Bench buffer

[CalsXS2]

I'm getting ready to pick up a Harbor Freight buffer tomorrow. I thought I wanted the standard buffer only. But it has a 3/4 arbor, which I think will make it tough to get wheels for. And the reviews are terrible.

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-buffer-40668.html#.UxF0c4U6Y2c


Here's the grinder/buffer combo. Would I be better off with it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-bench-grinder-buffer-94327.html#.UxFy6IU6Y2c

I know a lot of you guy's are running these. Which one. Thanks

 

[gggGary]

I have the 8" and for all but the heaviest users (me) it is a fine machine.

Central-Machinery 94327 8" Bench Grinder/Buffer
8" Bench Grinder/Buffer
Item #94327

Yes with a heavy hand it can be slowed down but has plenty of go to buff up an XS650 without aggravation. I have buffed up at least 10 sets of engine covers and many fork tubes after buying it used on a pedestal with a bunch of buffing bars and wheels form a guy that buffed his Harley, $80 for everything LOL. I finally found a good stand for my 5HP rear quad axle monster buffer project, now to get it assembled.
I have had chinese 6" buffer grinders and they are worthless, extremely frustrating to use since the slightest pressure stops them.

 

[CalsXS2]

Thanks Gary!!

I don't know what happened to the buffer I had posted in the first link. I swear it was there a few hours ago. Now it's gone from their site too!!

Must be a sign.

 

[CalsXS2]

Speaking of stands. Is this the one yours came with. Or is yours on a round tube. This one has great reviews. They say it doesn't even need to be bolted down. But I don't see how that can be possible knowing the force it takes to do a side cover.

Do you think that this stand is worth having. Thanks

http://www.harborfreight.com/universal-bench-grinder-stand-3184.html#.UxHaboU6Y2c

 

[DIRTY DOG]

I have the smaller one 6" from h/f works great( for the 49 bucks I paid for it) you have to take your time it's a little low on power I have had it you years I tried to get the 8" last week they were out of stock.
If your going to use it as polisher then you need the one with both side buffing wheels.
the good one cost a lot of $$$$$ unless your going to use it to make money the cheep ones work ok.

 

[Grinder]

Here's my cheap buffer. It's an old 1/2 hp sump pump motor. Just added the extension and arbor. Works great and haven't been able to stop it yet.

 

[Trex]

A bigger pad size gives you better access into recessed spots. It also means faster speeds which can be detrimental to the compound. Too fast means it gets hotter quicker and when the compound melts it sticks to the metal and loses it abrasive quality. Getting a stronger motor to overcome your impatience doesn't help the shine. If you want it fairly shiny in a hurry and don't mind the added danger...go for it. If you want a mirror polish job...be prepared for a lot more work. Takes tons of sanding and practicing the sanding techniques from 320 grit up to 2000 in stages. Then strip buffing to med shine to finish glaze using light pressure. Let the compound do the work. You can't strong arm it.
A jewellers rouge for platinum will go along ways between stripping to near finished in one stage. Keep the heat down...the patience up and make a plan for approach.
After all that...the buffer you choose depends on how much you use it. A cheap 50$ number will do a few items and wear out in short time. A 300$ buffer will last for years of steady use.
I was a custom jeweler for 15 years and I use a variable speed Arbe motor with changeable arbors for many different types of pads. If I go to a large wheel...I turn down the speed so I don't exceed 3000 rpm at the point of contact. I'm an ultra picky bastard so take all this with a grain of salt so to speak.
Bigger motor doesn't mean better. Better techniques make better finishes. If your leaning on it hard enough to stop a 1/2 horse motor....your way too impatient and should think about a matte/machine finish. Lol

 

[gggGary]

I don't think I could stop a 1/2 horse with a ring or a pendant but I run double 1/2 wide X 8" pads on the 8" HF and it slows down trying to polish the big side covers. Go into any production buffing shop and a couple of HP is the minimum. 5HP may be a bit overkill but I found a brand new 5 horse single phase for $80 so why not. my set up will be belt drive with a variable sheave and I may end up powering the motor with a VFD.
My current buffer is mounted on a home made 4" column welded to a rim like about every home made grinder pedestal LOL. One foot on the rim and push as hard as you need to. No pro but I have spent more than a couple of hours at the buff wheel. I strip the clear chemically, use files on the brake lever gouges then sand paper go to the nylox wheels, to get through the corrosion orange nylox on the bad areas then blue nylox then black compound on a sisal wheel and generally stop polishing aluminum at white on a cotton wheel, my bikes are riders not show bikes.
At the last Slimy crud run I overheard two guys looking at my bike and the second guy said no that's not chrome it's all polished aluminum. So I think that's shiny enough. I do agree on picking the right speed and keeping the right amount of pressure is very important and just requires lots of wheel time to get the feel. I keep reading at Caswell's site and hope to continue to improve my techniques. I also have a 6" wheel on a belt drive 1/2hp arbor in the garage for carb and other small parts. A buff adaptor on a 7" angle grinder works well for rims.

 

[CalsXS2]

Hey Gary,,, or anyone else.

Did you go ahead a remove the grinding wheel and make it a dual buffer. This one has an extension on the buffer side. Unfortunately it is not listed as an available part. I have a feeling harbor freight doesn't want to give them out. Maybe I'll give them a call.

 

[5twins]

I've had the HF 8" dual unit for many years, so many in fact that it's made in Taiwan. This was back in the days before they got all their stuff from China and before they had stores all over. I used to mail order from them. My unit doesn't have the extension on the grinding wheel side or I would have converted it to a dual buffer. I have mine mounted on the end of my work bench, with the buffer wheel side hanging out past the front of the bench. You can see it here on the left .....

When I got it, I wasn't much into buffing. I had none of the actual compound sticks and just used plain old automotive rubbing compound. It actually worked quite well. Spread a thin coat all over the piece and have at it on the wheel. I've since learned a lot more about buffing and did get the actual buffing compound bars. They tell you to use a different wheel for each compound so I figured another buffer was in order. I got the HF 6" unit. As mentioned, it's pretty weak compared to the 8" one. However, I'm using it for the medium and fine polishing so I don't stress it as much. My old 8" does the heavy work with coarse black compound.

Having a little welder is a wonderful thing. With it, I built a little portable (on wheels) stand for the 6" buffer. I made it large enough to also hold a 6" grinder I had laying around unmounted .....

Both units are wired into a junction box and run off the same power cord .....

The wire wheel set-up clamped to the lower shelf is another really portable contraption I whipped up. It's an old furnace blower motor (I think) with an adapter on the shaft so it can take grinding/buffing/wire wheels. It's mounted to a piece of 2" x 12" with an on/off switch. I take it with me when going to work on guy's bikes and use it mostly for cleaning up the ratty threads on their nasty looking bolts.

 

[gggGary]

The 8" I have has long shafts on both ends. I think it was sold as a double ended buffer not as a combo.
About like this one

 

[DIRTY DOG]

The 8" I have has long shafts on both ends. I think it was sold as a double ended buffer not as a combo.
About like this one

h/f is out of stock on the 8" double sided buffer my was back ordered then canceled
so I'll have to use my 6"

 

[CalsXS2]

h/f is out of stock on the 8" double sided buffer my was back ordered then canceled
so I'll have to use my 6"

Does that mean it's not available anymore.

You got a item/sku number for that by chance. I might try to find one in stock somewhere.

 

[CalsXS2]

I've had the HF 8" dual unit for many years, so many in fact that it's made in Taiwan. This was back in the days before they got all their stuff from China and before they had stores all over. I used to mail order from them. My unit doesn't have the extension on the grinding wheel side or I would have converted it to a dual buffer. I have mine mounted on the end of my work bench, with the buffer wheel side hanging out past the front of the bench. You can see it here on the left .....

When I got it, I wasn't much into buffing. I had none of the actual compound sticks and just used plain old automotive rubbing compound. It actually worked quite well. Spread a thin coat all over the piece and have at it on the wheel. I've since learned a lot more about buffing and did get the actual buffing compound bars. They tell you to use a different wheel for each compound so I figured another buffer was in order. I got the HF 6" unit. As mentioned, it's pretty weak compared to the 8" one. However, I'm using it for the medium and fine polishing so I don't stress it as much. My old 8" does the heavy work with coarse black compound.

Having a little welder is a wonderful thing. With it, I built a little portable (on wheels) stand for the 6" buffer. I made it large enough to also hold a 6" grinder I had laying around unmounted .....

Both units are wired into a junction box and run off the same power cord .....

The wire wheel set-up clamped to the lower shelf is another really portable contraption I whipped up. It's an old furnace blower motor (I think) with an adapter on the shaft so it can take grinding/buffing/wire wheels. It's mounted to a piece of 2" x 12" with an on/off switch. I take it with me when going to work on guy's bikes and use it mostly for cleaning up the ratty threads on their nasty looking bolts.

Hey 5twins.

Is the orange dual buffer you have pictured your harbor freight 6'' dual buffer. It seams to have long shaft's, just not the long nose cone to cover the shaft like the one Gary posted below.

My new grinder/ buffer combo has just a long shaft for the buffer. Not an extension. I was mistaken. It doesn't have the long nose cone either.

I wonder if the 8'' true dual buffer actually has longer shaft's than the buffer side of the combo unit.

 

[5twins]

Yes, the orange one is my HF 6". It does have longer cones as you can see compared to the normal grinder behind it in the 1st pic of it. It may have longer shafts as well. If you're going to be investing in some buffing compound bars, I recommend McMaster-Carr. They have giant 3 lb. bars for about the same price as most other places charge for the little sticks.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#buffing-bars/=qxf41c

 

[CalsXS2]

Yes, the orange one is my HF 6". It does have longer cones as you can see compared to the normal grinder behind it in the 1st pic of it. It may have longer shafts as well. If you're going to be investing in some buffing compound bars, I recommend McMaster-Carr. They have giant 3 lb. bars for about the same price as most other places charge for the little sticks.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#buffing-bars/=qxf41c

They don't have a black listed. I assume I would use the gray?

 

[5twins]

Yes, that seems to be their "coarse" offering now. When I got mine, they did have the black emery. I have the finer compounds as well but use mostly just the coarse. It seems to give a nice enough finish for my tastes. If you want one finer, I would recommend the 45 micron brown Tripoli (cutting). I have the finer cut and color brown Tripoli but it doesn't seem to do much.

 

[gggGary]

Here's my "old" HF 8" on a ho-made stand.



solid shaft not extensions. Marked made in China.


Caswells has the black 3lbs for $10
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffing-polishing/buffing-compounds/black-buffing-compound-jumbo.html
they also have a 6 grades bar "kit" I have found all but the brown to be useful.

Lots of good info at Caswells worth a look around even if you buy elsewhere.

 

[CalsXS2]

Gary.

Are you using a nylox wheel on your bench buffer, or checking them up in a drill.

Can you point me to what you are using. Thanks

 

[gggGary]

Both, don'cha k now? but a 4" with a drill mandrel in the VSR drill. Blue mostly, orange on really bad parts, grey is just too coarse for aluminum. They don't like being spun "too fast", a 3400 RPM buffer/grinder IS too fast, 1700 rpm motor might be OK slower is even better, high speed will melt the nylon, slow lets the bristles flex and get into hard to reach areas. More often than not I do the RH clutch cover on the bike, the nylox really helps that go well.
Start with this one IMHO.

Bonus; the darned things last forever. No doubt the best bang for the buck of any abrasive. a little water in a spray bottle helps the dust a bit, they are sneaky about the dust, safety glasses, and at least a cheap dust mask.

I think that is a old photo, they used to have those "fine" bristles the new ones have fewer, thicker bristles, too bad, I liked the finer ones better they got into crevices where the fat ones won't go.