Barrel spinner/ polishing aid

Piping in from long time lurking...

If you are using a barrel spinner, do yourself a favor and try a Murray Sanding drum! Grit Changes in seconds and grits from 30 to several thousands. (Jewelry supply houses sell the super fine grits) You can get a barrel from Mill finish to mirror faster than anything else I ever tried. Another big plus is that it is comfortable to hold at an angle that will keep the barrel RPM manageable. I use the 8"x3" wheel on a 3/4hp Baldor Buffer.


Edited to add-
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/abrasives/expanding-sanding-drums/sanding-drums-prod24604.aspx
 
JRM850 said:
Piping in from long time lurking...

If you are using a barrel spinner, do yourself a favor and try a Murray Sanding drum! Grit Changes in seconds and grits from 30 to several thousands. (Jewelry supply houses sell the super fine grits) You can get a barrel from Mill finish to mirror faster than anything else I ever tried. Another big plus is that it is comfortable to hold at an angle that will keep the barrel RPM manageable. I use the 8"x3" wheel on a 3/4hp Baldor Buffer.


Edited to add-
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/abrasives/expanding-sanding-drums/sanding-drums-prod24604.aspx
Click to expand...


FINALLY!!! Someone who has one of these...... will this "8 inch wheel" accept standard sized 24"X3" sanding belts?

Thanks,

al
 
jrm850
I like this concept very and I may just give this a try. What grit belts do you use? I don't want a mirror finish, just slightly better than a factory finish Bartlein.
I tried my newly built spinner on the back side of my 6''x48" belt/disk sander dad bought a few weeks back. The spinner worked just fine but the finish I got with a 400 grit belt, was an almost bead blasted finish. Im not real sure why, but it doesn't look as if this sander we have will work very well. There was plenty of room on the back side of the belt to push the barrel against without interference from the frame work, the finish just wasn't what I was hoping for. 400 grit on the lathe looked really nice to me. I just don't want to use my lathe for sanding any longer. Lee
 
skeetlee said:
jrm850
I like this concept very and I may just give this a try. What grit belts do you use? I don't want a mirror finish, just slightly better than a factory finish Bartlein.
I tried my newly built spinner on the back side of my 6''x48" belt/disk sander dad bought a few weeks back. The spinner worked just fine but the finish I got with a 400 grit belt, was an almost bead blasted finish. Im not real sure why, but it doesn't look as if this sander we have will work very well. There was plenty of room on the back side of the belt to push the barrel against without interference from the frame work, the finish just wasn't what I was hoping for. 400 grit on the lathe looked really nice to me. I just don't want to use my lathe for sanding any longer. Lee
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I'll try to post a picture or two when I get to the office tomorrow. It looks a bit different than lathe polishing just because of the angle of the cut. It doesn't look worse to me, just different. I think I just tossed the last 400 belt but I know I have 320 and 600 I can show you.
 
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I've been having fabulous results with my Kalamazoo 1x42 belt sander. Belts take all of 10 seconds to change and no problems with belts rolling off. Fast, easy and doesn't spin the barrel at warp speeds in an instant. Belts are cheap AMD very easy to get. Funny thing is, I find myself using this belt sander for numerous other things. Extremely handy...don't know if I could be without it!

Those wheels look interesting...never saw one before. Are they really soft and contour small radiuses? How easy are the belts to get?
 
I apologize I didn't read every post in its entirety but I didn't see this mentioned. I spin my barrel in the lathe and use an air automotive Dual Action Sander. You can get wet or dry sanding disc up to 2000 grit.

I start with 320 unless the barrel is really rough. If I am glass beading then that's good enough but if I want to polish I go 320, 600, 800, 1000 and then just go lightly on a loose cloth wheel by hand for a couple of minutes.

The DA sander is great went through a few cheap harbor freight types and then bought a DynaBrade and never looked back.

Gary
 
The image titled 79c is a brand new 320 belt, and 80c is a brand new 600. A 6" long section took a couple of seconds with the 320 and maybe 15 seconds with the 600. Another plus is that it doesn't wash out lettering like a buffing wheel.
 

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skeetlee said:
I am looking at buying one of these units as well. I would mount my spinner and use it as a lathe so to speak. What are your thoughts? Lee

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161253567640?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
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Lee,...I bought the Hardin brand off Ebay..it is the exact same design and belt size...I found the 400-600 grit belts too coarse for polish finish...I am going to order the 2000 grit belt next...I have the felt belt but have not used it yet..


Eddie in Texas
 
I'm def gonna try finer grits. They don't work the same on the spin jig as they do on the lathe. I can get a chrome look with 320 wet on the lathe. 320 on the belt with the spin jig is a sanded finish. It takes some wear on the 320 belt to get a nice lookin sanded finish.
 
jay man,
agreed!!!!! 800 grit is a starting spot with the spinner now, I never even kept 600 grit on hand before. lee
 
I am going to try some diamond lapping compound on my felt belt on the Hardin pipe polisher, just don't know which grit (micron) to use for a mirror finish...hate to mess up a $25 belt with the wrong grit..


Eddie in Texas
 
I'd work my way up to 800 and try the finest compound they make. For a mirror finish...I start at 600 to 800 and then 1200. Finish with tripoli compound on a stiff buffing wheel, then to green compound, red rouge then finally white on a soft wheel.
 
Clemson said:
I made one several years ago that I am still using in my shop. I have never had a barrel "jump out" or otherwise give me any excitement. It works just as well as the Clymer fixture that we have at school. Main tube is 1" steel tubing. Bearings came from Dixie Bearing (Bearing Distributors now?), and I lathe turned the centers out of Delrin.

Bill Jacobs

TurkProject007b.jpg

TurkProject006b.jpg

TurkProject005b.jpg

TurkProject002b.jpg
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I would sure like to know zactly what size and type of bearings you used for that spinner, Clemson! I've been searching for bearings to make a spinner and the bearing vendor websites are a bit overwhelming! Nice weld bead by the way!
 
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