Angle grinder for woodworkers. START METALWORKING!
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- My grinder: amzn.to/2EmjdsG (Affiliate Link)
Cutoff Wheel: amzn.to/2Bsaz9i
Grinder Wheel: amzn.to/2ss6qiT
Wire Cup Wheel: amzn.to/2sqjS75
Flap Disc: amzn.to/2CiAHjG
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Want to add metal to your woodworking? It's easier than you think. For less than $100, you can buy a tool that cuts, grinds, shapes, sands, removes rust, and a lot more. Welcome to the angle grinder. It's small and easy to use. Combine it with a welder and you can make almost anything out of steel. Even without a welder, it opens up a huge world of possibilities for making your pieces stand out. In this video, I'll give you a thorough walk-through of this amazing tool. I'll cover everything from cutting to sanding and go over important safety tips.
If you like this video, follow me on instagram: @rexkrueger
See my website at www.rexkrueger.com
For such an accomplished craftsman, your gift for instruction is uncommon. Most subject experts don’t make the best teachers. You’re a clear exception. Thanks.
I agree with you, this man is a gift from God.
Rex could get a job on a home and lifestyle TV show with his presentation talents.
I had a lot of old pipes and rebar to cut up and from what I read ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxPDBfLu68o58Aw85O_J-zIFfjJARBhp-3 this would be the tool for the job. Since I had never used one, I watched a couple of youtube videos and I'm so glad I did. Some really good safety tips, which I followed, and this tool did a splendid job. One good thing to know is the weight of the tool puts just about the right amount of pressure on the metal I was cutting, so I didn't have to use a lot of pressure, which is more likely to jam the tool. It made fast work of my job.
Yes! I love my angle grinder! But, a word of advice:
Always, always wear a face shield, as well as safety glasses, folks. Trust me, you will definitely want to do this! It _hurts_ to have a little burr or shaving of metal in your face. A lot. Especially if you are working with aluminum, you _will_ have shavings and burrs hitting your skin.
I spent decades working with metal, as a semi trailer mechanic, and used angle grinders, cut-off wheels, and other metalworking tools a whole lot, so I know how to do this stuff, and a _TON_ more. You always want to wear jeans, at minimum, too, because sparks aren't comfortable landing on bare skin, too, and it's easy to not pay attention to where your legs are when you're shaping a piece of metal.
Another bit of advice. If those sparks are hitting clothing of any kind for any length of time other than maybe a minute, your clothing CAN catch on fire. Do NOT freak out and run. Remember the stop, drop, and roll? It's because running makes fire on you get worse.
Those gloves you should already be wearing will be good enough to use your hands to beat out the fire if it's small. If it's larger, then definitely DO use the stop, drop, and roll. And anything with a polyester content is the _worst_ material to be wearing... it will MELT more than it will burn, and that melted material WILL stick to your skin and burn the _~bleeping bleepety bleep~_ out of you.
Just be careful, and mindful of what you're doing, and you will be fine.
Thank you for bridging the material gap between wood and metal application. Appreciate the motivation.
Love my angle grinder!!
It is a sub $20 hyper tough from wal mart, about 3 or 4 months old... I expect it to die soon, but I ask unreasonable things from it... from cutting and shaping anvils from railroad tracks to cutting out and shaping knives and such from lawnmower blades, sanding, smoothing, cutting, grinding, debuting, paint removal... anything I need done in my shop that a hand held belt sander (another cheap HANDY tool) can’t do, my angle grinder does without issue!!! One big note about a cheap angle grinder... if you are working them hard, they can get warm... hot tools die much quicker... sometimes you gotta give them a break to cool off!! Stay safe out there and remember, cheap PPE is better than no PPE, so don’t just not use it because you can’t afford that $40 mask... get a $1 towel from dollar store and wrap your mouth and nose with that if you must...
Better a helmet, spectacles and a mask
A towel does nothing...I'm sanding a fiberglass boat with 2 cloth covid masks along with a t-shirt tied around my face and dust still makes its way into my nose...so I just bought a respirator and particulate filters. No more fiberglass dust inhalation since
I am a wood worker. I worked in a machine shop 50 years ago. I have 3 - 4 1/2" angle grinders. 1 - 7" angle grinder, and 1 - 9" angle grinder. I have 3 welders. One "stick welder," one wire feed Mig welder, and one Tig welder. I have wood working power tools too 5 different routers, a drill press, table saw, jig saw, reciprocating saw. And other power tools. I also have lots of hand tools for both metal work and wood work. I also am a mechanic. We farmers can build almost anything and fix almost anything. It took much longer to learn precision wood working than precision metal working.
David Bennett thanks for the tip brother.
Yep... Country living.
I grew up with the welding school of "stick it together and whack hell out of it with a big F-hammer... if it bends, you probably did it right. If it snaps off and skitters across the drive, clean it up and start again."
Class o' Thursday, 5PM... so much for precision metal work. ;o)
I love my angle grinder. (I've got the DeWalt.) It's a fairly terrifying tool, but boy does it make stuff possible.
Agreed on both!
Wearing ear plugs goes a long way towards making grinders less intimidating. Then just using them for decades does the rest.
Try a 9" grinder. Thats a scary tool
@@WR4SSE and when 9" disk wears down to 5", put it on the 5" grinder for extra life of it. no, seriously DON'T do that because it will explode due to much higher spinning speed.
@@WR4SSE I have 7/9" grinders. They run a 7" grinding wheel or a 9" sanding disc. I don't think they make anything bigger than that. They're about the size of a bench grinder as it is. At least the three I have are.
I love Harbor Fright simply because they're the closest and most affordable "tool" store to me and to be honest, with even the most minimal care, a lot of their tools will last a surprisingly long time. That being said, in regards to the angel grinders, they're great especially for the price. I picked up 2 of them over the Black Friday sale for $7.00 each and at that price you really can't go wrong.
Toss on the Arbortech ( think I spelled that right ) attachments and you don't even need a lathe to create incredible looking dished bowls and other features in wood you might never have thought possible.
So yeah, the angel grinder is sort of the One Ring of wood working and metal working.... hmmmmmm, now that brings some projects to mind...
I have three of them. Don't have to switch out wheels all the time. Cheap throwaway tools except I have never worn one out or tossed one away. $10 on sale, what's not to like.
I got a Harbor Freight angle grinder and I went wrong with it. I've heard from many how great they were so I got one. The one I got ain't so great. The mesh is wrong in the gears so it is noisy as hell when it runs. It's kind of weak and flighty anyways. I've run a lot of angle grinders so I know how they're supposed to sound and feel. This one just ain't right. It is so bad that I don't use it anymore. I actually bought another one to replace it in my set. Spent a bit more but I'm much happier with the tool.
2:30 Seriously. DON'T REMOVE the Guard. My father cut off his right index finger because the guard was in the way of the work and he removed it. I had to give him my shirt to stop the bleeding and drove him to the ER. They were able to reattach it but he lost half of the range of movement
Evil Genius I almost threw up reading this
Anecdotal. He did not lose his finger because of the guard or lack of guard. He lost it because the rotating blade cut it off. Awareness is the problem, not the lack of guards.
@@lookwhatsnext Lol I didn't notice you standing in the corner when it happened. Dipshit. The Grinder kicked back and his grip slipped and cut his finger. The fact remains, if the guard hadn't been removed, it wouldn't have cut him. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about because anyone who uses power tools for a living knows, sometimes a disc, blade, bit, etc will snag on the material in an unforeseen way and jump/twist or stop dead.
OSHA came in because the company had a few incidents relating people removing their guards. A piece of the disk flew into the person stomach. It wasn't too bad but it did required a few stitches.
@@jbraMoVal Exactly! You can even google "Grinder injury" and see thousands of photos of people with bits of cutting wheel stuck in various parts of their bodies. Proper use of the guard would have prevented most of them.
Good intro to angle grinders. I have one- I bought it a year or two ago, but haven’t used it much. You’re inspiring me to use the grinder more.
I have an old 7" polisher/grinder. I have a 4.5" second hand grinder, I have had for 15+ years.
Now I have the cats meow of a 5" grinder. It is variable speed, slow start, slip clutch, automatically maintains rpm's. This makes many jobs better when lower rpm's is wanted.
I like my Makita 5" SJS II very much. GA5042C
You have a very good way to make things accessible that I usually shy away from by covering the really important questions. Thanks for that!
Thank you for editing out the sound of the angle grinder in this video. I'm amazed how many DIY YT video-makers don't remove or greatly reduce the sound of power tools running in the background. So, thank you for saving my hearing! Also, I really appreciate the relaxed style of your presentation in this video. It's easy to listen and follow your clear, concise explanation. One suggestion I have for your viewers is to get a grinder that can accommodate a cutting guard. Cutting guards are different from grinding guards. The cutting guard -if used properly- is designed to protect you from a cutting disc that shatters in the cut. Not all 4.5 inch angle grinders will accept a cutting guard without significant modification to the guard. Just my 2-cents. Thanks for another great video, Rex!
metal and woodworking make up the backbone of construction/carpentry. Gotta appreciate both. Angle grinders are extremely useful. Cheers!
This video was my introduction to angle grinders. I learned a lot and especially appreciate all the safety info (guard, face shield, respirator, apron). Thanks for a fruitful learning experience. I subscribed.
It's a dangerous but fun tool... one of my favorites! I don't recommend cheap attachments or wheels, they end up making high speed shrapnel! They are often a bit more expensive but I really prefer a variable speed grinder! If you already have an air compressor then a pneumatic disk grinder is the best variable speed option and less expensive too!
I just need one speed grinding. Top speed. If you want less grind then just push less.
Nicely presented information for owners of angle grinders who don't know what that tool is for. Why would anyone buy an angle grinder without knowing what to do with it is more than makes sense. Good presentation.
I set tile for over 20 years and can tell you the DeWalt saved my grits several times. My wet saw was set up on average once on each job while my DeWalt was used every trip except for grouting. I used the diamond blades for cutting concrete board, ceramic, porcelain, stone, and yes even metal. I had a small project here at home not too long ago repurposing a water heater. That tank laughed at a metal cutting saw blade, cutoff blade and grinder blade. I used one of my old diamond blades in my DeWalt and had that bugger cut intwo in about 15 minuets. Always use full face coverage and hearing protection . Lovin the videos
I've done wood work for most of my life. In the last ten years or so I've been working with metal. My angle grinder is indispensable. The small inverter stick welder is adequate for what I do.
My grinder stable consists of 2 Bosch's (1 cordless), a Ryobi (cordless), a Makita, and 2 harbor freights. They all work about the same at removing stock. (The harbor freight grinders are a little more anemic, but what do you want for $15?) The main difference though, is vibration. It boils down to: more expensive means higher quality components and fitment. And that translates to less vibration. So I can use the big bosch or the Makita all day, no problem. The harbor freight grinders I use for lower time/power applications like the flap wheel or the wire wheel for cleaning slag off welds. Your forearms feel like worn out tires after about an hour with those. All are useful and you won't be under-tooled for most applications with a $15 harbor freight grinder.
And always remember AvE's rule #1: "Don't shoot the sparks at your dingus."
Oh man. I did my first serious metal working this weekend and I wish I'd watched this video before I did. The metal cup tip was great. I spent far too long orbital sanding my rust. Excellent video, excellent idea.
A cup brush is great for knocking off loose powdery rust. Great for throwing it all over your shop too. Might be advised to scrape the really loose stuff off by hand first. One attachment Rex neglected to mention is the closed coat sanding discs made for angle grinders. In 36 grit they're very aggressive. New I'd say they're the most aggressive accessory made for angle grinders. They really rip the hard scale layer off steel. Also useful for some aspects of woodworking. Closed coat discs tear wood up too.
I will add, from personal experience and preference, I bought 4 harbor freight grinders (wait for them to be on sale for $9.99 a piece and then buy one warranty) for less than the cost of one refurbished Makita. One is a cutoff, one is a grinder, one is a flap disk, and one is a stainless steel wirebrush for passivizing stainless welds (don't let anyone tell you you need some electro-chemical nonsense to passivate stainless...)
Encouraging people to be flexible is a holy calling! You rock Rex!!
I'm the exact opposite of the woodworker that you mentioned at the beginning. I've restored old cars, trucks and tractors for many years. I've always had a few saws etc. in my shop for various home improvement projects, but, my main thing was always metal and mechanical work, until...the twin grandsons were born. These days, my shop time is split between vehicles and wood. I actually had to build a different shop for woodworking since rebuilding engines requires a clean environment. You're correct saying that an angle grinder is great for wood. Lately, I've done a few projects using old barn siding. The best way that I've found to strip years of old paint from wood is to start with a medium brass brush on the grinder, then a fine brass brush, then finish with the various grits of flap wheels. I actually have a couple of those cheap Harbor Freight grinders set up with various wheels so that I don't have to change them all the time. I also have a brand name grinder that I use when I know that I'll be running it constantly for more than a few minutes. Another tool that loves to be used on just about any material is the Ol Faithful reciprocating saw, aka, Sawzall.
So many comments saying not to remove the guard. I use my grinder primarily without the guard. Most of the time it is just in the way. I have not been injured in nearly twenty years of using it without the guard. However I always have a gorilla grip on the grinder when using it and I take other precautions such as being aware of myself, the material that I'm grinding on, and especially the grinder. But sometimes things happen and people get hurt. Maybe they get hurt from not following the things I do and maybe they get hurt because they are careless. Any powertool can hurt you if you're not careful. Love your videos.
Never used UA-cam for watching ‘how to’ videos... this was excellent! Really well presented too! Thanks 👍🏻
Man, if you want to learn "how to" do anything, this is the place! Thanks for watching!
For $10 on sale, cheap Harbor Freight angle grinders are great. Cheap enough to buy 2 or 3. I have 3. One with a wire cup, one with a cutoff wheel and one with a grinding wheel. Saves time when I need to de-rust, cut and de-burr a piece of metal.
I may do that; I have one HF grinder and it works great. As cheap as they are, may be worth another one or 2 for cutting and wire brushing.
There’s a chainsaw wheel attachment for an angle grinder for chainsaw carving, that’s one attachment that’s more dangerous than a cutoff disk
Agreed. I don't use that one.
Grinder has no auto power cutoff like a chainsaw, it will run full bore as long as it has power. There's a scary video of a kickback/guy losing control while using one of these and it climbing his torso. Was extremely lucky not to be seriously injured. Respect the tool, and know it's limitations.
@@tvctaswegia497 that is the stuff of nightmares.
I have seen that. It is probably the only thing I would use an angle grinder for.
edit: I was mistaken. the attachment I was thinking of is the wood carving disc attachment. Not the one with chainsaw like teeth.
@@tvctaswegia497 FEIN Tools grinder has a dead mans switch arrangement. Makes it quite safe to work with.
But also makes it more difficult to use.
The information in the video was clear and easy to grasp - including the warnings. Also, even though the video is from 2017, it just showed up in my UA-cam video recommendations, which was perfect timing because I just bought an angle grinder. I had to get it because all of the structural work in my house is steel (in the country where I live, almost all houses are built from cement block or hollow core steel shapes with cement board siding). So, in order to be able to do a lot of the handyman work around the house, I'll need to be able to cut and shape steel. The tips in this video are going to get me started safely.
Also, I was concerned about learning to do basic welding. After your comments I may give it a try. I live in a rural area where it seems almost everyone seems to be a self-trained welder.
I always wear a backwards baseball cap under my ear protectors, goggles, face mask, and an old long sleeved shirt and gloves when grinding - just keep the shirt and hat in your shop (I also always wear jeans and good boots whenever I work). Grinding fumes can be toxic. And sparks and burns are no fun. You end up with brown spots on your hands and forearms that stick with you for life if you get a bad spark on you - my dad has lots of them from when he was 18...
Re: tools - my buddy has 4 or 5 different angle grinders in his shop that I've used. All on the cheap side, including harbor freight and Ryobi. My favorite is the Metabo with the slide power switch. It stops when you let go of the tool. Other grinders do not necessarily stop, and I feel that can be unsafe.
Fabulous video, made a lot of sense, thanks from mexico!
Most grinders, even the cheap Harbor Freight ones, will last quite a while, and I have found that it is worth every penny having three (grinder, cut-off, and flap disc) so that I don't have to constantly change the tool.
Agreed. My Ryobi grinder works well for occasional use. I am honestly not sure how well it would hold up if I used it continuously. Thanks for the video.
Keefe Borden I am in the process of testing the Ryobi Grinders due to the wide range of tools that share the same rechargeable batteries. So far so good. Big fan of Ryobi so far after buying their impact driver - which is bullet proof.
Best presentation ever. Thank you .
I agree with what you are saying about working with different media. Measuring is measuring. I am a welder fitter but like working with wood. I have also killed 2 bosch pro 9 inch grinders in a year 😀. I also feel obliged to recommend wearing a face shield when grinding. Cheers, think your vids are great.
I recently purchased an angle grinder, primarily to sharpen my lawnmower blades. I learned something that I wasn't aware of and that is that your guard (glad you advise people to leave it on) is designed for certain types of wheels. Correct me if I'm wrong but the guard you're showing in this video is a type 27. The cut-off disk you are using, however, is a type 1 and not safe to use with that guard. A type 1 guard encloses the wheel to a greater extent. Some angle grinders come with both guard types or you can purchase a type 1 separately. Just thought I would share what I've learned.
Thank you
LITERALLY the best Grinder class I've seen yet. On UA-cam... This is excellent.
Watch weld.com vid on it definitely better this guy is a dumbass don’t remove the guard and don’t use the edge of a grinding wheel it will most likely shatter and please please please don’t use a cutting disk like thag
Thank you for the emphasis on safety. I don't hear too often w/ other channels.
Excellent advice. I like welding the best because if I cut it too short I can just weld a new piece in and prep and paint and it comes out looking like I know what I am doing. Thanks for this video.
I am very impressed with your openness about this tool I have used this for an array of tasks . It is an amazingly useful tool right down to sharpening lawn mower blades. Your objectivness about angle grinders , as well as other tools, is appreciated
I love an angle grinder. If you can cut it, a grinder can do it.
Always get a grinder with a paddle switch. If the grinder comes out of your hand they will shut them selves off.
I’m a wood worker who’s just starting to get into metal working. I bought a Harbor Freight angle grinder and some attachments and I’m about to try it. This video was perfect.
just ordered those attachments, your inspiring me. thank you. much love and god,s peace be with you
thank you Rex . i generally do not use H.F. but i got the 4" one and hey its working . trick is it is a short time use .
I absolutely fall into the wood only woodworkers box you described. When I originally watched this video I was wondering do I need an angle grinder? I decided I didn't need one. Now a bunch of months after you posted this I have a project restoring a boat trailer and an angle grinder is needed. I rewatched this video and ordered a Bosch 4-1/2" grinder with the accessories you showed. The grinder and accessories were on sale at Home Depot so Im good now. You didn't recommend a size but after looking at some other videos and pricing the accessories the 4-1/2" was perfect. BTW the real cost is in the accessories and good ones work best. Thanks Rex!
Cool video, gave me the 101 I was looking for about what these can be used for and (more importantly) how. Thanks for posting!
So I've just came back from my local supermarket and there was an extremely cheap angle grinder on sale there for 20 euros (which happens to be the exact same amount I got in a store coupon for free).
So I got home and started researching whether or not I need an angle grinder (I dont usually do metal work). To my surprise, one of my favourite youtubers had a video about it. So yes, I'm getting that cheap grinder.
Such good advice on not removing the guard on the angle grinder. I lived in the Philippines and very little attention paid to safety. Sunglasses and t-shirt for welding. No gloves or shoes. No guard or safety glasses when grinding. Good people, hard working. A dollar for a pair of glasses is a lot of money to them.
Great review, just what I needed. I just bought a inexpensive stick welder and a Dewalt DWE402 angle grinder. I haven’t used a angle grinder in 35 years so all the things these new 4.5” models can do is amazing. Your video demonstrated the important attachments I’ll be using right away, grinding wheel, cut-off disc & flap disc. Great Video..
Really glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for that! Very good basic intro to the grinder and its many uses. I have recently gotten into wood carving, I am amazed at the variety and effectiveness of the many carving accessories (and costs, Yikes!) The grinder is one of the most versatile and useful tools in my shop.
I've had a Craftsman Angle Grinder that is older than my 30 year old daughter and IT STILL WORKS!
I probably should replace the screw in handle that broke a couple years ago though.
True, I don't use it every day, but when I do, I use it hard!
Swapping attachments it a PITA, so get 5 or 6 of them, 3 flap disc one each fine, medium, and course, one cutter, one grinder, one with the wire cup
Concerning the zipwheels: those are usually a single in-plane disk, there's no 'bump' like on a normal grinding wheel. To use those OSHA-approved safely, you need a Type 27 ferrule and a double-sided guard. An appropriate guard and a 27 ferrule aren't expensive, and Amazon has dozens of listings. The UA-cam channel Weld.com (yes, they have that website too) has a great instructional view about how to use an angle grinder safely.
Hey brother I recently ran across your channel and I completely agree with you because I don't just want to do wood working but right now I am just getting started. So I am trying to learn as much as I can but with realistic goals and I been flipping wood furniture by doing restoration or desirable items that I like and what is currently trending because people have certain taste. But I am n this to make money!! And once get to my goal point but I still studying welding and metal and plastic
As a long time owner of a harbor freight angle grinder. Yes. It's probably the best tool that they make. I bought my first one almost 20 years ago. I still have it. And when i say i've abused that poor thing I'm not even remotely exaggerating. The only reason I have a second one is because I was working away from home, cutting an old atm out of a business, and I realized I'd left the spanner for it in my garage, and it would have cost me more in gas to drive home and get the wrench than to just buy another 15 dollar angle grinder. So now I have two. One lives with a grinding wheel on it and the other lives with a cut off wheel, and both now have the spanner attached to the electric cable with a bit of wire rope.
excellent articulation and communication skills
I agree with you. That's why I subscribed to this channel.
Much prefer the flap disk to the grinding disk for most tasks, as you waste less disk with the flap disk. You should point out that there are flap disks on the market with trimmable backing disks (the piece corrugated cardboard on the back of yours is the backing disk, but I've had no luck trimming those), which prolongs the useability of the disk by allowing the worn abrasive to chip off, much the way a friable grinding wheel does. Still have my 3 year old 40 grit Vaughn Flap Disk, despite cutting off about 1/4" of backing disk. Saves a lot money and aggravation.
BEST EVER INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO I'VE EVER COME ACROSS ON UA-cam...EVER...
You're very kind!
I'm a wood worker, started at 3d printing and robotics now learning welding
One of the most dangerous tools in the shop, but also one of the most useful.
Not having a lot of money brings the enginuity bug. I have had opportunity to buy older woodworking equipment and restore them.
I Call my hobby woodworking, but it seems like I have to do a lot of metal projects so I can make things with wood.
After 30 years in Electronics, I've had to work with motors, gears, hydrolics and pneumatic. Even CNC woodworking includes all of that and more.
I thought, "Why should the Machinists have all the KOOL tools?" I bought a set of INCRA rulers, ended up making a printable version using freeware paint program. Then, by watching a bunch of wood and metal videos, I had a desire for the accuracy they had.
So it was off to EBAY and AMAZON. I found an iGaging 6 inch caliper, a pair of 1-2-3 blocks and a set of setup bars. Now my Woodworking accuracy rivals the metal shop.
I fix, calibrate and restore my tools. So if they're accurate I can make things that fit and look good.
As far as Welding goes, my Son is certified in every thing except underwater. Maybe I'll let him teach me sometime.
We're all more capable of learning than we think. Just like you said early on in this video. Many of the processes and procedures in woodworking translate directly to working with metal.
There are a lot of my shop carts that have metal bottoms, and the heavier equipment carts have 1x1 square tube steel. I use 1/4-20 spring nut inserts to connect everything.
I have sold these for 30yrs. I am a woodworker and have owned one for a long time. Wire cup brushes come in a variety of wire thicknessses and are twisted together or not. I use a backing disc and round sanding disc instead of a flap wheel because of the massive difference in cost. The guard is made to come off but should be left on if you are using a grinding or cutting disc. Using sanding discs or wire wheels do not require the blade guard to be in place. As for grinding discs, they are made for aluminum, steel, concrete and fibreglass so make sure you use the correct disc. FYI if you have a Dewalt service center in your area a repack (warranty repair) sells for half the price of a new one and still has warranty on it. Suggest a 4-1/2 in unit as they use all the same accessories as the 5in to 7in. and come with a 5/8in arbor. The 4in may be cheaper but uses a smaller arbor. If using a wire brush suggest you wear an apron because you might find metal shards embedded in your clothing or skin. FWIW Dewalt is probably the best price point for this tool and they have been making them for a long time and they service what they sell. Mine is old and still running really well.
I have a ridgid angle grinder. I think I paid close to $100 for it years ago. It’s been ok. Not the best, not the worst. I was expecting more for the price. I don’t think I’d buy another one when it dies.
Also I use an all metal cutting wheel with a diamond edge, for cutting stone to cut metal and grind it smooth. Works great. Haven’t had an issue with the discs. I like them better then traditional cut off wheels because they don’t wear down and get smaller like a regular cut off wheel. Plus I can grind it smooth when I’m done without changing tools.
And ceramic sanding discs are crazy good on an angle grinder. They’re way more aggressive then a flap wheel. They last longer but cost more.
Harbor freight is great for welding stuff. I got their $100 mig welder. Works great. But it’s a light duty welder.
With the grinders, make sure you do your research. There are 2 versions of the $10 grinder. Made completely differently. One is junk out of the box. The other isn’t half bad. It’s a great deal.
Very good video! I purchased an inexpensive angle grinder to sharpen my mower blades. I had no idea it would bring me to the next level. Boys & old men work with wood. Men make things of metal.
Well...I think woodwork is pretty manly, too. But metal work is a rarer skill and probably more practical in a lot of situations.
Angle grinder's been on the "to get" list for a little while now. Thanks for the overview!
Observation: I'm none too sure I'd be using that thing while wearing shorts, no matter HOW hot it is outside!
Oh hey, Alachua County FL license tag! Greetings from Gator Country! :D
I'm a welder and metal worker I build custom furniture (for my wife!!!!). but yeah mig-welder machine ...angle grinder... And an Acetalyne torch. Are my three money makers..... Heck yeah...
Hey I'm new to this and wonder if you might help answer a question. What can kind of uses can you get out of a acetylene torch?
Yeah - they're the most useful tools you didn't know you needed until you get one.
I got one for raking mortar. Since then., I've cut metal to dispose of old furniture, cut metal joist hangers to avoid having to pound on joists, cut stone to repair a front wall and figured out that I can recycle old saw blades into wood scrapers.
I saw a video where you can make scrapers, knives and even marking knives from old saw blades. Been looking at getting a small lot of them on eBay.
Great video. Just picked up an angle grinder and am looking at more uses than the basic ones I had gotten it for. Thank you!
ALWAYS unplug your grinder when changing attachments. The on off switch is not a “keep holding it to keep it running”, (you have to maintain control with both hands) when it is on it is on and the start up torque, if you accidentally turn it on, will take your fingers off before you even notice it is running.
That being said it is a great tool, I have used mine for the uses mentioned as well as cutting heavy floor tiles and rough sanding wood and I now have a chain saw attachment too which I am going to build a simple saw mill with to slice up fair sized tree limbs - after I have built the jig in such a way that I am about 25 feet away from the sharp bits! I don’t want to lose any of my own limbs!
Yes... though I'm comfortable using the tool, I'm hardly an expert and never "lower my guard." More than others, there is a high potential for serious injury and I always unplug when changing the attachment. I also usually use the side handle for extra control.
I prefer working with metal myself. I need a welder but they are pricey. I actually also love metalcasting but i lost my previous equipment at an old house and need to start over a bit building a new metcasting furnace. Lost foam casting is so easy and works so well, everyone should try it
My first angle-grinder was a cheap local brand. It even had a speed control. But it got hot very easily where you hold it and especially in hot days, it became impossible to work with more then a minute, cause it burns the hand... So later I bought a Bosch professional one. It feels much better. The safety guard attaches safer then the cheaper one. and even the sound of the motor is less disturbing... Thanks for the video... I didn't know that I can take rust with that wire attachment :)
Another good idea for safety equipment is a leather apron I went out and bought me one the day after I set my shirt on fire while using a angle grinder
That would totally happen to me!
Hahahaha this just happened to me recently too 😂 ruined a good hooded fleece
I make fun out my dad that te burns his jackets up
NEARLY EVERY SINGGLE TIME he uses the big angle drinder
Hip Hop well, Not strange at all that it coughs on fire lol. Fleece shirts/hoodies can be put on fire if they come to close to a closed fireplace haha. I hope it went okay!
You can grind aluminum using special abrasives and taking great care to minimize heat. Light pressure on the tool and frequently reapplied hard wax or coolant of some sort. Beeswax is commonly used, some folks use kerosene or WD40. It will require extra cleanup before welding but aluminum needs to be very clean anyways so it's not much extra trouble.
I'm not nitpicking. Fantastic content. Just saying metal, much like woodwork, can offer a lifetime of learning. Nobody ever truly masters it. Most do's and don'ts are newbie advice (for good reason) but not set in stone.
For folks more interested in welding, Jody Colliers channel Welding Tips and Tricks is one of the best. Books from the James Lincoln Foundation are also superb. Metals and How to Weld Them has been in print for decades but still extremely relevant and worth buying.
Even the proper cup brush for grinders will throw bits of metal. I have picked a lot of them out of my chest over the years. Also the flap sander disc is better for rust removal. The wire cup does little to flash rust on old metal. it may look it is working but you are only removing a thin top layer of rust. The flap disc will get to shiny metal fast.
Great video. Great tutorial. Very useful.
Great video. I have a grinder. I used it with a wire wheel to remove paint and rust from a hatchway. The thing was awesome. Anyway you explained the disks very well. I never knew what exactly they do. Now I do. Thanks
I mostly work in wood but have always worked with different materials including glass tubes. When I was 12, we used a hacksaw to cut angle iron a drill to drill holes so we could bolt the stuff together and made a go kart.
Awesome!
Thanks for the video. Looking into learning to weld and trimming up small edges off my truck. 👍
SAFETY CONCERN: I bought the chicago electric brand from Harbor Freight for small tasks, not everyday use, and it works just great. However, it only has an on/off switch. Especially with reading that chain saw blade attachment comment below (which I own and use), potential kickback could be VERY DANGEROUS. If that comes out of your hands, that'll be spinning and bouncing like crazy. I'd recommend a grinder with a trigger just as a safety measure. Feathering a trigger is nice too but that's just a plus. I'm not doing huge work with my grinder so the on/off switch is okay for now. Stay safe folks!
I use angle grinder to (roughly) cut wood using the dedicated carbide disk. It is very fast
Angle grinders are amazing for quickly sharpening guitar bodies!
Got the harbor freight angle grinder for $5 on sale. It lasted 2 years. Damn well worth every cent.
I've had mine for 3 years, still going strong
VERY infomative. I searched many vids for this info before I make my purchase for these wheels. Thanks 4 sharing.
I have 2 grinders. One Ryobi and one skill. Both have been severely used and abused for about 6 plus years. Still work well. I do a fair amount of metal working. For funsies I bought one of those metal cut off disc for $14. Diamond edge I thing. It has lasted over a year. Your video made me think if I could used the angle grinders for some of the wood working I do. Any insight?.
Grinders are fantastic for crude work, but at 11,000 RPM, a fraction of a second can ruin the work piece. There are attachments for sanding and shaping wood and they're super fun (huge chips!), but don't expect to do finish work with them.
I have more than one grinder with different attachments on them. Especially when welding it saves time.. and yeah, all are Harbor Freight.. 😁👍
I am a woodworker. I hate metal work. I do have an angle grinder. It is used very rarely because it’s noisy dirty hot dangerous Apart from that it’s ok. Great video. More fun watching this than using one☺️
Great video, Rex!
I might suggest adding in there (here?) somewhere... You can "re-dress" grinder wheels a lot like they re-dress other grinding stones... by running it lightly against a rougher stone.
Now, you're probably not so likely to find a rougher stone than a grinding wheel... BUT you usually only need to get rid of the aluminum or other soft metal that's "loaded" the thing... SO a brief run and a light touch on even regular asphalt or concrete (or a proper "hard rock" like granite) is usually enough to do so for a quick resurface. It's not necessarily worth it for prolonged practices, BUT in those cases where you just need enough resurface to finish a step... OR when you just realized you loaded a brand new wheel... it can help out.
Bench grinders actually have an accessory called a "dressing" or "re-surface" tool. It's going to resemble (in case you don't already know) a large metal handle with a set of funky looking metal wheels in one end socket, with a couple "hooks" or pegs sticking out of it to catch the edge of the "tool guide" or "angle guide" on your grinder...
AND in Dremel's famous Assortments of accessories and bits, there are rectangular little "sharpening stones" or some folks call them "whet rocks" that don't look like they should be included. They're also for cleaning and resurfacing the little grinding and sharpening and shaping bits with stone... not actual sharpening or "whet" stones.
For the Dremel version, you can pinch the little square cleaner stone in a pair of pliers and just rub it against the running bit. You'll see the bit change color as it's cleaned... AND most of them will either get lighter or even appear to "turn white" as they spin and the "resurfacer" takes out the loaded metal or plastic that occasionally mistakenly ends up loading the stone bits... so you don't have to throw them away and buy brand new ones.
Angle grinders being "rotary cutters on steroids from Hell"... it seems like you'd need to be a bit crazy to even try... AND NO, for the record, I do NOT recommend trying to resurface a cut-off, or zip-disc wheel... Just don't.
BUT the grinder disc... you can get away with a cleaning or sometimes two... especially if all you want is removing some aluminum. Gently. ;o)
Well, that's a hot tip! Thanks SO much for sharing that!
@@RexKrueger Always welcome!
You might not be able to save everything every time... but anywhere you can stretch a dollar or two... RUN with it. ;o)
Simply a FANTASTIC informative video. Exactly what I was looking for.
dont forget fiber backed discs man! i use it all the time when working with router jig marks and resin removal. works mint and you can get different grits from 36 to 120 as far as i know. imo my bosche grinder is unkillable used to work as a sheet metal worker so it was used daily for 4 years no issues. still as strong as the day i found it leaning up against a pole walking downtown, still have the same key on it with the same electrical tape
This definitely deserved a "Thumbs Up".
I am a woodworker who dabbles in metal working too and I've found the angle-grinder to be a very valuable tool.
Thanks Rex.
Great video.
Eric Rusch Sr 👹👹🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮😪🙄😲🤐🐷
Some important piece of information: Some discs (cut-off discs for example) have a due date due to the resin inside getting older and more brittle. Keep this in mind.
How to know the expiry date?
@@nolramagemo619 Should be printed on the disc sonewhere :)
@@nolramagemo619 most have the due date stamped on the metal ring in the middel or the production date
I went the other way. From metal working to wood working. Gotta say that my wood working equipment has costed me moe than my metal tools. Only because l have a 2-1 router table with detachable router and a sliding miter saw. Both together cost as much as a mid level welder running 110V. Plus you can use some of your wood tools on metal working. Just by changing a blade like the grinder. (Circular Saw, Sawsall, jigsaw).
Thank you!.. I’m about to embark on a project that requires metal and this video was exactly what I needed to see 👏🏼🙏🏼
The most dangerous attachments for the grinder arent those little disks. They make a chainsaw attachment for wood that is the scariest thing ive seen go on a tool. My recommendation is if you have an angle grinder come with one of those immediately throw it in the trash. They are unpredictable and want to catch on stuff and then jump up into your fingers or your chest or anything truly important on your body.
Thanks, i am doing wood work and was thinking to move to metal working, thanks for your tips
Metabo is considered the best angle grinders. When grinding I find going in a crosshatch pattern most effective. Make scratches going one way and then change direction 90 degrees and make another set of scratches over the ones you've just made. I've been angle grinding for over 37 years so I know a bit about it now. As far as pushing goes 4.5s can't really hog off material. 7/9s can. You can stand on a 7/9 grinder and it'll just throw chunks off the work. Running a 7/9 is comical if you're used to what 4.5s do. a 7/9 is to a 4.5 like a 4.5 is to a Dremel. For those that don't know.
Just bought my 1st angle grinder today and found this a very good video so thanks for explaining 🙃
Yeah its great i like your idea on how angle grinder can be very useful
I should've watched this years ago. Thanks a lot for this video!
Very nice explanation. I have an angle grinder and find the flap wheels to be very effective for removal of paint/rust off metal. I think that I will avoid buying the dangerous-sounding wire brush wheel.
Thank you for this video. I build puppets with mostly wood and found materials. I want to start welding so I can start making outside sculptures. I just bought my first angle grinder. I’m off to the races. 👍🏾