Anyone else fabricate with a angle grinder?

I have an AC buzz box welder, angle grinder, and an oxy/acet. torch. I did all the chassis work on my 34' coupe including making my own ladder bars. Made the ladder bars for my 41 convert. You don't need a state of the art shop to build a hot rod.

 

Same here, no plasma, no TIG. Angle grinder and a Hobart 187 welder (sometimes the air saw for light stuff) but it works well for me.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Definitely a Manitoba thing.
Surprising how good you can get with one when that's all you got

 

Love the angle grinder.

If anybody is interested in expanding on a good thread, what do you guys think is the best angle grinder brand for the money?

 

don't feel like the lone ranger, all i got is a deewalt 4 inch grinder, a black and decker hand held drill and a miller 135 mig..............life is good !!!

 

Glad I'm not the only one!

 

4" and 6" Makita grinders and I also use my Sears circular saw with a 7" metal cutoff grinding blade. Oh yeah almost forgot my Dewalt sawsall.

 

add me to the list we built our whole Falcon with our 4" and 4 1/2" grinders

 

I bought a 4-1/2" Makita angle grinder when they were very young...It was 1976, ex wife had just left me. It was Fathers' Day, and I treated myself to this new 'trick' tool. I also bought a Makita 14" chop saw.

Both tools are still like new, my 4-1/2" is also my new wife's favorite. (she is like a Rembrandt with it...she works with jewel-like precision)

New wife has been married to me since '78 (!) and is still in as good shape as those 2 tools.
I wouldn't trade any of 'em off...

 

I mostly use my angle grinder. I have a Plasma cutter but still seem to use the angle grinder I think because I dont want to listen to the compressor for a quick cut.

 

Grinder, torches and a big F'N. hammer can build anything.

 

I worked in a body shop for 6 years. All I had was one 4.5 inch grinder, a $99 Craftsman mechanics tool set, a $50 paint gun I got from a friend, a cheap DA, a cheap longboard sander and Harbor Freight hammer and dolly set. I didn't have one car come back for any redo's and had several repeat customers. I did take a lot longer than some other shops but that was to be expected I guess.

 

An angle grinder of any size is hardly cave man. A skilled operator can do nice work with one.

I cut with the thin zip cut blades all the time, the thin Walter zip cuts are the best.

I have used an angle grinder on the job and at home all my working life. Cutting, grinding etc.

I can notch tubing for 90 degree joints or even angled joints as accurately as a tubing notcher, maybe even faster as by the time you set up the notcher I'm done with the grinder.

By eye for the fit as well

Anyway not a cave man tool.

 

Grinder! what you talkin' bout.

I'm still using the cold chisel, file, anvil and forge. You young moderns will be the death of us old coggers yet.

 

Looking at your pictures, you've created severe suspension bind: the ladder bars rotate on a larger radius than the front half of the leaf springs. The leaf springs could be installed with a floater set-up to the axle housing in place of the "U"bolts to allow the ladders to do the job they were designed for.

 

Three years ago I bought a Harbor Freight 4.5" angle grinder on sale for $12.99. Since then, I have used it to build complete floors for my OT El Camino. And I mean that I built them too! No one even makes the repair panels for the smugglers box (rear storage area), you have to fabricate those. Used a guardrail and cement filled post in a parking lot to do that. They look factory made too.
Have fabbed LOTS of other stuff for that elkie too. I probably have 60+ hrs on that thing easily.
There is a "trick" to getting long life from a HF electrical tool though. When you first start using it, the first 2-4 times you use it, use it till it gets hot, then set it down and let it cool off completely. The brushes in them are cheap chinese brushes, and until they wear to fit the commutator, they get pretty hot. Get them too hot and they'll melt down on ya. Break them in, so to speak, and they'll run a looooong time.

I definately got my $12.99 worth out of it a long time ago.

Doesn't compare to the 1/2" Craftsman HD drill my dad paid $19.95 for back in 1957 when we lived on the farm. I told him last week, he can feel free to leave me that when he's gone. Never had to fix it, still has the original chuck.

 

Personally I think you are looking at it backwards. A tape measure, a stout hammer, a grinder, and a welder are required for metal fab. All other tools are optional.
I've got a 4", two 4 1/2", two 6", and a big old 9" and I use em all regularly.

 

you got a grinder? all I got is a rock and a pointy stick.

 

An angle grinder, and reciprocating saw..........went through tons of cutoff wheels.

Just got a chop saw for christmas hehehehe.

Heres a question, how do you all collect all your filings and dust????

 

Ya, it sounds like we all can get away with not owning a plasma cutter, but none of us could get away without our angle grinder. Mine is a cheap Harbor Freight one too! I've used the hek out of it and it won't give up. I figure if it does, as good as its been to me, for the price I could go get another one...might not ever have to! Its sort of like having a Bic disposable grinder

 

I wore out four grinders last year, that sounds weird to say last year. I buy Black and Decker grinders at the local Big R. I don't know if they are nation wide, but for $29.00 and enough power that they are hard to stop with me leaning into them, can't beat them.

The angle grinder with a cut-off wheel or a flap disc is a MAJOR tool of my shop and help to make or modify some cool parts.

 

me too!

 

I use a Dremmel rotary tool with a cutoff wheel for fine cuts in thin sheet metal in place of a sheer too.

 

I use my old Makita 4" all the time. It's pushing 25 years old now

 

Heres a question, how do you all collect all your filings and dust????

lol,with a kleenex....

its a manitoba thing,my reborn makita i saved from a garbage can 20 odd years ago,a smaller one for tight spaces,different discs on each one.i have a china chopsaw i havent used in three years.my dewalt recip saw.a garbage dump bandsaw-yup somebody tossed it.i fixed it.mig and stick as required.bought a plasma one year ago,use it often,wouldnt be without it.guess i shouldnt mention my lathe,then?

walter discs and abrasive flapwheels rule.i haven seen anything better.

 

For larger filings and chips I put a small plastic bag over a magnet and sweep them up. Then simply reverse the plastic bag and you've got the filings in the bag.

 

magnet

 

My grinders are some of the main tools I use the most. I have several so I never need to change discs. The good cut off wheels get used more than anything else but I also use regular grinding discs some and flap wheel grinders a lot. I have one with a wire brush but I hate that wire filging bastad. I also have one with a small belt samdr that is pretty cool, one with chainsaw teeth for carving wood and a couple with the scotch brite surface prep discs.

 

Always use the Angle grinder. Have 4 at the ready. Grinder , cut-off , flap , and wire.

 

Ha Ha, Now I don't feel so bad anymore. My Princess Auto one is still going. All my tools are from there. No money to buy the nice stuff. Princess Auto is a local store that is the same as Harbor Freight Tools.