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I just recently bought some 4", 3", and 2 1/2" pads to try on my corded drill and bench grinder. I am still trying to figure out what works best as the drill is a tad too slow but the bench grinder is a tad fast. So far I have been experimenting with the grinder with light touches. We...

I will talk it over with my house mate and see if we can't get that setup. I also brought back a corded drill from home that my father gave me. Its speed is 0-1250rpm so maybe it would be easier to just do a setup with it? Or would you suggest the bench grinder route?

Would it be possible since the motor for the bench grinder is 1/3 hp to take it apart and just use that?

Are there instructions on how to do the pulleys?

I found this older bench grinder at my parents house today and they said I could have it I'd I want. Would it be possible to make a buffer setup with this? It is 1/3hp 3500rpm. Would it be possible to put a variable speed control device on it or some other way to rig it to slow it down? http://i2.ph...

$350 should get you a used Jet or Delta lathe, if prices in your area are similar to mine. You might be watching CL for a few weeks to find a good deal though. Do a search here for the lathe you're thinking about to see all the answers about Harbor Freight Lathes. Thanks for the quick comment. I al...

Are there any good options for around $250-$350? I know you get what you pay for but I cannot afford to invest $1,000 or whatever that alot of the higher end lathes cost. I would say my absolute cap is $350. What about this one from Harbor Freight? http://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-x-33-3-8-eight...

With Christmas right around the corner I am thinking I might ask for my loved ones to all chip in for a lathe .

What brands/models would you fellas recommend? I would also be using it to make other wood crafts so please keep that in mind.

Thanks for all the responses guys! I have a email into a guy about a wood lathe he is selling for pretty cheap on craigslist and hopefully that works out but in the mean time I would like to continue exploring ideas. I have seen quite a few bench grinders on sale for cheap but they are around 3450-3...

Since delving deeper into pipe restoration I have decided that I want to rig up a basic buffing setup. My house mate works construction so I think between the two of us we can rig something up but we have no idea where to start. So I was wondering if you guys could post up pictures and an explanatio...

What about using this hand drill? I see that PIMO has arbors for hand drills for very cheap and then I would only need to supply the buffing pad for them. Do you know what size the chuck is though for those? http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/drills/3-8-eighth-inch-variable-speed-reversible-dr...

The potential market is so incredibly small that I can't imagine it would be worth the marketing expense. Lathes are just about ideal for this, since they're variable speed and it only costs a couple dollars for the parts to mount a buffing wheel. If you have a lathe, I'd suggest using it. If you d...

I see, well I am going to have my engineering friends help me out. Hopefully we can figure it out. That makes me think though, is there no market for an official pipe buffer? Or do people just use their lathes or hand drills? Seems to me a company that already makes bench grinders and such could ben...

So this grinder is useless? Does anyone have a link to a pipe buffer? Or do people only modify bench grinders to make them?

Hmmmm those seem to run the same price as the unit. Would it be better to just return it and buy an adjustable one? I have not ever modified power tools before.

Holy Jesus this is getting technical. I have a 3450 RPM 1/2 hp 6" bench grinder. Is there anyway to use this set up or to adjust it slightly to be able to use as a buffer?

I bought a bench grinder today because it was on sale for $19.99 unfortunately it is 3450RPM. Is this way too high to do any kind of buffing? Or am I able to do stems with this and a buff of the pipe to take care of nicks and then finish by hand or my makeshift cordless drill buff? I can always retu...

If you must clean it start by sanding the chamber clean, DO NOT USE A REAMER . Instead of S/A use a piece of cotton wool moistened with alcohol, meerschaum is boiled in wax during manufacture and if you remove the wax you'll need to replace it. Clean the airway with pipecleaners dipped in alcohol, ...

The thing with meers is that once they get chipped, you need to change the shape to get rid of the chip. Other than that, meers will color over time, and get darker and develop a patina. I wouldn't worry about the brown color too much. The stem looks like it has a nice flush fit. Is it loose or any...

Once you get the stem out (you've had it out before, I assume - there's no chance that this pipe screws together?) see if there's any junk in the mortise. If a pipe is real tight I'll take a little rolled up 220 grit sandpaper and just spin it inside the mortise to kind of remove any debris or mayb...