Poor Man's Buffing Wheel

by NikilH

45K22459

Intro: Poor Man's Buffing Wheel

In this Instructable we are going to see how to make your own polishing wheel for dremel or any rotary tool from old jeans.

STEP 1: Materials

  • Jeans or any old denim
  • Dremel Sanding mandrel
  • Scissors
  • Compass or Circular template (2" Dia)
  • Marker
  • Awl
  • Precision Screwdriver

STEP 2: Buff Wheels

I start with marking circles using the template & marker. We'll be needing around 10 denim disks.

Using scissors I cut the denim disks. Using the Awl pierce holes through the center of the denim disks.

Once done through the disks, keep it aside.

STEP 3: Dismantling the Mandrel

Using the screwdriver removed the screw on top of the mandrel, this will remove the drum and the bottom washer. We'll be using the mandrel alone.

STEP 4: Assembling the Polish Wheel

Take the mandrel, put down the lower washer and start inserting the denim disks one after the other. I made a washer out of a thick cardboard, this is just an additional support to hold the denim disks tight. Put the cardboard washer on the top then place the actual top washer and screw down.

STEP 5: What Else? Start Polishing

Attach your new polishing wheel to your rotary tool and start polishing.

I suggest to use this wheel at very medium speed.

I use this for polishing a variety of materials including Glass, Metal and Resin.

45 Comments

briantbirch 9 months ago

This is my adaptation and it works very well.

AnwarB5 3 years ago

This idea came to mind while trying to buy some buffing stuff for Dremel and Voilà someone already shared it... I think the layers must be sewed together or maybe some light glue to make it a bit more firm and strands stay longer in place... maybe also making even more layers... I will try to make this to buff some of my used protection glasses (I tried heat and some different solvents but nothing worked)

AnwarB5 3 years ago

This idea came to mind while trying to buy some buffing stuff for Dremel and Voilà someone already shared it... I think the layers must be sewed together or maybe some light glue to make it a bit more firm and strands stay longer in place... maybe also making even more layers... I will try to make this to buff some of my used protection glasses (I tried heat and some different solvents but nothing worked)

mr_mavryck 4 years ago

I use steel rivets large or wide flange with finish washer on top and sometimes for extra firm hold I’ll press the layers together with islets then the rivet and washer. Just be careful and go slow when using rivet gun so u don’t pop n cut rivet off. Works great for me with just about any material or combos of.

NikilH 6 years ago

thank you! :)

crazypj 6 years ago

I didn't think Dremel would have enough torque to polish anything, even with a small buffing wheel but I guess I'm wrong. It would be very handy for plastics as you have to keep very light touch or they will melt/smear. I'm going to scale it up for a full sized buffer (minimum 8" dia) Will probably need a few pairs of jeans though

KellyCraig 6 years ago

I bought several packages of abrasive buff wheels and a package of buff wheels I use with my many commercial compounds and other things, like chromium oxide, baby powder, corn starch, diatomaceous earth, Bon Ami scrub powder and so on.

That aside, I'll have to play with your ible idea to see if I can get this to fly on my two speed AirHandler buffer.

Thanks

P.S. One of my otherwise good wheels no longer worked on the arbor, since the hole had enlarged too much. On a whim, I threw some hot glue around the hole and it's been going strong ever since.

NikilH 6 years ago

Hi, wondering how it'd be. Keep us posted once you're done :)

jagalj 6 years ago

denim is tearing apart. i think that layers have to be glued together with some kind of neopren or wood glue to prevent cotton fibers falling out from circles...

NikilH 6 years ago

Hi, It happens. Whats the speed you are operating at??

joshua.artist 6 years ago

This is a great DIY hack!! I think I'll try undied leather scraps, (to avoid any bleeding or staining), especially for blades. Should last longer and has a finer grain for buffing and sharpening. Great job!

ripperman2 6 years ago

Great! The numbers of layers of denim, enough for the mandrel? A tip from a friend and old wood carver: use dishwashing soap as the final buffing solution for carving tools. The tools are already sharp, this is the final thing to get them razor sharp and your wheel would fit my tool kit really well. I would only use this on metal.

ivak245 6 years ago

Good idea! I will attack my daughter's jeans and then give them back to her with holes cut out of the legs, she will be super- trendy then ! You can use toothpaste as a water soluble polishing compound if you need to get rid of fine scratches on acrylic,etc, then buff off with another dry buff. Use the toothpaste which you can feel the gritty bits on your teeth (not the gel type).

NikilH 6 years ago

Lol, hoping she won't counter-attack ;)

kennaj 6 years ago

So simple, practical, useful. Something I probably could have thought of myself, but didn't, so thank you for saving my brain from working more than necessary.

Brabahoule 6 years ago

I used a threaded rod, two washers and 2 bolts instead of a mandrel. Works too !

Akajira 6 years ago

At the end od pt.2 the sentence is incomplete. What should it say please?
Thanks

NikilH 6 years ago

Could you be more precise?, I couldn't get where you are pointing out, if something is missing I'd definitely update.

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