New tool for the weekend

[Young Ed]

Always a good weekend when you get a new tool for the shop. The GF asked if I was going to post a picture of it on my boy website so I figured I would.

[John Mulders]

Ed, can you buff anything else than a bench with it ?

Otherwise it seems very limited use.

John

[bigred48]

Are you going to build a stand? maybe you could locking on casters on the bottom so it would be easy to move out of the way. So now that you have a buffer are you going to fix all the trim from your crash?

[Young Ed]

Yes some sort of stand is needed. They had stands there for almost as much as the buffer and one that was more then it! And they all seemed kinda short for me at 6'1. I'm hoping the stand will be light enough to just pick up and move because when its nice out I'd like to be doing this outside. Its slightly messy. Most of the trim from the wreck is toast but there are a few pieces that might survive.

[dndrodshop]

I mounted mine to a small cabinet so I have storage for buffing supplies underneath.

[Norm's Coupe]

Ed,

I made both of my stands. The black one is a cast iron stand someone put out in the street for the garbage men to pick up, so it didn't cost anything. The red one has my grinder on it. That one is made from a 2" diameter piece of galvanized pipe. Set and braced the pipe in a 5 gallon pail, then filled it a little over half full of cement. Cut a piece of heavy flat steel and welded it to a 2" pipe floor flange, then welded that to the pipe for the stand top. Don't know my actual cost. The pipe was scrap pipe. The only thing I had to buy was the cement and the floor flange. The 5 gallon pail was plastic so cut it off after the cement cured. I can just tilt either one of the stands to roll them away from the wall if I need the room to grind, wire brush or buff something.

[Don Coatney]

Remember it is best to not buff in the buff so you dont get carried away with your work:D

[Young Ed]

Norm how did you make the one you found out by the trash? That said both look good. I haven't decided what I'll do. I've got a fairly cruddy small bookshelf that someone gave me that I might try to cut down a little and mount it on top of that. I wouldn't mind one like either of yours but unless I make it out of wood I don't really have any materials around to use.

Don duely noted.

[Norm's Coupe]

Ed,

I didn't do much to make the black one found sitting on the street for trash. That one was actually a support stand for an old industrial drum sander that was also sitting in the street for pickup. Took them both. The guy throwing them away said they use to be in the basement of his house. The sander weighed a ton (both all cast iron), don't know how he got it out of his basement. Had to get my son over to help me move that thing and it really sat the back of my van down to the ground. Luckily I only had a few blocks to get home with it. I gave the sander to a guy who owns SeaDog Boats who builds custom wooden boats http://www.seadogboats.com/ because it was too big to keep around the house. But.........kept the support stand to make my buffer stand.

On the buffer stand I did not use steel to mount the top mounting plate. Just a piece of 1 x 6, then spray painted the whole thing with black automotive primer. That's what you see there and it worked out great. That stand is actually heavier than the grinder/buffer stands you buy, but it rolls easily when you tilt it on one leg. I would think you could build a stand out of a 4 x 4 anchored in a pail of cement, then just screw a wooden base on top for the buffer. You really don't want to put a buffer or grinder on a bench in my opinion because if you do, it limits the radius you can move things around the wheel. I had my grinder on the bench at one time, and that didn't work out too well because I kept hitting things on the bench when I used it. Especially long or large items. The stand just needs to have a heavy enough stability to keep it from walking or tilting on you. Keep in mind you don't need to put a lot of pressure on an item to grind or buff it. Just lightly hold it up to the wheel and let the wheels do the work.

A point of interest for the quality of that stand and drum sander. I looked it up and that brand name went out of business in the 1920's. That's how old that thing was and it still worked.

[Young Ed]

I wouldn't put it on a bench either. I was thinking more like this.

[Norm's Coupe]

That would work too. Then you'd have a shelf to keep your bricks of polish. Just a little hint though. Don't go out and buy the bricks of polish like I did at a swap meet years ago. Bought a large brick (about the size a brick of gold or aluminum), forgot the weight but they are about 8 inches long by about 2 1/2 inches thick, top to sides at a swap meet. Have one brick that size for each type of metal. I haven't even scratched the surface on those for years. You don't need much polish so stick to the little sticks. That is, unless you plan on doing it as a business.

I would keep the extra wheels either in a plastic bag, or put a door on that shelf to keep the wheels clean. Buffing makes a lot of dust.

[Young Ed]

I noticed that already. I went to visit a guy in our region of the plymouth club and he gave me a demonstration and then let me do a piece with his equipment. I noticed he has the little tubes from eastwood and after doing his entire 55 plymouth and 39 plymouth plus pieces for other guys in the club he was maybe 1/4 of the way through them. So little sticks it will be. Its amazing how this stainless looks when you polish it. He did one of my skinny grill bars and it shines like glass

[Norm's Coupe]

Ed,

When you cut that bookshelf down be sure to flare the bottom of it like the picture you posted of the shelf stand. That flare is what will help stabilize the stand when you use the buffer.

[blueskies]

Ed-

My buffer came with a pedistal stand. I would think that the wide cabinet stand would get in the way of larger trim pieces, and if it is open like that, it will fill with grit and fibers from the buffing pads. As you noted, it is a messy job. I polished all of my car's stainless trim as well as my EDGY head and a few other engine parts. By the time I was done, the area behind my buffer was an inch deep in crud.

Also, wear gloves, and keep a good hold of the parts you are polishing... The first stainless piece I tried to buff, the center hood strip for my '50, was ripped out of my grip and sent like a dagger across the room and wrapped it self around what ever got in it's way... Luckily I had another. I've lost a few pieces that way. I even polished the screw heads for my tail light bezels, one of them got away and I never did find it. Even when I completely emptied my garage out to move to another house. And before I got smart enough to wear gloves, I burned my hands a couple of times, and polished some skin off my fingers:rolleyes:.

Pete

Pete

[Reg Evans]

Speaking of new tools over the weekend. I stopped off at a barn sale on the way home from the Pilot House BBQ and bought this hot water pressure washer. A heavy little sucker at 255 lbs. According to NAPA on line they sell new for $2250. It's a couple of years old but I got it for $180. The sellers wife said it works great but I haven't tried it yet because they lost the operators manual and he wasn't there to give me a demo. Can an operators manual be purchased somewhere? I'd hate to break it by doing something wrong.

[Young Ed]

Reg I would think if you called Napa they'd send you a manual or tell you where to find one. They'd rather do that then have you hurt yourself and sue them.

[Young Ed]

Ed-

My buffer came with a pedistal stand. I would think that the wide cabinet stand would get in the way of larger trim pieces, and if it is open like that, it will fill with grit and fibers from the buffing pads. As you noted, it is a messy job. I polished all of my car's stainless trim as well as my EDGY head and a few other engine parts. By the time I was done, the area behind my buffer was an inch deep in crud.

Also, wear gloves, and keep a good hold of the parts you are polishing... The first stainless piece I tried to buff, the center hood strip for my '50, was ripped out of my grip and sent like a dagger across the room and wrapped it self around what ever got in it's way... Luckily I had another. I've lost a few pieces that way. I even polished the screw heads for my tail light bezels, one of them got away and I never did find it. Even when I completely emptied my garage out to move to another house. And before I got smart enough to wear gloves, I burned my hands a couple of times, and polished some skin off my fingers:rolleyes:.

Pete

Thats interesting I'm pretty sure the directions specifically said not to wear gloves. I was assuming that was so you weren't launcing pieces.

[Norm's Coupe]

Actually, sometimes the instructions for tools like this will say you should not wear gloves or loose fitting clothing that could get caught in the wheels and pull you into it. I don't normally wear gloves either when using the grinder or buffer, unless the metal piece I'm working with is very sharp. If I do wear gloves I will wear tight fitting leather work gloves. I have hit the wire wheel a few times with bare fingers and that's a little smarts when it happens. When I hit the wire wheel while wearing gloves, the wheel will dig into the glove and jerk my hand.

Either way, I always wear a dust mask, safety glasses and a face shield when using either the buffer, wire wheel, or grinder.

[Don Jordan]

I tried, I really tried, to polish my stainless steel. I spent hours and it never looked right. I took it to a guy that does it for a living and I picked it up the next day. You guys that are good with your hands (gloved or not) can do this stuff. I would rather pay to save my time and have it done right.

I guess I should take some pictures. When I bought my Plymouth all the stainless was taped together. I figured it was all there and just took it in to be polished. When he was finished I found I had some extra pieces. I'm not sure but some are strips that go down the hood.

If anyone is interested I'll take some pictures. They look brand new.

[JerryinTx]

Ed, You definitely want to wear gloves when polishing stainless. I restored all the stainless on my car and believe me, you will fry your hands without the use of some good gloves.

I built my own stand out of scrap 3/4" plywood and put it on casters. It is very stable.

[Plymouthy Adams]

and please be careful also as often the wheel will grab an item and jerk it out of your hand..can cause some serious cuts..gloves are advised..