I am looking at 1/2 HP, 3.5 amp, 8″, 3450 rpm buffing machine for $80 new. Will this be too fast for buffing lathe tools? Your book says around 1725 rpm for buffing.
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The important thing here is surface speed. Buffing needs to be carried out at a surface speed between 3,500 and 4,000 surface feet per minute. Much faster that this and you anatomize the grease and wax compounds back into the air as fast as you crayon them on the wheel. Doing the math, 8" x pi / 12 give you 2.0944 surface feet per revolution. Multiply this answer by 3,450 rpm and you get 7,225.6631 surface feet per minute--way too fast. Unless you fancy breathing buffing compound it is best kept as a grinder. On my buffer I further reduce the speed of a 1725 rpm motor with pulleys.
With best regards,
Ernie Conover
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