The mighty buffer

[LatakiaLover]

6" will snatch too, I've done it.

Do you remember how wide it was, or how soft/hard? Just curious.

The diameter is only half the story in any event. The smaller contact patch of a narrow one greatly reduces the rotation-from-friction "tugging" feeling on the work, as well as being easier to keep track of visually (wide buffs can lull you into concentrating on one edge while the opposite side catches something).

The way I see it, using large diameter, fluffy buffs is like not driving with a seatbelt. No matter how good of a driver you are, sooner or later something's going to happen that your skills can't save you from. So, why try? There's no end-result advantage to doing it, and the inevitable (if you do it long enough) downside is steep.

[caskwith]

Yeah yeah George, just face it, empirical evidence from at least 4 people shows that you are wrong, or right, I wasn't actually paying attention and don't really care I just wanted to start a post with Yeah Yeah George and then insult you a little.

[LittleBill]

When I first started using a buffer back in the mid 90s. I lost a few turnings to the wheel. I changed my technique to not allow any edges into the wheel whenever possible. I also have a firm enough grip on the piece that if the wheel grabs, the buffer moves.

[baweaverpipes]

Yeah yeah George, just face it, empirical evidence from at least 4 people shows that you are wrong, or right, I wasn't actually paying attention and don't really care I just wanted to start a post with Yeah Yeah George and then insult you a little.

Chris, you're a funny guy! And.........I like your pipes, especially your Cutty shapes

[pipedreamer]

I find if you buff your rod and turn it slowly, just a certain way.You can make the bi@@ suffer.Then she won't be so prone to get feisty and that puts that buffer snatch in her place.

[dogcatcher]

Make yourself a set of expanding mandrels to fit inside of the bowls, they will give you a bigger "handle" t hold onto.

[mcgregorpipes]

I'd buffer snatch. In a heartbeat.

my wife laughed when I read her that.. and for some reason when girls want to help in the shop they only want to use the buffer

[yachtexplorer]

It takes practice but secure tight grip with light touch is key. Most tend to hold with fingertips to achieve a light touch but that invites disaster. I use cousin Brucie's idea of finger in the bowl a lot as an additional safety precaution.

Also I find keeping the point of contact with the wheel at the horizontal point closest to you really helps. I have my Beal three on a mandril set into a small variable speed wood lathe. This allows me to always adjust to the slowest speed possible to do the work. It is set on a 10" high sturdy mounting table with wide stance (kinda like Larry Craig) legs. At that height I can sit on a mechanics stool and have my elbows locked on my knees and hold the piece parallel to the floor just working with the widest point of the buff, nearest me.

[notow1]

thanks to JB weld I have another fine smoking shop pipe, Norm.

[LatakiaLover]

Yeah yeah George, just face it, empirical evidence from at least 4 people shows that you are wrong, or right, I wasn't actually paying attention and don't really care I just wanted to start a post with Yeah Yeah George and then insult you a little.

That's the spirit!

We colonists still love seeing you Sasanach get twisted from time to time.

238 years, but don't be fooled. Our memory is long.

[BobR]

I have an old fish tank I put some padding in and placed that right behind my buffing wheel. It saved a few pipes a couple of years ago but I don't use/need it anymore. I does work. If you want to see a picture let me know.

For what it's worth, a lot of people, myself included, use the Beall 8" buffs. They've worked great for me.

[LatakiaLover]

I have an old fish tank I put some padding in and placed that right behind my buffing wheel. It saved a few pipes a couple of years ago but I don't use/need it anymore.

For what it's worth, a lot of people, myself included, use the Beall 8" buffs. They've worked great for me.

Seems like the last sentence should be, "They work great for me now." Yes?

My point in this thread is not that using large diameter buffs can't be learned, but that small ones have a much less steep learning curve and no downside. A useful item of information, I think, and only rarely mentioned in the PipeWorld for some reason.