Jewelry buffer recommendation

[Untwistedsister]

I am a relative beginner at silversmithing. I want a buffer that's not too big and I'm thinking it should have variable speed and a dust collector. Are there any you know about that you can recommend or that I should steer clear of? Thanks for any help.

[Former_Member]

I have this buffer from Rio. It has lights and dust collector with filter. About 3,500 rpm. Smooth, semi quite and clean.

Rio sells lots of different buffers and it's a good place start.
www.riogrande.com/Product/Dura-BULL-Polishing-Cabinet-and-Motor-465-CFM/336119?pos=30

[JazznJewelry]

I have a Red Wing with 2 speeds and a quick chuck. I inherited it from my brother-in-law and it was in a dental practice in pretty constant use for 30 years. It's still going strong. I love the quick chuck which lets you change out a buff in no time flat. Red Wings are similar to Baldors, but less expensive. Heavy duty and you rarely see one for sale because they last practically forever, but you can also get motor replacements fairly easily.

I think Red Wings are still sold by Thunderbird and Florida Dental and Jewelry Supply (FDJonline.com, I think). Both are reputable companies.

My dust collector is good. It's a Pepe Satellite. The one thing I dislike about it is that it's a real pain to find the filter that will fit it. So one of your criteria should be that you can get replacement fiberglass filters that are the same size as what they sell for filter replacements for central air heater in your home. That way you don't have to pay exorbitant prices and have to hunt for them (or cut down one).

Don't get those little Foredoms. They don't have the torque and they wear out quickly.

[Untwistedsister]

Thank you. You've been enormously helpful!

[houseonhudson]

I have this one:

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Foredom-Polishing-Bench-Lathe/334016?Pos=5

I love it - one of the best purchases I've ever made. Works just as well as larger polishers.

[Untwistedsister]

Thanks Miranda. Do you have a dust collector or shield with it?

[houseonhudson]

Not yet - I have the optional hoods that hook up to a shop vac, but I'm thinking of getting one of the Durabull dust collectors when I have the money. No shield either, I just wear safety glasses and hope for the best. (one of the downsides to the product)

[ElfinWorks]

I just recently upgraded my polishing system, and I am loving the improvements.

I have been making jewelry for decades and have used everything from modified washing machine motors to some of the mid-range professional buffs with a place for a polishing buff or brush on each side. I have never had a hood and I have just had to spend hours polishing suited up like a 3rd world hazmat worker and then do my best to clean up the horrible mess this made in my living room.

Pictures of my old system can be seen on my blog in the link below.

http://thelfinworks.blogspot.ca/2011/12/when-beauty-comes-from-ugly-or-why-i.html

So far I am happiest with my new system which is better than any of them.

I got a cheap polishing motor on Ebay but I see the same motor on sale through Rio Grande.

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Rio-Variable-Speed-Lathe/330031?Pos=1#BVRRWidgetID

I have only been using this 3 months so I can't say how long it will last and some people who bought this on Rio are reporting problems with the speed control, but I had this same problem after a year with the polishing motor in my blog pictures that cost 6 times more. When this happened with that motor, my son just set it up to by pass the knob and to connect through the foot pedal that also plugs into my foredom flexible shaft. Which works fine.

The thing I love about this new yellow inexpensive motor is it is quiet, so I can listen to the radio when I polish. It also has a good amount of power which doesn't cut out if there is a bit of resistance. My old motor is so loud I couldn't hear the phone ringing in the same room and as it has aged it has gotten more and more inclined to cut out even if I don't want it to, just because there is a bit too much drag. The down side is this new motors more consistent power could be a safety problem if anything got caught in the wheel.

I am using the 3M radial bristle brushes available through Rio with this motor and compared to greasy grimy dusty tripolie they are absolutely heavenly.

They make almost no dust, they can be used right in my regular work area, and they are reasonably priced as they seem to last longer than any of the nylon or boar bristle brushes I have used in the past with tripolie.

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/3M-Radial-Bristle-3-3-Ply-Assortment/332021?Pos=45

I also got these to use with my fordom flexible shaft. They really work to clean up tight spaces.

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/3M-Radial-Bristle-Disc-Master-Kit/332595?Pos=6

The downside of these 3M brushes is that the coarser grits will damage stones with a hardness of 7, which would never be damaged by tripolie, so they need to be used before the stones are set, and I still need to do a quick buff with the old brushes and tripolie after the stones are set.

But the time required to do this is cut down by 90 percent.

I really am enjoying these improvements!

[Untwistedsister]

Wow - I have those radial bristles for my foredom. Do you use them with polish or by themselves?

Seems like for someone like myself just getting started with more silversmithing that I can do just fine with a smaller polisher and upgrade later if I need to.

[ElfinWorks]

I just use them by themselves. They seem to be mostly made of some kind of abrasive compound held together by some sort of super plastic. I really like to be able to start with the the brown colored one inch very course grit that is made for the foredom as it is very good for grinding away the surface problems.

When I use the tripolie it is on a wooden hub brush. I use Grobet, but these look similar. ( These would be for a polishing motor not a flexible shaft. )

http://www.riogrande.com/category/tools-and-equipment/120/polishing-and-finishing/118/Brushes/274/Wo...

I use the brush with tropolie after using all the courser grits and setting the stones and before using the 3M pumic grits which seem to be fine enough they do not damage most stones though I am still paranoid about allowing any prolonged direct contact to take place.

[Untwistedsister]

Wow. So much to learn....

[ElfinWorks]

Wow. So much to learn....

----------------------------

It never stops! I just discovered those 3M brushes three months ago. Being able to continue learning and adding new tools and techniques is what keeps my work fun and feeling like an adventure. The internet makes all parts of that so much easier.

[ElfinWorks]

So, I need to update my recommendation of that inexpensive polishing motor. It lasted only 4-5 months and then quit, and I used it maybe 8 hours in total.

I knew it was a gamble, and I loved the power and quietness of it. If it had lasted a year it would have been worth it, but this together with the people reporting problems with this over on Rio Grande, I won't be buying another made in China no warranty brand polishing motor again. And I see some on Ebay that look identical but they have been painted a different color.

[oiseaumetalarts]

always a good thing to watch out for.... "made in China no warranty brand"

good tools will always make back their price tag.

[Untwistedsister]

That happened to me with a tumbler. I bought one from Harbor Freight. it was nice because it had a convenient on/off switch but it kept breaking belts. Eventually I got a Lortone and it's a workhorse.

I appreciate the update on the polisher.