Official Luthiers Forum!

Any thoughts on this?
I can find the JET for around $400 with the stand included or buy without stand as shown in the link for $240 at Woodcraft.
The Stew Mac Buffing Arbor is $465 with no stand included. But it also comes with compound, buffing wheels, etc. or could get the Stew Mac for basically $368 without all of the accessories.

Stew Mac says it's 36" long.
The Jet says it's 37" long.

Stew Mac Motor is 1/2 HP, 1725 RPM
JET Motor is 1 HP, 1725 RPM

JET
http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=824283&FamilyID=63468

Stew Mac
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Abrasives,_polishes,_buffers/Buffing_Arbor_System.html

Here's the JET Manual I forgot to add originally.
http://www.etoolclub.com/partfiles/M-577110.pdf

Just wanted to get everyone's input and or any other suggestions.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

One major difference is that Jet is a direct drive shaft (the wheel shaft is the motors shaft), the Stewmac is a belt and sheave drive system. The Jet is one speed and that speed is too fast from my point of view. the Stewmac has 3 input sheaves, each a different diameter. This allows for variable speed. Also a sheave driven system allows you to set the tension on the belt so that the belt slips if you apply too much resistance. This can save a finish in a heart beat. Also the Jet has a long end and a shorter end, one for a buffer wheel and the other for sanding drum type attachments but is to close to the arbor for a buffing guitars. That means you will have to change the one wheel for different compound grit you use. Most of us use at least two different grit compounds and having a long shaft length on each end allows you to have a designated wheel for med compound and one for fine.

Blain, A little more information on what you plan top do with the rig would be helpful. Are you buffing nitro, urethane or?

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jw ( o)===:::

Thanks everyone.

Sounds like the Stew Mac Buffing set up is probably worth going with. Afterall, these guys put this together specifically for buffing guitars.

Joe, Right now my only plan is to do Waterbase. I may one of these days want to try Nitro, but from a safety standpoint, it's not something I want to try right now. So I guess I really only NEED something that is good for buffing waterbase, however, It would be nice to have something that could handle it all eventually.

_________________
Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/34hpbuffkit.html
This is a nice little unit and, yes, it is imported.
The part number for their 1100 RPM unit, which is great with 10"-14" diameter wheels buffing nitro, is BUFF245 with a sale price of $189.20.
I've had one for a couple years but haven't really used it much as I have another shopbuilt unit.
Nelson

I have the Caswell one. It works fine for waterbase in my experience, but anything harder like UV Poly is a tedious nightmare. It's good that it's small, you can clamp it to your workbench corner and stash it in a corner when you're done. While we're on the topic, does anyone know where to get a truly Cadillac machine?
Thanks

I have the Grizzly one speed unit. It is big and a little scary. I use 12" buffing wheels with fine and extra fine compound. I guess I should have gone the extra mile and gotten the digital speed control. It is direct drive. What's the best way to slow it down?

Danny R. Little

If I am not thinking bass akward here you control speed on this type motor via a voltage. since these are brushless I do not think a rheostat is a good way to do this. But I could be wrong.

http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/G3708
This looks a fairly nice unit.
The RPM could be controlled with a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive).
Otherwise, I don't know of any way to speed control an AC induction (brushless) motor.
They have to run at the design voltage. The VFD controls the frequency of the AC current to control the RPM.
The motor runs at the designed RPM at 60HZ. Doubling the HZ or halving it, or example, doubles or halves the RPM
Nelson

that a boy Nelson i thought I was sideways on this. thatnks for the tail cover

I should clarify that the motor must be three phase, as is the Grizzly in the above URL, for the VFD to work.
The VFD can convert 220VAC single phase household current to 3 phase output to the motor for speed control, reversing, soft start, dynamic braking etc.
Some of the VFD's can even convert 120VAC to 3 phase up to about 1.0 HP.
A google on VFD or "variable frequency drive" will bring up some sources including Automation Direct.

Nelson