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Drill Press Buffer
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Author:  Mike OMelia [ Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Drill Press Buffer
Some of you asked me to keep you informed on this little project. Some of you probably have already done this. I went to Lowes and bought two 5/8" Zinc plated bolts, #11 thread. Cut the heads off. Each shank is about 10" long. I bought some 5/8" #11 jam nuts from McMaster, Lowes did not have that size (lower profile). I also got some large 5/8" washers from Lowes. I ordered the 14" Canton Cotton flannel wheels (two per shaft) from Caswell. Total cost is about $20 per shaft & buffs assembly. They work great. I can even slow them down to 400 RPM. OH, I also bought a couple of their shanked mushroom buffs for swirl removal... those are very nice!

Mike
Author:  Rod True [ Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
That looks pretty good Mike. Just make sure you get lots of padding between the rest of the drill press and your guitar.

Now that EM6000 should be cured enough by now. Can't wait to see your progress.

Oh, before you go live. Make sure and practice buffing something first. Even a piece of plastic is a good idea. Better to possibly chuck that against the wall versus your guitar. Also practice the moves you need to make with the guitar before you turn on the drill press. Maybe even put in a piece of cardboard instead of the buffs to practice.

Remember, they say you always want to keep the instrument moving so you don't burn through the lacquer.

Good luck, looking forward to the pictures.

[:Y:]
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Funny! I was thinking the same thing. Some pillows nailed to the wall. Excellent idea. Will certainly use the lowest RPM (400) possible till I feel more confident. I also cut the rods 2" shorter. 10" was too long. BTW, I could get three wheels on there if I wanted to. And I might. The jam nuts save a lot of thread real estate.

With the harp guitar, I will NOT buff with the neck on. No way.

Mike
Author:  Andy Birko [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Is your chuck bolted on? I've seen chucks fall off their tapers (especially with the cheapie stock tapers) with not too much side load.

While you're practicing, make sure you put as much elbow into it as you're planning on with the real deal to make sure the chuck doesn't fall off. If it does, I doubt it will be very catastrophic, but with that long shaft the chuck could end up hitting the guitar and denting it.
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Andy, I have no idea. How could I find out except with your test? Is there something I can buy to improve the situation? I did shorten the shank to 8", and I may take 2 more inches off.
Author:  Andy Birko [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Hmmm. You might try finding the parts explosion in your user's manual that came with the DP.

Usually, the spindle on the press has a friction fit morse taper. To attach the chuck, you use either a morse to jacobs adapter or a morse to threaded adapter. Milling machines, which usually use an R8 taper but some of the cheaper ones also use morse, have a draw bar (long threaded rod) which you use to snug up the adapter and keep it from falling out due to side loads. If your spindle is hollow and there's enough room in there for a drawbar, you might be able to get a morse drawbar collet with the diameter of your shaft to hold your whole arrangement.

The other thought I had was that if you make the shaft longer with the buffing pad in the middle, perhaps you could make a lower bearing that attaches to the table to help take some of the side load and keep the fixture from dropping. That way, even if the taper did come loose, it wouldn't go anywhere.
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 10:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Andy Birko wrote:
The other thought I had was that if you make the shaft longer with the buffing pad in the middle, perhaps you could make a lower bearing that attaches to the table to help take some of the side load and keep the fixture from dropping. That way, even if the taper did come loose, it wouldn't go anywhere.


Yes, I have been thinking about that. The best I have been able to come up with is another shank locked to the drive shaft with two three nuts. I am going to try that, and order a bearing from mcmaster. Maybe a collar lock to keep the rod from rubbing the base of the bearing holding block (wood)

Mike
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Andy, I ordered a flange bearing with locknuts to hold the shaft, and a 1.75 inch coupler nut. This should provide the safety factor that you were discussing. I think given the low rpms, wobble should not be a big problem... certainly less of a problem then had the chuck come off its taper. I happened to remember seeing someone dissassemble one of these powermatic chucks and it is indeed on a taper. I will attach the bearing to a piece of wood and clamp to the deck after finding the center. The additional parts added $17 to the overall cost.

Mike
Author:  Rod True [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
The only problem now is that you have the deck in the way and another potential 'thing' to bonk the guitar body on when buffing.
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Really no closer than a typical arbor or motor. Don't you think? But it is there none the less. I will pad it when buffing. Thanks for pointing that out. Plus, I think andy's point is a good one. I had thought about it. I have had drill bits fall out before. Never the chuck. But...

One other thing, I may have screwed up on the coupling nut and bottom shaft. Should the bottom shaft have REVERSED threads? Need to know quickly... McMaster is a FAST shipper

Mike
Author:  Rod True [ Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
I would just use both right hand nuts and just use some loc-tite on it. Also, just crank it as hard as you can. A 5/8" nut can take a fair amount of torque.

I was just thinking of Andy's suggestion of adding a lower rod to help combat the side loading on the spindle as well as help keep the spindle from dropping out of the drill. By doing this you now have two things which will possibly interfere at the upper and lower portions of the buff. Just be careful and pad everything that you can think of and I think it will work out for you.

Looking back in retrospect, This might have been a better idea.
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Rod, there is a lot of room here. The pics do it no justice. I took a guitar out there and pretended to buff it. With the press away from the walls, there is nothing in the way. Padding is always a good idea. As for the stewmac thing, I bought "mushroom" buffs from caswell that are MUCH cheaper and prolly more effective. Check 'em out! They work the same way. But are more substantial.



Mike
Author:  Rod True [ Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Ah, cool! [:Y:]
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
What, the buffs?
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
I don't know about your situation, but when I order parts from McMaster one day, they are on my porch the next. However, sick child has prevented any further progress. Will let you know.
Author:  Frank Aarre [ Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
Mike O'Melia wrote:
One other thing, I may have screwed up on the coupling nut and bottom shaft. Should the bottom shaft have REVERSED threads? Need to know quickly... McMaster is a FAST shipper

Mike


i would just use another nut to lock it with
Author:  Mike OMelia [ Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Drill Press Buffer
I would show you a picture, but you should be able to see it in your mind. I bought a bearing that I could mount to a wood block and added the lower rod to stabilize the chuck. It worked fine.

Mike
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