Steve, You make some good safety points. A powerful buffer can pull an item from your hands and send it flying at a fast rate which could hurt you or some cherished item in the work shop. Buffers run counter clockwise. I always start near the bottom at about 7 o'clock and pull the item toward me or upward or sometimes 9 o'clock going down to 7 ish. The buff can still snag a part away fro you so proceed cautiously until you get the feel for it. If you go to 6 o'clock or earlier the part will likely take off from your hands.
Don't mix compounds on the buffs when you charge them. Keep a separate one for each. Recharging each buff with compound will likely be required at least for each use of the wheel if not more. Just hold the stick firmly against the spinning wheel for a few seconds.
Wider buffs are also available from other sources so you don't have to stack them.
Jay "Happy to be out of the Jewelry Business with Gold now at $1215. oz." Dubiel Halifax, VA USA
Message: 4 Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 10:55:35 -0500 From: <deoreo@raex.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Restoration: Alloy parts. Question
Unless you are going to do a ton of polishing get a buffer from Harbor
Freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/
Then get some buffing wheels, at least 4 of them, stack two per
side:
http://www.harborfreight.com/
Then look for compound at your local store, or get it at McMaster
Carr:
Search for Buffing Bars:
http://www.mcmaster.com/
Start with Tripoli, White and Red rouge for aluminum. Start with something like a stem to see how the cut and color compounds respond. Wear safety glasses and gloves, if you're not careful the buffer can throw a part across the room in a blink of an eye.
Steve DeOreo
North Canton, Ohio, USA