Thread: Buffer recommendations?

I was going to go with a 6" from Harbor Freight but the RPMs are a bit too high. Can anybody recommend a low speed buffer?

Have you considered using 4" wheels on it?

Originally Posted by Utopian

Have you considered using 4" wheels on it?

Would the 4" wheels be safer to use with it at such a high rpm?

Check out one of the 1750 RPM models. Remember that the buffer is likely the most dangerous machine in your shop and the fast ones more so. A couple of months back , a knife maker in Alaska had one snatch a blue out of his had and it stuck it right in his heart. He was dead before he hit the floor, as they say.

Anyplace you would recommend looking for one of those models?

And yes the thought of a blade flying at me at high speeds has crossed my mind. I'll be wearing my welding apron lol.

I have a Baldor which is not the cheap way to go by any stretch of the imagination.Think $450-500 on a good day. Even Grizzlys start in the mid $300 range!!!! The 6 inch models that Harbor Freight has for $40 are all 3500 rpm. I have heard of some people converting a standard bench grinder. The variable speed ones go down to below 2000 runm from what i have been told. the only problem is covering them and the fact that they probably don't have the horsepower of a comparable dedicated buffer.
And yes the thought of a blade flying at me at high speeds has crossed my mind. I'll be wearing my welding apron lol.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by scag315

Would the 4" wheels be safer to use with it at such a high rpm?

When I was building my variable speed buffer the man who was of so much help provided me with this information. I hope it helps you; I've put the important part in bold;

Roy, take this little formula to figure your speed:
rpm of motor divided by the diameter of the pulley.

Use this as an example.
1750 rpm divided by 6" pulley=291
291rpm divided by 3" pulley = 97 rpm

A 10 inch wheel will run 97 rpm. So will a 6 inch wheel.

The surface speed is a different matter though. You might want to drop down to a smaller wheel:

A 10" wheel at 97 rpm is running 3,048 inches per minute.
A 6" wheel at 97 rpm is running 1,828 inches per minute

Formula to figure surface speeds of wheels:

10" x 3.1416 x 97 = surface inches per minute.
6" x 3.1416 x 97 = surface inches per minute.

I ended up using 4" wheels and love them!

I usually use 4", but I have some 2" wheels that are really nice for using greaseless on hollow grounds.

Originally Posted by BeJay

I usually use 4", but I have some 2" wheels that are really nice for using greaseless on hollow grounds.

The smallest wheels I have found that fit on my Baldor are 3", very handy for very hollow blades. Even they can be too big sometimes, then I use my Dremel.