[Ranger]

Hi Everyone,

I'm in search of a good bench buffer to polish my aluminum and chrome parts.

Does anyone know of a good one to get for polishing our bike parts? I tried one of those cheapy variable speed buffers from ebay and it was a piece of %$^#. I would like to get a variable speed one but most of the ones I've seen for sale are basically the same as the one I'm returning (hate the arbors that you have to screw on the pads). I guess I could go with a high end one with a 3600rpm and get a foot control to be able to lower the speed for buffing aluminum. Any suggestions or ideas would be extremely helpful.

Thanks and ride safe

 

[Blue Fox]

Unfortunately, you mostly get what you pay for on bench grinders. I bought a new 1/3 hp Craftsman in about 1976 that has twice the power of a 1/2 hp cheapie one I got about 10 years ago. So, don't just depend on advertised horsepower, they use different methods to get a higher hp rating.



I picked a older one up for my son off CL a year or so ago for $25.00. It too was a Craftsman and probably 25 years old. Not a bad unit, he uses it all the time. My recommendation would be to check CL, garage sales and E-bay for older bargains. All of mine are 3450 RPM, 6" wheels, but I have taken the guards off the one I use for a buffer and mounted a 8" spiral sown wheel on it. I haven't had any burning problems with 3450 RPM, but I am not an expert on buffing either.



The true buffing units usually have elongated ends and shafts to allow you to hold the item at different angles for better buffing. On the bike parts I have done, I didn't find it necessary to have more room than a regular bench grinder with the guards off provided.

 

[AGB-1]

http://cgi.ebay.com/6-Bench-Grinder...613?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5e60b305 Looks llike this might be good it start with and free shipping. AGB-1

 

[sinjinle]

Hi Everyone,

I'm in search of a good bench buffer to polish my aluminum and chrome parts.

Does anyone know of a good one to get for polishing our bike parts? I tried one of those cheapy variable speed buffers from ebay and it was a piece of %$^#. I would like to get a variable speed one but most of the ones I've seen for sale are basically the same as the one I'm returning (hate the arbors that you have to screw on the pads). I guess I could go with a high end one with a 3600rpm and get a foot control to be able to lower the speed for buffing aluminum. Any suggestions or ideas would be extremely helpful.

Thanks and ride safe

I would check with Larry...He's the expert polisher!

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I purchased a 6 inch 3600 double wheel grinder with a working light, brand new for $48. I took one grinding stones off and replaced with a buffing wheel. Like grinding stones which come in a varieties of course or fine, there are different "stiffness" levels for the buffing wheels and you can see this by the number of cotton stitching rows or circles in the buffing wheel. I've got a stiff one - I think it has about 7 or 10 stitch rows in it and it seems pretty good. I'm not going overboard on buffing, just trying to clean and spruce up. By the way, you can spend hours at the buffer if you want.

 

[Dash]

If you really want to do serious buffing and polishing, an official buffer is the way to go. My buffer is way old and way powerful and I got it at a garage sale. It's way better (and heavier) than anything you could buy new. You can see from the picture that a buffer has a much longer shaft than a grinder and it doesn't have wheel guards or tool rests.



Another note about buffing -- it's messy. If you can figure out how to use it outdoors, great. The resultant mess is something like a clothes dryer running without the lint screen.

 

[Ranger]

Thanks for all the info. I have a little research to do now. Thanks Again!