Tips and tricks using your drill press

After completing a number of the small scrollsawed pieces, I used my drill press to buff them to a nice shine. First, I cut a 9" paint-roller cover into pieces the same length as my sanding drum. (It's important to use a high-quality cover with a phenolic plastic core.) Next, I sand the insides of the roller sections with a 1" sanding drum until they fit snugly over a 1¹⁄₂ " drum.

I apply my buffing medium with one of the paint-roller sections, then buff it off with another roller section. A roller with a ¹⁄₂ " nap worked fine for me. You can use this technique for polishing metal pieces, such as jewelry and hardware, too.
—Steve Prensky, Ronkonkoma, N.Y.