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- Materials: Threaded rod or long screw, two matching nuts and at least two washers. The bigger the washers the better, to spread the load more evenly over a broader area. Further, you will need some sturdy paper and very sharp scissors or a razor. And the final ingredient is a lot of soft, thin string, at best some sort of linen or cotton.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
- Cut several (in my case it was 24) identical semi-circles out of the sturdy paper, with the radius of the desired buffing wheel.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
- Divide the semicircles into pairs and wrap each pair evenly with the thread so that approximately 60% of the paper is covered. It is good to wrap each pair in approximately the same amount of turns.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
- Prepare one nut and one washer on the rod a few cms from the end.
- Pull string between the paper of one of the semicircles and tie it around the threaded rod as close to the washer as possible. You probably won’t be able to tighten it properly yet, but it is good to have it at least somewhat secured.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
- Cut the string at the outer rim of the semicircles, remove the paper and tighten the thread around the metal rod properly. Twist carefully the threaded rod to pull the whole thing close to the washer.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
- Repeat steps 5-6 for the rest, try to space the thread tassels around the rod as evenly as possible.
- Cap it with the second washer and nut and tighten the nuts. Be careful not to over-tighten them, it might shear the threads.
- Trim any threads exceeding the radius.
- Enjoy your soft buffing brush wheel.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
- Materials: Threaded rod or long screw, two matching nuts and at least two washers. The bigger the washers the better, to spread the load more evenly over a broader area. Further, you will need some sturdy paper and very sharp scissors or a razor. And the final ingredient is a lot of soft, thin string, at best some sort of linen or cotton.
I did not actually need to do this, but I had some rubbish thread that I have no better use for, I cannot spend too much time in my workshop yet for I would either freeze or burn through more wood than I can afford, and this was a fun way to spend an hour. It works a treat for buffing up lacquered or oiled handles, I will probably make several more to use with various grades of buffing compounds, but I need to buy or make the big washers, since I only had these two.
Suitable washers, they look like they might work well, are available at the local hardware big-box where they have hand-held grinder accessories. Intended for use with certain wire-wheels and abrasive disks. As I remember it they were nicely galvanized and went for about $4.