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Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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Posted by toomuchglass (My Page) on Sat, May 30, 09 at 22:37
| Sparks and Shrapnel ! BIG TIME ! You guys that have done this forever will be laughing at my newbie experiences ~~~
I used an angle grinder with a cutting blade for the first time today . My son gave me his old steel patio table to cut apart. I broke out my NEW 4" angle grinder ...
Proud as a peacock ~~~ gonna cut me some steel ! LOL
I propped up the table frame ... and had at it.
I'm glad I wore safety glasses --- my face was getting pelted with metal .... and the sparks .... OUCH !!!
Ok - is this normal ? Was I standing too close ? Did I aim the cutter wrong ? I had to laugh - I came in - washed my face with a white washcloth and it was BLACK !!!! LOL
If you have any hints or suggestions for me - please tell me ! As always - Thank you !
Kathy
*** Stay tuned for MORE of my newbie adventures with metal ...
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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Any rotating tool has a direction of thrust and a direction of swarf ejection.
It is generally advantageous to have the swarf thrown away from the user, though that involves being able to control the thrust of the tool in a "climb cutting" direction. Climbing is cutting in the direction of rotation, inherently dangerous. Use a right angle handle if possible and develop your arms. Don't grind on the wheel face unless so rated.
A full face shield is recommended, especially if the disc shatters. 4 inchers have a higher RPM than the big boys, less inertia, easier to handle & therefore safer.
Try to never have the disc in a radial plane with your face, always offset.
And again, KNOW where the sparks are going, both for fire protection and prevention of embedment in window glass, etc. Curtains are helpful here. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| In direct answer to your question; sparks and shrapnel is what you get using an angle grinder, the metal you are removing has to go somewhere. As you work with metal more you will learn to tell a lot about the type of metal by color and shape of the sparks. alphonse has given you some good tips on using the tool. I will repeat his most important comment KNOW WHERE THE SPARKS ARE GOING. Using hearing protection is always a good idea and be careful wen you put the tool down. If the disk is still moving it can do damage even if it is not under power. Angle grinders are great tools. In addition to cutting you can use them to shape metal. I have a friend who builds dinosaurs out of bits of salvage rebar. He shapes the sections of rebar into "bones" using an angle grinder then welds them into a skeleton. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| Most angle grinders have a shield that covers a portion of the disk. You should be able to rotate the shield to a position that directs most of the sparks where you want them to go. A less dramitic tool for cutting up scrap is a reciprocating saw (Sawzall is the brand most people think of). It is not as fast as an angle grinder and no sparks, but a useful alternative. And then there is an oxygen/acetylene rig ........ I love to encourage people to collect tools. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| Again --- helpful tips ! Alphonse ... your suggestions are priceless . I'll admit - my arms hurt like heck the day after I cut up that table. Once I get alittle strength - I should be able to manipulate that grinder . ( I also moved those cars away from my area ! ) Blindstar ... I Learned last week about hearing protection. For an hour after I came in the house - my ears were ringing. Not good. Besides a full face shield - earplugs will be in my future. Next time I cut - I'm going to really pay attention how to hold the grinder and watch where the sparks go. ( Rotating the shield will help ,too - I never thought of that ) People that work with metal amaze me . I never gave a thought to the color and shape of sparks. I'm still at that newbie stage where I carry a magnet with me when looking at metal - to find steel. My hubby can just look or touch something and know what it is. I have a long way to go ....
I'm glad you 2 are here to help !! |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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I hereby raise controversy and make the declarative statement that the guard on hand angle grinders should be removed. The only exception being a visit from OSHA by an inspector who has only held a pencil and whose work experience is writing citations.
The guard truly limits the tool's range and is a great thing to catch on the work enabling the grinder to torque itself at the user.
I forgot to mention prior- always stop the disc on the work, or suitable surface (something unable to be flung) before setting the tool down, as alluded to by Blindstar. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| I only partially disagree with you. In the spirit of full disclosure- there are no guards on my angle grinders, however, I do lots of stuff I would not recommend to someone starting out. Ignoring OSHA, I think that safe practices are to a certain extent subjective and related to experience and skill levels. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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Well, newbies need to crawl first, and I don't advocate unsafe practice in any way. Observing what the tool does is the direct route to control. Common sense says don't try to fight a one horsepower tool unless you can exert more than one horse.
People working at home (non-employee) can indeed ignore OSHA. Simply threw that in having been on the bad side of an OSHA visit. Should be re-named "Agency to eliminate jobs via Outrageous Fines". |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| Safety first! Gloves, face shield, ear plugs a dust mask and two hands on the tool. Removing a guard is not a very smart thing to do, I have seen at least four metal fabricators (not weekend warriors) get bad cuts by ignoring the above advice. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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Safety always. But we will have to disagree whether removing the guard is smart... I too have seen four metalworkers hurt BY the guard.
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RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| Hi Alphonse, can you explain how these metalworkers were hurt by the gaurd? |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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Sure, in each case (one mine) the guard caught on the work or enabled a point of leverage to throw itself back at the user. In my instance it was in a confined space.
Note that in all cases the grinder was capable of driving a 9" wheel,15A, and sometimes powered by DC which provides greater torque.
The smaller grinders aren't so prone though they too kickback.
Guards are fine if the grinder always stays in one position, in one direction, and never gets used on the face.
There's also a correlation between grinder power and human size. I've seen big ol' boys do things with a grinder that would hurt me. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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I to have used a grinder many many times as I used to weld for a living and the pros is for a guard for sure. I have seen a grinding blade cut a guys face one time and when it fell from that then it cut his wrist. He had a faceshield on as well, but when the grinder kicked back it knocked the faceshild off and he was not using a guard. Bad choice.
I took him to the emergency room and he had several stitches in his face and wrist. |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| I've used a 4-1/2" grinder for a long time and would never consider removing the guard. My view on power tools is that you have to always consider worst case. Worst case is more likely to happen with the guard off than with the guard on. The guard on my Bosch rotates easily, and I've never felt that it got in the way of my doing the cutting job I wanted. I've had several minor accidents and near accidents in the last 40 years in my shop, and they all seem to have resulted from not following standard safety practices, or from not taking full advantage of the safety features on my machines. Finally, to the original poster: Do you have the right cutting blade on for the material and the job you want to do? |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| Everybody here knows more about this subject than I do, but FWIW, it's possible to use an old skill saw with an abrasive cut off blade to cut up lots of stuff- a sort of hand-held chop saw. I do sometimes use my little Makita side grinder without a guard, but I sure learned to keep my knuckles out of the way ... |
RE: Whoa -- newbie using an angle grinder - ----
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| I have sooo enjoyed reading this thread! I have learned alot and laughed or should I say giggled at some of the posts. Thank you for the information and insight from a passer-by who has a keen interest in metal work. |
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