Polishing wheels

[mole]

How do you know when your wheels or buffs are wasted? I don't mean the obvious like when a 4 inch turns into a 2 inch. Do they just not work as well or are they good till they shrink down to not useable.

[skiddz]

I use mine down to the nubs.. I turned a 6" sisal into a 2" sisal today polishing a carburetor.. When they get to small to be used is when I toss 'em.. The 6" sisal wheels I get from Caswell seem to lose their "bite" when they get down to around 3".. the wheel I used today I bought at a local supplier a few months back and it seemed to bite just as well at 2" as it did at 6" I think it may have been treated somehow because it was a lot stiffer than the Caswell units and was bright yellow in color. Seemed to be made of the same kind of material..

I chuck my tight spirals when they start to lose their stiffness and get "floppy".

The loose cotton wheels seem to go quick when I run 'em solo, but stacking them makes 'em last seemingly forever. Depends on what I'm buffing. Anything with an "edge" seems to make the loose wheels just fly apart regardless of whether they're stacked or not.

[mole]

Thanks Skiddz.

The 6" sisal wheels I get from Caswell seem to lose their "bite" when they get down to around 3"..

Ya I know what you mean about the sisal, having the same problem thats why I was asking.