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The carnuba that I am using is fairly hard and it is quite a chore to get it onto the buffing wheel. So, my question is what means do you guys use to get the carnuba onto the buffing wheel? Do you just use friction by holding the carnuba against the buffing wheel or do you melt it somehow and apply it?

Thanks

Bryan,

You just turn the buffer on and hold the wax against the buff. It should only take a few seconds, you don't want to overload it with wax. I'm not sure how you were applying it before, but this is the way to do it in my experience and from what I've heard from every other pipemaker I've talked to. I'm afraid that melting the wax onto the buff might be counterproductive because you run the risk of unevenly applying wax to the buff and consequently scratching the pipe you are trying to finish.

I hope this helps.

Jeff

Jeff,

That is the method I am using, but apparently my carnuba has concrete in it because it is so hard to get anything on the buff. I don't have any problems with the red tripoli or the white diamond bars. I can get the carnuba on, but it is just very hard and takes quite a bit of force.

Thanks.

achduliebe, what "buff" are you useing.

achduliebe wrote:That is the method I am using, but apparently my carnuba has concrete in it because it is so hard to get anything on the buff. I don't have any problems with the red tripoli or the white diamond bars. I can get the carnuba on, but it is just very hard and takes quite a bit of force.

What size buffing wheel are you using, and what RPM are you running it? I use a 6" wheel and run it at about 1300 RPM for best results. This varies, depending on how much pressure you use, and the particular technique employed. Hae you tried a different spped setting? Faster is not necessarily better....

Hey Kurt and JMB,

I am using a 3" or 4" buff mounted on an arbor and chucked up in my hand drill. It polished pretty good, it is just a booger to get the carnuba onto the buff. Meaning it takes a lot of pressure, but maybe I am loading the buff with too much carnuba.

On the pipe that I am getting ready to buff (in a couple of days), I will use a new buff and try not to load up the buff too much.

One advice: Trust your nose.

bryan, my experience is that on my block of carnuba I make about a 1cm (more or less) indention about oh 3/4" long... that and you can smell it. But I smell the carnuba (I LOVE that smell by the way) for about 5 or 10 seconds before relenting. I feel I put too little wax on but I reload 2-3 times while buffying.

I remove the wax bar from the wheel almost immediatly after I begin to smell it. I have found less is more when it comes to wax.

Thanks everybody for your help.

You guys are great!