Recommendation for under $200 powerful 120V 6 inch Benchtop buffer/polisher?

B

Bill Kahn

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I have a small stainless polishing project. (Need to take from my mill finish, to 60 grit, through to 5000 grit 3M Trizact with my 3-inch orbital sander, and then Black/Brown/White/Green/Blue stick polishes. Each has a dedicated to 6-inch polishing wheel. My little 6” 2.1 amp Ryobi sort of works—worked on a 6 square inch surface (of like 40 such pieces that need to be done) and got the finish I want. But it was unacceptably slow—bogs down under the pressures needed to work at a reasonable speed. It will be worth a couple of hundred dollars for me for this project to invest in the next-grade up. I don’t do enough of this work for a Baldor-class machine. But 3/4 hp or 1 hp unit would be great.

I see a few such units in my Googling.

8" LONG SHAFTS 1HP H D TOP BENCH BUFFER POLISHER GRINDER CLEANER BENCH-TOP - - Amazon.com

8" LONG SHAFTS 1HP H D TOP BENCH BUFFER POLISHER GRINDER CLEANER BENCH-TOP - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com

https://www.ebay.com/itm/8-LONG-SHA...LISHER-GRINDER-CLEANER-BENCH-TOP/350789972932. (Same as the Amazon product but cheaper)

Or for $300

Shop Fox w1847 Buffing System - - Amazon.com

Shop Fox w1847 Buffing System - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com

Any recommendations?

Thanks.

-Bill
 
I made a mounting shaft for my wood lathe. It is made of thread rod with PVC pipe over and a few big hex nuts. I think I have 4 disks on it and use a different stick grid on each one. I just throw a piece of material over the ways to protect the lathe. It cost a few bucks at the HW store plus the polishes and buffing wheels. It works very well and takes up very little shop space.

I'll take a picture once I get down to the shop.
 
Bill, approx what size are your projects? you could make an arbor shaft with pillow block bearings for all your buffing wheels and power it with a motor and v belt pulleys to get your desired speed. in other words just make it for under $200 cost. Dave
 
if I was spinning those buffing wheels at 3200 rpm and putting pressure on them on a pvc tube I would be concerned.--I would make one using a 3/4" steel shaft with at least 2 --maybe 3 pillow block bearings. you would have more space around the outer two and pushing pressure wouldn't be a problem and you wouldn't have to have a lathe for your power ----just any 3/4 - 1hp motor would do.
Dave
 
There's a 3/4" threaded rod down the middle. The PVC pieces act as spacers and clamps. I doubt I do more than 1200 RPM or so. I wouldn't crank it up much more than that at this length. I do have a shorter one that I can substitute in that has just one buffing disk space on it. I think that one is about 8" long. I take that one up to higher RPM.

[edit] And I always am sure to lock down the tailstock very well. If there's a weak point it is at the tail-stock end. That could be improved easily though.
 
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Ah, well done! Now there's the question of what tool(s) you -will- spend that $200 on!
 
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