Buffing motor recommendation?

EBK · Post by **EBK** » Tue May 19, 2009 10:37 am

Would this be good for buffing motor?

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?P ... ilyID=4605

What other buffing motors would you recommend?

kkendall · Post by **kkendall** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:24 pm

That would work quite nicely!

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:24 pm

As a matter of power and spindle RPM, yes. However, I don't know what the feasability of adding buffing wheels to it is. I imagine that it would be as easy as using a 5/8" motor arbor adaptor, but having never seen that particular grinder apart, I couldn't say for certain.

EBK · Post by **EBK** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:34 pm

Thanks so far! Any other recommendations?

smokindawg · Post by **smokindawg** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:45 pm

I was going to say pretty much the same thing as Kurt. I've used a grinder as a buffer and the main problem that I've had is with clearence between the motor and the wheel on such a short shaft. Other than that, the speed and the HP are fine and would work well.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Tue May 19, 2009 6:52 pm

I have to say I prefer buffing on the drill press. Speed adjustability is excellent. The only limitation is the swing depth, which for me limits me to 6" pads, but they are commonly available through automotive supply stores. And the arbor adapters are like 3 bucks from pimo.

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Wed May 20, 2009 9:01 am

a good motor with 1750 rpm is all you need. The spindle ware is easy to come by. Check ebay.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Wed May 20, 2009 9:33 am

As a side note, while buffing on a drill press can work (I did it for a year until I started collecting electric motors) It can ruin the spindle bearings in fairly short order. The buffing compound will work its way into the the rotating assemblies and loosen everything up. Before you know it, you can't drill a straight hole in anything, and bit chatter is the norm.

FredS · Post by **FredS** » Wed May 20, 2009 12:01 pm

KurtHuhn wrote:As a side note, while buffing on a drill press can work (I did it for a year until I started collecting electric motors) It can ruin the spindle bearings in fairly short order. The buffing compound will work its way into the the rotating assemblies and loosen everything up. Before you know it, you can't drill a straight hole in anything, and bit chatter is the norm.

That, plus you're putting side loads on the spindle/bearing/chuck assembly that was designed mainly for thrust loads. That said, I have a cheap little bench-top drill press that I use for drum sanding and polishing operations sometimes. Since I got my big drill press, the little guy has been relegated to "rough" work.

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Wed May 20, 2009 6:59 pm

Fair enough. My drill press is a piece of shit and I hope to kill it. Sounds like I'm on the right track!

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Tue May 26, 2009 2:16 pm

BTW, you can hardly go wrong with a Baldor motor. I bought mine on ebay for $50 plus shipping.

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:43 pm

Ebay is the place for motors. Try Craigslist too. I have a collected a pile of motors through the years of various speeds and hps. You'll do well to buy any motor between 1/4 and 1/2 hp that spins below 2000rpm. That said, I actually do my rough shaping with 24 or 36gr resin disks at 3400rpm. It makes quick work of briar, but will scare the hell out of you the first few times you use it.

Heh, you should have seen Jody Davis' reaction when he turned that motor on to shape in my shop last week. It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but boy can you rough shape a pipe quickly. For me, I find that it allows me to rough out pipes faster so I can devote more time to other procedures than I had before. It's a great tool if you are willing to give it a go.

EBK · Post by **EBK** » Wed May 27, 2009 9:54 am

Thanks for your help...I'll start watching ebay