Buffing technique

[Jeff Myers]

Hi Everyone,
I keep seeing posts from a lot of you that use the Beall buffing system.
If I've finished a piece with Hut Friction Polish, can I then take it to the
buffing system and use all three wheels: Tripoli, White Diamond and Carnuba wax? Won't the Tripoli remove the Friction Polish I've already applied or will the process enhance the Friction polish?
I've been sanding, then using a sanding sealer and going back and
sanding further through micromesh and then i use the Hut Polish and
that's been it,,,i've got the Beall system for the lathe, should i now take
those pieces through that process?
Thanks in advance to all.

[Jim Stoppleworth]

I would just use the wax wheel on the Beall system on top of the Hut friction polish. IMO you would remove the Hut Finish with the tripoli and white diamond.

Just my <.02

Jim

[Charles E. Martin V]

I would just stick with one system or the other for each piece. Even the wax buff will more than likely take off most of the hut friction polish, and then you've got wax and friction polish mixed on your buffing wheel.

[Tom Hintz]

The Beall Buff System doesn't work well with friction waxes and as mentioned, you should only use the "wax" wheel with that kind of surface.
The first two wheels actually polish the wood itself. The final wax wheel just puts a very thin protective coat of Carnaba wax on the polished surface. The wax does give the surface a little bit more "pop" but the primary shine is in the wood itself from the first two wheels.

If you want to color /stain wood a bit before using the Beall system, a coat or two of tung or danish oil (dried very well) makes a good base for buffing. On pens, I put on a coat or two of thin CA, sand it smooth and then buff.

Update:
I have tried buffing out a bowl that was first finished with Mylands friction polish. Though the bowl looked OK with jsut the MyLands, trying to buff that material just wasn't a good idea. I think it is an either/or situation. Use the friction polish or the Beall Buff set but not together.

[Andy Hoyt]

I've had quite nice results buffing pieces that have been finished with tung oil, watco, gel poly, Arm-R-Seal, Minwax Wipe on Poly, and generic polyurethane.

I usually do so with all three compounds, but it really depends on the object, and how poorly I schlopped on the finish.

Never tried it on friction polish, and now that I think about it, not so sure I'd bother. Then again - that's mostly because I've outgrown my fondness for the stuff.

[John M. Cioffi]

Jeff,
The best way to use the friction polish is to "turn" it in with a clean soft cotton cloth. It doesn't dry very well, so working it in with the rag & buffing with a clean section really works. Friction polish works from building up heat to burn it in, so take a few more seconds & turn it dry. A second coat will give you a little extra build-up.When this is dry, you can cap it off with a touch of rennisance wax. DO the same thing with this & it will create a lasting shine & a very hard finish.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jeff............I've buffed friction polish and had IMHO very good results doing it.

[Keith Burns]

Ken, I agree with you. When I got my Beall system I went back and buffed my pieces that were friction polished and was ammazed at the improvement in the shine.