Replacement filter for Vigor buffer

I recently repaired (new squirrel cage blower) a used Vigor buffer. This equipment takes a 10x32x2 inch filter, which is available from suppliers on line for about $12. However, shipping for this is about $22-$30, an amount I’m unwilling to pay. So I’m looking at some cut-to-fit roll filter material from which I would cut my own filter. I can get enough material for a filter for about $12, free shipping. I don’t find any 2 inch thick material, so I’ll probably have to use two layers of 1 inch material. Possibly I can cut down a larger pleated filter for a heat pump air handler. Anybody else been here before and have a suggestion?

Is there a furnace filter that you can use or modify. My first hood, part of which I still use, was a wooden box with the hood on top. I cut a hole in the box and attached a large box fan to the hole and used furnace filters inside the box. This blew a lot of dirt back into my shop since the filter didn’t trap all of it. I later modified it to use a shop vac with a long hose that got the shop vac and its noise on the other side of a wall. Fast forward and I now use the same hood mounted to a wall with thin plywood to form a scoop shaped area around the polishing wheel and a 4" port at the back of the scoop area. I have a 900 CFM blower attached to the port with its output going through a hole in my cellar wall to the outside. There is a big dirty stain on the outside of the wall. I use a fine mesh hardware cloth box to catch the duff so that I can send it to the refiner. The shop is now clean. I don’t know how much metal I lose with this setup, but the clean shop is worth it. I still polish most of the time wearing a long lab coat, face mask and safety eye shield. This may sound like overkill but you can make a big mess polishing 15 - 20 heavy 8 gauge twisted bracelets at a time…Rob

Hi Rob,
I’ll have to see what is available locally that might be cut down. There are filters of the right size available on line, but they are $25 to $35 and then there’s an equal amount of shipping, which I think is too much. Some folks want you to buy a case of 12, which would probably last me two lifetimes. I don’t do a lot with gold, so for silver, it seems to me best to just cobble together something that will work fairly well. A couple of thicknesses of the roll filter material should work, maybe in a cardboard frame to stiffen it a little. I guess the Vigor buffer is not a great solution for the hobby jeweler, but it was cheap when I bought it ($50) and it has just sat here until the electrician came to do something else and diagnosed the problem with it as a blown squirrel cage motor rather than a wiring fault. So I got a $500+ buffer for $140…good if you can afford the filter…LOL…

I had a similar issue years ago and thought I’d use something similar to the product linked below. That said, I sold the buffer before trying it out. Bonus… they’re washable! And its priced right! But they’re not as fine as the white pleated filters.
Home Depot Cut to Fit Filter #1
Home Depot Cut to Fit Filter #2
Hope it’s be a possible solution. If anyone can confirm that this could work, please do.
Sharon (in IL now)

Hey, Sharon,
Thanks for that lead…I looked at my local HD, but didn’t notice that product (altho’ it is there), so I’m glad to hear of it. It is only MERV 4, but I would use two thicknesses of it, so that would be an adequate MERV 8. Cheaper than most other options I’ve seen…I’m pretty slow at getting this going, but the buffer is now in the workshop and I only lack cleaning off a work table for it…the wheels I had on my other buffer fit it quite well…I guess I ought to make some jewelry…LOL!

You’re very welcome. Always happy to participate since i mostly lurk in the forum :blush:

Such a valuable place this is!

Make jewelry!
Sharon