[Osprey Guy]

There's a knifemaker who lives about 3 hrs North of here, who makes a heck of a nice knife. His name is Larry Mensch...and he can get a mirror polsih on his blades that are as good as I've seen. Over the years, I've visited Larry on a number of occasions and he's given me a couple of pointers along the way.

One piece of advice from Larry has always stuck with me.... "You don't use the buffer to remove scratches! You only use it to buff up metal that already has the (visible) scratches sanded out..." And that's the best answer I can give you when it comes to getting a good finish with your buffer.

Do as Steve suggests and change direction with each grit. And make sure you're using a good bright light while sanding so that you can all the more easily spot any scratches you might have missed. I always wear an Optivisor while sanding...so that I can see the scratches. If sanded correcly your metal bolsters, blades, whatever, should buff to a brilliant mirror finish.

Regarding the Beall Buffing System... I use mine with a "converted" benchtop buffer. A number of years ago, when I went looking for an inexpensive, but decent, benchtop grinder (one that could be converted to a buffer), I was lucky enough to find one on clearance at a local woodworkers supply. What was really lucky, and the main reason why I "pulled the trigger" on that particular grinder/buffer, was that it was one of the "slower" speed versions...at just !725 rpms instead of the usual 3450 rpms. If you do a search here you'll find a lot of info on buffers and buffing...and most knifemakers use the slower speed. The main reason is safety...but it's also less aggressive.

The "Quick Change" adapter that comes with the Beall system slips right over the existing arbor, and the buffing wheels can be changed in a few seconds simply by giving them a quick spin off and on.

BTW- Just in case you didn't know this...Don't ever use the same buff on wood that was previously used on metal...and visa versa. You need to always make sure to keep your buffs separate, so that they're not contaminated. I keep each of mine in a large, clear, ziplock-type baggie. And when I'm finished...back in they go.


Dennis