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Can someone please give me a basic rpm speed guideline for each polishing compound for the following:

Tripoli=RPM?
Whit Diamond=RPM?
Carnauba Wax=RPM?

I know there is no standard, I'm just looking for a rough idea, something that has worked for you?

Thanks,

Dave

hawky454 wrote:Can someone please give me a basic rpm speed guideline for each polishing compound for the following:

Tripoli=RPM? 1725
Whit Diamond=RPM? 800 or less
Carnauba Wax=RPM? 800 or less

I know there is no standard, I'm just looking for a rough idea, something that has worked for you?

Thanks,

Dave

The above speeds are what we have found to work well. Other pipe makers might disagree (Rod Davies), but those speeds seem to do well, especially with waxing.

RPM also depends on wheel size. A ten inch wheel has twice the circumference a 5" wheel does, so factor that in.

I do just about everything below 1000 rpm on wheels that range from 6 to 10". But the success of buffing etc is less dependent on the speed of the wheel (within reason) than it is with how well sanded the pipe is, in my experience.

okay good deal. I've been doing it backwards then. I always thought ya start off slow with the tripoli and faster with each compound there after. Thanks, I'll give that a spin (pun intended!) The only problem is, on my lathe I have the variable speed nob so I only know the exact rpm for the starting speed and the fastest speed, anything in between I'll have to guess.

Thanks my people! You all rock.

Dave J. Miller

P.S. My day was ruined in five seconds when the band saw decided to cut the briar where ever the hell it wanted to. It's like I threw away a very nice piece of plateaux with excellent straight grain! Somebody call the whambulance! (yeah, ok, I know that was stupid.).

Ditto Bruce's advice - using an 8" wheel.

I only use 6" wheels, So how do I factor that in rpm's? T'was never good with math.

Figure out the circumference, then multiply that by rotational speed to get the surface speed of the outer edge of the wheel.

An 8" wheel has a circumference of 25.1 (roughly) inches. So at 1800 RPM, the outer edge is moving at 45180 inches per minute. Or, more appropriately, 3765 "surface feet per minute" - SFPM.

But, I suspect that if you dump the math and just run your wheel at 1800 you'll soon find out whether that speed will work for you. If not, bump it up or down to the next speed and try that.