My new buffing system

[Chaz]

For years I've been interested in buffing systems liken Beall's 3-stage system as an alternative to applied finishes. Much of what I do are small hardwood projects - tools and accessories for fiber artists. A lot of these things will be in contact with course fibers, like various wools, that would make short work of just about any finish. But the wood still needs to be as smooth as possible to minimize snags. To simply polish and buff the wood, seemed like a workable alternative if a high enough lusture can be achieved.

Rather than buying something like the Beall product, I opted for a DIY project. I bought 8" wheels and compound - tripoli, white diamond and carnuba wax - from Penn State Industries. I got a couple feet of 5/8 threaded stock, nuts and washers at Ace. I made hubs for the head and tailstock on my Jet 1640 lathe from scrap 3" Maple dowel.
The finished tool works great and provides the finish I'm looking for. I've worked it with Maple, Walnut, Purpleheart, Cherry and Acrylics.


Here's a picture of the setup. I can't provide images of the buffed wood - pix don't really show the end result well.

In the end I managed to save a few bucks, but not much. Buying the complete kit from Beall or PSI would have saved time fiddling.

 

[HITCH-]

I got an air handler motor off of Craigslist and made my Beall Buff Setup many years ago. I also ditched the carnuba wax. It's fine for anything that will never ever happen to get wet, but I found that the carnuba wax will get white spots from moisture drops. I don't use it for anything that would be in the kitchen or bathroom.
If you are looking for additional buff sizes and or shapes, Ali Express has some low price options.
I like that the wheels on your setup are further apart than some I have seen. This will allow you clearance to buff larger pieces without hitting more than 1 wheel.

 

[Chaz]

I got an air handler motor off of Craigslist and made my Beall Buff Setup many years ago. I also ditched the carnuba wax. It's fine for anything that will never ever happen to get wet, but I found that the carnuba wax will get white spots from moisture drops. I don't use it for anything that would be in the kitchen or bathroom.
If you are looking for additional buff sizes and or shapes, Ali Express has some low price options.
I like that the wheels on your setup are further apart than some I have seen. This will allow you clearance to buff larger pieces without hitting more than 1 wheel.

I wanted to have more space than the stuff I have seen on YouTube. The 24x5/8" threaded stock I got at Ace seemed about right and would easily fit in my lathe. By summer I plan to be working on pieces around 2x2x12" to 2x2x16" and I think that if those wheels were any closer there would be problems.
Good tip about carnuba. My big experience with carnuba paste waxes is with automotive finishes and never had any water spotting even after prolonged rain.

For kitchen-bound stuff, I have a walnut oil with a microcrystaline wax that might yield interesting results on a buffer. I've been wanting to try Hampshire Sheen, too

 

[Dee2]

I got an air handler motor off of Craigslist and made my Beall Buff Setup many years ago. I also ditched the carnuba wax. It's fine for anything that will never ever happen to get wet, but I found that the carnuba wax will get white spots from moisture drops. I don't use it for anything that would be in the kitchen or bathroom.
If you are looking for additional buff sizes and or shapes, Ali Express has some low price options.
I like that the wheels on your setup are further apart than some I have seen. This will allow you clearance to buff larger pieces without hitting more than 1 wheel.

Yep. I switched to automotive carnauba wax because of the water spotting with the pure carnauba. But I still don't eat off the car.

 

[tbrad]

For years I've been interested in buffing systems liken Beall's 3-stage system as an alternative to applied finishes. Much of what I do are small hardwood projects - tools and accessories for fiber artists. A lot of these things will be in contact with course fibers, like various wools, that would make short work of just about any finish. But the wood still needs to be as smooth as possible to minimize snags. To simply polish and buff the wood, seemed like a workable alternative if a high enough lusture can be achieved.

Rather than buying something like the Beall product, I opted for a DIY project. I bought 8" wheels and compound - tripoli, white diamond and carnuba wax - from Penn State Industries. I got a couple feet of 5/8 threaded stock, nuts and washers at Ace. I made hubs for the head and tailstock on my Jet 1640 lathe from scrap 3" Maple dowel.
The finished tool works great and provides the finish I'm looking for. I've worked it with Maple, Walnut, Purpleheart, Cherry and Acrylics.


Here's a picture of the setup. I can't provide images of the buffed wood - pix don't really show the end result well.

In the end I managed to save a few bucks, but not much. Buying the complete kit from Beall or PSI would have saved time fiddling.
View attachment 216553

Chaz, could you please post pics of the head and tailstock maple pieces you made. I like the larger spacing of the wheels on your rig much better than the 16” mandrels I see online.

 

[Mike Davis]

My daughters are big into fiber arts, I would like to see the tools you make.

 

[petebucy4638]

I got an air handler motor off of Craigslist and made my Beall Buff Setup many years ago. I also ditched the carnuba wax. It's fine for anything that will never ever happen to get wet, but I found that the carnuba wax will get white spots from moisture drops. I don't use it for anything that would be in the kitchen or bathroom.
If you are looking for additional buff sizes and or shapes, Ali Express has some low price options.
I like that the wheels on your setup are further apart than some I have seen. This will allow you clearance to buff larger pieces without hitting more than 1 wheel.

I wonder how all those many car wax products with carnuba wax worked without spotting?

 

[Chaz]

My daughters are big into fiber arts, I would like to see the tools you make.

www.cardinalwoodwork.com

 

[MikeMen]

I made a similar setup but I have a Collet Chuck from PSI with a 5/8 collet. First I clamped one end of the threaded rod in the collet and used a machinists center drill to make a conical hole to match the tailstock live center (also PSI). Then after assembling the wheels, I clamp the rod in the collet chuck and bring the tailstock up to meet the conical hole. No wooden parts needed.

 

[LeftyTom]

For years I've been interested in buffing systems liken Beall's 3-stage system as an alternative to applied finishes. Much of what I do are small hardwood projects - tools and accessories for fiber artists. A lot of these things will be in contact with course fibers, like various wools, that would make short work of just about any finish. But the wood still needs to be as smooth as possible to minimize snags. To simply polish and buff the wood, seemed like a workable alternative if a high enough lusture can be achieved.

Rather than buying something like the Beall product, I opted for a DIY project. I bought 8" wheels and compound - tripoli, white diamond and carnuba wax - from Penn State Industries. I got a couple feet of 5/8 threaded stock, nuts and washers at Ace. I made hubs for the head and tailstock on my Jet 1640 lathe from scrap 3" Maple dowel.
The finished tool works great and provides the finish I'm looking for. I've worked it with Maple, Walnut, Purpleheart, Cherry and Acrylics.


Here's a picture of the setup. I can't provide images of the buffed wood - pix don't really show the end result well.

In the end I managed to save a few bucks, but not much. Buying the complete kit from Beall or PSI would have saved time fiddling.
View attachment 216553

The best innovation often comes via fiddling.

 

[Mike Davis]

www.cardinalwoodwork.com

very nice work, a good variety of products, great web site… 100+

 

[Bear Republic]

Great DIY, if it weren't for fiddling I would have anything to do .....

 

[Chaz]

The best innovation often comes via fiddling.

Yes in deed. I've fiddled with the system since I wrote that post. The 5/8" rod, at that length, had a lot of whip, making it difficult to use, so I shortened it by 6". Works better.

I also stopped using PSI's carnuba wax. I switched to a harder wax I got at Kilingspor.