20" Airway Buffing Wheels For Polishing, 10 PACK
20" Airway Buffing Wheels For Polishing, 10 PACK
Available in stock (50000)
The 20" airway buff is the largest wheel we make and it belongs on one kind of machine: a heavy industrial buffing lathe with a 1-1/4 Inch spindle, large flanges and the motor to hold a 20" wheel at speed under load. It comes only with a 7 Inch center plate, because a wheel this size needs that much steel at the hub to stay flat and run true. Ventilation through the pleats is what makes a wheel this large workable: air moves through the face, heat leaves with it, and spent compound is thrown clear instead of packing in.
We sell it as a 10-pack of one cloth type, made in our Anaheim, California facility. Buyers are production polishers of aluminum tanker barrels and large tanks, stainless vessel fabricators and finishing lines where fewer passes over a large surface matter more than anything else.
- Our largest airway buff: maximum surface covered per pass on tanks and large flat work
- 7 Inch center plate and 1-1/4 Inch arbor for heavy industrial buffing lathes
- Ten 20" wheels of one cloth type per pack for a dedicated production spindle
- Six cloth types cover cut, color and mirror on aluminum, stainless, brass and copper
- Ventilated pleats keep a 20" face cooler and shed compound on long passes
- Made in Anaheim, California; free shipping on orders over $200
Which cloth type should you choose for a 20" wheel?
At 20" the wheel is committed to one spindle and one compound for its whole life, so choose the pack by the step it will run. Treated cloth cuts; soft cloth colors.
- Red: treated, firm, our heaviest cutting buff. The cut spindle for stainless vessels and steel with the black stainless cutting bar.
- Orange: treated, medium-firm cutting wheel. The cut spindle for aluminum tanks and barrels with brown tripoli; the most common 20" order alongside Yellow.
- Yellow: mill-treated cloth. The color spindle for aluminum and stainless with green rouge; on brass and copper it is the first step with yellow deluxe.
- 86/80: untreated, higher thread count cotton. A coloring and finishing spindle for white or blue rouge that holds its shape across a wide 20" face.
- Domet Flannel (White): the softest cloth. A final-luster spindle with the purple finishing bar for show tanks and polished trailers.
- Pink: soft finishing buff. Color spindle for stainless with yellow deluxe or green, for brass and copper with purple, and for plastics with no-scratch pink.
Which compound goes with which wheel?
| Metal | Cut spindle | Color spindle |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | Orange + brown tripoli | Yellow + green rouge |
| Stainless / steel | Red + black stainless bar | Pink + yellow deluxe or green |
| Brass / copper | Yellow + yellow deluxe | Pink + purple high luster |
| Show luster | after color | Domet Flannel (White) + purple |
Brass and copper are sanded before buffing, with a scuff pad for light tarnish or 600 to 800 grit for heavy oxidation. A 20" wheel consumes compound at a production rate; the case pack of compound is the sensible way to feed it, with single bars for trials. One wheel, one compound, always.
What machines run a 20" airway buff?
- Heavy industrial buffing lathes with a 1-1/4" spindle, flanges sized for a 7 Inch plate, and guards that clear a 20" wheel plus the part.
- Production backstand polishers for tank shells, long sheet and extrusions.
- Two-spindle production buffers running Orange on the cut end and Yellow on the color end for aluminum.
Why only a 7 Inch center plate? The plate is the steel ring that carries the pleats and takes the clamping load. On a 20" wheel the rim speed and the leverage on the hub are higher than on any smaller size, and the 7 Inch plate keeps the wheel flat and stable in a way a smaller plate cannot. It still leaves a deep band of usable cloth, and a worn 20" wheel keeps working as it comes down through the 18" and 16" range. Before ordering, confirm your machine's flange diameter, spindle thread length with two flanges and the wheel stacked, and that the motor holds speed with a 20" wheel under pressure. Hand-held polishers, bench buffers and 5/8" spindles are not an option at this size; see the 10" airway buff for those machines.
How to get the most out of it
- Mount with care. Clean flange faces, plate seated square, nut tight, then a hand spin to confirm clearance and true running before power. Any wobble on a 20" wheel is magnified at the rim.
- Dress at speed with a buffing rake before the first part, and again whenever the face glazes or starts to groove.
- Charge in short touches. A 20" face carries a lot of compound; overloading it melts and smears on the part instead of cutting.
- Traverse the part across the full face and keep it moving. On a tank side, a dwell mark or heat haze is visible from across the shop.
- Complete the cut before the color. Inspect in raking light; the color spindle brightens, it does not remove scratches.
- Keep the spindles separate. Wipe between steps and use Dissolver on finished surfaces so cut compound never reaches the Yellow, Pink or flannel wheel.
- Rotate the ten wheels so they wear together, and store spares flat, dry and out of sunlight.
- Safety. Flanges both sides, guards fitted, face shield, gloves, respirator, no loose clothing, a clear zone behind the wheel, and run within the buff's rated speed for a 20" diameter.
The videos below explain the differences in mill treatment between the cloth colors and show how to pair wheel and compound.
Use it for / don't use it for
Use it for
- Aluminum tanker barrels, large fuel tanks and trailer sides on a heavy lathe
- Stainless steel vessels, tank shells and large sheet on a production backstand
- Finishing lines that need the fewest passes over the largest surfaces
- Brass and copper production work after fine sanding
- Dedicated cut and color spindles that run one compound all day
Don't use it for
- Any machine without a 1-1/4" spindle, 7 Inch plate flanges, clearance and motor for a 20" wheel
- Hand-held polishers, grinders or bench buffers
- Small or shaped parts; a 10" to 14" wheel is the right tool
- Removing weld beads or deep scratches; sand first, then buff
- More than one compound on a wheel
Specifications
| Diameter | 20 inch |
|---|---|
| Center plate size | 7 Inch |
| Arbor hole | 1-1/4 Inch |
| Cloth types | Red, Orange, Yellow, 86/80, Domet Flannel (White), Pink |
| Construction | Pleated, ventilated cotton airway buff with steel clinch ring |
| Pack quantity | 10 wheels, one cloth type per pack |
| Typical machines | Heavy industrial buffing lathes, production backstands |
| Compound | Sold separately |
| Made in | Anaheim, California |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 20" airway buff only offered with a 7 Inch center plate?
A 20" wheel puts more leverage on its hub than any smaller size, and the 7 Inch plate is what keeps it flat and running true at speed. It also matches the large flanges on the heavy lathes that run this diameter. There is still a deep band of usable cloth outside the plate.
Can my lathe run a 20" airway buff?
It needs a 1-1/4 Inch spindle, flanges sized for a 7 Inch plate, guards and a work area that clear a 20" wheel plus the part, enough spindle thread to clamp two flanges and the wheel, and a motor that holds speed under pressure. If a 16" or 18" wheel already loads the machine, stay at that size.
Which two packs do I need to polish aluminum tanks with 20" wheels?
Orange for the cut spindle with brown tripoli, and Yellow for the color spindle with green rouge. That is the pairing we recommend on all our airway sizes for aluminum, and it is the most common 20" order. Add a Domet Flannel (White) wheel with the purple bar for a show finish.
What happens as a 20" wheel wears down?
It keeps working. As the cloth wears the wheel effectively becomes an 18", then a 16", still on the same 7 Inch plate and 1-1/4 Inch arbor, so nothing goes to waste. Rotate the ten wheels in the pack so they wear at a similar rate and the finish stays consistent across the shift.
How do I keep a 20" airway buff from vibrating or grooving?
Mount it on clean flange faces with the plate seated square, tighten the nut, and spin it by hand before power. Dress the face at speed with a buffing rake before the first part, traverse work across the whole face rather than one spot, and rake again as soon as the face glazes or a groove starts.
Is a 10-pack the only way to buy 20" airway buffs?
The 10-pack of one cloth type is the standard listing, since this wheel goes on production spindles. For a trial quantity, mixed cloth types or case pricing for a finishing line, call 714-646-3299 or email sales@maverickabrasives.com with your cloth types and monthly usage. Orders over $200 ship free.
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