Wanted: Opinions on Buffer Wheels

Herb · #1 11-30-2007, 10:19 PM

I have a old Baldor Buffer that I want to rig up for polishing carving chisels. It runs at 1750 rpm. I have a 6" hard felt wheel for one side. I would like to hear your opinions on what to use on the other side? I was thinking about some narrow wood profiles to polish the inside of gouges and v tools. Or, should I use a leather wheel along with the hard felt? I feel that the hard felt is about the same as a leather wheel. I also have some cotton wheels that I could run.

What do you think would work the best?

I also have a soft and medium 6" felt wheels but I think these would be a little soft to polish the edges with?

Herb

susieq · #2 11-30-2007, 10:39 PM

Hi Herb,
Felt wheels are great! Have you seen the wheel that is shaped to polish deep U gouges and V tools? It is a bit pricey but it is worth it ...at least I think so. It has a deep concave channel that you can put the edge of your U gouge down into, it's rounded and large enough to fit most gouges except for the really big ones. At the top of each side of the channel, it's shaped to polish the inside of a U gougne on one side, and the inside of a V tool on the other. Mine cost me about $55. a few years ago. Check the catalogs for them.

Softer wheels tend to polish and then dull the edge of the tool all in one motion. The material passing over the edge, sharpens it, then the material rolls up over the edge as it comes free of the tool, dulling it all over again. You can't bear down with the tool at all on a softer wheel or the wheel material will roll over the edge. It's hard to beat a good felt wheel, not too soft.

Regarding the Baldor buffer, just make sure your rotation is away from you at the top of the wheel and toward you at the bottom. Many buffers, grinders, etc, have the rotation going the other way and if this is the case, you want to use this buffer from the rear of the machine to get the proper rotation for doing gouges and chisels. If that wheel grabbed the edge of your tool and whipped it back at you .....well, that would just be ugly.....
happy carving

Herb · #3 12-01-2007, 07:00 PM

Thanks for the info Susieq. I wonder if you have used a leather wheel? I was wondering if it would be worth it to make one or is it about the same as the hard felt.

The concave channel would sure be nice to work on gouges. I have several of the felt wheels. I think I'll shape one to give it a try.

Have you tried a wood wheel?

Herb

susieq · #4 12-01-2007, 09:43 PM

Hi Herb,
Yes, I had a leather wheel first. I used to do a lot of leather work and had leather on hand. My husband cut circles out and laminated them together with contact cement, drilled a hole for the arbor. The leather wheel is ok. I do prefer the felt wheels to the leather. My sharpening unit was made for me by my brother who is a machinist. The arbor has 5 wheels on it....2 felt, a rubberized wheel with grit imbedded, the leather wheel and a white stone wheel for the most drastic jobs, such as a chunk broken out of an edge that would require completely grinding down below the jagged part, then sharpening the edge all over again from scratch. Thank goodness I never had to do that more than once or twice. ( I kind of quit loaning out my gouges in class after that

)

I never used a wood wheel. That special felt wheel is nice though. the one side is shaped (rounded) so that you can invert the U gouge and polish the inside of the gouge too. same for the V gouge.

Recently my husband set up a grinder with two wheels on it, controlled by a DC motor. The one wheel is a 3 M wheel and the other is yet another felt wheel.

In the last few years I have become mostly a power carver now, but those wheels still come in handy.

Thomp · #5 12-02-2007, 05:05 AM

the leather wheel works ok on the inside of tools just to strike off the inside, but i moved to a 12" dowel with leather glued on it,

i have a mdf wheel its hard packed paper fiber and it will put the whammy on a dull edge, but all my wheels are slowed down to 850 or less,

Herb · #6 12-02-2007, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susieq

Hi Herb,
Yes, I had a leather wheel first. I used to do a lot of leather work and had leather on hand. My husband cut circles out and laminated them together with contact cement, drilled a hole for the arbor. The leather wheel is ok. I do prefer the felt wheels to the leather. My sharpening unit was made for me by my brother who is a machinist. The arbor has 5 wheels on it....2 felt, a rubberized wheel with grit imbedded, the leather wheel and a white stone wheel for the most drastic jobs, such as a chunk broken out of an edge that would require completely grinding down below the jagged part, then sharpening the edge all over again from scratch. Thank goodness I never had to do that more than once or twice. ( I kind of quit loaning out my gouges in class after that

)

I never used a wood wheel. That special felt wheel is nice though. the one side is shaped (rounded) so that you can invert the U gouge and polish the inside of the gouge too. same for the V gouge.

Recently my husband set up a grinder with two wheels on it, controlled by a DC motor. The one wheel is a 3 M wheel and the other is yet another felt wheel.

In the last few years I have become mostly a power carver now, but those wheels still come in handy.

Thanks Susan for the info. Your 5 wheel buffer sounds like it would work well. I have most of the things to get one of those going. That is probably the way to go.

My felt wheel works great for polishing the outside of gouges and for knives. I need to find someway to polish the inside of gouges without rounding off the edge or the corners of the chisel. That was the reason I was thinking of a shaped wood wheel. The buffer may be running a little fast at 1750 rpms for this.

I have not seen the felt wheel that has the rounded recess cut into it. I don't have a lot of catalogs tho.

The grinder with the variable speed motor sounds like that would be nice. What is the 3M wheel, one of the rubber wheels?

Herb

Herb · #7 12-02-2007, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomp

the leather wheel works ok on the inside of tools just to strike off the inside, but i moved to a 12" dowel with leather glued on it,

i have a mdf wheel its hard packed paper fiber and it will put the whammy on a dull edge, but all my wheels are slowed down to 850 or less,

Thanks for the reply Thomas. I had thought about using MDF for a wheel. My buffer is running at 1750. I wonder if this would work ok or maybe too fast? It would not be a lot of work to make one and see how it works.

By the way, I was recently in Gonzales, LA. We really enjoyed the food. I always like to visit your state.

Herb

susieq · #8 12-02-2007, 08:57 PM

Hi Herb,
If you google felt wheels I am sure you could locate one of those shaped ones. Also, if there are any major tools shows in your area they will have them there. That is actually where I bought mine, at a tools show that is held annually at the Tampa Fair grounds. You might also go into woodworker's supply website and look for it. They might have it. Or Wood Craft... I think the motor on my 5 wheel set up runs either 1734 or 1723...something like that. I haven't had a problem with things getting too hot but it's always on my mind while using it.

The 3 M wheel is not rubber, it is a very course material that I can't even describe to you. You know those little 3 M scrubby thingies that we scrub pots and pans with? It is like that only very dense. Now with that wheel you do have to watch that it doesn't get hot or you will take the temper out of your steel .....or worse. That wheel is on the grinder with the DC motor and I control the speed with a foot pedal.

Dan S · #9 12-02-2007, 10:33 PM

How well does that rubber wheel work? I've seen them in a catalog and was curious.

Dan

Herb · #10 12-02-2007, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susieq

Hi Herb,
If you google felt wheels I am sure you could locate one of those shaped ones. Also, if there are any major tools shows in your area they will have them there. That is actually where I bought mine, at a tools show that is held annually at the Tampa Fair grounds. You might also go into woodworker's supply website and look for it. They might have it. Or Wood Craft... I think the motor on my 5 wheel set up runs either 1734 or 1723...something like that. I haven't had a problem with things getting too hot but it's always on my mind while using it.

The 3 M wheel is not rubber, it is a very course material that I can't even describe to you. You know those little 3 M scrubby thingies that we scrub pots and pans with? It is like that only very dense. Now with that wheel you do have to watch that it doesn't get hot or you will take the temper out of your steel .....or worse. That wheel is on the grinder with the DC motor and I control the speed with a foot pedal.

Hi Susieq,

Thanks for the reply and the information. I'll try looking for one of the shaped felt wheels. I sometimes forget the power of search engines and the Internet for information.

On the 3M wheel, would that be a Scotch Brite Wheel? We used them at work to sand the edges of cabinets doors that had the first coat of sanding sealer applied. They worked very well for that application. I think I have a new one that was never used. I'll look for it and try it also. I do think it might cut pretty fast if it was run very fast tho.

Herb