Projects Anybody plagued with cutting wheel explosions !!!

When the purple curators first came out 3M sent over a box to try nobody in the shop liked them they smoked and wire down fast we kept the green corp. A few months later the 3M rep was in asked me how a liked them told him the green was still better he said it was how you use the and if you guys would leave the guards on we wouldn't have to worry anyway I the told him I sill had my guard on the idiot then bet me a box of green I opened my box and showed him he said in his 3 states nobody ever had a guard on sent me a box of green Corp that I took home.

 

I ment cubatron dam spell check

 

I’d bet 99% of issues are user error

 

Thinking back, I can say that I have never had one explode on me. I have had some cheap one wear down so quick they may as well just exploded.

 

No problem sharing them.
They are Metabo .040" x 7/8" centers, 4.5" diameter. Not sure everywhere sells them at the price my welding supplier does? Most places online sell them for $1.50-$2.00 each.

 

I used up a truckload of 4" cut off wheels when I was doing rust repairs for several years... should have bought a Beverly shear but that's another story. I used nothing but Harbor Freight wheels. made so many sparks the drain on my washing machine got clogged with a bunch of shavings rusted together like a metal turd and flooded my shop.

never had one explode completely. a chunk would come off every now and then, but I just kept using them.

1. if all you can see of the wheel is the thin edge you are in the wrong spot. this is true for any spinning tool.
2. they only cut straight.
3. the tool and the wheel determine the speed of the cut, not you.

that's how I got it figured anyways.

 

I buy Walter or Jet disks only and I've bought a lot. I've gone through 50-100 in the past 9 months. I always take the disk off the grinder to store as it is the bumps and drops that crack them. I always make sure to install label facing down while installing the nut that way it always cuts in the same direction. Lesson for me was I went to our supplier to buy a tin of 10 disks and they were out of the brand I normally buy so I bought 3 thin kerf Diablos to cut the casing for diwedages which is about a 5" dia 1/4" wall pipe. I installed the first disk turned it on and in the process of flipping the grinder around to cut upside down (sometimes ya gotta do it) I barely touched the pipe while it was running and the damn thing blew - I had a guard on one of the grinders. The other fellow beside me 10' away did not have a guard because he couldn't fit it into the form we had built and the same thing happened to him an hour later. I walked over, grabbed the 3rd one and flipped it into the hole the pile driver was working in.

 

My work places used Walter zip cuts with no issues so I use them at home. They cost more but are efficient and last longer. My workplaces had a mandatory face shield with safety glasses policy when using a side grinder or grinder. A wire brush in a side grinder has its hazards. My brother in law said his partner wasn't wearing his face shield had a wire wheel come apart and the side of his face was like a porcupine. The papermill had a Safe Start program that everyone who uses tools should take especially the line of fire. Before starting look around, check your surroundings, and where others are for line of fire. Make sure that sparks are not going at people or any possibility of sending something flying at yourself or anyone else. The position of the body in relation to the tool for kick backs. One boiler maker had his side grinder kick back to cut his face shield. I won't have any part in line with chainsaw because of kickbacks.

 

I buy all my grinding/ cutting wheels at a welders supply . Don't remember the brand name but they are either made in USA or Italy and I ALWAYS wear a face shield and gloves when using a grinder.

 

Walter or Metabo 6 inch wheels for me. Has anyone light a flannel shirt on fire from sparks? It doesn't burn the whole shirt just glides along the fuzzies REAL fast.

 

Been there, done that. Impressive but scary.

 

Try catching a cup brush on a side grinder on the edge of a piece of steel and having it come back and rip the front out of your Levis and tear your skivvies off at the same
time . What @Bandit Billy said about not wanting to look to see if his guts were hanging out applies to one's family jewels .

 

I use HF all 90% of the time. The only time a cut off wheel blew up was when i twisted or contorted the wheel or pushed on it..lesson is dont bind wheel and let the wheel cut at its pace...not yours..

 

...yeah, what he said.

 

"One Tit Willy", now there's a name for you .

 

I had our safety person who was fresh out of school google mini grinder accidents and do a talk with the guys in the shop about ‘line of fire’ when using power tools. Use guards, safety glasses and a shield and stay out of the ‘line of fire’. One thing to get a scar on your check. Imagine if it hit your jugular. Game over.
Buy quality discs. Probably should protect your your lungs as well.

 

Which brings to mind ..........wire brush wheels. I have an old Milwaukee large electric angle grinder that I keep a 6" wire brush on for cleaning rust off steel. That thing will bite and jump and catch your clothes. Since the normal mode of operation ends up being about crotch high, I always turn sideways when using it. Definitely don't want it grabbing anything about crotch high.............

 

Never had an issue so far, even with discs of unknown origin.

I suspect tool usage technique - excessive pressure, binding, etc. - plays a big roll in disc destruction.

 

I've only used cheaper cut off wheels and had them break apart on me but never explode.

 

Got one in my garage !

 

Made in China , designed to wound Americans?

 

What am I doing wrong? Never had one explode. I use ones I get on amazon

 

you are just not trying hard enough.

 

Ok, I’ll give it a go

 

To-MA-toe/To-Mah-toe.........explode/disintegrate/fly apart/break apart...
6sally6

 

It's "Murphy's Law"...... They wont fail until you remove the guard.............
Their failure rate is also proportional to the user's expectations of what they can be made to do.

 

I don’t even know where the guards are lol. I’ve been pulling the guards off for 40 years….gonna catch up to me sooner or later.

 

Ian Rousel lives on the wild side of danger. At least in his earlier episodes.

 

If it does, it will most likely hurt.........

 

First time I ever saw one of those discs with the chainsaw teeth all around I says I ain't EVER gonna own one of those.