Thread: Setting up a Buffing Wheel on the Lathe

Hi Steck,
Yes, I use 1 in my lathe, but my wheel is only or was 4in - 100mm.
I put an old 3/8 bolt through it & I have Keyless Chuck, that I ram into the Spindle Head, & sometimes give it a tap with my wooden mallet, & most of the time the Lathe sits on 3000 RPM. Has never comes out.
I've seen the end of a MT, Drilled & Threaded, with a ball of wood on the end of the long Threaded Bolt, just for safeties sake.
Vic Wood has always used that Method.
Hope that helps.

I just bring up the tailstock to prevent the morse taper working loose.

I would not bother to buy a Beal system, you can readily make your own with some threaded rod [ie Booker rod].
If you concerned about no getting the nuts tight enough on the screwed rod etc. Try loctite of CA on one of the nuts to lock it on to the rod. The wind the other up good and tight, dont forgetto use decent sized washers.

Removal down the track to replace the worn buffs simply heat the locked nut to around 60c+ and Loctite of CA will melt.

Sorry no pics as I set up all my buffing on thier stand etc, dont bother with the lathe set up.I see it as just another set up that I can avoid.

I've got mine bolted onto a timber holder and on the other side I have a face plate ring. Just clamp it onto a chuck when I need it. See photo attached.


Peter.

I have a bit of allthread bolted onto a cone shaped bit of wood which will mount in the chuck then a buffing wheel , a piece of wood about 30mm round and about 100 mm long with a hole through it to take the rod,another buffing wheel then a nut and washer with about 40mm of thread sticking out .I then turned up a fitting which will mount on my live centre with the cone removed and it has a recess to fit the end of the allthread . So with this setup I can apply EEE then shellawax .
Hope this helps.
Ted

I'm pretty sure I bought my tapped 2MT from Jim Carrol. But I could be wrong...

I bought that MT specifically so I could run a buffer or the el cheapo sanding disks for 'leccy drills. But I've found I rarely use it 'cos I keep misplacing the threaded rod.

Most of the time now, I simply hold the arbour with pin jaws on my chuck. At least I always know where they are! There can be a degree of slippage, but usually only when - despite knowing I shouldn't - pushing the work too hard into the buff/sandpaper.

Combination of Ted's and Skew's: All-thread in pin jaws. If you're concerned about the threads damaging the jaws, wrap with tape (either the all-thread or the jaws). If your live center tailstock has a removable point, do so and set the other end in the cone cup for stability.

Cheers,
Joe

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

......., I simply hold the arbour with pin jaws on my chuck................

Ditto for the small buffs.

Big one is on it's own grinder where it works best as you've got more clearance around it.

Any of the previous methods of holding the buffing wheel in the tailstock end. A skateboard wheel, with a suitable sized cuphead bolt through the middle and held in a chuck in the tailstock, and wound against the buffing wheel provides all the support needed.
Mick C

Mine is like Sturdee's. I made a tendon in a piece of 2 X 4 for the chuck to grab with my most used jaws, flattened the front after gripping, marked the center, drilled a hole in the center of a piece of 1 X flooring, screwed that tight to the 2 X in the chuck, turned that round.

Took it out and separated the parts, put on 10 or 15 layers of worn out sheet about 10 X 10 inches, rotating each layer so that the points came more or less round. Screwed on tight the 1 X cover

Chucked it up and buffed. It did throw threads all over the place, but did not hurt the finish. You may wish to buy proper buffing wheels.

Yes the one from McJings which you can have all 3 buffs on its M2 and sits between centres of course you can have just 1 buff on if required.

Son buffed and polished some copper and brass wear

Or you could try this. SWANSDOWN MOPS - The ultimate buff for wax finishes

Great range of ideas. Thank you everyone
I made a timber cone which I hold up against the mop with the live centre.
It will do fine until I can make something fancier.
The page referred me to has a setup that I really like.

Just a word of warning

I had not noticed it until today 2 weeks after last use of the buff on the lathe the motor fan area was shrouded with fluff the lathe is a Nova with motor pointing away and out of my sight due to a frame. I think of those motors right in line with waste.