Quote:
Originally Posted by guitar george
What type of buffer should be used? Can it be attached to an electric drill? What material is the buffing wheel made of? What stiffness should it be, etc.?
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As Steve wrote:
"Just think of buffing as very find sanding..." Any method that performs that fine sanding. The most common are progressively finer abrasive sheets ("sandpaper") and/or progressively finer abrasive compounds.
Abrasive sheets go from the incredibly coarse 20 grit to incredibly fine 12000 (or higher) grits. Some have waterproof backings, for use with lubricants. For finish repair, one often starts with 1500 or so and works progressively finer, each finer abrasive removing the scratches left by the previous abrasive.
Abrasive "rubbing" compounds can be purchased as an abrasive suspended in liquid or as solid blocks. Compounds are available from quite coarse to very fine. Most guitar "polishes" are a very fine abrasive in a liquid "vehicle". The liquid compounds are typically "rubbed" by hand with a cloth, with a foam polishing pad in a hand-held drill or drill press or an automotive-style polisher with a bonnet. The solid blocks are typically applied to the wheels of a stand-style polisher and the guitar "presented" to the buffing wheels.
The above are used in various combinations that vary from one person to the next. For example, it is common to use buffing wheels with a solid compound and finish-off with finer liquid compounds that are worked by hand or with a polishing machine. One chooses the combination that works best for them and their situation/environment.