Advise on buffing

[rsmith99]

I am always wishing I had a small stationary buffer to buff small pistil parts like sears, etc...

I have a small 6" bench grinder. Can anyone tell me if I could put a buffing wheel on the branch grinder?

If so, what kind of wheel, buffing media, technique, etc...

Thanks!

 

[Frank46]

The small 6" grinders can use a 6" buffing wheel. If you go to an 8" wheel
you'll need either a 3/4 or 1 hp motor for the larger wheels. Sears still does or used to sell both 6 & 8" cotton sewn buffing wheels. And you can find the same sizes at either Lowe's or Home depot. Sears also sells I believe one pound bars of different buffing compounds don't know if either Lowe's or Home Depot do. Sears also sells the arbors that fit the motor shaft. Think 5/8 & 9/16 diameter motor shafts, they are attached by set screws. Make sure you have the large washers on either side of each wheel. Keeps the wheel from bending due to pressure on the wheel. And last but not least. Wear eye and respitory protection. You do not want to be breathing in the dust from the polishing and grit. My present buffer/polisher came from an ancient table saw. Think its 3/4hp and 3600rpm. One other thing, make sure that whatever you are polishing is held securely as all it takes is one slip for the wheel to grab it and fling it somewhere in the room you are working. A real UFO to be sure. Hope this helps. And let the wheel and the compound do the work. If doing a receiver its easy to start buffing corners that should be left square, buffing markings like serial numbers, crests and proof marks. When doing polishing, I usually have started with 240 grit silicon carbide paper and work up to 600 grit. THEN I resort to using the polisher.Takes more time that way but markings are better preserved and less work is required when polishing.
Hope this helps. Frank

 

[K&Nframe]

I have bought all sorts of buffing supplies here Baldor Buffers, Merit Abrasives, Specialty Buffs, Seymour Paints, Sand and Bead Blasters, Metal Working tools and more - Tarheelparts
They have everything you'll ever need.

Kevin

 

[adowns]

I mounted a buffing wheel on my drill press and it works great. With a drill press you can vary the speed of the wheel. The wheel axis is vertical not horizontal though.

 

[2152hq]

I am always wishing I had a small stationary buffer to buff small pistil parts like sears, etc...

I have a small 6" bench grinder. Can anyone tell me if I could put a buffing wheel on the branch grinder?

If so, what kind of wheel, buffing media, technique, etc...

Thanks!

When I need a buffer, I mount the wheel on a Sears 6" grinder I have had for years. The guard and plate is removed of course, so it's just the buffing wheel hanging out there.
I use the right hand side for it and also a wire wheel if I need one. A fine grade grinding wheel is still on the left side w/guard in place.

6" wheels IIRC.

I have little need for a buffer, but they do come in handy sometimes. I like to put the final edge on my wood chisels with a buffer wheel and Brownells white compound. I gets more work from that than anything else.
Any polishing of gun parts I do on a belt grinder or by hand.

A buffer isn't something you'd be using on sear edges and that sort of thing though. You'll round the edges and take them out of square quickly..

 

[dfariswheel]

If you want to do quality buffing, you don't use the stitched muslin wheels, you use large diameter hard felt wheels.

For large area buffing you stack several wheels together to form a wide wheel.
Using the soft muslin buffs is how you get butchered parts with rounded off edges, dished-out holes, and ripples in the flats.

"In general" you can't have a wheel that's too large or too wide. The harder, the better.
Colt used to use giant wooden wheels covered in walrus hide.

 

[BigBill]

I never polish my sears i just put moly on them.

 

[Eph6:16]

If you want to do quality buffing, you don't use the stitched muslin wheels, you use large diameter hard felt wheels.

For large area buffing you stack several wheels together to form a wide wheel.
Using the soft muslin buffs is how you get butchered parts with rounded off edges, dished-out holes, and ripples in the flats.

"In general" you can't have a wheel that's too large or too wide. The harder, the better.
Colt used to use giant wooden wheels covered in walrus hide.

That's interesting I would have thought a softer wheel would be easier for beginners since less grain support would reduce the cut rate of the compound. Can you explain the ripples and holes in more detail please?

Thanks.

 

[msinc]

A hard felt wheel is good for small parts, like screw heads for example. I refinish alot of guns and do alot of bluing. Do not think that a hard felt wheel wont mess up a part because it absolutely will. Along with all the bluing and polishing comes making all the mistakes too...and I have made them all. It took me too long to realize that you cannot take a rusted pitted or otherwise surface worn part and restore it to look correct with a power buffer and whatever wheel. It dont work that way...that is why there aren't more guys doing it. The best restorations are dont with alot of hand polishing {sanding} using silicon carbide paper down to 600 grit and than going to the buffer. This is of course not necessary with small parts, they can be done on a power buffer. If you want proof take a look at some "experts" buffing job on a Pre-64 Model 94 Winchester receiver. Hold it flat and look acrossed it at a low angle...you will see ripples and dished out areas around the holes. They are the mark of someone that used power buffer too much.

 

[TAROMAN]

A hard felt wheel is good for small parts, like screw heads for example. I refinish alot of guns and do alot of bluing. Do not think that a hard felt wheel wont mess up a part because it absolutely will. Along with all the bluing and polishing comes making all the mistakes too...and I have made them all. It took me too long to realize that you cannot take a rusted pitted or otherwise surface worn part and restore it to look correct with a power buffer and whatever wheel. It dont work that way...that is why there aren't more guys doing it. The best restorations are dont with alot of hand polishing {sanding} using silicon carbide paper down to 600 grit and than going to the buffer. This is of course not necessary with small parts, they can be done on a power buffer. If you want proof take a look at some "experts" buffing job on a Pre-64 Model 94 Winchester receiver. Hold it flat and look acrossed it at a low angle...you will see ripples and dished out areas around the holes. They are the mark of someone that used power buffer too much.

^^^^GREAT ADVICE^^^^

 

[msinc]

Thanks Taroman...I really did learn it the hard way and messed up a few {my own} doing it.

 

[BigBill]

My son got me a harbor freight dremel buffer / sanding kit. I like it because its not powerful enough to remove too much metal so i can go slow using the fritz or simichrome polish.

 

[dant]

Originally Posted by msinc
A hard felt wheel is good for small parts, like screw heads for example. I refinish alot of guns and do alot of bluing. Do not think that a hard felt wheel wont mess up a part because it absolutely will. Along with all the bluing and polishing comes making all the mistakes too...and I have made them all. It took me too long to realize that you cannot take a rusted pitted or otherwise surface worn part and restore it to look correct with a power buffer and whatever wheel. It dont work that way...that is why there aren't more guys doing it. The best restorations are dont with alot of hand polishing {sanding} using silicon carbide paper down to 600 grit and than going to the buffer. This is of course not necessary with small parts, they can be done on a power buffer. If you want proof take a look at some "experts" buffing job on a Pre-64 Model 94 Winchester receiver. Hold it flat and look acrossed it at a low angle...you will see ripples and dished out areas around the holes. They are the mark of someone that used power buffer too much.

^^^^GREAT ADVICE^^^^

I totally agree, I apprenticed under two different gunsmsiths, did all the buffing and polishing, and started it ALL with hand work, paper wrapped around files or blocks of wood, the wheels were ONLY for finishing...I tell folks to stay away from the power equipment unless you KNOW what the hell you are doing..............under a bright light or out in the sun shine, you will SEE the difference from a "schwack job" and a proper restoration, if a gun LOOKS like it was reblued , it was....a proper restoration does NOT...........very few folks today do most of the work by hand, the factory/makers have dozens and dozens of different sized wheels for EACH model of gun, because they are "mass producing" them,,,,,very tough if not impossible to get into and around all the curves and the flats on any given revolver,with one wheel .....you will round off a sharp edge and wash out a screw hole, even the rollmarkings in an instant.........