Thread: Benchtop Grinder for polishing

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I concur with most of the above - go 8" or larger and buy appropriate for the need. Eastwood makes a nice 10" kit and it's good intermediate quality with two speed motor, 10" wheels and a pedestal- will probably last the average hobbyist user a lifetime - but they're proud of it (on sale for $340). EW Buff Motor 1HP 1750/3450RPM, Buff Kit & Pedesta

HF is cheap, but for occasional use it's fine. I buy buffing pads and compound at HF and it's fine.

Lot's of folks here have hinted at the safety aspect - believe them! I've been "wounded" several times from pieces slipping from my hands and launching at my being! I always wash my hands real well before starting, wear gloves and goggles, gloves cause stuff gets hot and goggles cause I need my eyes!

Regards All,
Glenn

Originally Posted by glennsexton

Lot's of folks here have hinted at the safety aspect - believe them! I've been "wounded" several times from pieces slipping from my hands and launching at my being! I always wash my hands real well before starting, wear gloves and goggles, gloves cause stuff gets hot and goggles cause I need my eyes!

Regards All,
Glenn

Mosy definately, my sheet rock in the garage shows it.....LOL

Between the buffing and grinding wheels and a couple of other powerful shop tools, there are some scars on paneling and even a couple on me from having work grabbed out of my hands. My face mask split when a chunk of a new grinding wheel came loose.

The significant difference between the wheels is the surface speed. A 6" at 3600 rpm has a surface speed of 5655 while an 8" has a surface speed of 7540 FEET PER MINUTE or 33+% faster - which means anything grabbed out of your hands will be moving a heluva lot faster/hit harder with the greater diameter (I use 8" wheels)

Don mentioned that he has been pretty happy with his polisher from Sears.
I'm leaning towards the Sears 6" because I can probably adapt grinding wheels and covers off my 6" burned out grinder to work on this.
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
Several have recommended 8".
Sears also has 8" polishers that have a faster surface speed, but does that increased speed help a lot to polish a part?
I want to buy the right polisher and one of my biggest pet peaves is buying something and then replacing it because it does not meet the requirements.
Thanks for all your help.
Mutt

Not as much surface speed but actual surface area will help. That 6" probably has a puny 1/4Hp motor, the 8" will have up to a 1 Hp therefore will move a lot more wheel. Heck, mine is a retired compressor motor - and it's not only big, it's a real 1Hp, not that "developed" horsepower that manufacturers are using to hide power deficiencies. It will turn something bigger then 8", but my buffs are 'safely' only 8"

Circumference is ~18.8" for the 6" and for the 8", it's 25+. This means that faster surface speed of the 8" will move 33% more surface past the spot being polished and 33% more rouge quicker to do that shining at least 33% faster. (Pi x dia will give you circumference)