Optimal speed for Silver Buffing

[jgmotamedi]

What, in your experience or opinion, is the best speed for silver buffing?

After many years of using a 6” bench grinder with tapered spindles as buffing machine, I am looking to upgrade to a larger machine. Using my adapted bench grinder with plates larger than 4×5 is cumbersome, so I am looking to purchase an 8” buffing machine with long shafts.

Looking at the various options (for example, Caswell, Grizzly, and Baldor), I see that I can choose between three different revolutions per minute; 1100, 1750/1800, and 3450/3600 rpm. My current machine is 3450rpm, which suits me fine, but I know that once I move to an 8” wheel I will be significantly upping the speed at which the cotton hits the silver.

Would the speed of an 8” wheel at 3600rpm be too fast and burn through the silver (I often reuse my plates multiple times, and usually start hitting brass on the fourth round)?

Would the speed of an 8” wheel at 1100 or 1800rpm be too slow and not adequately buff the silver?

Finally, does anyone have experience with the Caswell or Grizzly machines? Neither are the same quality as the Baldor machine, but they are also half the price…

[drdag]

As a silversmith, we always used a 2750 rpm motor with at least 1/2 HP. This was usually with a 6 inch swansdown mop. However I now use a well worn 4 inch mop as it is less aggressive. You need to get it warm enough for the rouge to melt and move the sliver molecules about on the surface but not press so hard that you are removing them. I often get between 100-150 goes from one plate at 20 microns of silver plate before I go though. If you press too hard to get rid of a nasty scratch you can go straight though to the base metal easily.

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