Beale 3 on lathe system

[Roger Wiegand]

Thinking about the Beale buff system with three buffs on one mandrel. In the pictures they look awfully close together; is there interference when you're buffing say a 15-16" salad bowl?

 

[Richard Coers]

Of course there will be interference. They made a single buff mounting option, as well as bowl buffs. I imagine you will need a bowl buff in a drill to buff the inside.

 

[Dave Landers]

I have that 3-buff mandrel - looked like a great idea. It's in a box somewhere. Didn't like it for 2 reasons: 1) not enough clearance between the buffs for things like bowls, and 2) it's stuck between centers, so larger things are at risk of bumping (or being thrown) into the lathe bed.

I think it'd be great (convenient) for pens and stuff of that size. Not so much for bowls.

I took the buffs off and turned some spacers so I could fit a 3/8 bolt with a couple fender washers. Had to do this since I had the buff wheels already that fit the 3-wheel mandrel, and those buffs have a larger hole. You can buy the wheels with the bolts already attached.
Then got an extender like this that threads on the lathe spindle.

I can use that - one buff at a time - over the bed, or for larger things slide my headstock to the end and have plenty of space where the lathe bed isn't in the way.

I only buff the exterior of my bowls, but the extender thing will work with the ball buffs too to get into the inside.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

I think I wasn't thinking very clearly about this. I see the advantage for small stuff, but it really won't work well for bowls.

 

[Bill Alston]

I’ve never seen the advantage of having three mops all mounted at the same time. They only have two on a commercial buffing machine. The mops only take a second or two to remove and replace on a Pigtail.



I don’t have the storage space for a shaft with three mops on it either. I use this on my lathe.

 

[Bill Alston]

I should add that I extended the Pigtail above. Pigtails are available to fit a few different (motor) shaft sizes ( I chose 5/8”) so just a matter of finding a short length of steel bar to mount it on. Also, if buying one, make sure it’s a right hand version.

 

[Jay Simmons]

I have that 3-buff mandrel - looked like a great idea. It's in a box somewhere. Didn't like it for 2 reasons: 1) not enough clearance between the buffs for things like bowls, and 2) it's stuck between centers, so larger things are at risk of bumping (or being thrown) into the lathe bed.

I think it'd be great (convenient) for pens and stuff of that size. Not so much for bowls.

I took the buffs off and turned some spacers so I could fit a 3/8 bolt with a couple fender washers. Had to do this since I had the buff wheels already that fit the 3-wheel mandrel, and those buffs have a larger hole. You can buy the wheels with the bolts already attached.
Then got an extender like this that threads on the lathe spindle.

I can use that - one buff at a time - over the bed, or for larger things slide my headstock to the end and have plenty of space where the lathe bed isn't in the way.

I only buff the exterior of my bowls, but the extender thing will work with the ball buffs too to get into the inside.

Exactly my solution to the problem with the Beale system

 

[Jay Simmons]

I think I wasn't thinking very clearly about this. I see the advantage for small stuff, but it really won't work well for bowls.

So many woodworkers and turners take about the “time” savings of all-in-one devices. Maybe in a production shop buffing hundreds of items per shift but the 2 minutes that it takes me to change the wheel or the bowl buff in my shop are used to make sure I have thought out the next step and I have the correct auxiliaries for that next step

 

[Richard Coers]

I like the thick soft mops that Beall used, not the hard sewn ones used for buffing metal. Those tapered arbors won’t work with soft mops.

 

[Gord Cameron]

Roger, I have all of the Beall buffs (including the three-on-a-shaft). For big bowls I would say that the 8" single buffs, mounted on the lathe mandrel, are the way to go. Also, Beall makes a 3" extension for their single-buff mandrel, which I find helpful on big bowls.

My Beall three-on-a-shaft set lives on a mini lathe and is very handy for small items, but as others have said, I find these buffs to be too close together for big bowls.

The various smaller buffs, which can be mounted on the lathe mandrel or in a drill, are quite useful in various applications: I find that I use the 4" disc buffs (small versions of the 8" buffs) more than the rounded bowl buffs, but all of the smaller buffs get brought into service from time to time.

Lee Valley, which now owns Beall, sells all of the buffs and mandrels.

 

[Doug Freeman]

I prefer to mount a bowl or other piece on the lathe and mount different buffs in a drill. I’ve tried buffing holding the piece against the buff, and much prefer holding the buff against the work with the work held firmly. Its easier to control and I get more even buffing across the surface.

 

[Bill Alston]

I like the thick soft mops that Beall used, not the hard sewn ones used for buffing metal. Those tapered arbors won’t work with soft mops.

*Yes they do, I’ve been using them for some years now.

I get my supplies from this company. They sell many types of mops for polishing anything from wood and plastics to metals. They all work perfectly on a Pigtail.

Spindles & Accessories | The Polishing Shop

Spindles & Accessories, Here you will find a a range of adapters to convert ordinary tools into polishing tools. We also stock backstands for linishing systems along with replacement wheels and bearings.

www.thepolishingshop.co.uk

*Edit: I’ve just looked at the Beal Buffs and I can see they aren’t reinforced like most buffing wheels so yes, they may not work very well on a traditional Pigtal.

We have traditional mops over here with leather reinforced centres like this. They twist on and off a pigtail easily.



Edit 2. An 8” x 1” mop like the one above is £7.50 The Beal mops seem to be quite expensive at around $22?