Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Discussion of pipe restoration and sales, as well as pipe repair and maintenance tricks.
Wallbright
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Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Wallbright »

Since delving deeper into pipe restoration I have decided that I want to rig up a basic buffing setup. My house mate works construction so I think between the two of us we can rig something up but we have no idea where to start. So I was wondering if you guys could post up pictures and an explanation of your setup and maybe some tips and advice of what you would do the same or different. He has many drills and tools but no lathe or drill press. We also have easy access to Harbor Freight tools and stores of the like. Thanks fellas.
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jogilli
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by jogilli »

Hit home depot, Lowes.. or whatever your hardware store is.. pick up a bench grinder and convert it

Image

The one on the left is 250w and one on the right is around 110w.. personally I prefer the 110 one for sanding

more pictures are here http://www.jsecpipes.com/workshop.html

james
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Growley
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Growley »

Here's my buffer set up. I bought the buffer assembly and motor from Grizzly. They are sold separately. You'll want a slower motor like the 1725 and a 2 or 3" pulley for the motor arbor. Be aware that if you buy a motor from Grizzly that's all you get, no plug, no wires, no switches...nothing. I've never bought a motor before so this is probably standard, but I felt a bit like the kid at Christmas who just got the remote control car and no batteries.

I bought the stand from Lowes for like $50 bucks. I like it because on a nice day I haul the whole thing outside and do my buffing and sanding in the sun and breeze...and the great light. It saves me cleaning up the dust too. I put a switch on it so I don't have to unplug it all the time.

My buffs are smaller than what I'd like. I plan on getting some larger ones. What I really like about this setup is that I have both sides for different wheels. You might be able to buy some extra washers and bolts and fit more than one on a as side. I also like that I can buff all around the wheel. I use the bottom, top and front of the wheel each for different reasons....and by front I mean the side closest to me.

The whole thing cost around $300.00

Here are some pics:

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Grizzly Part number: H3559

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Motor - 1/2 HP. Grizzly Part Number: G2907 I believe. There is an "open" and a "TFEC". I think I got the open version.

Image

If you have the ends of your arbor drilled and tapped out you can add the 3M hook and loop disc to the end and use it for your sander as well.

Image

The only thing I don't like about this set up is the metal on metal... I am NOT an electrician and for some reason I'm getting a small short. Open to any ideas to fix that from anyone who knows what they're doing. I'm sure I won't die from it, but I feel like the rat who is getting trained to take the occasional shock.
caskwith
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by caskwith »

This is what I use, very handy for those that already use a wood lathe, i didn't but I found it was cheaper to buy a wood lathe than buy all the other parts and it give me a powerful 1hp variable speed.

Image
Archer
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Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Archer »

jogilli wrote:Hit home depot, Lowes.. or whatever your hardware store is.. pick up a bench grinder and convert it

Image

The one on the left is 250w and one on the right is around 110w.. personally I prefer the 110 one for sanding

more pictures are here http://www.jsecpipes.com/workshop.html

james
Jogilli, just took a look at your site, you have some beautiful work! I really like the shop photos as well! You really got me itching to do that slack sander setup!
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jogilli
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by jogilli »

Thanks.. Chris did it right though... the wood lathe offers a lot more flexibility.. when I bought the motors I didn't know if I would like making pipes... a little over 2 years in and I really enjoy it.. when the buffing/sanding folding table motors burn out.. the wood lathe will be my replacement machine.

Functionality that can be placed in a small workshop gets you alot flexibility for what you want to create

james
Wallbright
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Wallbright »

Thanks for all the responses guys! I have a email into a guy about a wood lathe he is selling for pretty cheap on craigslist and hopefully that works out but in the mean time I would like to continue exploring ideas.

I have seen quite a few bench grinders on sale for cheap but they are around 3450-3750 rpms and single speed. Would this be way too high or could I make it work? I am only going to be restoring pipes as I do not currently make my own pipes.
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Sasquatch
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Sasquatch »

3400 is just too fast. You could rig it up with pulleys to gear it down, but that's a bunch of fiddlin.

running various wheels between 600 and 1500 rpm is what you want to be able to do.
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
Wallbright
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Wallbright »

With Christmas right around the corner I am thinking I might ask for my loved ones to all chip in for a lathe :).

What brands/models would you fellas recommend? I would also be using it to make other wood crafts so please keep that in mind.
wdteipen
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by wdteipen »

Can't go wrong with a Jet, Delta, or Rikon midi. I have a Delta and a Rikon but wish I went with a Jet instead of the other two.
Wayne Teipen
Teipen Handmade Briar Pipes
http://www.teipenpipes.com
Wallbright
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Wallbright »

Are there any good options for around $250-$350? I know you get what you pay for but I cannot afford to invest $1,000 or whatever that alot of the higher end lathes cost. I would say my absolute cap is $350. What about this one from Harbor Freight?

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-x- ... 34706.html
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Alden
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Alden »

$350 should get you a used Jet or Delta lathe, if prices in your area are similar to mine.
You might be watching CL for a few weeks to find a good deal though.
Do a search here for the lathe you're thinking about to see all the answers about Harbor Freight Lathes.
Wallbright
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Wallbright »

Edward wrote:$350 should get you a used Jet or Delta lathe, if prices in your area are similar to mine.
You might be watching CL for a few weeks to find a good deal though.
Do a search here for the lathe you're thinking about to see all the answers about Harbor Freight Lathes.
Thanks for the quick comment. I also am thinking maybe a mini lathe is a better option. I can't see myself doing anything longer than 18-20" at the moment and if I decide I like it then I suppose it would be easier to sell a Jet or the like than a crappy off brand one. Would you guys recommend any specific mini lathes (or larger sized lathes if they are in the price range)? Also, if you guys don't mind I will post the CL ad here if I find one before I buy it to get some advice. I am a complete novice so this is like trying to find a needle in a haystack for me and I appreciate all of the helpfulness and patience.
Archer
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Archer »

Alright, I'll bite. :|

You cant go wrong with the lathe from harbor fright. There are some narcissists who insist that you buy trouble when you buy cheap, and yes, in a lot of instances you do, but not in this case.

I own this lathe and it is my daily workhorse for turning, drilling, sanding, and buffing. I don't just use it to make pipes, I use it for pens and anything else that needs to spin at variable speed. I don't think it gets enough credit. :roll:

If you compare the models it is a clone of the JET of the same measurements, for way less. :shock:

The 12" swing over is big enough for any bowl (not pipe bowl) that I want to turn at this point. I have not met a project yet that has exceeded its length capacity. It has variable speed that will get you where you want to be for most any turning or buffing that needs done. It has a MT#2 taper which is easy to find arbors for, and you can use a BEALL type setup for buffing, though I'm a cheapskate and just use PIMO arbors and buffs chucked into my MT2 Jacobs chuck.

Same goes for sanding. I have a 5" disk on a 1/4" shank that is chucked the same way. I can also chuck the barrel sanders into it and get the same effect Kurt has when he uses his setup in the "rough shaping video" on YouTube.

You WILL have to ballast it down with sandbags or whatever to keep it from doing the off center shimmy, but the JET would be the same.

You can use the support bars on the legs as a shelf if you use a piece of plywood and drill holes for lathe tools, chucks, etc.

The swivel head? Oh yeah, did I elaborate? The swivel head will allow you to turn the head at an angle that most pipe-makers use at their sanding setups, which is 45 degrees I guess. Ive never used it past that and wouldn't suggest doing any outboard turning without a floor based tool rest. The JET is the same. The swivel head is a boon to my comfort level when sitting in a chair sanding at the lathe, rather than almost straddling the bed with your arms trying to sand, you can sit at ease with the head turned out.

The worst thing Ive dealt with yet? Cleaning the reeves drives every two weeks or so so it doesn't gum up, which involves blowing the motor housing out and lubing with wd40 while going through the gears. And a cold garage, if its cold in your garage, the belt will be stiff and you may want to run it and let it warm up before you lay any torque to it. Or you could buy a link belt and avoid that altogether (Xmas list).

You will walk out the door with a decent set of gouges (if you buy the $49 set) and a good lathe that will probably last you until you can afford to do better, considering you want to, for around $250 or less, if you use the %20 coupon, you could probably have it all sub $100. :shock:

You WILL want a MT2 drill chuck, possible some new tail-stock live centers (I only bought the mandrel saver for pens), a smaller tool rest (good luck), and a chuck similar to the supernova2 if you want to do any serious turning or lathe work. So far the 50mm standard chuck jaws have held any piece of briar I throw at it so long as width does not exceed 2" or so and is square before chucking.

This is all ramble I know, but I'm up late, and six am comes early!! :D

***DISCLAIMER***

I know there are JET users out there, this is no offense to them, as all purchases are personal choice. This is my opinion and they are like...well...you know...

I do not have a huge salary and 3 kids means I have to be resourceful, so I have to rely on cheap until I can do better or get outta the game. I think this is true for alot of us who use these hobbies as an escape from life. My experience has shown me that if it weren't for cheap, my whole life would be spent sitting on the sidelines watching the big boys go to bat. I don't do that, never have and never will, I'm a do-er not a watcher, and I hope to show that you don't have to have a huge capital to run the balla's down!!

E
Archer
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Archer »

I also just took a real good look at Caskwiths setup, and his lathe is almost identical to mine, cepting for the white versus green and power switch.
caskwith
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by caskwith »

Newcarver wrote:I also just took a real good look at Caskwiths setup, and his lathe is almost identical to mine, cepting for the white versus green and power switch.
Probably is, a lot of these lathes are based on a generic design. Mine is a 14" model, I went for the large size as I wanted the 1hp motor and the speed is controlled by a variable speed pulley that is adjusted by the lever, gets me between 500 and 2100rpm. I usually buff at around 1500rpm with 8" wheels, then apply wax and fter spreading it around I slow down to a bit less than 1000rpm to get the final shine.
Wallbright
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Wallbright »

I found this older bench grinder at my parents house today and they said I could have it I'd I want. Would it be possible to make a buffer setup with this? It is 1/3hp 3500rpm. Would it be possible to put a variable speed control device on it or some other way to rig it to slow it down?

Image
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Growley
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Growley »

There have been similar. I conversations here about that very thing, using dimmer switches and so on. From what I remember reading, it can be done, but I don't think it's that great for the motor or general safety.
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Sasquatch
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Sasquatch »

Far better to set up geared-down pulley wheels than to choke-volt the motor.
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
Wallbright
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Re: Buffer Setup Ideas Wanted

Post by Wallbright »

Are there instructions on how to do the pulleys?
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