Introduction: Replaceable Aprons and Panliner for a 4 Leg Bench Buffer/grinder Stand

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If you've used Bench Buffers before you know that they spew a black cotton waste downward off the Buffing wheels. This is pretty messy and gets all over anything and cotton fills any trays or crevise close to the path.

I like to keep my tools in good shape and clean. and after having purchased a new 6" and 8" Bench Buffer and a in-expensive 4 legged Bench Buffer/Grinder Stand; I saw a problem area i needed to come up with a solution for.

The problem area is that the sides were open in the stand directly below the polishing wheels and the stand tray would surely be filled and legs covered with the extra buffing waste from the wheels. This could contaminate other wheels with buffing product and make a mess of any finished pieces or tools i may have put there.

My soulution was to add an Apron to the stand protecting the sides area and center pan area and panliner since my stand came with one.

I thought of taping the Apron on but that would leave a residue of glue on the stand and make more of a mess in the future.

So this Apron is attached with out tape and there are several things you can do to accomplish this which i will list or suggest on the Parts and Tools needed page as i 've thought of several options for apron material and ways to attach it.

This probably willl serve more as a Tip or Tips for these type stands used with a Bench Buffer and is very simple to put together. And makes for a quick change when dirty.

Okay - That's enough intro.
Lets take a look at what you'll need to do this project and some material choice options.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Of course you need your 4 legged Bench Buffer/Grinder stand.

Apron Materials:

Apron material to cover both sides widest at the bottom wrapped around the legs to the inside by at least a 1/2 inch.

Apron material can be pertty much anything for Buffers - Grinders you wmay want to go with Fire resistant materials due to sparks and hot embers.

The Material you see used for my Buffer apron is Fire Retardant - overkill but Free - as it was in the dumpster at work - clean enough for the apron.

Other materials i may use in the furture are Painters Masking Paper - It's green as i can recycle the paper once it is dirty.

Plastic or visqueen - you can use this or perhaps a garbage bag cut open. They are all easyly replaced once dirty as you will find out .

Apron Clips
What holds the Apron on.

On mine i used 6  - 27 inch plastic push on Car Door  edge trim molding. 27" were long enough for my stand - and total cost was less than $10. It gives a good sleak finished look - holds well and there is an added bonus I'll mention later if using this type Apron material clip.

There are other types of Car Door edging i looked at - some 6" in length that could be used if cut into 4 equal sections.

Alternatives to Car dorr edging jsut to name a couple
- Table Cloth Clips - Clothes pins if you really want to. 


Tools
Not a whole lot of tools needed .

Straight edge if you want for cutting the apron material though i didn't use one - i cut mine on the stand as i attached it.

A Razor knife for cutting the material and depending on which apron clip you go for. for cutting the Door Edging materail to length.

Scizzors to neatly trim up any excess apron material.

okay gota ll your materials and tools ?

lets put it togther... it's easy as pie.

Step 2: Putting It Togther

If you have a helper around  grab him her and they can hold the material while you put the clips on so call hem over to help now....


First step cut all your clips to length for upper and lower sections. - if yours has a pan like mine does.

Got them all cut to length - great!

Next put your 4 legged buffer stand catty corner front and side - facing you.


wrap your apron matieral starting at the bottom front leg wraping it around to the back of the back leg. You want full wrap around of both the front leg in the front and back leg in the back with an excess of at least a 1/2 inch of material.

keep your bottom line straight. with the floor. Have your helper hold the back at the top and bottom while you clip the bottom section of material on the bottom section of the leg.

Move tot he top of the top section of the front leg - clip your clip on making sure the material wraps aroung the leg. If you have a pan like mine you may have to make little slits to get it to wrap around above and below the pan and again at the very top where the buffer mounts.

You are going to have excess material - you'll see more excess as you go to the top of the stand - this is okay. We''ll trim that off later.


Cliped the front leg all on?

Good!

Move to the back leg - stretch the material pulling it taught  - again like the front wrap the material all the way around the leg to the inside of the leg - and clip your clip on starting at the bottom and moving towards the top...

Clip the last leg section clip on for this side. Trim off excess material at the top and if you have too much on the inside of the stand. Neatly trim it up for a finished look with the scissors..


Repeat for the other side.

That's it you're done with the apron !

You can add a pan cover - as i did with the two extra lengths of car door clips.

This gives  an edge  that ynot only holds the material but saves your pan edge and materials thrown into the pan.

For lifting the whole thing i added another peice of car door edgeing to the lower side of the mounting plate edge. Saves and feels much better on the fingers than the steel edge with out it.

Thats it - your finished.

When it gets dirty - take the apron off and either clean it or replace it using the same edging clips.

Happy Buffing

-chase-