Buffing for Woodturners

Mike demonstrates the ins and outs of buffing with the Beall buffing system in order to apply a smooth, tactile feel and a high gloss shine to your woodturnings.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from my Amazon shop www.amazon.com/shop/mikepeace....
Beall 3 on 1 amzn.to/3cbEoNV
3 wheel buff system amzn.to/3ceoe6m
Bowl buffs amzn.to/3ceoe6m
You can download demonstration handouts, downloadable copies of articles I have published, and other useful woodturning information available on my website www.mikepeacewoodturning.com/r...

[@JamesRousseaux]

Another fantastic video! So informative. Thanks for taking the time to share your wisdom Mike. Cheers James, Australia :)

[@kellyklaask7su990]

I just ordered this buffing system. Waiting for it to arrive. Going to use it on my home made chess pieces. I've always struggled with the finishing touch on my pieces. This should really help!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Hope you enjoy it! Remember to allow finish time to not just dry but cure. And do not add too much abrasive to the wheel.

[@donlyons8964]

Thank you sir, answered a lot of questions. Ordering mine now. Keep up the great videos I learn a lot from you.

[@davejohnson9495]

Ok. All my questions answered and it's off to my supplier to get one. Excellent tutorial thank you very much.

[@WoodsleeSummercraftwoodturning]

Great demonstration of a buffing system, now I have to go and get one, thanks for sharing, rob

[@AlFurtado]

Another great video Mike.

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Thanks so much!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

You're welcome!

[@erocgr00t6]

Great instruction. Thank you

[@dennismcconnaughhay8428]

MIke, THANKS. Extremely informative. I appreciate the straightforward and detailed approach in your coaching. Makes sense and inspires me to get to it. I've have the bowl buffs in my possession. Just ordered the wheels. I'm waiting on the Holdfast extension to set it all up on my lathe. Next week I should buff some of my first projects. I appreciate how you show us HOW to do it and the WHY you do what you do. Blessings!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I very much appreciate your feedback, Dennis. I know you will love the beall buffing

[@tick_magnetedschaper5611]

Thanks Mike. To day I started working on a buffing station. I ordered the Beall system for a 1/2 Hp motor. I will have to switch buffing wheels but they say it's quick. Now you have me thinking about those round buffers. I have learned a ton from your videos this spring. Thanks for all you do!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Glad I could help. I am guessing you saw this more recent buffing video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/an2zq32VjJ2or8k

[@tick_magnetedschaper5611]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Yes I did. I searched your videos for "Buffing". Thanks!

[@Lee-qp6gf]

good timing, Mike. I haven't got into buffing yet but will soon. thanks for your videos.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

It took me a bit of time to climb the learning curve on turning before finishing became an issue. In some ways I was lucky that I bought a used lathe and lots of turning stuff including sandpaper, finishes and a complete Beall Buff system came with it.

[@mgorrow]

Mike, that is an excellent video. Love the WoW patch.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, Marshall. I appreciate your kind words.

[@muziqjazz]

Thanks M. Mike. Good timing for me as I'm preparing myself to buff (gently) some shellac.

[@KristianPKristianpipes]

Thanks for the very informative video .Take care

[@prickettsmiles5389]

great video mike. I learn a lot from you. all the way from Northern Minnesota

[@helgelandandrew]

You're a turner in northern mn? Where are you from? (I'm from NW MN, and haven't really found any other wood turners in my area)

[@prickettsmiles5389]

by bemidji

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

There is a WT club in Duluth and one in Detroit Lakes

[@prickettsmiles5389]

Sweet been needing a club to join. :)

[@robc2536]

Mike, Great videos, thanks for sharing your knowledge. If your bowl / hollow form has a bark inclusion or knot, how do you stop the buffing compound from getting lodged in the inclusion?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Skip white diamond on anything with a dark inclusion that might catch it. Some folks complain about white diamond getting trapped in walnut. I have not had that problem, probably because the wood pores are generally pretty well sealed after 4 or coats of the Minwax Antique oil finish I typically use.

[@georgebrill3072]

Hi Mike, I enjoy watching your videos, good job. Was that a regular 20 gauge shotgun bore brush you used to clean the MT2 on the headstock? Do you also use it on the tailstock as well.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Yes and Yes.

[@josephseewald4687]

Thanks for sharing this. I would appreciate your thoughts on setting up a buffing station. I need to decide how to set up and buffing station in my shop either use the lathe and switch wheels or a stand-alone buffer\grinder. In your experience, If you operate the buffing wheels on the lathe is there a mess created on the lathe bed that needs to be cleaned up each time? Do the compounds get all over the lathe in practice? Any thoughts? TIA

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I have not noticed any lathe bed mess. My preference would be for a separate mini lathe or motor for buffing so as to reduce the amount of changeover effort. My 3-1 works well for me as I seldom turn a bowl much bigger than 8 - 10 inches. Most any 1/2 HP motor would do. Perhaps from an old applicance or HVAC system. It is hard to beat the 8" beall buffs on quality and price.

[@josephseewald4687]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Thanks for the advice. I have learned a great deal from you about turning. Keep up the great videos.

[@gwynmorgans1]

the video is very helpful do you make your wax blocks ?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

No, I am still using the original bar of carnauba that came with the buffer when I got it used 9 years ago. A little goes a long way.

[@GaryLundgrenCrafts]

Hi Mike. Great videos! I'm always learning from you. Recently I've become interested in buffing wood turnings to get a better shine. In watching your video I get more confused. Is buffing for unfinished wood, as a finish system in itself, or can you buff over a finish? I picked up in one of your videos that buffing a friction polish finish is not a good idea. I'm searching for what may be the best durable finish for utensil handles. Things that get frequent use. The more I look, the more confused I get. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks! 👍

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Gary, buffing is for a finish. Buffing raw wood will make it shine for a while but with no finish filling the pores it will quickly fade with use. I use Minwax Antique Oil for just about eveything. Since it is a penetrating oil, it gets in the pores and you can't burn thru it like surface finishes like poly or lacquer. It may take several coats to build up a shine with AO but I am rarely in a hurry. A friction polish like Mylands or HUT is shellac based and will normally get a good shine on the lathe for small items. I do use them for some ornaments. I find sticking with one WT finish is the simplest route for me. It is hard to screw up AO. It is easy to renew. I used it on a shaving brush handle and it lasted several years. I put refreshed with a couple of new coats and it looks great. I do have a video on Finishing. If it is not clear, let me know and I will see if I need to redo it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZ-woH2vndGjr7c Tax season is coming!

[@GaryLundgrenCrafts]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Thank you Mike! Merry Christmas, by the way. I'm surprised to hear back from you so soon. I will look into your suggestions. Thanks! Yes, tax season is coming up and I'm gearing up for it. 🙁 Not as much fun as woodworking. But, it's the day job and pays the bills. After 40 yrs it's getting old. So am I! I need to do more videos on that channel. Have a wonderful New Year!!

[@SRG216]

I just recently purchased three 4" Beall buffing wheels (kit from Lee Valley). I want to use it to finish some chess pieces I'm making. I did some tests and it worked well, except for the sharp crevasses in the chess piece; the buffing wheel cloth layers can't get into those tight spaces. Any suggestions?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Assuming you have sanded to a fine grit I would not worry about buffing the deep crevasses. I genreally buff at about 1400 RPM with an 8" wheel. You might experiment at different speeds. Too fast and the wheel is too stiff. Hope that helps.

[@robc2536]

Mike, When the wheels are brand new, do you load more white diamond and wax on the wheels or still just the one second count?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

You don't want overload white diamond. I think the one second is probably good.

[@jeffoldham3466]

mike is this the way you do your Danish oil finish,,buffing it out in these 3 stages,,and when you apply your Danish oil,,how long do you normally wait till you start the buffing process

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Yes, this is the way I buff. As I explain at about the 12:00 mark in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZ-woH2vndGjr7c you need to wait 3 --7 days after the last coat or until you can no longer smell it before buffing.

[@MrVaughan1234]

I like the Beall system, though I use the wheels mounted singly on the arbor, not lined up on a spindle. I tend to buff things in batches so it's no quicker to have them in a row. But if you use 100 grit paper to remove excess compound, isn't there a risk of grit particles sticking to the wheel and scratching the bowl?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Logic would lead to your conclusion on the sticking grits but the manufacturer does not see a problem and I have not experienced it either.

[@peterhendriks1972]

Hi Make, Thanks for this infomation. Do you have any experience with epoxy resin buffing? Cheers from Holland

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

No but I would think it would be like acrylic polishing. Craft Supply has this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6S4dnp7lLVjpq8

[@peterhendriks1972]

Mike Peace Hi MIKE, Thanks for the video... ill let you know how it works out.

[@charlieodom191]

This answered all my questions. I bought a beall buffing system about 6 years ago and I used it 1 time. But now I see the right way to use it. One question. You buff on top of the oil finish? I turned a weed pot and got some min-wax oil. I have 4 coats on it and it looks great. Should I buff it? Thanks Charlie

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Absolutely. Buffing works best on an antique oil finish. Be sure it is dry and you can not smell the finish.

[@charlieodom191]

Mike Peace Woodturning thanks Mike!!

[@moodyharvey1309]

Wonder where you got your smoke? I have looked for a short sleeved one to wear in Alabama and have yet to find one. Good job on the video I learned a lot.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

+Moody Harvey It is an AAW smock. I also have a grey AAW smock. Order on-line or wait until you attend the Atlanta symposium. Check out Moment of Peace #2 video where I discuss these.

[@moodyharvey1309]

Thanks Mike. sed your technique for buffing and the results were spectacular!

[@thefish5861]

Mike, love your videos. I guess the thing I've never understood is the advantage of buffing vs normal sanding/finishing/buffing on the lathe. Is there any advantage to using a buffing wheel?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

How do you do your buffing on a lathe? Do you use tripoli and white diamond on a rag? Most of my turnings are finished off the lathe so buffing on the lathe is not an option. Some folks do everything on the lathe. That doesn't work for me because of the time it takes to add multiple coats of antique oil. I don't want to tie up my lathe waiting for a finish to dry. I also sign my work before finishing. If you add the same finish and do the same buffing, I don't see it would matter if you do it on the lathe or off the lathe with a buffer. Using a buffing wheel is just way easier for me.

[@thefish5861]

Most of my work is finished with sanding sealer, sanding, EEE abrasive paste, and friction polish. I guess I figured that WAS buffing?

[@bobvanhorn926]

Mike Peace Woodturning z

[@davidcorden6630]

Hi Mike. I use the Beall system and found your video useful. How do you mount all 3 wheels side by side? Is there a special bar for this? Thanks, David in Devon, England.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

It is called a Beall Three Buff System like this: www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/37/3706/Beall-Three-Buff-System?term=beall%20buff It is a 3/4 course thread rod with a Morse Taper on one end a dimple on the other for a live center support. The regular buffing wheels have a 5/8" hole and these have a 3/4" hole and use a large nut on each side of each wheel. Penn State Industries has a cheaper version.

[@KelvinARobinson]

+David Corden My question as well, did you get an answer not shown here?

[@davidcorden6630]

+Kelvin Robinson hi Kelvin, that's all I received so I assumed it was only available in the US. Cheers, David

[@PocketTime]

Hey mike, I know you made this video years ago but it’s still so relevant today :) You said Tripoli is equivalent to around 400-800 grit, but If I sand beyond that range (let’s say I use abrasive paste or micro mesh) is there still a point in using Tripoli, or would the grit take away from the fine sanding?

[@PocketTime]

And if it matters, I primarily use danish oil as a finish

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Since you are still adding a finish, buffing is a finish the finish process so I would still use the Tripoli and white diamond. This holds true especially for a penetrating finish like danish or Antique Oil.

[@jeffoldham3466]

mike i make a lot of small lided boxes and some goblets using captain eddies formula for friction polish,,and I was going to try other thing like the Danish oil you use,,and I know I will need a buffing system,,do you know how well this would do on friction polish,,and can you provide me the link to your video on the Danish oil finishes

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I do not buff a friction polish finish. It is too easy to buff thru the shellac finish which is a surface finish. Antique oil penetrates the wood so will stay down in the pores even with heavy buffing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZ-woH2vndGjr7c I just put a link in this video to make it easy to watch the related Buffing video. Thanks for the reminder.

[@jeffoldham3466]

mike thanks for the link,,i just ordered me a system like yours and am going to watch your video and head to home depot,,lol,,this is my educational channel ,,,,one more thing,,these squeeze clamps that you buy I have noticed isn't all that good for gluing up ,,

[@charleslobron4129]

I wonder what material those gloves are make of. I've been told it's dangerous to wear gloves around a lathe. Maybe fabric wheels won't grab the gloves but why chance it?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

+Charles Lobron I believe you are over thinking it. The gloves are rubber gloves that would tear easily. Plus there isn't anything sharp to catch. Touching the turning buff briefly will not hurt you. You wear them to provide a secure grip on the wood. Stay safe.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

+Charles Lobron They are latex gloves. I see no danger buffing with them and they do make holding items being buffed more secure.

[@tick_magnetedschaper5611]

Not round buffers, "Bowl Buffs". Sorry!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Yea, those round bowl buffer things, LOL. 😂👊