I made a buffer out of an old juicer I had lying around that spun at only 1750 rpm. I wore gloves and eye protection and was always aware of where on the wheel I put the item being polished for fear of it getting launched. My golf bag was 4 feet away and, after 10 minutes of buffing, was covered in buffing dust and specks. I was shocked! Now even at this low speed I'm using a respirator. 3M makes some good ones with disposable filters for around $30 I think.