Thread: Mini polisher setup for the apartment dwellers (with pics)

I've seen post from others that want to do restorations but don't have a work space. I figured that I would share my setup and help you guys to get away from the rotary tools. Everything I need for 90% of what I do fits in the milk crate with room to spare. It only takes a few minutes to set up and it'll do just about anything you need for working on razors.

Heres whats in the crate.
-mini bench polisher. These are sold under different brand names and all look to be the same thing. 2000-7000rpm. Not much power, but you don't need much for razors.
-rake
-600 grit greaseless compound
-emery compound
-white rouge
-4 inch pinhole buffing wheels. Pinhole buffs are kind of hard to find. I get them from swmetal.com

I keep the buffs in large ziplock bags with their respective compounds. I have more greaseless compounds and wheels, but they are in a shoe box because I don't need them most of the time. I secure the polisher to a table that's attached to my webber grill using a bolt and a wing nut.

I'm not going to try to convince anyone that this in a great polisher, but for my situation it's perfect. If something happened to it I would order another one without thinking twice. My biggest complaint would be that the wheels sit too close to the motor housing, but I've learned to work around that.

Hope this post is helps some of my fellow apartment dwellers.

Heres a few pics

we all figure our little work arounds. When I am talking about buffing what I am actually talking about is not a full set up either. I have a slow speed high torque drill in a vice with a mandrel with buffing wheels. It has it's draw backs for sure. It was all stuff I already had, except the wheels and the compound. I have to say I am getting my moneys worth out of my setup. It is effective only because I don't have to do any volume, my restorations are all for my pleasure. I have no back log of customers, because I don't have any. Productivity really is not a priority. I can appreciate your set up and the reasons why you groove on it.

As a fellow flat-dweller I find space a problem, so I bought one of these as well.
From Hong Kong and quite cheap. When it arrived it wouldn't work, so I took
it apart and found the circuit board cracked in several places....bummer.
A few minutes with a soldering iron and I've now had 9 months trouble free service.

Great thread, thanks guys! Always end up leaving the bulk of my work for long weekends (like this weekend) out in the country where there's a workshop and space, but I might need to look for one of these alternatives! Great to know there is such a thing.

BeJay and bongo: great info.. I am considering of maybe try and get me a similar setup as well.. would you mind sharing also the info where you got all of these material ((machine, wheels), this sounds quite low price/promising...

Originally Posted by miha

BeJay and bongo: great info.. I am considering of maybe try and get me a similar setup as well.. would you mind sharing also the info where you got all of these material ((machine, wheels), this sounds quite low price/promising...

Miha, I bought mine off ebay but the Chinese seller is not active at the moment.
There should be other sellers, like these:

1. Polishing Buffing: Other Tools | eBay

2. Dental Laboratory LAB Jewel Polisher Mini Bench Buffer Motor 003 1 Dentq 110V | eBay

3. NEW Mini Bench Grinder W Rotary DIE Flex Shaft Buffer Sharpener Polisher Polish | eBay

4. Dental Laboratory Polisher Mini Bench Buffer Motor SIP 60 Dentq Shipped EU | eBay