Angle grinder questions

[greenalien]

If you do use a grinder on board, and you're cutting steel (or some types of stainless steel), be aware that the metal dust goes everywhere, then turns to rust and makes an unsightly - and hard to remove - mess!

 

[Croak]

squint a bit to protect yours eyes from flying shards of steel.

I find it safer if you shut your eyes!

 

[VicS]

I find it safer if you shut your eyes!

And put your hands over your ears to protect them from the noise.

 

[prv]

And put your hands over your ears to protect them from the noise.

And since that leaves you no hands to press the button on the grinder, it's safest of all

Pete

 

[Bobobolinsky]

.....and really, don't be tempted to use a cutting disc without the guard on.

I've done it. I used to as a matter of course.

But the guard will stop the grinder spinning around the disc because.....

.........one day the disc will snatch in a cut (the metal may move, like when cutting angle iron) and the grinder will be wrenched from your hand, almost tearing your thumb off and will spriral up into the air (still running because it was one with a "latch-on" switch) and plummet to earth, hopefully not landing on you or a loved one, with the disc still spinning at 6000rpm.

I was that soldier......

At that moment, it decided to get curled up in my crutch........

Lesser of two evils, I stopped the blade with my hand

Only seven stitches in my hand and a slight burn to my nether regions

 

[Croak]

I did my hand, momentary lapse of concentration to look for a glove to protect my hand

It didn't hurt so washed it quick before it did. Strange thing is it never hurt or bled, down to an inch long scar now.

I recon I couterized it, burned as it cut, still gave me that, oh no what have I done now feeling in my gut.

 

[maxcampbell]

This whole thread does confirm that angle grinders are the scariest power tool.

I first used one - petrol gutsy thing - to cut reinforced concrete pipes, about 8' dia, to length, with discs that wore down, so that the 6" thickness had to be cut from both sides. It was inevitable that at some point the pipe would collapse, trapping the blade , which would shatter. Never got hurt.

My only injury was 20 years later, scoring round a 3" thick bit of concrete with an electric one (about 2.7 Kw, mind - and 12" diamond blade). I put it down while it was still spinning, and it scrabbled over the concrete and buried itself in my foot, less than a mm away from the major tendon attaching my big toe to the rest.

Nastty things.

 

[VicS]

This whole thread does confirm that angle grinders are the scariest power tool.


Nastty things.

Circular saws are what scare me the most.

 

[mcframe]

I suppose it'd get your rig disconnected pretty quickly (if the seawater didn't get to it first).

Anyone else remember when the rig came down on the Kiwi AC boat a couple of years ago?

I'm *sure* I saw the support bods running 12" (engine powered!?!) grinders while leaning over the edge of the chase ribs!

 

[John the kiwi]

Anyone else remember when the rig came down on the Kiwi AC boat a couple of years ago?

I'm *sure* I saw the support bods running 12" (engine powered!?!) grinders while leaning over the edge of the chase ribs!

Yes but they would have been kiwis! Born with an angle grinder in one hand and a beer in the other!