Homemade buffing wheel rake not working...or it is?

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
5,703
I wanted to call this thread “Mohawk haircut for my buffer wheel” but thought better of it.;)

It was suggested on a thread in the past that I use a wheel rake to clean my buffing wheels. Somebody (sorry can't remember who) also suggested making my own. Being a cheap ba..errr I mean a thrifty guy ;), I decided to give it a try.



Made with roofing nails held in the back by a plate. It did clean up the wheel a bit, not sure if it's suppose to clean it up more than this. But it also raised some threads and as stated above, it now sports a funky hairstyle. :(



Is this normal? Did I do something wrong...again. :o

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
I am by no means an expert on buffers, in fact I'm more like an idiot on the buffer. I do have a commercially made rake for mine and I think it has an aspect yours is missing; a scraping action. I think you would do better to use the edge of a flat piece of steel then that medieval torture device. Be safe.

Bob
 
i just scrub with a scrap piece of steel and if its really bad u have used a steel brissle brush. i really dont use the buffer often since i have felt buffing belts for the KMG (again u scrape with a scrap of steel then reload and use
 
I used a fork with slightly bent tines.. i also read somewhere to use one wheel for each colour
 
I know you have made the buffer guard which offers some protection but are those longer fibers more likely to catch the blade and throw it?
 
Bob, that's funny. It does look medieval-torture-ish. :D

I do use separate wheel for different compounds. But even cleaning the part the best I can, you always get some black/darkening happening.
The fibers catching is part why I don't want this you are right.

Thanks for the tips, hopefully someone using something similar to this will also comment.
 
I have never "cleaned" a buffing wheel.
I can't see the need, except possibly on very loose unsewn wheels used for final polish.
 
I use a light hit of a hacksaw blade horizontally against the wheel. Works very well especially if the wheel picked up some contamination. You need to trim that wheel so those threads stay as short and tight against the wheel. Those threads are what sometimes get caught and throw your peice.
 
Patrice - Looks pretty normal, if you happen to " pull out" to much in the way of threads and they
are whapping around trim with scissors . I make them with sheet rock screws and try to keep them
an even height.
Ken.
 
The one wheel I do clean is my Handle/Wood buffing wheel and I use an old serrated bread knife that I carefully hold parallel to the wheel and let the scallops dig into the top to remove dirt etc and then reload with white buffing compound.
 
I take a hack saw and hold it up to the wheeel....presto!

Clean
 
I use a commercial buffing rake, and it always raises some threads, which I usually trim off with the shop scissors. That's quite a lot there, though! I do think the rake I use has a bit of a scraping action, as Bob says, and that helps. It looks as if your rake there did get off most of the old compound, so it's effective in that way... perhaps you'll find that after trimming, buffing, and re-raking a few times, the incidence of long threads will decrease as the looser fibers of the wheel are eliminated. Or, perhaps you could rig that rake to have something added for scraping action...
 
Patrice, the tines are too long. If just the points were sticking out of the wood, it would work better. And, absolutely trim off the threads.
 
Thanks for all your input guys.

Bill, don't know if you've seen pictures of my shop but I clean just about everything. ;) I still have nightmares regularly from seeing the mess on your bench tops. ;)

I am glad to hear that it looks ok Ken, I did the scissor thing but thought that there was maybe a better way. I used roofing nails. Maybe a tighter grouping would work better?

I'll give the hacksaw blades a try, got a bunch of old ones laying around.
 
John, tried a wire brush and it worked ok but not great.

Salem, gonna also try it a few time, trimming between like you suggested.

Teddy, good link and also something to try.

As always, you guys are great! :thumbup:
 
Patrice- We are working on cleaning the shop. Should be finished by spring!
You can use a small torch or even a lighter to remove the stray strings. Keep a spray bottle of water handy to put it out. Make sure it's not smoldering before you leave the shop.
 
Thanks Bill and I so wish I could come over and help with the cleaning. I'd have that shop of yours sparkling clean in no time. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top