Topic: RE: Update Extreme Aluminum Polishing w/Mega 10 HP Buffer!!

[chewbacca5000]

Anyone ever see a machine like this before

It is a 10 HP Buffer and makes all your parts looks like chrome.  If anyone has one of these laying around I'd like to see it. Better yet just send it to me Christmas is right around the corner.

[ekpent]

There is a guy in a small town close to me who does commercial polishing, some for medical companies etc.. He will do biker stuff in his spare time. Has a shop full of huge buffing machines that makes my little wheel in my shop look pathetic.

[iron_worker]

You'd get to be an expert about what sort of edges you can buff over and which you can't. I imagine you'd ruin a few parts while you're learning ... If that thing hooks an edge and decides she's taking the part for a spin ... watch out!

IW

[chewbacca5000]

You'd get to be an expert about what sort of edges you can buff over and which you can't. I imagine you'd ruin a few parts while you're learning ... If that thing hooks an edge and decides she's taking the part for a spin ... watch out!

IW

Your right IW!  I would be more worried about my hands.  If it catches on an edge it could do some serious damage to your hands and wrist.

I wondered if he was able to get into the depressions with this setup?  Wonder if he uses hand powdered tools for the detailed sections.

[chewbacca5000]

There is a guy in a small town close to me who does commercial polishing, some for medical companies etc.. He will do biker stuff in his spare time. Has a shop full of huge buffing machines that makes my little wheel in my shop look pathetic.

I would like to see that.  Not sure he will let you take a pic as some of the stuff is probablly proprietary.  I asked the zinc guy to let me snap a pic and he said no for this reason.

[ekpent]

If and when I get back there he would be down with that. There is a paint guy next door that I should talk to abut my K0 also, bought some Honda 750 stuff from him once and Sean B bought a whole bike there nce also so motorcycle friendly, except maybe the price 

[thirsty 1]

I gotta wonder how much stuff he's shot across the room!  LOL!!!!

[chewbacca5000]

I gotta wonder how much stuff he's shot across the room!  LOL!!!!

+2  I would like to see the video out takes of valve covers and other parts embedded into a door wall. ha ha ha

[754]

We got a bigger one here, made a new shaft for it.bout 4-4.5 ft long. 
Uses it to polish snowmobiles bile tunnels he makes with deep tunnels
 He has a machine called X Rated..I think,  has a magnussen blown Kawi dragbikenengine in it.. Think it is on the net somewhere.

[seanbarney41]

If and when I get back there he would be down with that. There is a paint guy next door that I should talk to abut my K0 also, bought some Honda 750 stuff from him once and Sean B bought a whole bike there nce also so motorcycle friendly, except maybe the price 

I did?  Who you talkin' 'bout?

[754]

The sled is called Rated R..........search rated R snowmobile....
 750 hp on a sled..

[seanbarney41]

If and when I get back there he would be down with that. There is a paint guy next door that I should talk to abut my K0 also, bought some Honda 750 stuff from him once and Sean B bought a whole bike there nce also so motorcycle friendly, except maybe the price 

I did?  Who you talkin' 'bout?

oh yeah, now I remember...in Otsego

[ekpent]

If and when I get back there he would be down with that. There is a paint guy next door that I should talk to abut my K0 also, bought some Honda 750 stuff from him once and Sean B bought a whole bike there nce also so motorcycle friendly, except maybe the price 

I did?  Who you talkin' 'bout?

oh yeah, now I remember...in Otsego

Yeah it was the University if Michigan painted 750 with the purdy glow spark plugs caps     That guy had that pretty cool CR750 type of bike he built and is a good painter.  Check out his neighbor if you need some big stuff buffed, he did 2 - 350's for a friend of mine.

[70CB750]

Anyone ever see a machine like this before

It is a 10 HP Buffer and makes all your parts looks like chrome.  If anyone has one of these laying around I'd like to see it. Better yet just send it to me Christmas is right around the corner.

Bling, bling 

Thanks for posting; and here I thought I am badass with 1HP buffer motor.

[chewbacca5000]

Anyone ever see a machine like this before

It is a 10 HP Buffer and makes all your parts looks like chrome.  If anyone has one of these laying around I'd like to see it. Better yet just send it to me Christmas is right around the corner.

Bling, bling 

Thanks for posting; and here I thought I am badass with 1HP buffer motor.

Yeah same here.  Never know that this is how pro polishers do it.  After my powdercoating is done I am going to "borrow" a 5 HP single phase from my compressor get 2 1" to 1 1/2" and make my own mega buffer.

If you watch the video carefully he has 2 wheels side by side a cutting wheel and a buffing wheel.

[Restoration Fan]

Hmmmm.....I have my own bench grinder set up for buffing and polishing but it's only a 3/4 HP.  Since this guy is in Atlanta, I'm going to call him on Monday and see about pricing.  I'm wondering if I bring some of my side covers to him, just how much better can his polisher make them look than my own?  If the price is reasonable, I may take a piece or two over there and see how much of a difference it makes.

Thanks for posting the link.

[chewbacca5000]

Hmmmm.....I have my own bench grinder set up for buffing and polishing but it's only a 3/4 HP.  Since this guy is in Atlanta, I'm going to call him on Monday and see about pricing.  I'm wondering if I bring some of my side covers to him, just how much better can his polisher make them look than my own?  If the price is reasonable, I may take a piece or two over there and see how much of a difference it makes.

Thanks for posting the link.

You can get comparable results with your setup it just takes a full day to do a part.  With the extra HP it just powers through the stuff instantly.  Please post your findings.

[Builder]

Back in the early 80's I had a job using these big buffers polishing chrome on motorcycle parts. I've witnessed a few people getting hit with parts that get ripped out of the hands of employees. Chest, stomach, legs, arms face shots and nut shots. I was fortunate to get another job. My hands were getting stiff from holding on tight.

[chewbacca5000]

Wow! Nut shots!  Crazy stuff.

[mono]

you can get the same results with a regular polishing motor.   The only advantage to this beast is that it probably gets the metal hot more quickly.   Aluminum won't cut until it's heated up a bit.

[chewbacca5000]

Anyone have an update on this thread?

[754]

I am thinking most of the bigger polishing shops have machines that size.  If I remember. I will take a pic of the old brass nut off the one we built into he shaft for..

[flybox1]

...Ov(en)-Gloves not included 

[754]

Here is a nut of the bigass buffer.. 1 1/4 inch thread

[Stev-o]

Thats awesome.  Love polished alum....

[chewbacca5000]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but need a short term fix until I get my mega buffer built.  In another thread someone suggested using an angle grinder with black compound.  Problem is I don't know where they bough the buffing wheels / pads.

Thanks.

[70CB750]

I buy buffing wheels at Lowe's but Sears has them too.

[chewbacca5000]

We'll in case you guys haven't figured it out I have been a little busy lately.  After spending a week hand sanding and polishing the covers on my Planet Blue 75 cb750 I decided I had enough of that and needed to get my own mega-buffer working.

The total cost was around $200 including the steel and all hardware.  It is basically an arbor powered by an old 5hp baldor.  Even if I had to buy a new motor total cost would be $550 or so just a fraction of the $2k + to buy a comparable setup.

It works well and was worth the effort.  I can really lean into the buffer and it does not blog down at all.

Short video

Anyone needs some polishing done over winter let me know.

[Powderman]

I think I do just as well with my 1hp rig as the 10hp rigs. The difference would be in the longevity of the equipment. 1 hp will polish any cover, 200 covers may wear out the 1hp if it runs all day, everyday like the pro shops do. My grinder is set up with different wheels on each end. If you notice the guy doesn't put a lot of pressure on the part to wheel so he isn't loading up the motor and trying to jerk the part out of his hands.
I was polishing the drain screw from a Harley fork leg last week. Took 2 days of searching for it when it was snatched from my finger tips. Got some much needed shop cleaning done because of it.

[chewbacca5000]

Comparing a 1hp buffer to a 10 is like comparing an Eastwood hotcoat with a Gema Optiflex 2.  Nice try.

[Powderman]

Comparing a 1hp buffer to a 10 is like comparing an Eastwood hotcoat with a Gema Optiflex 2.  Nice try.

And in many cases I can do as well with the EW gun as you can with a Gema. Exact same scenario.

[Stev-o]

I'll send ya some parts to polish!

[seanbarney41]

I'll send ya some parts to polish!

hey yeah!  Chewy, polishing with that 10hp must be so quick and easy, you can do everyones parts for FREE!

[chewbacca5000]

I'll send ya some parts to polish!

hey yeah!  Chewy, polishing with that 10hp must be so quick and easy, you can do everyones parts for FREE!

I got the fever and the only cure is more polishing!

[chewbacca5000]

I'll send ya some parts to polish!

Just buy this nothing to polish.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CB-/281775417918?forcerrptr=true&hash=item419b1faa3e&item=281775417918

[Stev-o]

I'll send ya some parts to polish!

Just buy this nothing to polish.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CB-/281775417918?forcerrptr=true&hash=item419b1faa3e&item=281775417918

I'm the high bidder!   I'll polish the handle bar clamp bolts and the winkers when I get it!!

[chewbacca5000]

A pic of a valve cover I did up a few weeks ago on my buffer.

[Stev-o]

how long that take you?

[chewbacca5000]

how long that take you?

I did up about 6 valve covers and a bunch of other covers in a day.  It really makes it go faster.