Thread: Greaseless buffing wheel too big?

Hi all!

I have just started using power tools for restorations, and something is not the way I imagined I use 4" tightly stitched wheels, and I tried to remove a few minor rust marks on a junk 9/16 straight with 320 grit. I have found that the wheel contacts the middle of the blade only if I push a bit harder on it. I was thinking that I should use smaller wheels, but everyone here uses 4-8" wheels.
Is this okay, or do I do something wrong?

BTW I buff perpendicular to the wheel

Sometimes you have to buff other than perpendicular to the wheel...just NOT where the bevel will be against the rotation...

I was afraid of this answer I don't like to buff lenghtwise, but it seems I will have to get used to it.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Sometimes you have to buff other than perpendicular to the wheel...just NOT where the bevel will be against the rotation...

+1

If you take a few minutes and watch Undream/Brad's video he does a great job of showing the different buffing techniques Shooter is telling you about....

edit: It isn't just heel to toe, and spine to edge, there are other angles to use

Thx Glen, actually I watched it about 5 times total, very nice information and illustrations there. I just hoped that a 4" wheel will be small enough to buff just perpendicular. If I buff lenghtwise, than I can't hide my newbie mistakes in the original grind marks, so I will have to make it till it is perfect

Just remember to keep a firm hold on the razor or the buffer will snatch the blade right out of your hand...been there and done that. It will happen faster than the blink of an eye...

Can greaseless compounds effectively be used with a Dremel tool (with smaller wheels), or is it recommended to use a standard buffer.

Originally Posted by diyguy

Can greaseless compounds effectively be used with a Dremel tool (with smaller wheels), or is it recommended to use a standard buffer.

In theory it can work, but I imagine you will have to reload the compond too often. Maybe if you load a few wheels with each compond, than they could be enough for one razor.

NO, I would not try greaseless with a dremel as the dremel spins just too dang fast and I would think you would almost throw all the compound off before you got to the blade. Shoot, my 3450 rpm buffer slings quite a bit off the wheels. I use two wheels for each compound grit typically so that one is drying while I am using the other one.

In general, if going to spend the money on the compounds, makes sense spend few more bucks on the wheels and a buffer. Harbor Freight has cheap motors if on the fence. Few pro/con I was considering:

Bigger wheel is safer = larger surface makes less likely blade to aggressivley catch. Flatter circumference of larger radius less likely for blade to catch danger zone of the wheel. Would want to secure the dremmel so can two hand the blade-not one hand on blade, one on dremel.

Smaller surface area of smaller wheel will hold less media. Would need to preload many more smaller wheels to allow dry time between loading. If running two 4" wheels per grit, need eight 1" wheels to have same surface area per grit. Smaller wheel also will generate more heat. Small diameter will be messy loading, takes a few moments of spinning the compound for it to come to temp, then the small diameter will load fast spitting out overage.

Speed at contact area of outside circumfernce looks like should be more than 25% slower on a dremmel if spinning 10k rpm a 1" diameter wheel vs 3450 rpm 4" diameter wheel. Although, ideally you would get a 1750 rpm buffer, but that will be more than the cheapy at Harbor Freight

at least my math shows:
1 inch dremel at 10000 rpm 6 mph at contact surface
or 31400 feet per minute = 3.14" circumference x 10,000 rpm

4 inch wheel at 3450 rpm 8 mph at contact surface
or 43332 feet per minute =12.56" circumference x 3450 rpm

4 inch wheel at 1750k rpm 4 mph at contact surface
or 21980 feet per minute =12.56" circumference x 1750 rpm