Homemade wood disc for an angle grinder. Wood disc for an angle grinder: an indispensable assistant, or a dangerous device? Equipment for grinding and roughing work
Bulgarian, being universal tool at home handyman or a professional, is used when performing many operations on cutting materials, grinding, peeling various surfaces etc. Sooner or later every owner of this instrument I wonder: is it possible to work on wood with an angle grinder, and what attachments are needed for this?
The only operations with wood that can be performed with an angle grinder (angle grinder) without danger are grinding and roughing, and then using special attachments. Of course, you can cut wood, but it is strictly prohibited! The Internet is full of shocking photographs showing what the consequences of using an angle grinder as a cutting tool on wood.
The main arguments that can be made against using an angle grinder for sawing are as follows.
- This machine is not designed for sawing wood.
- Since wood has a viscous and soft structure, it saw blade may get stuck in it. As a result, the grinder is often pulls out of hands, and it flies in an unpredictable direction (in the leg, along the arms, in the stomach, etc.), causing deep wounds to a person or amputation of fingers. Even fatal cases have been reported.
- When cutting wood it happens very quickly heating the saw blade, causing it to begin to lose strength. The slightest misalignment or excessive pressure may cause it to fly apart. Since the spindle speed of an angle grinder is high, tool fragments fly away at the speed of shrapnel and penetrate deeply under a person’s skin. The user will be lucky if the fragments do not fly into the head or eyes.
- Despite all the dangers of using saw blades with teeth, some angle grinder users ignore this fact and continue to install compass disks with large teeth or improved with carbide tipped. If, when cutting wood, a hard knot or nail residue gets caught in it, the tooth or solder breaks off, gets caught by the next saw tooth and is thrown out at the speed of a bullet. One can only guess about the consequences.
- Ignoring all the warnings, users of grinders install a circular saw with a larger diameter than protective cover. This is the most dangerous option using an angle grinder.
Based on the above, you can cut wood with an angle grinder only at your own peril and risk, and only if this is a single or infrequent operation.
If you have to cut down a tree constantly, then it is better to purchase for these purposes special machine, or use a jigsaw. In extreme cases, the grinder can be used as a drive and made into a circular saw, securing the device rigidly to the frame.
What kind of circles are there for cutting wood?
Despite the dangers of using an angle grinder for cutting wood, tool manufacturers still produce saw blades for it.
Circular saws
The photo below shows “dangerous” saw wheel for an angle grinder, although its diameter corresponds to the protective casing of a grinder with a maximum working tool of 180 mm. There are tipped saws with smaller diameters.
On next photo you can see a less dangerous version of the circular saw. It provides protection against jamming, and is implemented by slightly moving the teeth in different directions.
Chainsaws
A saw blade made using a chainsaw chain reduces the risk of injury if the tool jams. This attachment is designed in such a way that the chain attached to the inner disk (base) has not fixed landing.
If the chain gets stuck in the material being processed, the base continues to rotate and the tool does not tear out of your hands.
These chain discs for grinders have many modifications, and with their help you can trim branches in the garden, and also use them for rough cutting of thin boards.
In addition to cutting, the chain disk can also be used like a ripper, for example, for removing bark, as well as for cutting cups in logs and modeling.
Saws with few teeth
Also, for grinders, in order to increase the safety of working with wood, tool manufacturers produce cutting discs with a small number of teeth.
Disks of small diameter can have 3 teeth, and large ones - 4, as shown in the following photo.
These grinder blades are excellent at cutting wood both along the grain and across it. Moreover, with the help saw blade you can cut grooves, make various cuts and tenons in the workpiece. But when working with an angle grinder, you should adhere to one rule: you need to install a cutting disc on the grinder with a diameter for which it is designed by the manufacturer, that is, do not exceed its dimensions. Circles of smaller diameter can be installed.
Tungsten carbide discs
Tungsten carbide discs for angle grinders appeared on sale not so long ago and made a kind of revolution in the field of woodworking.
Given universal disk has no teeth. Instead of the latter, segments are located around the circumference of the nozzle. Trimming disc looks like a diamond wheel for cutting concrete. Using a tungsten carbide wheel for an angle grinder, you can very easily saw wood of any hardness and viscosity. In addition, he is not afraid of nails, screws and other metal inclusions that may be in the workpiece on his way.
This is the safest wood saw blade for corner grinding machine.
Its price on the Internet is about 700 rubles. But if you consider possible consequences the use of circular saws, then this is a low price to pay for safety.
Wood sanding attachments
For wood processing, in addition to cutting wheels, there are specially designed ones for installation on angle grinder attachments, with which you can peel, sand, brush and mill wooden surfaces.
Peeling attachments
If you need to remove a layer of paint or other coating from wooden surface, you can install a grinding attachment on the grinder. There are a large number of different attachments for grinding work available on the market. They differ in shape, design, and types of work that can be performed with this tool.
The photo below shows disk nozzles with thorns or crumbs, with which you can easily remove the top layer of wood, grind down the end of the board, etc.
The next cutter, due to the fact that the tenons on it are located on a flat plane, allows level various wooden surfaces. For example, if 2 boards on the floor at the end joint are on different heights. Using this attachment, the defect is easily eliminated and the boards are joined in the same plane.
Peeling attachments are also available twisted wire. They can be made in the form of a metal cup with a wire inserted into it.
Or in the form of a disk with turns of wire clamped in its central part.
These brushes are used if you need to quickly peel old paint from a wooden surface or rust and paint from metal.
The next photo shows a brush with a smaller diameter wire, and it is used for finer roughing work on wood and metal.
In addition to cleaning, this brush is often used for brushing wood, that is, giving it an aging effect. If this effect needs to be applied on large surfaces, professional field, then for brushing it is better to use special hand-held machines with wide brushes.
Grinding and polishing attachments
For grinding various surfaces, including wood, there is a special attachment for angle grinders on sale, consisting of a metal base, onto which it is attached using Velcro emery grinding wheel. The attachment is screwed onto the angle grinder shaft and tightened with an open-end wrench.
It is often equipped with an adapter for mounting in a drill chuck or drilling machine.
A grinding wheel is not used for polishing surfaces. Instead, they are installed on the nozzle felt discs, which are attached with Velcro.
Also often used for sanding wooden surfaces. flap sanding wheel. It is called so because it consists of many petals fixed on its plane, made of sandpaper. The grain size of the latter can be selected based on the requirements for the surface being processed. For rough sanding, coarse-grain sandpaper is suitable, and for finishing sanding, vice versa.
The better way to sand wood - with a grinder or a sander - depends on what you are going to prepare the wooden surface for. If under application regular paint, then you can use a grinding wheel. If for varnishing, then a grinding wheel mounted on an angle grinder cannot be used, since it will produce small radial scratches on the surface of the wood, which will clearly appear after applying the varnish. In this case, longitudinal grinding is used for grinding. belt sander(the sanding belt moves longitudinally) or vibration, where the same sanding wheels are used.
Safety precautions when working with an angle grinder on wood
If you decide to use an angle grinder as a tool for cutting wood, then you should remember some safety measures that cannot be ignored.
- Before installing the tool on the angle grinder, it must be disconnected from the power supply.
- Under no circumstances do not remove the protective casing from the angle grinder. This is the only barrier between the circular saw and your skin. In some cases, it will be able to protect your face from flying instrument fragments.
- When working with an angle grinder on wood and not only the use of protective gloves is a must.
- Do not use large and powerful angle grinders to cut wood. If the saw jams, you will not be able to hold the tool in your hands.
- Do not use saw blades with teeth large sizes, since the likelihood of them catching on hard wood fibers increases significantly and, accordingly, the likelihood of tearing the tool out of your hands increases.
- An angle grinder must have speed controller which need to be reduced to a minimum. If there is no regulator in the device, then it is better not to risk your health. As a last resort, you can make a regulator yourself and install it in an extension cord socket.
- The grinder should be held strictly at a right angle while sawing. Any slight misalignment can cause the circular saw to collapse.
- Under no circumstances should you fix the device’s start button, since in an emergency you will not be able to stop the tool and minimize injuries.
The average user associates a grinder with a tool for metal, concrete, and brick. This is not the entire area where angle grinders are used. She can work on wood. There are special wheels for grinders. For sawing, milling, grinding wooden blanks Several types of cutting wheels are used. Each is designed to perform a narrowly specialized task. There is no universal option.
Saw blades are classified by diameter. This parameter is taken into account when selecting an attachment for a specific angle grinder model. If the diameter of the disk is larger than permissible, then working with the tool is possible only after removing the protective casing, and this is a gross violation of safety regulations. To avoid problems, cutting wheels are available in several standardized sizes:
- 115 mm – sanding wood in hard-to-reach places
- 125 mm – milling, grinding, stripping of bark
- 150 mm – sawing boards
- 180 mm – sawing thick boards
- 230 mm – processing of massive workpieces. An angle grinder with a disk of this diameter is difficult to hold in your hands
Depending on the design, the grinder disc for wood is used in several operations:
- cutting
- Stripping
- Milling
- Grinding
Let's look at each in more detail, and also determine the attachments for each type of work.
cutting
The grinder blade for wood is rarely used directly for sawing. With its help, you can process boards up to 40 mm thick, while observing safety regulations. There are two types of saw blades that can be used to cut boards:
- Hybrid. It consists of a metal base round shape and a chainsaw chain surrounding it. The attachment is used when working with thin boards and for short cuts.
- Disc for circular or hand saw. It is a round saw blade with teeth of different sizes located along its outer edge. The pitch and size of a tooth affect its characteristics. The larger it is, the more aggressive the cutting. The smaller, the neater the cut.
A standard circular or hand saw blade is cast from solid steel. It is designed for installation in a stationary machine with a rigid mounting socket. The angle grinder operates at lower speeds, the disk constantly vibrates. This can lead to its destruction, as well as injury to the immediate performer of the work and others. Therefore, this type of work is not always safe.
Stripping
This rough work with wood, for which a grinder disc for wood is suitable. There are two types of factory-made attachments for this type of work.
- Disc - plane. A practical attachment for the initial processing of logs and the ends of irregular boards. It is massive, durable, equipped with three knives. With its help, the tree is cleared of bark. To operate, there is no need to install a protective cover, since the thick cutting wheel will not be destroyed.
- Rip-off. It consists of a metal base and a chainsaw chain, which is used to decorate its outer part. This structure allows for rough cleaning of wooden blanks from bark, smoothing out cracks and chips. The grinding chain wheel is suitable for cutting wood.
Milling
Performed angular grinder with wood bits. Grooves are cut into the workpiece using milling wheels different widths. The size depends on the thickness of the nozzle. A perfectly even cut, like on a machine, will not work. But cutting out a simple seat or groove for a tongue and groove will not be much of a problem.
There are solid and composite attachments for milling. Compound wheels make a wider cut.
Grinding
This finishing wood, designed to remove small irregularities and roughness. There are several types of nozzles:
- Cord brush. Working surface with a relief structure for deep, rough processing of wood. The cord brush “bites” into the base, smoothing out unevenness and chips.
- End disc. They are shaped like a bowl. The working surface is only a narrow strip on the outside of the saw wheel. This shape allows you to process end corner cuts, as well as hard-to-reach areas.
- Flap attachments for grinding. The most common type for finishing. Consists of a steel base covered with abrasive material. The depth and quality of sanding depend on the grain size of the sandpaper. The smaller it is, the smoother the resulting surface will be.
There are two versions. The first is a disk covered with pieces of sandpaper in the shape of a trapezoid. Each next petal is overlapped. This working surface is effective for processing wood. It wears off slowly. Second - petal disk, where the abrasive material is located radially. Suitable for processing workpieces in hard-to-reach places.
- Velcro grinding wheel. It is intended for repeated use. Only changes work surface made of sandpaper, which is attached to the base with Velcro. Stores sell sandpaper with different sizes grains This allows you to use the attachment for both rough and fine grinding.
Rules for working with angle grinders
- Work is carried out only in protective glasses and gloves. During rough cleaning wood is better to cover the entire face.
- It is forbidden to remove the protective casing from the angle grinder.
- The work is carried out holding the tool with both hands.
- Do not use a saw blade with a larger diameter than specified in technical documentation to the instrument.
- When working with the tool, it is recommended to lean on both feet.
Manufacturers
There are budget cutting wheels from Hitachi, Makita, and Luga. They wear down faster and vibrate more strongly than more expensive ones. The quality of surface treatment differs from the result of more expensive analogues. Professionals choose Kronenflex saw blades from Klingspor or Bosch. They grind down more slowly and practically do not vibrate. Less likely to be destroyed due to improper use.
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What a “grinder” is nowadays, even a schoolchild knows, is an angle grinder designed for working with metal workpieces by using special cutting and grinding wheels. Not everyone, but only professionals, know that such an electric tool can be used for processing wood, so this article is intended to fill this gap in the information available to ordinary users. Grinder disc for wood – types, general characteristics and standard sizes, as well as safety measures for use and a review of prices for popular models is the topic of this article from the editorial website
Depending on the type of discs used, the “grinder” in in capable hands can be used at various stages of working with wooden workpieces: from sawing to sanding
The “grinder” was not originally intended for sawing wood, especially for workpieces of significant thickness and hardwood. This is due design features this type of tool and associated with such dangers of use:
- when the saw blade jams, it is difficult to hold the angle grinder in your hands, which can lead to injury;
Important! Jamming of the saw blade when using an angle grinder for sawing wooden workpieces is the most common problem with this type of work, which is due to the softness and viscosity of the wood.
- Inhomogeneity of the wood structure due to the presence of knots can lead to damage to the saw blade being used and injury to the user.
Despite the potential danger of using an angle grinder as a tool for sawing wood products, manufacturers consumables, which includes wheels for grinders, produce similar products.
Expert's point of view
Victor Isakin
Ask a question“For processing workpieces of considerable thickness and at professional use It is most correct to use a tool originally designed for sawing wood, such as a circular saw and a circular saw.”
The main and most common uses of grinders when working with wood are: stripping, grinding and polishing, for which manufacturers produce special types disks.
General characteristics of discs for grinders, depending on the type
Discs designed for different types use, differ in their design and materials used in their manufacture. In this regard, different types Similar products have different general characteristics, which requires their separate consideration.
Cut-off models
- circular– considered “dangerous” saw blades;
- chain– are made using links intended for chain saws;
- with a small number of teeth– are the safest compared to circular analogues;
- tungsten carbide- the safest type of such equipment.
For your information! Circular discs come in two modifications: a “dangerous” and a “less dangerous” option. Distinctive feature Models of the “less dangerous” type are provided with anti-jamming protection provided by the teeth being set.
Chain modifications are less dangerous when used, because their design provides for a non-fixed landing saw chain on the surface of the disk.
Expert's point of view
Victor Isakin
Tool selection specialist for the 220 Volt retail chain
Ask a question“If the saw chain jams during use, the disk mounted on the angle grinder continues to rotate, the tool does not break out of the hands, allowing it to be stopped in an emergency.”
Discs with a small number of teeth come in two types:
- with 3 teeth– used with small “grinders” with a diameter of up to 150 mm;
- with 4 teeth– used on large-sized grinders with a diameter of 230 mm.
A distinctive feature of models made from tungsten carbide is the absence of teeth on the cutting surface of the product. The cutting element is the segments located around the circumference of the disk.
Important! Tungsten carbide models are capable of sawing various metal products (nails, screws, etc.) that may end up in the workpiece without damaging the cutting elements or their integrity.
Discs for roughing work
For stripping wooden products, manufacturers produce several types of attachments that differ in design and types of materials used in their manufacture.
By design, such nozzles can be made in the form of:
- a disk with spikes or crumbs applied to its surface;
- glasses with cutting elements made of twisted wire inserted around its circumference;
- disk with wire turns mounted on its surface.
Expert's point of view
Dmitry Kholodok
Technical director of the repair and construction company "ILASSTROY"
Ask a question“Sanding attachments are used to remove paint and other coatings applied to a wood surface, as well as to rough the wood surface being leveled.”
Grinding and polishing models
To perform grinding and polishing, there are special attachments used for both wood and other materials (metal, plastic, glass, etc.).
Nozzles used for such purposes are of two types:
- the basis of the design is a metal base fixed to the angle grinder shaft, and circles made from sandpaper of different grain sizes or polishing materials (felt, fabric, etc.), which, in turn, are attached to the base using Velcro;
- flap sanding wheel.
Standard wheel sizes for grinders
When producing discs for angle grinders, the company's manufacturers operating in our country produce their products in accordance with the following regulatory documents:
- GOST 21963-2002 (ISO 603-15-99, ISO 603-16-99) “Cutting wheels. Technical conditions".
- GOST R 53410-2009 (ISO 603-12:1999-ISO 603-14:1999, ISO 15635:2001, ISO 13942:2000) “Grinding wheels for hand-held grinders. Technical conditions".
According to these documents, standard sizes The discs used on angle grinders are: 115, 125, 150, 180 and 230 mm.
For your information! Fit size for all standard sizes it is 22.2 mm.
Manufacturers of discs for grinders for wood
On the domestic market of hand-held electric tools, there are discs for angle grinders from Russian and foreign companies. Among them, the most popular are:
- "GRAFF" (Belarus);
- "GREATFLEX" (China);
- "Bosch" and "Klingspor" (Germany);
- “Ziflex”, “PRACTIKA”, “LUGA” and “ZUBR” (Russia);
- "Makita" and "Hitachi" (Japan);
- "FIT" (Canada).
In addition to the above listed brands, other manufacturing companies are also popular in different regions of our country, which is due to the location of the region and the presence of dealers of these companies in a specific territory.
Safety precautions when working with a grinder on wood
When performing wood processing work with using an angle grinder The safety measures are the same as when using metal and other materials. However, due to physical properties wood, which has already been written about above (softness and viscosity), it is necessary to take them into account, and in this regard:
Review of prices for popular models
The cost of products depends on the place of their sale, technical characteristics and manufacturer's brand. This section of the article presents several models on the basis of which one can get an idea of the order of the numbers that determine the cost of one or another type of similar product.
"GRAFF Speedcutter"
The disc is designed for sawing wood and slab materials( , ). The model is equipped with three teeth.
Review of the “GRAFF Speedcutter” model:
More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6165824.html
GRAFF Speedcutter
"GREATFLEX 71-125120"
GREATFLEX 71-125120 consists of 72 petals located at an angle of 10˚ to the working plane of the disk, which increases the efficiency of use of the product.
Review of the GREATFLEX 71-125120 model:
More details on Otzovik: http://otzovik.com/review_4655934.html
GREATFLEX 71-125120
"Bosch 2608623013"
Quite often the grinder is used for processing various types material. Some sources claim that working with wood with these power tools is strictly prohibited, while others say that it is possible, but only taking into account some nuances. One way or another, an angle grinder is used in carpentry. Therefore, the issue of using a wood cutter for an angle grinder remains relevant.
A saw wheel with chainsaw chain elements allows you to cut boards whose thickness does not exceed 40 mm, but it is important to take special care. Violation of the rules can lead to injury:
- Protective covers on the instrument must not be removed. At large diameter discs that exceed the dimensions of the casing, the grinder cannot be used.
- It is necessary to operate an angle grinder in compliance with the speed indicated on the cutting tool. If they are exceeded, the chain may slip, which will lead to the scattering of its component parts.
- Wearing safety glasses and thick gloves is mandatory. It is also recommended to work in thick canvas clothing.
Working with an angle grinder installed disks, which are intended for circular paper, are prohibited. Because this poses a threat to human health and life.
This ban also applies to diamonds. cutting discs for concrete. To work with wooden products they are unsafe because they are not designed for that purpose. The efficiency indicator from their use is quite low, considering the cost of the disks. There is also a possibility of charring the product and simply ruining it.
And most importantly, there is a possibility of such a disk jamming at the processing site, which will lead to the tool flying out of the hands and possible injury.
With such a disc for an angle grinder, which is shown in the figure below, you should work with the utmost caution when processing wooden materials. Its design provides protection that prevents jamming of the side teeth, which contribute to the expansion of the cutting width. The disk has a diameter of 115 mm, and thanks to its dimensions it is possible to work with a protective casing installed.
Some home-grown “masters” practice fitting standard saw blades for circular saw for an angle grinder. All work is carried out with the protective covers removed. Often the ending of such experiments is quite tragic. The unfortunate masters receive serious injuries that pose a threat to life.
But despite this, construction markets are full of offers that allow you to purchase. Inexperienced craftsmen are convinced by sellers that when correct use there are no risks with such instruments. All this is true, exactly until the moment when nothing bad happens.
No professional stores will ever sell a person a disc for an angle grinder that may also be suitable for working with a circular saw. For such sales, if the buyer is injured, the seller may be subject to criminal liability.
A list of the main reasons why using a circular saw to work with an angle grinder is unacceptable:
- The discs are designed to work at low speeds; the material of such a cutter is quite fragile. During operation, there is a possibility of the tool scattering into small parts or the teeth soldered on the disk breaking off, which fly off at great speed;
- Wood has a rather viscous structure, and therefore the teeth bite in an uneven manner, which leads to vibrations and mobility of the tool. This may result in loss of control of the angle grinder and may result in serious injury;
- Discs become jammed during the work process when processing wood, and the tool can be torn out of your hands. Please note that turning on a spinning disc tool is unpredictable.
- Uneven loads caused by working on a wooden surface can lead to overheating of the power tool, which will lead to its breakdown.
The optimal solution is to manufacture a stationary sawing machine on which the grinder will be securely mounted. It’s absolutely not difficult; you only need to prepare the basic components for this equipment. But it is definitely worth it; you will not only reduce the time for processing products, but also protect yourself from bad consequences.
Video “Wood cutter for angle grinders”
Informational video from an expert about the Speedwood LEMAN saw blade for an angle grinder.
We carry out rough processing of wood with a grinder
But, despite the existing warnings, it seems possible to process a wooden blank with an angle grinder. To do this you need to use special nozzles, which are manufactured under production conditions, and strict adherence to safety rules when working with the tool.
Using plane discs for an angle grinder
Rough processing of a log house involves the use of special discs that allow it to perform the function of a plane. This method of processing wood using an angle grinder is considered one of the safest if you follow the operating instructions. The device is a good alternative to a carpenter's axe.
The nozzle is used without installing protective covers, since the fact that it can be destroyed during operation is completely excluded. You cannot use such a disk if it is in an upward position.
When using an angle grinder, it is imperative to install a handle on it, which will allow you to hold the tool with both hands.
It is also necessary to have thick overalls and equipment personal protection who can protect open areas skin. When cleaning wood, you may encounter large chips flying away, which can easily injure your skin. One of the positive side effects The ease of chopping chips or large sawdust, if such are needed for household needs, is considered to be the benefit of using such a power tool.
Application of grinding discs
To remove bark from a tree trunk and give it a primary shape for blanks, a number of special stripping attachments for angle grinder.
Thanks to this chain circle it becomes possible to strip the trunks of bark or small knots. The blank material is also given the required shape for further processing using a more precise tool. Such devices can replace axes for cutting out bowls in logs for the construction of log buildings.
This disc can also be used as cutting wheel, but as a result the resulting cut will be torn, and the loss of material will be too high due to the large thickness of the cut.
Using cutters on an angle grinder for working with wood
Having completed the rough processing, you should proceed to the next step in processing wooden blanks - milling. For this purpose, some types of special nozzles are used.
The size of the abrasive on the discs can be completely different. Using this cutting tool, its purpose should be taken into account. Using such cutters, it is easy to give final form blanks. Some craftsmen use such attachments to finish wood processing and the results from such work are quite good.
Almost similar types of discs are a mechanized rasp. They are considered relatively safe instruments that do not require special precautions or certain conditions. You just need to take care of protecting your eyes and respiratory organs.
If you need to perform regular cutting of wood materials, then it is better to use simple disk, chain and reciprocating saws, not a grinder. The task can also be effectively completed with a jigsaw.
It is worth noting that the alternative electric tools for cutting boards and logs is homemade equipment. Manufacture to Execute simple tasks quite simple, thanks to which it is not at all necessary to use dangerous and expensive tools for simple tasks.
Milling wood with a grinder: what cutters can be used
This requires careful adherence to safety precautions. Such work with a milling cutter using an angle grinder is classified as dangerous, but acceptable when correct execution relevant recommendations.
A milling cutter on a grinder for working with wood is used to make grooves, roughly align edges, cut out bowls for log houses, and even for cutting workpieces. You can use only those cutters that have a special design that eliminates the process of jamming and tilting of the power tool due to the heterogeneity of the wood. When using, it is recommended that you read the instructions, in particular about the sections with maximum speeds and the direction of movement of the cutter in relation to the position of the angle grinder.
Milling attachments for angle grinders are not inferior in their range to attachments for devices manual milling. Naturally, it is almost impossible to achieve a similar quality of material processing with an angle grinder, but selecting suitable attachments to give the product a suitable shape is quite possible.
Video “Is it possible to cut wood with an angle grinder?”
Video review about using a grinder for cutting boards and beams. How to properly cut wood with an angle grinder and whether it can be done - you will learn in this video.
It's like the fairy tale about the unicorn, everyone has heard about it, but no one has seen it with their own eyes. The public of construction forums and authors of similar articles on the Internet is divided into two camps. The former say that during their lives they have cut through more than one cubic meter of wood with a grinder, the latter give strong arguments in favor of the fact that after such work you can lose your fingers or limbs, or even worse. Is there a disc for an angle grinder for wood, and if so, what does it look like and is it safe to use?
The author of this article kindly asks you not to consider this material as a guide to action. An angle grinder is not intended for working with wood; even those manufacturers that produce discs and cutters for wood write on their official websites that it is extremely unsafe to cut wood with an angle grinder. But you and I know that people rarely think about their health first.
Cutting with an abrasive disc
Yes, you can cut wood with a metal disc; to be honest, I myself have done this more than once while working at a construction site. What can we say? Well, firstly, the speed of work with this method is low. Secondly, the smell of burnt wood even on outdoors within a radius of 10 meters you are provided. And thirdly, the thickness of the sawn board should not exceed four centimeters. This is not to say that the abrasive disc is not a wood disc for an angle grinder; its main purpose is to cut metal. As for the advantages, in my opinion these are: the absence of sawdust, and a smooth, even cut.
Circular saw blade and its improved analogue
The vast Internet is full of videos on how to turn a circular saw blade or a diamond blade for concrete into a blade for working with wood. You can argue for a long time about whether this is worth doing or not? Even without considering myself awesome smart person, I would not conduct such experiments. And here's why:
- The circular saw blade is not designed for high speeds; yes, it is carbide, but no less fragile. One chipped tooth can pose a great danger to a person.
- The edges of the toothed disk are not smooth; when cutting into a tree, the grinder will vibrate and crash into the branches of the workpiece. This type of work may cause the operator to lose control of the tool.
- the likelihood of a kickback increases
There is an adapted blade for a wood grinder on sale; the manufacturers claim that due to the shape of the tooth and the special expanders that are located on the cutting part of the blade, all of the above concerns about the tool jamming disappear. One of the manufacturers is the Rotarex company; in its assortment you can find both grinding and cutting discs for grinders. Below is an image of a circular saw disc and a grinder disc from Rotarex, which is universal. They can cut not only wood, but also aerated concrete.
Chain disk for wood for an angle grinder
At first glance, it may seem that this is a device for a horror film, but judging by the reviews of its owners, this disc is safer than the analogues presented above. It is a solid circle, along the edges of which there is a chain from a chainsaw, everything is made of high-quality tool steel. The main purpose of such a disk is: milling, modeling, stripping wood of bark and cutting out cups in logs for log houses. It is also possible to cut with such a disk, given that the cutting width will be about eight millimeters, since the thickness of the chain disk is six millimeters. Speaking of diameters, there are 125 and 230 wheels on sale. Operational life such a disk will be many times larger than others, because it can always be sharpened with a file. The price for them ranges from two to three thousand rubles, and with delivery from another region it will cost even more.
Remember safety!
No matter what kind of disc you work with and no matter what material you cut, you should always remember that following safety rules can save not only your health, but also your life. And before you start working, read the following points:
- do not work while intoxicated;
- use safety glasses and protective clothing when working;
- Do not remove the protective cover under any circumstances;
- It is prohibited to use a faulty cutting disc or a disc with any, even minor, defects;
- When working with an angle grinder, hold it with both hands;
- the electrical cord must be kept away from the rotating disk;
- Do not put down the tool until the disc comes to a complete stop.
There are a lot of ways to cut wood, one of them is to make a cutting disc out of paper. How effective this is, of course, is up to you to judge, but please note that this is one of the safest options.
