Buffing

Bill Howatt

I bought my Beall setup years ago and always use it but I often don't use the final wax step.

When people handle the bowls they comment on how smooth the surface is.

My finish is usually polymerized tung oil.

The goblet buffs do not work as well as the wheels which may be due to their slower surface speed.

Bill

Re: Beall Buffing

john lucas

there are pros and cons of buffing systems. when I first got mine I found out pretty quick the cons. The 8" wheels running at 1700 rpm which is what they recommend will burn through lacquer and shellac finishes in a heart beat. I changed to 3" wheels and run my lathe at about 1200 rpm which decreases that surface speed tremendously which solved my problem. Most of my work is smaller anyway but it's pretty easy to do large bowls with those same wheels since the actual contact area is small on either size wheel.

It's very very easy to get work pulled out of your hand. Even after many years of using the buffing systems I will occasionally lose a piece if I don't concentrate on what I'm doing. Always buff away from an edge so the wheel can't grab that edge. Always have a good grip before you start. It's too easy to stay in contact with the wheel and shift your hands to reposition the work and Bam there it goes. Take your time. I had to photograph the guys at Gibson Guitar buffing guitars. This is a production job and those guys are really good but one thing I noticed is they never act rushed. Each touch on the wheel is deliberate and smooth. They shift their hands if necessary and repeat but it never looks like they are in a hurry and yet they must do a certain number a day.

Different buffing compounds are different colors so that you can easily tell which is which. Unfortunately if you buff porous woods it will pick up that color. Filling in the pores with finish, even a little bit, helps tremendously. Most of us simply avoid buffing dark woods with light compounds and vice/versa. If you use thick finishes you are only buffing the finish so it isn't a problem however as mentioned above you can burn through a finish.

Most people apply too much compound to the wheels. It really takes very little to do the job. If your wheels are really gunked up take the sharp square edge of a board and stick in into the wheel until the wheel doesn't appear as waxy. Some people use a saw blade held at 90 degrees to the wheel to both clean off the wax and to trim long hairs that come loose. Make sure the saw teeth are horizontal or slightly downhill so the wheel can't grab the saw.

Buffing wheels throw off a very fine lint that is not good to breath. At the very least it tickles your nose and gets in your eyes. I'm sure if you breathed it very much it would not be good for you. You can put a fan at your back to blow the lint away or use a vacuum close to the wheel to suck it away.

I'm not a fan of the 3 wheels on a shaft. You just don't have the room to get into bowls or to work around some objects. I do use it when doing Christmas ornaments or Wine stoppers because it's quick. Most of the time I use a Don Pencil 8" extension mounted on the lathe spindle. Each wheel has a threaded spindle that screws into the end. I buff all my projects with one grit and then change and buff them all again with the next.

I'm sure I've forgotten some tips because I haven't turned anything in 6 months but I hope this helps some of you.

Re: Beall Buffing

david

Last time I inquired, Don Pencil was not making the 8" extension any more. The 8" extension is what I would use the most, but am making do with the 12" extension.

Re: Beall Buffing

AlanSweet

Don Pencil's wen site appears to be under going changes or some thing. After the front page you don't get anything except links.

Re: Beall Buffing

John K Jordan

>Most people apply too much compound to the wheels. It really takes very little

>to do the job. If your wheels are really gunked up take the sharp square edge

>of a board and stick in into the wheel until the wheel doesn't appear as waxy.

I learned that truth long time ago! When adding compound I touch it only very briefly and very lightly to the wheel. I keep a thin slice of cocobolo handy to dress the wheels before I buff to remove any excess coumpound or finish from the last use.

JKJ