Angle grinder questions


 
Bob, I have had the grinder jump out of my hands a couple times when doing a cook box with the wire cup brush and having the switch locked on. You would be surprised how an angle grinder spinning at 10,000 rpms with a wire brush can do circles in the yard. Keep that plug handy!

If you can get one with a paddle switch, that is the best bet.
 
Yeah that is going to be one of my next investments is a paddle switch grinder. I really have learned to hate the lack of control with a locking switch
 
Everyone already said it but I will double down since I just finished my cleaning yesterday!!!! I broke every rule and put myself in some dangerous spots. I have band-aids on my fingers and fortunately I dont have a cutting disc in my forehead from my boat project that I am doing simultaneously with the grill project. I will admit I found the guards to be in the way so I removed them to get into the tight spots. I cuts myself with all 3 devices......the wires wheel just leaves your skin looking bright red in shock and not knowing if it should bleed or not. The cutting wheel shows no mercy...a quick touch of it send you into a loud OUCH!! then u bleed and should clean that wound immediately. The grinding wheel not as bad but still skins ya! My point is smart people keep the guards on!!!!!!! The next best piece of advice is to were gloves and they have to be leather......my wire wheel chewed right through my light weight rubber gorilla gloves. Here is something nobody mentioned....I also broke this rule several times.....hold on tight keep firm control of the tool. It will catch a corner or edge and get yanked out of your hand....so hold on tight.
The grinder with wire brush wheel was so effective its the only way to go.....Just heed the advice given above and you will be fine.
Use steel wool on just about everything else u want to clean...it works amazingly well.
 
Jim, welcome to the official Weber Gas Grill Rehabbers Club. It seems you punched every ticket on your way in. The only one I think you missed was having a wire wheel catch your shirt and skin your belly.
 
Ha.....ya a couple of times as I was ninja wheeling I gotta lil loose and said to myself......damn that was a little close to the jacket! But fortunately that one hasnt happened to me yet.
From a previous thread I forgot who it was....but I appreciate the post with pics of cutting wheel injuries. It has me on higher alert. I am restoring a pontoon boat and there is a lot of cutting and grinding that is needed almost daily. My biggest error is getting my eyes and head because my eyes happen to be installed in my head....right in line with my cut....I mean how else can u get a straight cut.....and I even pull it right at me. Since reading that post I am wearing a face shield but I believe its too cheap. My next purchase will be a face shield that can stop a flying cutting wheel. Maybe a chainsaw face shield?
 
I use a polycarbonate CSA certified face shield and prescription safety glasses underneath. And if it cannot be reached with the guard on the wheel it does not get done. In my younger days I had a piece of steel fly off a grinder and stick in my eye which I had to have surgically removed. Lost a bit of vision but was really lucky. Once bitten, twice shy.
 
As safe as I have tried to be, this thread has me re-thinking safety some more. I admit I have used a grinder without a guard using a cup brush, not a cut-off wheel. However, I have used a small cut-off tool without the guard in place when I couldn't find a way to cut with it in place :rolleyes: . I guess I will put my guard back on permanently.

I am going to look at the face shield mentioned. I get pretty frustrated with safety goggles that steam up in seconds in our humid climate.

I, and I bet others, would be interested to see what members here are using that they feel works well and where they got their equipment from.
 
Bruce said:
Richard, I had the exact same thing happen to me when I was about 20 years old.
Click to expand...
Same here only it was from an exhaust system back in my Cadillac mechanic days. We had to do everything flat on our backs. It was the days before the electric 2 post lifts. I worked in a multi floor shop across the street from Medinah Shrine Temple. On the 4th floor obviously we could not have hydraulic post lifts. So all work was done on our backs. Was using an air chisel to remove a muffler and caught a metal shard in the eye. And yes I had safety glasses with side shields on them
 
I didn't know what safety glasses were back in my teens and 20's. Hearing protection was an unknown concept as well. Now I know what hearing aids are like.
 
@Bruce, @Richard in NS, yeah. I never used hearing protection growing up on the farm, rock concerts, and then for almost 6 years, had the output slot from an IBM 5211 chain printer 8' away from my left ear. I know I'm going to have hearing aids at some point (should I live that long....)

I've had prescription safety glasses several times over the years, and seriously.... they are worth their weight in gold.
 
Yep u guys are all talkin the right tune......I am soooooooooo guilty. I would rather wear a full shield and heavier gloves then put the guard back on. I have seen those leather bibs that blacksmiths and other tradesmen use...maybe that could protect the middle belly zone. I used my drill with a straight metal brush on it to get into the corners and it did a great job. Count me in on ear muffs as well......if I am using something screeching loud I put em on.
 
Hot weather is coming soon. that means grinding very early in the morning.
I ALWAYS WEAR ..... heavy gloves, long sleeves, jeans, boots, respirator,
and a face shield..... and I am not some overly cautious safety nut. I have
just have had too many wires to the face, hands, and arms. Breathed in too much
of the crap dust that who knows whats really in it, and danced with a dropped
grinder on a couple of occasions.
 
I should probably get me one of those face shields. Problem is, I don't think you can find them right now.
 
Thanks Jon......your link motivated me to pull the trigger on a similar shield. See link https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B62BDDY/tvwb-20
I'm too tired to read the differences between the two but they get very good ratings and the current one that I wear is a lightweight plastic film from Harbor Freight that would stop a bottle cap. I love Amazon so I purchased w confidence that I could return if need be. The only thing that wasnt mentioned in any detail is just what this shield is capable of stopping......like my Oakley sunglasses are actually ballistic so maybe I missed something in this face shields write up. Its late and I was impulsive....hope I made a decent decision but I think we are all moving in the right direction.
Hey since we mentioned this.....I will do my brother proud and mention.....be careful w bunjee cords!!!!! My brother had one come undone on him while at eye level from 8ft away.....it blew out his eye. Modern technology was able to give him decent vision back but he was a contractor and the loss of vision took his confidence...he never went back to work as a contractor. He works at Dulles Airport now. Sad story .....So I pass it along to anyone I see that uses bunjees....I use them all the time....but I wear my Oakleys and often close my eyes or look away during risky hook ups.
 
Jim, a lot of posts on Amazon rely on you looking up the ANSI specs to see what they are rated for. Probably so you cannot sue them if they stated something wrong.
 
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