Which Buffing Machine, or Method??

[Gordon Bellerose]

I have been using the foam buffing wheels from stewmac, and am considering going to a buffing wheel machine.

The two I have been considering are the Fox Buffing Arbor, and the Buffing Arbor from Stewmac.
The differences are obviously in size, and of course price.

I have a 3/4 hp electric motor which will work, so that is not a part of the discussion.

The Fox machine looks like it might be sufficient, but the length of the bar could be an issue, crowding the work, and it is also thinner perhaps causing flex and instability.
The Stewmac machine is much bigger and the bar is thicker and stronger, causing less flex, and less crowding.
The price tag is much greater also.

Does anyone own either one, and can anyone give me their opinion on these machines?

[David King]

Just get the 14" buffs for either and you'll have plenty of room.

[Aaron Helt]

I have the buffing arbor from stewmac, the one similar to the shop fox. It works fine for me.
I don't buff more than 2 or 3 guitars a year so for my needs it is plenty.

[Barry Daniels]

I never got satisfactory results from buffing wheels and Menzerna. Probably my technique. I have switched over to automotive buffing compounds and 3" diameter foam pads on a small pneumatic motor. They work great. I think there is more research and development money spent in the automotive industry because they come out with new stuff all the time. And the new compounds are really improved.

[Todd Stock]

SM buffer...the older one, and now the newer unit. Would have gone for the Parma if they were still in production. For a pro building and doing repairs, it's a timesaver; for an amateur trying to get decent finish on a one-off project, sanding to 1200, then to finer grades, and then to foam pads and buffs is cheaper and gets the job done...buffing is just a lot faster.

[Barry Daniels]

Todd, do you have any preferred compound/pad combinations? I have tried several but settled on Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound 105 for buffing using a Meguiar's microfiber pad on a rotary buffer. And then only if it is needed, finishing with 3M Perfect-It Ultrafine Machine Polish #39062 using a soft 3M blue foam pad in random orbital mode.

[David King]

The Parma was definitely the one to get. It would probably behoove anyone who does a lot of buffing to just have a local machine shop cut forward and reverse threads on the ends of a 1-1/4" steel bar. Pillow blocks, nuts and sheaves are cheap but the flanges will set you back about $60.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Well, for better or worse I went with the Fox buffer.
As I said, I already have a 3/4 horse motor, so the Fox buffer will work.

I only buff about 5 or 6 guitars in a year, so that will work fine.

I got it at Grizzly for 99 bucks plus shipping. Of course, buffing wheels and compound will be extra.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Even though the buffing machine has been chosen, the discussion about buffing compounds is really good.
Does anyone else have good information?

[Barry Daniels]

Just be aware that the wet compounds I spoke of cannot be used on large flannel buffs. They are for foam pads. You should use wax based compounds on dry cloth buffs.

[Mark Fogleman]

This won't help the OP as it appears he has decided, but for future readers, Go-Cart axles work great as buffing arbors. They are machined and threaded on both ends and have a keyway running down the middle to lock in a pulley.

[David King]

I picked up an extra long go cart axle for my last buffer and unfortunately it arrived bent and couldn't be straightened. The threads are RH on both ends so you need a locking nut that won't come unscrewed on the left hand end. The 6" flanges aren't available in the 3/4" id so I used a section of acrylic tubing from Tap Plastics to bring the diameter out to 1". The inside flanges need to be held in position with a locking shaft collar.

[Todd Stock]

Same thing I ran into when I looked at a large/longer buffer. Really have to do the machine shop thing to get LH and RH threads and a partial keyway milled. Went to the larger SM and it is better than the smaller buffers, but not ideal. I use Menzerna dry compounds - the current SM medium and fine compounds are fast-cutting for synthetics, but still not too aggressive for lacquer. I use 3M PerfectIt hand glaze as well, but don't find there's much to do after the fine compound buffing.

[Joel Nowland]

This buffing method always raises eyebrows but it reeeeeeeally really does work much much better than the traditional buffing method. Large wheels for top and back and main side areas, small wheels for waist and cutaway areas.

It's 4 arm, swing arm buffer with 4 motors, one for each wheel. My original buffer was two 36" 3/4" shafts for 12" wheels sticking out 90 degrees from the wall mounted to a heavy wood frame and two 12" 1/2" shafts mounted on a separate frame for the 3" and 4" wheels for waist and cutaway.

I decided to build this more elaborate machine to save space.

-Makes buffing much safer on the guitar with respect to edge grabbing and throwing the guitar. if you catch an edge it just pushes the guitar to one side a bit.
-Saves strain on the back.
-You can see the area your buffing much better.
-Much more control.
-Buff the sides with the grain all the way around.
-360 degree buffing.
-On and on.

It's just better in so many ways. If you can build one or a variation of it, I highly recommend it.

Joel

[David King]

Joel,
I take it you have no dust collection as part of this system?
Otherwise I really like it, especially the sitting down aspect with a variety of arms and motors ready to swing into action as needed but all folding down and out of the way when not. Thanks for sharing.