(OT) Baldor Buffer Bloviate

You might recall that I made some hardware for a ww project just completed.
I cut these drawer pulls from some scrap sheet metal and I used one of those
fuzzy buffing wheels and some white buffing compound in the final finishing.
I was using my 18v Dewalt driver/drill with the buffing wheel rig attached.
It was a RPITA getting the job done what with changing batteries, having the
workpiece catch the buff wheel and flip out and so on and so forth. Well, I
figured if I'm going to be doing any more hardward crafting I need a buffer
worthy of my time. I looked around the net and finally ordered a Baldor,
3/4 hp buffer( that uses industrial 8" wheels )from Amazon which had the
lowest price I could find. Also, got some buffing wheels and buffing
compound from another internet site. Anyhows, that big sucker(55 lb)
arrived in less than a week. I mounted it on a heavy table and fired it up.
The thing was sooo smooth running. I applied a left-over scrap of the
sheet metal to the wheels and got it mirror-like in no time. There was NO
tendency for the wheel to pull the piece out of my hand as I expected and
experienced with the wheel in the drill. The metal was mirror-like in no
time. There was a little problem in that some buffing wheels have a
'preferred' direction but I got that straightened out ...yaa know RTFM. I
pulled my ole 'patinaed' bench square down and put a mirror finish on that
and then some other Starrett tools. I know the buffer won't be good at
sharpening chisels or plane irons but there is no question that it will put
a mirror on the flat portions of these tools. Baldor makes good stuff just
a ways south of here in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

Larry
--
Lawrence L'Hote
Columbia, MO
http://home.mchsi.com/~larrylhote