Thread: Hand-held buffing machine

Forget the angle grinder and buy a panel beaters polisher/sander

Yeah, again $$ are an issue for a tool that may not be used all that often...

You shouldn't have to pay a lot for a panel beaters polisher
have a look at ebay for a polisher

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1200W-Sander-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1200W-Sander-...QQcmdZViewItem

You should be able to buy a taper spindle with a M14x2 thread to fit your angle grinder, I bought one from Bunnings for mine.

You should be able to buy a taper spindle with a M14x2 thread to fit your angle grinder, I bought one from Bunnings for mine.[/quote]

Really?! I must have been talking to the wrong Bunnings lackey! Thanks, I'll be giving that a go on my next day off (whenever that is, if the wheels ain't turnin I'm not earnin...)

I have a buffing 9 inch polisher and you dont want a mop style head for buffing. The trick is to use a buff pad they are orange and made of foam, add some buff compound and they polish up allumium beautifully. Two pack paint brilliant and if you put sanding marks in plastic in knocks them back to a mirror finish in seconds. When you buy the pads there about 8 bucks each they also sell thread changers so that way you can adapt your grinder to the job. That being said be aware it will not take long to burn your grinder out when running it at low speed because an angle grinder is designed to run at high speed and thereby induce its torque at that rpm where as a buffer is set up and geared to provide its torque at low rpms. Doesnt mean it wont work just means you will prematurely werar the unit out.
Steve

G'Day.
I use a GMC 7" variable speed grinder/ polisher.
I glue velcro to the back of sheepskin and velcro on the polishing pad.
Works great.

Okay heres a photo of the pad that Im talking about, dont use the sheepskin ones unless you only want to remove frosting put on from waxing the car, the sheepskins will not polish up aluminium, there designed to remove the swirls marks from hand waxing and give a shine to the wax, the foam ones will buff the material that has the marks
Steve

Find out who your Amrad tool supplier is. They do Tapered spindles long and short in 12, 14, 16mm and 1/2 and 5/8

http://www.warburtons.com.au/resources/CuttingTools.pdf

This is a website with some info on aluminium polishing if it helps. This is the brand I used to sell.

http://www.ferrofin.com.au/

Simso is on the right track but you can do a little better.

In the auto trade they use the orange sponge pads and buffing compound for acrylic lacquer which is fairly easy to compound. The two pack paints are a lot harder so they use a special buffing cream which has in it aluminuim oxide this cuts the hard paint a lot better and leaves the surface glossier than the compound.

They also use a white sponge pad which is harder than the orange one. Visit a panel beater and pick the painters brains he will be able to show you the materials and where to get them.

Buffing is usually done at about 1200 to 2000 RPM. Most grinders are a lot faster and you will rip off the pads, or generate too much heat using them, a slower speed works a lot better.

Before you attempt to polish the aluminium work your way up to polishing by using suitable abrasive methods. Grind or file rough bits then go to abrasive papers till you get a smooth finish with fine scratches ( over 1000 grit) the polish/compound can then get the shine you want a lot easier than trying to buff deep scratches with such a fine finish materials.

You may alss like to try carpet pads, these are usually used to initially rough buff if the surface is bad. They are made from rubber backed short fibre carpet. You can get a long way towards full shine and save your good finishing pads for the end.

They are hard to find but you can cut up a piece of carpet offcut or carpet square and put it directly onto the buff pad with the same nut used to hold grinding discs.

Okay, heres another photo of polish and a new pad, the polish in this photo is ok not brilliant but does an okay job it costs from memory about 35 dollars the really good stuff costs about 150 a bottle, but the good stuff you dont even need aa buffer for it. These pads are designed for two pack paints, there may be other things out there like whats mentioned, I dont know about them have only ever seen and heard of this orange one. My mate runs a panel and paint place here in WA and my dads a professional spray painter by trade, I spray two pack at work on aircraft components and have painted a few cars in my time. The trick to a good finish is as whats been pointed out sand the item with 1500 wet and dry using soapy water and then buff the final job. This would apply to bare aluminium as well.
Steve

There are buffing pads on ebay too, comes in 5 grades

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-Trade-Qua...QQcmdZViewItem

I recently bought a couple of those pads and got excellent finish (like new) on chalky oxidised paint. The good thing about these pads is that they have a slightly concaved surface for better contact on large areas like the bonnet, and round edge for buffing smaller areas.

The bad thing is, they don't fit on my stock 178mm GMC baseplate - had to fork out another $20 for a 140mm.......

Those buffing pads look good.