What kind of buffing wheel for pipes?

[Haebar]

My brother gave me a cool little variable speed buffer and I want to get some 6" buffing wheels to spruce up my pipes. What type should I get for pipes?
Where can I get some?

[Lostmason]

try at lowes or home depot,,,I'ld get a sewn cotton and a loose cotton for finishing.

[johnnyflake]

Check out the speed of the buffer. Most buffers are far too fast for working on pipes or wood. Anything over 1200 rpm is way too fast!!! 2000, 3000 and faster will just burn the finish and the wood. 800/1000 rpm is perfect for working with pipes/wood

If it's too fast and most are, you can slow it down, with a quality rheostat switch.

[Lostmason]

@johnnyflake


Hey John, Missed you,Been kinda quiet lately.

[BryGuySC]

I use a cotton buffing wheel chucked into a drill.

[johnnyflake]

@johnnyflake


Hey John, Missed you,Been kinda quiet lately.

Thanks for your comment. Ya, not sure why, but some old timers like me, from previous sites, seem a bit lost on the newer sites!

[Lostmason]

Thanks for your comment. Ya, not sure why, but some old timers like me, from previous sites, seem a bit lost on the newer sites!

I tend to look for the "oldtimers" they're the ones who know what their talking about.

[Haebar]

Check out the speed of the buffer. Most buffers are far too fast for working on pipes or wood. Anything over 1200 rpm is way too fast!!! 2000, 3000 and faster will just burn the finish and the wood. 800/1000 rpm is perfect for working with pipes/wood

If it's too fast and most are, you can slow it down, with a quality rheostat switch.

Thanks for the tip. This one has an interesting mechanical differential way of varying the speed; you can slow it way, way down. I've only seen such a method on my old Snapper self-propelled push mower. My brother said it was surplus from a high school physics lab. I'll post a picture of it when I can find time to clean it up.

[NeverBend]

Check out the speed of the buffer. Most buffers are far too fast for working on pipes or wood. Anything over 1200 rpm is way too fast!!! 2000, 3000 and faster will just burn the finish and the wood. 800/1000 rpm is perfect for working with pipes/wood

If it's too fast and most are, you can slow it down, with a quality rheostat switch.

John, ditto on glad to see you, and your advice is spot on.

As far as the wheels, cotton, and for polishing you need to cut the nap binding threads (not sure what they're called). The wheel will get 'floppy' but when rotating it assumes form. If you don't cut the threads you may (slightly) score the briar. You need bar carnauba wax and it will gradually build up on the wheel so that polishing gets easier over time.

If the pipes have any intrinsic or collector value use great care when buffing the nomenclature as even a soft wheel (at the 800/1000 rpm that John recommended) can really reduce it. Take it slow until you get the hang of it and hold the pipes tight!

Enjoy Tab.

[johnnyflake]

John, ditto on glad to see you, and your advice is spot on.

As far as the wheels, cotton, and for polishing you need to cut the nap binding threads (not sure what they're called). The wheel will get 'floppy' but when rotating it assumes form. If you don't cut the threads you may (slightly) score the briar. You need bar carnauba wax and it will gradually build up on the wheel so that polishing gets easier over time.

If the pipes have any intrinsic or collector value use great care when buffing the nomenclature as even a soft wheel (at the 800/1000 rpm that John recommended) can really reduce it. Take it slow until you get the hang of it and hold the pipes tight!

Enjoy Tab.

It's really nice to see you as well!