I was just wondering how much difference it makes when it comes to buffing wheels. The reason I'm asking is because I saw this, which will fit my big lathe perfectly: http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... ,190,43040
What I noticed was that the wheels for the different compounds are not the same, and that made me wonder if maybe I would get even better buffing and polishing results (because my results aren't bad, but not mirror-shine good eighter) by using this instead of the three identical 4" cotton wheels I'm using at the moment (btw I'm running the 4" wheels at a faster speed than 1700 rpm to compensate for the small diam.)
I just wanted to ask before investing in something that will make no difference whatsoever!
/Albert
Perfection is key, but damn near impossible to achieve!
Theres the rub.
I spent two years wondering why I had tiny scratches left in my stems. No matter what I did I couldn't get rid of them, until I stopped using Beall wheels and switched to the ones Time West carries.
Mind you, these aren't scratches you can see from two feet away, just up close and in bright light. But Tim's wheels finally let me take my stems to a much finer finish.
YMMV, but I say it makes a lot of difference !
Then again, the speed you're using, your setup etc will affect what wheel is the right one for you.
So, you think I should get it? One advantage would be that all the wheels would be spinning at the same time so I won't have to swith wheels between the buffing stages.
Perfection is key, but damn near impossible to achieve!
I don't know why you are seeing scratches. I find that after I use tripoli, I need to wipe off the stem with denatured alcohol before white diamond. I end up with no scratches. I did sand my wheels before I started using them. Perhaps there's a difference.
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Alden wrote:Theres the rub.
I spent two years wondering why I had tiny scratches left in my stems. No matter what I did I couldn't get rid of them, until I stopped using Beall wheels and switched to the ones Time West carries.
Mind you, these aren't scratches you can see from two feet away, just up close and in bright light. But Tim's wheels finally let me take my stems to a much finer finish.
YMMV, but I say it makes a lot of difference !
Then again, the speed you're using, your setup etc will affect what wheel is the right one for you.
I have been wondering about this too. I have some scratches left that look very random. Do you think it is the Beall buffs, or the compound they supply with them?
Or could it be that they have been sanded or cleaned with an abrasive that rubbed off on the wheel? I actually use Tim's buffs and have been very happy with them. But I do know one of the premier woodturners in American and he uses the Beall buffs and compounds. If you are taking care of your buffs correctly and final sanding properly you shouldn't have any problems buffing your stems....I know as I buffed my first 20 handcut stems on a 4" wheel I bought at Lowes.
Just sayin'
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The Lee Valley buffing mandrel is basically the same as the Beall one but at almost half the price. I have a total of five mandrels. A couple are Beall and the rest are Lee Valley. Tim's wheels work well on the mandrels. I took out the middle wheel so I'd have more room and less accidents from inadvertently hitting the adjacent wheel and snatching the pipe out of my hands. I find that Tim's wheels perform better but the scratches you're talking about is likely due to compound build-up or abrasive contamination. You can clean them up with a rake or 36 grit sanding discs.
Charl wrote:I agree with Chris re the swandsdown. It's more expensive than the regular ones, but worth every penny.
Yeah they are more expensive but I have been running my current set for several years now and I expect to get at least another 3-5 years of use from them and I polish plenty of pipes each year.
Regarding the swandsdown, do you use the same type of wheel wheel for all the different compounds or just use this type of wheel for final finishing. I'm using various menzerna compounds.
Regardless of what buffs you are using and how they are set up (single or multiple on a shaft) it is always good practice to put them in a bag or cover them when not in use in order to prevent contamination from all the debris in the air.
BobR wrote:Regarding the swandsdown, do you use the same type of wheel wheel for all the different compounds or just use this type of wheel for final finishing. I'm using various menzerna compounds.
