Beall Buffing System Tips 

Great instructional video, Mike. I have had a Beall system for many years and now I know that I definitely overload the Trip and WD. Thanks!

Wow, great info...I bought the Beall system almost 2 years ago and haven’t used it yet. Now, I feel more confident.

Thanks, Mike, appreciate all your videos and teaching information.

Loved the instruction on the use of the Beal buffing system. Thanks a lot.

Great info Mike. Thanks for sharing. Great for the new turner and a refresher for us old timers! Take care, Dave

Im just getting into turning and realizing there us a lot more to buy than i ever imagined. Great video, i defently will be looking into this system down the road.

Great info Mike! Stuff I knew little about before this. As usual, your timing seems to always be impeccable for me and what I'm doing or thinking of. Appreciate you very much!

I have the 8" Beall system on a 3500 rpm motor for Briar pipe polishing. Haven't had a problem with speed being too fast yet.

Use an inch or so square block of hardwood about 6”-8” long, hold in both hands and bring an edge of the wood firmly against the buffing compound wheel, this drags the old compound up and out of the wheel, do this with all buffing wheels from time to time. Works a treat. Greetings from Tasmania Australia.👍😁🇦🇺🦘

Thanks Mike. I always wondered about the polishing system.

Thank you young man. Appreciate the videos very much.

Very nice presentation, Mike! I've always been curious about this system and now I know! Phil

Mike, I think you’re one of the very best teachers on UTube!

Nice overview Mike. I have all three (8", 4" and several size balls) that I have on either a 1725 rpm motor for the 8" or a 3450 rpm for the smaller ones. they work great. Nice overview and contained info that I had forgotten!

Very good video. I been in several discussion where the individual thinks it us for sanding. Granted you can take very light scratches in the wood. I even saw one video, and she has 20 thousand subscribers, she did a test and after the she buffed it she said now you have to apply a finish. Shellac. Then compared it and declared that compound bad. You are spot on with this video. Funny your buffing station looks just like mine. Ha Ha Ha. One other note. I original got the individual mounted wheels. When I saw the triple mounted wheels, I said hey that is cool. I bough only the mount thinking I could use the individual wheels on it. Wrong the mount diameter were different. So, I now have both. 😊 Thanks again.

Very useful information. Thank you very much.

Mike, thanks for the buffing information. I guess I have been over loading my buffers. Was going to get a “Buffing wheel Rake” for cleaning. But will try the plywood first.

Nice video Mike! Most complete Beall video I have seen. One suggestion for future video, how to deal with buffing small pieces. Maybe ornaments or salt and pepper grinders/shakers. They can get airborne PDQ. I do hate the fluff that these wheels produce when new.

Thanks for this explanation.

Great tutorial Mike. Am filing away for future reference. Thanks for sharing🙏 Stay safe. -Mike😷💉

Very informative, thank you.

Great tips. Thanks 👍

Mike, good stuff! thank you! I have buffed pipe stummels and used similar techniques. I have a Wheel Rake, with metal teeth that scrape out the tripoli, etc … that might clean up the desecrated ball … :-)

I clean my tripoli wheel by using the edge of plywood. Mostly I use it after I polish metal to get the black mess and old tripoli out of the wheel. I think the alternating end grain is what does the work. Not sure where I got this tip, but it works for me and I've used the same wheel since the mid 90's. I appreciate your videos and enjoy your work. Thanks.

Great video Mike- as always you spoil your students! I’ve just started using my Beall system in the last few months and love working with it and love the results too. It’s a shame J.R. sold out. But he deserves some retirement play time. He told me everything went to Lee Valley. I checked their site and unfortunately they have very few Beall products on there. Maybe they’re just trying to get up to speed. I’m going to get the 4” discs when I can find some. Thanks again for your time and effort sir.

Hi Mike...really good info... thanks for sharing... stay safe...press on 😎 Joe

I've had trouble with the white diamond leaving streaks. To much compund that I tried to remove with no luck. I will try some sandpaper now. Thanks Mike.

Thanks!

Great training video, Mike! One question…can I use the Tripoli on bare wood (in this case, olive wood and wenge) and then spray finish them with lacquer? It would work better for my project.

Mike, I really appreciate the information and the detail of your explanation. Is the sandpaper you use prep the wheels always the 80 to 100 grit that you mentioned?

Make sure you have a firm grip on your piece especially if it is small or the wheel will grab it from your hands.

great tips mike . i dont buff anything really i dont sell much of my work and just turn for fun and youtube videos really . but that may change at some point . always good to know things even if you dont use them . i do use the acks sanding paste and finishing wax i sure like them alot . i wonder if you could use a buffing wheel for them as well ? well take care my friend i will be looking forward to your next video as always .

Great video on the Beal buffing system. What kind of spindel lock do you have 0n you're Powermatic lathe. Thank-you

Thanks for the info this system will be my next purchase ( after I check with my minister of finance )

Thank you for the video. Are you buffing between coats of the antique finish?

Mike, another great video. I appreciate the thorough explanation of the Beall system and how it fits with a finish. What's your comment on the durability of the final finish with carnauba? Is it enough for a pepper mill?

Mike, thank you. I need to purchase a buffing system, because I am a beginner and like making a vase or lidded box I am thinking the smaller buffing diameter is more useful?

Could you soak the isused Tripoli wheel in water and detergent for few hours to get the Tripoli out? So then be able to use it with carnauba as intended.

There are two more progressively finer compounds that caswell and merzerna make. Just an idea.

I just finished a red cedar bowl with boiled linseed oil friction polish. How long should I wait to buff it? I have the three wheel system.

Also how long did it take you to accumulate all of those lathe chucks on the shelf behind you ?? nice collection

Good Day Mr Peace. You mention the need to finish the part before treating it with the Beall system. However, on Beall's site, in their videos, they apparently buff the piece directly onto bare wood after properly sanding it. I guess it keeps a more natural look to the wood. So what is it really? Is it a matter of preference? I buffed some bare wood as a test and the result looks quite good regarding the shiny aspect. However I recently bought the buffing system and treated a bowl that I had, as far as I can remember, previously done the finish with lacquer (Zinnsser Traditional Finish and Sealer). The result after buffing with the Compound Tripoli gave a gummy finish in addition to incorporating lints from the wheel. The White Diamond buff did not improve the situation. Note that I had been careful not to overload neither the Tripoli wheel nor the White Diamond wheel and I had treated the wheels with sandpaper as recommended to get rid of the lints. I buffed at 1750 rpm. Was I too aggressive (pressure) on the wheel? Or are there some finish products to avoid? Should we limit ourselves to oils such as walnut? Thank you for your advice.

Any thoughts on using the system on boards finished with mineral oil and beeswax? I occasionally make charcuterie boards. I’m wondering if skipping straight to the carnuba wax might work. I believe it’s food safe. But also worried I might gum up the wheels or contaminate them with the mineral oil and beeswax. I don’t really need a big shine on them, but could look nice.

Where do you get those hats? BTW Great demo.

Carnauba is the hardest natural wax - microcrystalline wax can be harder, but its an artificial (petroleum derivative) product. Chestnut Products (who sell both carnauba and microcrystalline waxes) claim that you can use them interchangeably on the same buff. The difference is that microcrystalline is a paste that is applied to the workpiece and allowed to dry before buffing. What is you opinion about that?

Even the buffing wheels get a Covid cut. :)

N