Safety first: rules for working with angle grinders

How to work with a grinder, choosing the right equipment

An angle grinder or grinder is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of any craftsman. A grinder is used to cut profile and round pipes, corners, grind blanks, remove paint, and use them as cutting machines. But the grinder is considered one of the most traumatic tools, since the cutting disc rotates at high speed. We will tell you how to work with a grinder in order to avoid dangerous moments and choose the right equipment for it.

1. What kind of protection is needed to work with a grinder?

Cutting disc for metal with a diameter of 115 or 125 mm rotates at a speed of more than 10,000 rpm. If the disc breaks during operation, the debris turns into a bullet and can injure unprotected parts of the body. Both abrasive particles of the disc and hot metal particles that can get into the eyes are dangerous to humans.

Therefore, to work with a grinder, you need protective equipment:

Thick clothing.
Goggles or face shield.
Closed shoes with solid soles.

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A respirator for respiratory protection when cutting brick, stone, concrete or ceramic tiles with a grinder.
Gloves made of thick material such as leather or split leather.

Important! When working with a grinder, fasten the cuffs of the sleeves and the jacket with all the buttons. If clothing is loose, it could be wrapped around the rotating disc, resulting in injury.

2. What to check before starting work?

The grinder - an angle grinder - is a tool that operates on an electrical network (we will leave the battery models outside the brackets). The grinder operator, before starting work with angle grinders, must check that:

The power cord is not cracked or broken.
The instrument has a whole body.
The tool has a protective cover.
The disc is appropriate for the type of work being performed.
The disc has no chips, no visible damage and rotates without beating.

3. Which side to put the cutting disc for metal on the grinder?

Cutting disc for metal for an angle grinder is an abrasive replaceable tooling - a consumable. The rim diameter of the disc is 22.2 mm. The front of the disc bears the manufacturer's logo, specifications and a metal washer. On the reverse, "clean" side of the cutting disc, this washer is not present. They do not write on the discs which side to put it on the grinder - pattern inward or pattern outward. We are guided by logic.

If you install a cutting disc for metal with a "jacket", ie. outside, the operator always sees what he is working with. This is important if several people are using the same tool.

If you install the disc with a "jacket" to the tool reducer, i.e. a metal washer to the flange of the grinder, then the clamping nut comes into contact with the abrasive surface of the disc. If the disc bites, then the nut, due to self-tightening, will be more difficult to unscrew than if the metal of the washer is in contact with the metal of the nut.

Important! The wrench that comes with the grinder is primarily designed to unscrew the fixing nut, which is securely twists by hand, thanks to self-tightening, if you tighten the cutting disc a little, holding the shaft lock on the gearbox grinders.

4. Cut with sparks towards yourself or away from yourself?

Each master chooses his own way of working with a grinder, and each has both pros and cons. If you cut with sparks from yourself, then:

The working area is clearly visible, because it is not closed by a sheaf of sparks.
Sparks do not fly onto clothing or burn through it.

Minus - in case of a reverse impact, if you cut with sparks from yourself, the tool, if pulled out of your hands, can fly towards the operator.

If you cut on yourself with sparks, then:

The working area is closed with a sheaf of sparks.
Sparks fly onto clothes and spoil them.

The advantage of the method is that with a reverse impact, if the tool also knocked out the hands, and the power of the grinders with a disc diameter of 230 mm can exceed 2 kW, the angle grinder will fly away from the operator.

Important! If you are cutting metal with sparks towards yourself, then do not stand in the plane of rotation of the disc. Adjust the shroud so that the sparks are flying down under your feet and not on your clothing. Two more important rules:

If you cut the grinder with sparks towards yourself, then start cutting the metal from the edge closest to you, leading the angle grinder forward.
If you cut with sparks from yourself, then start cutting the metal from the edge farthest from you and pull the angle grinder towards you.

5. How to cut metal to avoid jamming the disc?

Take special care when cutting thick workpieces with a grinder, such as shaped pipes. The main danger is that if the workpiece is incorrectly positioned, then at the finish, the edges of the groove will close, and the angle grinder disk will clamp. Doing so could cause it to break, jam the tool or kick back.

The main rule is that when cutting metal, the edges of the workpiece should gradually open or remain in their original position. To do this, place boards under the pipe or position the section to be cut off the edge of a workbench or table.

Important! Take special care when cutting pipes or fittings that are stressed, for example, when dismantling metal structures, since the grinder's disc can jam at the most unexpected moment.

6. How to choose the right disc for a grinder?

Discs for angle grinders differ in:

diameter;
thickness;
material of manufacture;
type of proposed work;
maximum allowable rotation speed.

Grinder discs are classified into:

detachable;
grinding;
polishing.

The diameter of discs for grinders varies from 115 mm to 230 mm. The most universal diameter is 125 mm. A disc with a diameter of 150 is used on medium-power angle grinders. Discs with a diameter of 180 and 230 mm are used on the most powerful angle grinders.

Important! Never place circular saw blades on the grinder. These discs are not designed to work with angle grinders and installing such a disc on a grinder is a direct path to injury.

As a rule, choose your disc for each type of work. T. e. do not grind metal or sharpen drills with a cut-off wheel. Do not try to install a larger diameter disc on the grinder by removing the protective cover. For example, putting a disc with a diameter of 125 mm on the 115th angle grinder. To work on stone, use the so-called. diamond discs.

To clean metal from rust and paint stripping, place flat disc brushes or cup-shaped cord brushes on the grinder.

7. Basic rules when working with a grinder

Remember, angle grinder does not forgive mistakes! Here is a list of basic rules that will come in handy for a beginner when working with a grinder:

Do not use the instrument if you are very tired and sick.
Make sure the workpiece is well secured.
Do not use cheap discs from unverified manufacturers, they can fly apart at any time.
Disconnect the tool from the mains when changing accessories and discs.
Hold the tool using the auxiliary handle.
When working with a grinder, you do not need to press hard on the tool and put too much pressure on the disc.
After working with the angle grinder, wait until the grinder disk stops rotating before placing the tool on the table.

On the subject of the tool for the home craftsman, we recommend reading about the choice of welding accessories. And also about how to make a machine for cutting an aluminum profile from an ordinary grinder. The video shows how to choose and use a grinder correctly.