Wood discs for grinders: grinding, sawing, cutting

Greetings, my dear readers of Andrey Noak’s blog. Many people ask on the forums the question: is it possible to cut boards with a grinder? Therefore, I decided to fully understand this issue with you.

An angle grinder is a universal tool. The grinder is suitable for a whole range of work, replacing a whole range of metal tools, often doing the job even better and more accurately. All processes performed by a metal disc can boast of this. But what about wood and chipboard? Is it safe? Today I want to figure out how to do this correctly at your own peril and risk.

Which tool to choose

The grinder is a very extensive range of tools of one class, called an angle grinder (angle grinder). The device can have enormous power and work with a disk of 230 millimeters or more. Or be distinguished by its compact size and modest abrasives of 115 mm.

The disadvantages of large and heavy tools are obvious: they are difficult to work for a long time. In addition, precise wood processing requires serious skills and experience. It is simply difficult for a novice master to control a massive and powerful angle grinder. However, if there is a large processing area or the need to remove a significant amount of material, such an angle grinder is very good.

A small angle grinder also has disadvantages. The ratio of the diameter of its disk to the dimensions of the body does not allow processing hard-to-reach places. In addition, it is difficult to select a large volume of material with such a tool due to low power and overheating.

Many craftsmen prefer angle grinders with a disc diameter of 125 mm when working with wood. This is explained quite simply:

In this class, grinders are presented in a wide range of operating capacities;
it’s easy to choose a tool with comfortable dimensions and weight;
There are many attachments and devices on the market designed for a standard 125 mm disc mounting hole.

In addition, a medium-power angle grinder provides relative safety for beginners. It will not make you get tired quickly, will allow you to more accurately control your movement, and will reduce the likelihood of defects on valuable parts.

Grinding machines

In addition to the grinder, other equipment is used for abrasive grinding. Today there is a wide range of different grinding machines:

Belt machine for sanding timber. The machine performs grinding using an abrasive belt that constantly rotates on two rollers. The rotation speed depends on the power of the device. The machine has high productivity and copes well with large volumes of sanding flat surfaces. Great for roughing and removing old paint.
Eccentric sander for rounded logs. The machine can work on both flat and curved surfaces. It is equipped with a round sole on which the abrasive is attached with Velcro. Used for fine sanding and polishing of wood.
The vibrating machine for grinding log frames has a rectangular base. The machine can work on a flat surface, and it is also convenient to process the corners of a log house. Features high quality grinding.

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 a “dangerous” saw blade 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.

In the next photo you can see a less dangerous version of a 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 a non-fixed fit.

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 can also be used for rough cutting of thin boards.

In addition to cutting, the chain disk can also be used as a peeling disk, 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.

Discs 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. In addition, with the help of a saw wheel 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 of the same 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.

This universal disc has no teeth. Instead of the latter, segments are located around the circumference of the nozzle. The cutting disc is similar in appearance to a diamond wheel for cutting concrete. With the help of 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 an angle grinder.

Its price on the Internet is about 700 rubles. But if you consider the possible consequences of using circular saws, then this is a low price to pay for safety.

Grinder cutting wheels for wood materials

Operating an angle grinder in tandem with a cutting disc for wood necessarily requires compliance with safety precautions. Work should be carried out in special protective clothing, and the workpiece to be cut should be firmly fixed in a vice or clamp

It is important to hold the tool with both hands to prevent it from being knocked out of your hands. Preference should be given to an angle grinder that has a speed regulator

Manufacturers produce discs for grinders on wood of four main types, which we will learn about in detail:

Circular or serrated - appeared the very first, but did not gain widespread popularity due to their kickback effect.
The disk has an external (end) arrangement of large teeth. Manufacturers produce wood cutting discs for grinders with a maximum diameter of up to 180 mm. The teeth can be equipped with special brazings made of carbide materials. Although such circles are the most common, they are the most dangerous attachment in action. If possible, avoid using it. It should be noted that such discs can only be used on grinders if the tool is used as a stationary circular saw
Chain - they look like a disk, only along the outer circumference instead of teeth there is a chain, like on chainsaws.
This type of attachment is safer and can be used to cut medium-density wood chips. With wheels of this type, the risk of jamming and kickback is minimized. This is achieved due to the special design of the nozzle, which is similar to a chainsaw bar. The circle consists of two parts, and there is a groove on the end side. The saw chain is located in this groove, moving due to the force of inertia. This design prevents the disk from jamming, and is thus a safer option compared to the first type. It is strictly contraindicated to saw wood with nails. At the same time, the teeth quickly become dull and fail
Universal - received this name due to the fact that it allows not only sawing wood, but also cutting metal, as well as making grooves.
The universal type nozzle has the appearance of a regular steel disk, but with three additional teeth in the form of grooves. The teeth are tipped with hard metal, which increases the service life of the cutting attachment. The advantage of a universal cutting disc for an angle grinder lies in the fact that it is as safe as a chain wheel, and at the same time costs 2 times less. Produced by Graff, which is why it got the name “count”
With a tungsten carbide edge, manufacturers do not stop there and are constantly improving their products.
Another type of cutting disc that is completely similar to a concrete cutting attachment. The only difference is that on the end part of the circle there is a tungsten carbide coating (diamond coatings are also found). The disk is equipped with slots with holes that serve to dissipate heat when working with dense materials, such as wood. Wheels with a tungsten carbide edge are effective not only for cutting wood, but also other materials - plastic, metal, etc. It is better not to use such an attachment for cutting one metal, because it will quickly fail. The wheel does an excellent job of sawing wood that contains nails, screws and other metal objects.

Now it’s not difficult to choose saw blades for wood for an angle grinder, knowing what types there are. For housework, it is recommended to use a wood saw blade with a universal or tungsten carbide edge. They are not only considered effective, but also safe. Circles with a saw chain are more expensive, but they are also safe when cutting wood with a grinder. The most dangerous are circles with teeth. They are recommended to be used only in situations where a stationary circular saw is made from an angle grinder.

Wood sanding attachments

For wood processing, in addition to cutting wheels, there are attachments specially designed for installation on angle grinders, with which you can peel, grind, brush and mill wooden surfaces.

Peeling attachments

If you need to remove a layer of paint or other coating from a wooden surface, you can install a sanding 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 attachments with spikes or chips, 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 you to level various wooden surfaces. For example, if 2 boards on the floor at the end joint are at different heights. Using this attachment, the defect is easily eliminated, and the boards are joined in the same plane.

There are also stripping attachments made of 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 remove 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 used on large surfaces, in the 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 an emery grinding wheel is attached with Velcro. 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, felt discs are installed on the nozzle, which are secured with Velcro.

A flap sanding wheel is also often used for sanding wooden surfaces. 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 you are applying regular paint, 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, for grinding, use a longitudinal belt sander (the sanding belt moves longitudinally) or a vibration sander, where the same sanding wheels are used.

Flat Blade Disc

A disc with several blades protruding from the side can be considered as an alternative to a plane. It is intended primarily for removing material on a plane. This attachment is indispensable when logging; it allows you to very quickly and efficiently remove bark from unedged boards or logs. It is also convenient to process convex or form concave surfaces.

Doing such work with a plane is very difficult and time consuming. In addition to its obvious usefulness, the disk made of high-quality steel has a good service life. And dull blades can be sharpened without the use of special tools.

Cutting end discs

End discs, which are also called cutting, milling, sawing, offer processing of material with a normal load character for an angle grinder. That is, the nozzle rotates in the same way as an abrasive wheel, with the same directions of emerging forces and the mechanics of tool control.

These discs have a very important feature for beginners. The radial speed of the cutting edges is high. Therefore, when cutting grooves and sawing material, sudden load surges are possible. For example, due to its uneven density. The grinder can be torn out of your hands; there are cases where the disc is displaced with a blow due to a change in the nature and area of treatment. However, in the hands of a master, this relatively dangerous class of cutting discs allows you to perform many operations.

Wheeled. It is made in the form of a separate product or an attachment to a regular abrasive. It has a flat end with teeth. The attachment is used both for milling grooves and for grinding their bottom and edges.
Serrated studded. It is made in the format of a saw blade with teeth, has one row of protrusions on their side parts. The nozzle is designed to form a shallow groove. Side teeth prevent deformation and reduce the risk of strong jerks during operation. They also allow the craftsman to move perpendicular to the groove line, widening it.
Toothed plane. The difference from the previous product is that the teeth are located on almost the entire lateral plane of the nozzle. The attachment can be used when processing a flat surface, forming rectangular grooves of considerable depth, and cutting thick workpieces.

It is simply impossible to list all the types of attachments, adapters and devices that can be installed on the angle grinder shaft. They allow you to significantly increase the functionality of your angle grinder. Having one tool in the workshop, the master can easily perform a large number of operations. It is not surprising that discs and attachments for angle grinders are very popular and more and more new options for devices are being developed.

Tips for choosing

Most attachments for a tool such as an angle grinder are universal. Their main uses are cutting and polishing. If the instrument is used professionally, then it is necessary that the disks for it be appropriate.

Before purchasing a large or small grinder, you need to install the type of disk that matches the task at hand.

Size is of no small importance, and along with it, the power of the motor in the design of the angle grinder is also taken into account.

The most popular are 115 and 230 millimeters. There are situations when a worker uses a small disk size for a pneumatic tool. Such hand-held units allow for increased precision, which is essential when performing a number of tasks.

Comfort is not the last thing when choosing, and it largely depends on weight and size.

This type of unit is more convenient to work with, and it fits better in the hand; vibration is not transmitted as strongly, so you can hold it for a longer time.

When choosing a drive, you shouldn't always choose the cheap option, since you may end up paying twice in the future. Diamond ones are more expensive, but they also allow you to make a straight, clean cut even after several uses. They also have a much longer shelf life than abrasive ones. The cost may seem prohibitive to some, but it can save money if you look at it in the long term.

The main distinguishing feature of a high-quality disc is the abrasive material that is applied.

Sanding discs began to be produced in the 70s of the last century, over time they have become more advanced and have a longer service life. They are used not only for metal, but also for wood. When it comes to wood finishing, nothing works better than abrasive attachments. They have carbide particles on them that work on all types of wood. These highly sharp, tapered teeth provide excellent surface layer removal while remaining easy to use and controllable to control the angle of the grinder.

There are products on sale that look very similar to a chainsaw. They are made of steel, the teeth are well sharpened

Maximum caution is required from the person at the time of use.

When purchasing a disk, it is very important that the diameter on the outside is no larger than the established maximum value allowed by the manufacturer of the grinder. As an example, we can take a tool whose threshold for the permissible diameter value is 125 mm

The user should not install a nozzle with a diameter of 230 mm because:

the speed of movement of the cutting edge is exceeded, as a result of which it is destroyed and can simply fly apart, causing injury to the user;
a tool with small dimensions simply does not have the power to work with such a device;
even if a disk of a larger diameter is placed on the equipment, the protection will need to be removed, and this is a direct violation of the rules dictated by safety requirements.

The seat diameter on modern units is 22.2 mm.

Any abrasive wheel has a special marking that simplifies the selection process for the user.

She points to:

diameter;
thickness;
seat size;
maximum speed;
materials that can be processed using such a nozzle.

The dangers of using an angle grinder with wood

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 very dangerous. The Internet is full of shocking photos showing what can happen when using an angle grinder as a cutting tool for 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, the saw blade can jam in it. As a result, the grinder is often torn out of the hands, and it flies in an unpredictable direction (in the leg, along the arms, in the stomach, etc.), causing deep wounds or amputation of fingers. Even fatal cases have been reported.
When cutting wood, the saw blade heats up very quickly, 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 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 tips. 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 on the machine with a larger diameter than the protective casing. This is the most dangerous option for 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 wood constantly, it is better to purchase a special machine for this purpose, 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.

Drill for sanding wood

To sand a wooden house, you can use a regular drill. With this tool you can quite easily and efficiently perform a small amount of grinding work. However, it is not recommended to use a drill for large areas. The drill is also equipped with grinding wheels, in the center of which there is a pin for installation in the chuck.

There are several types of drill attachments for grinding:

Flat, made in the form of a circle on which sanding paper is glued. The attachments are either rigid with Velcro or flexible with a rubber base.
Petal type, consisting of abrasive petals, similar to attachments on a grinder. You need to be careful when working with them. If handled carelessly, petal attachments can leave transverse lines on the wood that will appear through the varnish coating.
Drum nozzles are cylindrical in shape. The sanding belt is attached to the nozzle using a bolt. The drum is mainly used for grinding the ends of wooden workpieces.

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 remove the protective cover 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 large teeth, as the likelihood of them catching on hard wood fibers increases significantly and, accordingly, the likelihood of the tool being pulled out of your hands increases.
An angle grinder must have a speed regulator, which must 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.

Sanding by professional craftsmen

By choosing professional services from qualified specialists, you save yourself from many problems. In our work, we use modern equipment and high-quality grinding attachments, which we select in accordance with specific working conditions. Sanding is carried out at the optimal moisture content of the wood with precise adherence to technology. Our craftsmen have extensive grinding experience and know all the intricacies of this work. To leave your request, contact us using the coordinates on the “Contacts” page.

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Gentle processing with grinding wheels

When performing grinding work, special attachments are used:

Petalaceae. They are used for grinding solid wood, performing soft processing. The surface of such a nozzle has a large number of trapezoidal petals made of sandpaper. They are like fish scales, overlapping each other. Thanks to this, the wear resistance of the nozzle is great. There are discs of different grain sizes. The speed and quality of work depends on this characteristic. It is advisable to have discs with both coarse and fine grains. Please note that working with petal attachments requires some skill. Therefore, it is necessary to practice properly before a responsible task. It should be noted that petal circles have a long service life. Their sizes are different: from 115 to 230 mm. One such circle is enough to process 10 square meters. m. wood.
Velcro discs. For grinding and polishing wood, as well as stone, metal and other materials, sanding discs with Velcro are used. The diameter of the working platform is generally 125 mm. But you can find larger sizes on sale. The corresponding discs are attached to the base with Velcro. There are sandpaper devices that allow you to carry out grinding work. They can have different grain sizes: both coarse and fine. They are sold in the form of sets, each of which contains 5 discs. A polishing disc, usually felt, can also be attached to the base. It is also secured with Velcro. Using this tool you can work with metal, plastic, plexiglass, marble, polishing them to a shine. Work with metal is carried out using a special GOI paste. It is applied to the disc. The polishing attachment can also be made of sheep wool. It achieves the finest polishing to a mirror shine.
Diamond flexible grinding wheel. Used for polishing marble and granite. The grain size of these attachments ranges from 30 to 3000. It is advisable to work with an angle grinder, in which the speed can be adjusted. The ideal speed for work is 2.

How to use?

The grinder has a simple technical device. It is equipped with an electric motor connected to an angular gearbox. It ensures shaft rotation at high speeds of up to 1000 rpm (when working with wood, this speed is optimal). Powerful models require a three-phase power source; for household use, a standard power source with a voltage of 220 V is suitable. You have to work with the tool with a single point of support, holding the angle grinder suspended. Misalignment can lead to jerking, so a novice master needs to acquire serious skills for work.

Compliance with safety precautions will allow you to work correctly with the machine, namely:

inattention in this matter is unacceptable;
in order to prevent injuries when using an angle grinder, the protective casing is not removed from the disk;
do not work with wood using strong feed;
Before starting operations, be sure to wear goggles and thick gloves; protect hands with long sleeves; clothing should not be light, as sparks may fall on the body;
It is important to take breaks during work so that your hands do not get tired and the machine does not slip.

It is convenient to work with a tool that has a support handle. The safest are those grinders that are equipped with a chainsaw chain. If the machine suddenly jams, the disc continues to rotate, which minimizes the risk of injury. It is also important to move the machine smoothly across the floor surface, avoiding vibration. Before starting work, you should once again make sure that the circle is securely and accurately attached to the axis.

It is better to start mastering the tool with cutters with small teeth. The smaller the teeth, the easier and safer the operations. During operation, any disk wears out, the diameter of the circle changes, and replacement is necessary. Change discs when switching from one type of processing to another during the grinding process.

It also happens that the disk is cracked or the casing is broken. It is imperative to remove and replace such a disk; further work is dangerous.

You should follow the following step-by-step instructions:

disconnect the tool from the network, stop rotating the shaft by pressing the locking button, only after this is it possible to unscrew the disk and remove it;
unscrew the retaining nut - the stopper is removed using a wrench; if the nut is tightened too tightly on the disk, you will need a gas wrench, which is heated and cooled before use, and the remaining part of the disk is cut out with a hacksaw;
remove the unusable disc;
put on a new one and secure it with a lock nut, firmly fix the thread on the accurately installed disk, after which you can continue working.

For details on the intricacies of sanding wood with a grinder, watch the video below.