Wax Dust on Buffing Wheel

[kbadkar]

Gotcha, Frank, that's what I thought.

I have a loose muslin buff that I use for final buffing that has no stitching, so I was wondering if Todd uses that type of buff for wax.

[staffwalker]

I like the glove bit, Todd. I never thought of it before. I have long known the pipe needed to be warm or else the first wax would clump and stick. I have always buffed the pipe without wax until it became warm and then applied wax to the wheel. The glove thing works better. Thanks.

bob gilbert

[staffwalker]

Both of my wax wheels are flannel. The large one is 1 1/2 X 8 inch. The small one I use for final polish is 2 X 6 inch. Both are un-stitched.

bob gilbert

[ToddJohnson]

For what it's worth, the best gloves out there--at least for me--are tuxedo gloves. I have a 10.5" handspan from thumb to pinkie, so it's difficult for me to find gloves that actually fit. The tuxedo gloves are very tight and very thin, so they offer a great deal of tactile sensation while still protecting the pipe from the oils on your hands. It does make the pipe dangerously "slippery" though, so try not to bounce it off the shop floor. You may--at your own risk--want to keep a finger in the tobacco chamber during buffing, just for security's sake.

Todd

[KurtHuhn]

For what it's worth, the best gloves out there--at least for me--are tuxedo gloves.

I tells ya, the boy just does NOT know how to dress down....

[staffwalker]

Update on the dust thing. First, it was wax dust, I tried the heat as someone suggested and the dust turned to liquid instantly. Secondly, Todd's glove trick solved the problem. The first time I tried it, I picked up the nearest glove which happened to be a leather glove I wear for yard work. When I applied it to the wheel all kinds of fiber bunnies flew out of the wheel. I guess the leather glove acted like a rake which was suggested by several here. By the time the wheel was warm my shop floor looked like the floor of a cotton gin with fibers everywhere. When I applied wax and buffed I was surprised to find the wax dust was gone. I have since buffed three or four pipes with no lint fiber bunnies being thrown out by the glove and also there is no longer wax dust collecting.

I've used this wheel a long time, buffed over a hundred pipes I have made plus I have 300+ pipes I didn't make, don't know exactly, haven't counted them in a while. I am always buffing some pipe or other. I guess over time the wax left in the wheel became dust. It's gone now and thanks for all the help.

bob gilbert