Buffing Wipe On Poly

[Glen Blanchard]

What is the recommended wait time from application of final coat of WOP to buffing?

[John Keeton]

You are going to get recommendations across the board, Glen, so I will start with the absurd position. If the weather cooperates I buff after about 48 hours from the final coat. But, I proceed gently and at relatively low speeds with light pressure. Usually, I have wet sanded with 1200 to level the nibs.

[Ken Glass]

Glen,
I do pretty much the same as John K with only the wait time being 72 hours or more most of the time depending on humidity and temperature.

[Russell Neyman]

Adding to the thoughts already offered: as long as possible. The thing John alluded to is avoid heat caused by friction. Slow speed, low pressure, not too long in any one area. I also suggest you skip the coarse (Tripoli) grit polish and start with the fine (white) to see if that gives you the results you're looking for. It's less risky.

Keep in mind that the wipe-on version of poly goes on much thinner than regular, so you will need several applications to achieve a build that can be sanded and polished.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I agree - heat is your enemy when it comes to buffing! The longer you wait before buffing, the better because it allows the finish to cure and harden. When the finish is not fully cured, the least little bit of heat will cause major issues. Nothing worse than buffing out the finished turning and then realize that you just went through the finish!

If you can afford to wait - great. If not, try to wait until you can't smell the finish any more. Then use slow speed, light pressure and keep that turning moving!!

[Glen Blanchard]

Thank you, gentlemen. Y'all have confirmed what I thought to be true.

[Russell Neyman]

Y'all have confirmed what I thought to be true.

Well, gotta say that these comments are mostly "true" in the sense that finishes and polishing them sometimes gets touchy. You THINK everything will turn out, but for some reason theres that odd project that refuses to behave. Last week I had something pop up during the buffing stage. Not sure why.

[John Keeton]

I think a lot of this depends on technique, and yes, unexplainable things do happen. I never had anyone show me how to buff, or turn, for that matter, so I had the benefit of burning thru the finish a few times. Nothing like the school of hard knocks to get a quick education that will stick with you!!

A few things that I do, and again, they may not be right - I view buffing as an extension of sanding, so I always start with Tripoli and get the surface to my satisfaction before going to white diamond. And, I charge my wheels at a much higher speed - 1500 or more, for a brief period of time. The heat seems to disperse the compound more evenly in the fibers and I don't get hard places on my wheel.

I also take my time. I just finished buffing a lidded bowl. Counting the wet sanding which doesn't take but a few minutes, I spent a little over an hour on it. I buff a section and check it. As Steve said, never hold the piece in one spot - keep it moving.

I agree that heat is the enemy, particularly when one buffs as soon as I do. But, I also recall my decades of flat work and gunstock making. If the finish can be worked at just the right stage, one can use moderate heat to an advantage. As I move the piece, I monitor, by feel, the heat. Letting it get warm seems to be a benefit, but one does walk a fine line and it isn't for the faint of heart or inexperienced.

By the way, I am not recommending a degree from the same school of hard knocks. It would be good to observe someone go thru the buffing process.

[robert baccus]

There is a misconception thatbuffing can only be done with wax sticks. This was originally for polishing metal. Take a hint from the guys polishing high dollar show cars and use liquid buffing compounds. They expect high rpm,s and do not get hot. Spritz with water to keep wet while turning on the lathe. Also combinations of different grits and carnuba waxes are very popular.

[Mark Greenbaum]

Most, if not all, commercially made guitars are buffed after the finish is cured. The use a large buffing wheel, and various fine polishing compound. Keep the piece moving to avoid the heat build-up, and do not cross-contaminate the wheel. I have polished thousands of pieces of jewelry in my former career as a jeweler, and contamination of the wheel is a cardinal sin (same as with my lapidary and faceting experience). You cannot remove larger grits from a fine wheel - think sand in your pudding!! Also a lot of luthiers use Maguires mirror glaze and swirl remover as a final shine.

[Russell Neyman]

Besides the conventional Beall Polishing System, I also use car finishing products on my lacquer. I wet sand, then use Mguire's Medium Liquid compound with a separate set of wheels to avoid cross contamination.

I have to say that I find the literature available from Beall regarding the use of their product lacking. Like John, I had to learn the hard way, trying different techniques. But this underscores the wisdom of test pieces, keeping a scrap of the original bowl blank and applying finish to that so that you can see what the abrasives do before touching your finished piece.