Spinning Danger Wheel of Death!

[frankenfab]

I was cleaning some rust off an axle housing in preparation for a weld. The instrument of disaster was a stinger brush in a 4.5" DeWalt grinder. In the blink of an eye, the wheel caught an edge and jumped out to bite me. Several square inches of denim and the underlying skin were removed in a heartbeat. This is also about the third time something like this has happened to me.

I am looking for a lower speed, more manageable option. An electric or air drill has been tried and they both suck. Does anyone have any experience with one of the low cost air grinders?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=30304
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/30300-30399/30304.gif




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[darkstar]

that may work for you. I have one, and honestly, it only has enough torque to run a flap disc. never tried a wire brush, but it should be good for that too. Can't really use it with a metal cutting disc, gets hung up real easily, not like the 8 amp milwaukee.

[jeepnjim]

Have Great Luck Running A 90* Die Grinder With "roloc" Disc, Either The 2 Or The 3 Inch. You Can Buy The Roloc At Hf. They Come In Sanding Grits Or Scotch Brite Pads Of Varying Coarsness. Try Them You Will Like Them.

[Aces'n'8s]

I was cleaning some rust off an axle housing in preparation for a weld. The instrument of disaster was a stinger brush in a 4.5" DeWalt grinder. In the blink of an eye, the wheel caught an edge and jumped out to bite me. Several square inches of denim and the underlying skin were removed in a heartbeat. This is also about the third time something like this has happened to me.

I am looking for a lower speed, more manageable option. An electric or air drill has been tried and they both suck. Does anyone have any experience with one of the low cost air grinders?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=30304
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/30300-30399/30304.gif




.

By "stinger brush" are you referring to the "cup-brush" or the "wheel-brush"? I have found that one should always use both hands when stripping/finishing material with one of these...and certainly were eye protection...maybe goggles and then an face shield.

I bought a good used IR air grinder as a pawn shop. However, my compressor couldn't give it the volume of air it needed very quickly and thus the power grinder was reinstated.

x2 on the air die grinders. They are great for surface prep, but IMO they take too long for heavy material removal.

[Urban Wheeler]

I was cleaning some rust off an axle housing in preparation for a weld. The instrument of disaster was a stinger brush in a 4.5" DeWalt grinder. In the blink of an eye, the wheel caught an edge and jumped out to bite me. Several square inches of denim and the underlying skin were removed in a heartbeat. This is also about the third time something like this has happened to me.

I am looking for a lower speed, more manageable option. An electric or air drill has been tried and they both suck. Does anyone have any experience with one of the low cost air grinders?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=30304
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/30300-30399/30304.gif




.
I have one of those at work, real handy for tight spots where you can't get a big Sioux in there, or just can't find one. (shop grinder) Cutoff whell work great, grinding wheels work good too, but it does bog down if you put too much pressure on it. I did use a wire wheel on it once, and ended up wearing my welding gloves with it because it got so cold. (Had frost on it!)

[Kartracer55]

Yeahm tyr a 90* grinder with roloc pads. Depending on how often you will use them, you can get them by the 50 pack for alot cheaper than standard 10 packs.

Jim

[4x4mike]

I use the IR 301 or something like that. Go to ebay and type in roloc. They have the scotch brite and abrasive pads. I buy mine by the 100. I was in AutoZone the other day and saw 3 for 17 dollars. They work the best and it is hard to get hurt with them. I also run my cup brush on the angle grinder. I turn the compressor down to like 35 psi so it will not self distruct.

[RockRunner85]

Doesn't your grinder have the screw in handle that goes into the side of it. Atleast thats how my Dewalt is. Without the handle on there its hard to control when it catches on something. With the handle, using two hands on it I've never run into a problem.

[redrangie]

I NEVER use stingers anymore, except on a flat surface. Too much kick back. I use standard cups on 4.5's, 7 and 9's, as well as die grinders. My cleaning method of choice is a hand brush or die grinder these days...

[Grim Reaper]

Let me get this right.......Your tool is too much for you, you cant hold onto it you want smaller...........Thats just unamerican I tell you!

[frankenfab]

Let me get this right.......Your tool is too much for you, you cant hold onto it you want smaller...........Thats just unamerican I tell you!
A stinger wheel can act like a spring. If it catches, it can store a lot of energy in an instant, and then suddenly jump out. I was holding the grinder with both hands. It happened so fast, I'm not even sure how it got away from me.

[redrangie]

A stinger wheel can act like a spring. If it catches, it can store a lot of energy in an instant, and then suddenly jump out. I was holding the grinder with both hands. It happened so fast, I'm not even sure how it got away from me.

I had a knotted cup bounce off, and catch my shirt. Thank god I wear loose fitting shirts. It stalled out without taking my skin with it...

[TNToy]

I initially mocked my buddy for buying a Chicago Electric $19 4.5" grinder.

But I've been building my truck in that shop, and picking it up is faster than switching wheels in mine. I now use my industrial paddle-switch one for grinding/cutoff stuff.

That harbor freight one works great for wire wheel and cuttoff wheel use in tight corners where you KNOW it'll probably kick back. It has about half the torque of an $80 professional grinder, and my skinny 145 pound ass can keep it pinned when it starts boucing around... Kinda like using a small 12v cordless drill after you've been used to a good corded gear-reduction one that'll about break both wrists when the bit catches. ;)

Besides, Chinese plastic internals. COME AWN. :grinpimp:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=31309
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/31300-31399/31309.gif

[basketcasejeep]

I had a knotted cup bounce off, and catch my shirt. Thank god I wear loose fitting shirts. It stalled out without taking my skin with it...

I have a Milwaukee 5" grinder, the speed is adjustable so its easier to control when you're grinding. Also, if you need to control heat on delicated objects(sharpening blades, etc) you can turn it down. This also keeps from taking too large of a chunk out of the metal. The downside is that this beast has 12-13A of power. I was using a wire cup brush on it once- it caught on something and grabbed my sweatshirt. THIS THING DOES NOT STALL EASILY. I was able to let off the handle before it could strip me nekkid. :eek: I picked up a cheaper 6A grinder to finish the wire brush work...

With the big one, you can put your weight on it and it won't stall like the 4.5" ones. Be realllll careful.

I bought a HF angle die grinder a few weeks back for cleanup. It seems to do ok if you have a good source of air- I'm using the York on my truck(ie not quite enough air at idle). I've used some wire brushes on it. There are also some wire brushes that can be used on a drill- these are probably a lot safer as they turn slower.

[fordnut]

Let me get this right.......Your tool is too much for you, you cant hold onto it you want smaller...........Thats just unamerican I tell you!


personaly i prefer a floor buffer with a thirteen inch wire wheel, thats power.

[BumpyDodge]

Roloc wheels are great, but they can't match a knotted wire wheel for welding slag cleanup. You can also use a knotted wire wheel for undercoat removal on frames and to de-burr wire edges on plate. The setup you have can do a lot, I wouldn't swap it for something less capable.

I feel like an old fart asking this, but.......

1) Does it still have the guard on it? If you're working without one, put it back on. The part of the wire wheel it covers isn't useful anyway. Contrary to what many people (dumbasses) will tell you, you aren't gaining anything removing it.

2) Is the guard clocked right? -Turn the guard so that it's covering the left side of the wheel to about 5 to 11 o'clock (viewed from top) instead of 3 o'clock to 9. This will prevent you from working off the kickback area of the wheel but still protect your "trigger finger" on most 4 and 4 1/2" grinders.This also lets you "aim" sparks and debris in a safe direction when working in a busy area. If the guard is still annoying you, you can grind the lower lip off of it and shorten it a little for better clearance.

3) Are you working off the right side of the wheel? - Work off the right side of the wheel only from about 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock position so the wire wheel is always pulling the grinder away from you - if you catch an edge and it kicks, it's much easier to control and it won't hurt you. The wheel will kick like a mule if you always use the 9 to 12 o'clock section. You can flip the grinder upside down if you're in an awkward spot (the right is now left - but it's still pulling away from you) Stop working off the left/top side of the wheel and you'll probably stop getting hurt.

If you start using it correctly, you'll find your wire wheel to be a much more useful tool and use it more often. As your wheel breaks in, it will be less jumpy. An old cinder block works well if you want to "dress" your wire wheel also.

Use a welding glove on your dominant work hand and wear good eye protection.

Happy Wheeling (wire and four :laughing: ) !

[mountain4x4]

^^^^ Good Advice ^^^^

I've never understood why you'd ever want to remove the guard on a dangerous tool like an angle grinder. Especially if youre brave enough to use .045 cutting wheels (I am). The guard is there so you dont get hurt when a wheel explodes, prevents kickback, and allows you to put it down while it is still spinning. I've used wire cups and wheels on a Bosch 4.5" a lot, I'm sure I'd have less skin today without the guard.

[frankenfab]

Wrote some good advice........

I admit it, the guard was off. Thanks for the tips. I'll give it another go.

[ironmanl21]

you mite look into buying a metabo brand grinder. there german made (better than asain crap) and some of them have adjustable speeds