Many homely owners have a grinder in their home arsenal - this is what the people call an angle grinder. And so, when it becomes necessary to work with a tree: cut boards, cut down branches on trees or prepare firewood; and there is no appropriate electric saw at hand: circular, jigsaw, chain, etc .; some savvy craftsmen say to themselves: “So what ?! After all, there is a Bulgarian! You can totally get by with it!" How right are such resourceful masters? .. This is exactly what our article is about.
Never put a saw blade on grinders!
This is not just the title of an article subtitle, it is a cry from the heart of all power tool sellers. Indeed, they very often come to them with the same request: “Give me a saw blade for a grinder so that the tree can be cut.” And they all unanimously answer in such cases: “They don’t cut wood with an angle grinder! And in general, by definition, it is impossible to put a saw blade on an angle grinder! Why is that? With this question, we turned to the developers of the Ataka TM cutting tool, and they gave us an exhaustive answer on this topic.
Yes, an angle grinder (angle grinder) is a powerful tool, and it can easily cut both a simple board and a thick log, as long as the saw blade diameter is right. But cutting wood with a saw blade mounted on an angle grinder is, first of all, very traumatic, especially if the protective cover is removed from it. After all, the angle grinder has a very high rotation speed, which creates centrifugal force, which will significantly increase the load on the saw blade. In addition, a circular saw is structurally different from an abrasive wheel - it has teeth, and this circumstance leads to increased vibration, especially if saw blades for metal are installed on the angle grinder. As a result, such a load will significantly exceed the tensile strength of the circular saw blade, it can simply break during rotation. What this is fraught with, probably, it has already become clear to everyone. And in such a situation, nothing will save from injuries: neither the protective cover of the grinder, nor the personal protective equipment of the carver.
To prove the danger of such disk “castling”, all kinds of tests were carried out. Yes, and in life there were many cases when the "savvy" owner was left without arms or legs. And in 2011, there was a unique case when a certain “economic” Volgograd resident decided to cut branches from a tree at his dacha using an angle grinder and installed a saw blade from a circular saw on it. As a result, he was delivered to the thoracic surgery department with a torn chest. Fortunately for the poor fellow, everything ended well.
Is it possible to install a circle from a grinder on a circular?
The question can be rephrased: can a circular saw be used as an angle grinder? In principle, this is possible. If you install an abrasive or diamond blade on a circular saw, then there is no risk for the cutter in this case. However, the circular is very poorly adapted for such operation. Yes, when you need an even cut, the saw will cope with this task better than a grinder, but its protection from dust is much worse than that of the latter. Both the cutter itself and the tool are swallowed up with dust - then it will take a long time to blow it through.
In addition, the speed of rotation of the circular saw is much lower than that required for the effective operation of the circles from the angle grinder. For example, if you install a diamond abrasive disc on a circular saw and try to cut ceramic granite with it, then the engine can easily burn out. And the circles themselves will wear out faster. After all, the saw and abrasive discs are designed for different angular speeds.
And once again we repeat: do not use saw blades on the grinder! Better buy an inexpensive circular saw!
Electric grinder cutting machine for processing, cutting and grinding products from a variety of materials - angle grinder, an indispensable tool in many construction work. The main part of the tool is a cutting disc, the right choice is the key to productive activity, when purchasing a part, one must take into account not only the parameters of the tool, but also the building material with which further work is to be done.
The grinder does an excellent job with the processing of metal, plastic and rubber, blades of various configurations. The tree is very picky about the blades, not all saws can cope with the work of cutting objects, even a strong diamond blade does not cut the tree, but only grinds it. Therefore, it is important to choose a special knife for cutting. What discs are and how to choose and change the blade on the tool, we will consider in this topic.
There are three main types of disk: cutting, grinding and sawing metal circle under a tree. The grinder also has special nozzles for grinding, cleaning and cleaning the object, which improves the performance of the tool. Standard circular spraying is diamond and abrasive, for fragile surfaces, a conventional metal and abrasive cutting wheel is suitable.
- Abrasive - used in work with many structures, such as thin metal, plastic, drywall and wood. The cut-off abrasive knife will accurately and accurately cut the loose surface (see photo).
- Diamond - designed for solid building products, a cutting diamond knife, used for cutting marble surfaces, reinforced concrete, granite slabs. For many materials, diamond wheels cannot be taken, the wood is loose, such blades will get stuck in the material and break the grinding tool.
- Ordinary metal alloy blades, suitable for cutting hard and soft materials, drywall and plastic boards.
Saw blade dimensions
Standard sizes are 115mm and 125mm, these saw blades do the job well.
- The tree is well processed with a saw with a size of 115 mm, such a blade is suitable for working with small surfaces.
- Cutting wheel 125 mm, used for cutting large objects.
The modern shaft for installing the nozzle has a standard diameter of 22 mm, the old angle grinder was of other sizes, so saw blades sized 125x22 mm are only suitable for a modern machine, for an old tool you need to select a different nozzle, and if the shaft turned out to be wider in diameter, look for other saw blades.
Saw blades for wood for grinders look like a simple circular saw, the main difference is in the material from which the blade is made and the manufacturer. High-quality carbide-tipped saw blades 125x22 mm are manufactured by Intertool and carbide-tipped saw blades from Bosch (see photo).
Features of choice
The grinder has a powerful circular speed, which is why it is very difficult to hold it in your hands in order to comply with safety rules, in addition to grouping by cut depth and diameter, the cutting knife is divided into the shape, number and arrangement of the teeth of the saw.
- When planning to use a saw blade for wood for a 125 mm grinder, a nozzle with beveled teeth from Intertool is suitable.
- For soft building material - a cutting disc for wood for a grinder 115 mm with straight teeth.
- Strong trunks and hardwood require a different model, a wood saw blade for a 125x22 mm grinder should be with trapezoidal teeth, here it would be right to use a Bosch saw blade. This saw will cut through the toughest substrates.
It is important to observe safety precautions at work, each angle grinder has its own characteristics, when choosing a saw, one must take into account the size of the tool, and not exceed the limit of the allowable saw diameter intended for the device. A circle with a size of 125 mm cannot be placed on a tool whose tolerance limit is 115 mm. The speed of revolutions for each individual circle is individual, if the features of the product do not match, the blade will break and scatter, this can be very dangerous.
Product grinding
Grinding is not as dangerous a job as cutting, no special skills are required for grinding. For grinding, petal nozzles are used.
The flap wheel for the grinder also differs in size and diameter, each size is designed for its type of tool and finishing work. Diameters 115 and 125 mm are suitable for sanding any substrate.
The flap disc is glued over the surface with emery strips of varying degrees of hardness; this arrangement of the emery petals is specially designed for more thorough grinding and for access to all surfaces of the object being processed.
The petal circle is made from tarpaulin and fiberglass, the surface of the nozzle is coated with epoxy.
There is a grinding disc with a coarse-grained coating - for rough grinding, and a fine-grained nozzle, designed for fine work. Wood is polished around with such a coating.
The grinder grinds and cleans rust, old varnish and paint coatings, polishes and smoothes surface irregularities, removes welds and deburrs.
There are many manufacturers of grinding products, but a particularly high-quality grinding disc for a wood grinder is produced by Bosch and Intertool.
Safety First
An angle grinder is a necessary tool for many construction jobs, cutting the surface, sanding and polishing products, removing ugly seams and old rust, all this is available with an angle grinder. But it is imperative to always take into account the traumatic danger of this type of work, so you need to choose only high-quality products from trusted manufacturers, and not cheap analogues on the markets. Don't skimp on health.
All the features in operation, the correct installation and many interesting construction points associated with this tool can be viewed on the video.
If you are trying to understand whether it is possible to saw a tree with a grinder, then the answer to this question is unequivocal: it is possible. But many will not do this, because. too many injuries people get precisely from using the grinder as a saw for wood, which is correctly called an angle grinder.
First of all, this is due to the rather high speed of its rotation, for which most saw blades are simply not designed. But who pays attention to this when you need to do the work, and there seems to be a suitable tool at hand, and a compensator ring of the right size is also applied to the saw blade for wood. Moreover, the protective cover is removed for the convenience of work, which is absolutely impossible to do.
But, we will not talk about injuries, but we will talk about how and how you can process (including sawing) a tree with the help of an angle grinder, but first - about the difficulties of working with a grinder with wood.
Difficulties when working with a grinder
We mentioned the discrepancy between the speed of the grinder and the circular saw, but users who have an angle grinder with speed control can say that this factor has been taken into account, and any saw blade for wood is suitable for their tool.
Of course, by setting the number of revolutions of the output shaft of the grinder, corresponding to that indicated on the marking of the saw blade, they significantly reduce the risk of injury during operation, but do not completely eliminate it. This is primarily due to the material itself, or rather its structure and heterogeneity.
Even in different places of the same trunk, the tree has a different hardness, not to mention the inclusions of viscous resin, the possible presence of metal that ended up in the thickness of the wood: from pellets and bullets that fell into the tree during hunting, to a wire ingrown into it, with which branches were tied. Do not forget about the knots that are present in almost all types of wood.
When meeting with the listed obstacles, the saw blade brakes sharply and the angle grinder, by inertia, simply pulls out of the hands, and when passing through a hard section, it rushes forward with a vengeance.
When meeting with metal, there is a high probability of chipping of a hard-alloy tooth, which can be captured by the next one and thrown out at the speed of a bullet. Well, if in the area of action of the protective casing.
A person who decides to cut a tree is in even greater danger, because at the same time the angle grinder needs to be put on its side, from which the usual and comfortable grip changes, which means that the grip weakens.
Discs for grinders designed for cutting wood
1. Chain discs and cutters based on them.
Structurally, they are designed so that even when biting a chain similar in structure to saw chains for chainsaws, the base can rotate, so the tool will not be pulled out of the hands. Such discs are primarily intended for outdoor wood processing: sawing out cups in log cabins, removing bark, modeling, but they can also be sawn, especially with a size 230 disc, which costs a lot, but compensates for its cost with safety.
2. Saw blades for wood with a small number of teeth.
To enlarge an image, click on it.
Such discs indicate the maximum speed and should be selected based on the parameters of your tool. Such a large pitch between the teeth compensates for the high speed of the grinder and makes sawing much safer than working with standard saw blades, but metal in wood should also be wary. You can see their work in the video:
In addition to wood, they also cope with plastic and aerated concrete.
3. Tungsten carbide discs.
This is a novelty in the field of tools for angle grinders, which allows you to freely cut wood without fear of metal inclusions, operating at rotation speeds up to 12200 rpm. She is the only one who gives an absolutely positive answer to the question: is it possible to cut a tree with a grinder. You can see for yourself by watching a short video about the operation of this disk:
Needless to say, these discs cut more than just wood.
4. Other tool, more or less suitable for cutting or other wood processing with a grinder.
About all in order:
a) Rotarex manufactures discs for cutting wood. In terms of their performance, primarily safety, they are inferior to those listed above, but are clearly more suitable for sawing wood than circular discs;
b) cutters for wood, designed for external processing of wood with angle grinders, can also saw not thick wood;
c) disk-planer - a nozzle for an angle grinder.
d) a saw for creating wooden sculptures with a configuration of cutting elements vaguely resembling links of a saw chain, not quite designed for sawing, but will cope with it to some extent.
Bulgarian for grinding wood
But this work, incl. on wood, just for this tool. Only a small photo selection of nozzles for angle grinders for grinding is evidence of this.
- for rough grinding.
- the most common type of nozzles for grinding angle grinders, the purity depends on the size of the abrasive grain on the petals.
- the easiest way to change grinding wheels is to use a sticky base holder attachment, on which replaceable abrasive wheels with different grains or even polishing bristles are attached.
- polymer abrasive silicon carbide with nylon.
- sanding belt.
And instead of a conclusion. Can a grinder cut wood? Depending on what and depending on what. If you cut a thin dry branch, then there are practically no restrictions, and if you have to do more serious work, see above.
Dear readers, if you still have questions, ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)
Better known under the name "Bulgarian", they are used for various technological processes during construction work and repairs. When choosing a disc for a grinder for wood and rubber, it is necessary to take into account the features of not only the tool itself, but also the objects being processed.
The main characteristics of cutting wheels
Depending on the material of manufacture and design features, there are three main types of circles:
- An abrasive disc for a wood grinder, used to work with various surfaces. Depending on the thickness, the wheel can be cutting and grinding.
- designed to perform work with stone, concrete and other building materials. Such circles are divided into segmented and solid. The first type, due to better removal of the sludge through the slots and more efficient cooling, ensures high productivity. Such discs can be used when cutting thin metals.
- The usual circle for a circular. However, it is immediately worth noting that it is not recommended to use it for cutting wooden products without work experience, since there are many cases when people received quite serious injuries when clamped in an array of a disk. If possible, when performing such work, it is better to use another tool, such as a jigsaw, chainsaw, etc.
Circle selection
When choosing discs for a grinder, pay attention to such points:
- The size of the circles should not exceed the maximum allowable diameter for which the grinder is designed. A tool designed for discs with a diameter of 125 mm will not be able to work with a 230 mm cut-off wheel for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the speed of movement of the edge of the grinder is significantly exceeded (with a significant increase in it, the disk can simply scatter). Secondly, to work with such a disk, more power is needed than that for which a small tool is designed. Thirdly, to install such a consumable, you need to remove the protective cover, which makes the work more dangerous.
- When working with different types of materials, you should choose a disc that is designed specifically for them.
- Pay attention to the speed of the circle, which is the maximum allowed (or linear speed). These indicators are indicated on the surface of the circle. According to these values, you should also choose the mode of operation of the grinder.
Disc outer diameter
One of the important indicators of a cutting wheel is its outer diameter, which is calculated in millimeters and is unified. For domestic purposes, as a rule, a disc for a grinder on wood 115-230 mm is used.
The diameter of the tool shaft (seat size) is now the same on almost all disks - 22.2 mm, and special intermediate rings are used to install on outdated models of angle grinders.
The most versatile disc is considered to be a grinder for wood 125 mm, 150 mm and 230 mm.
A circle of 125 mm is convenient to use when it is necessary to cut metal fittings and a rod.
A disc for a grinder on wood 150 mm can not only grind and cut metal, but is able to saw a beam or dissolve a board.
If the diameter is more than 230 mm, then such circles have an industrial purpose.
The disc for the grinder on wood 230 mm has a wider scope, as it can be used in the processing of products from metal alloys of various grades.
Abrasive discs for grinders
As mentioned earlier, abrasive wheels for grinders are divided into cutting (up to 3 mm thick) and grinding (thicker). Despite the fact that the classification is very conditional, there is another significant difference between the discs - the reinforcement of cutting wheels is usually carried out in 2 layers, and grinding wheels are at least three.
Form of abrasive discs
Abrasive wheels differ in their shape. Distinguish:
- Standard flat discs.
- Curved discs (in the form of a plate). They can be used when working in hard-to-reach places. With this wheel shape, the fixing nut is hidden, so grinding work is more convenient.
When purchasing a disc for a wood grinder, pay attention to the marking (for example, A 40 L), which allows you to find out the following information about the product:
- The first letter (or two) indicates the type of abrasive material used. For example: A - corundum, AS - electrocorundum, C - silicon carbide, which is used when working on granite and stone.
- The numbers allow you to find out the grain size of the abrasive. And the larger it is, the faster the work will progress. However, this will worsen the cleanliness of the cut or grinding. A disc with a coarse grain is used, as a rule, for processing soft (non-ferrous) metal, and a disc with a fine grain is used for steel.
- The last letter in the marking indicates the hardness of the bond of the base of the circle (those letters that are located at the beginning of the alphabet mean that the bond is softer). When buying, it is recommended to be guided by the following rule - when working with soft material, use a disc with a soft bond and vice versa.
Almost all manufacturers use color marking products. Green is for stone, blue for metal work. It is also worth mentioning the inner landing ring. For cutting wheels, it is made of hard metal, and for polishing or grinding, cutting discs with a softer washer are used.
Diamond cutting wheels for grinders
Depending on the purpose, diamond blades can be divided into several types:
- Concrete. Wheels of this type can easily cope with monolithic, including concrete and reinforced structures.
- Granite. Such discs are used when performing work with especially hard rocks.
- Asphalt. Cut-off wheels are best used in the processing of concrete and, accordingly, asphalt.
- Construction Materials. Discs of this type can be used for cutting ceramics, bricks.
Diamond cutting wheels of some manufacturers are also color-coded:
- Green is granite.
- Blue - concrete, marble.
- Yellow - plaster, tile.
- Gray - ceramics.
Segmented diamond cutting wheels are used to cut materials using the dry method. When using solid discs, a wet cut (water cooling) is used. This is primarily due to the very high heating of the solid surface of the cutting wheel.
There are models that have partial segmentation. These are the so-called turbo disks, in which the slots are placed in the body of the circle (they do not go to the outer edge). Such products can be used at a higher speed than fully segmented ones.
So, by choosing the most suitable cutting disc for a wood grinder in all respects, you can efficiently and safely perform any work.
Safety regulations
When working with an angle grinder, no matter what type of disc is installed, it is necessary to strictly comply with safety requirements.
- The tool must be equipped with a persistent handle and a protective cover.
- All work must be performed in overalls and using personal protective equipment. You also need to be very careful when choosing glasses or a mask, because eye damage (according to statistics, this is the most common injury) can be obtained even from small chips or a fragment of the circle itself.
Price
The cost of all cutting wheels for a grinder depends largely on both the model and the reputation of the manufacturer. For example, a diamond blade for a wood grinder with a small diameter (125 mm) from Bosch costs at least 400 rubles. However, despite this, it is still recommended to give preference to trusted manufacturers, since this tool is with increased danger. Therefore, it is not worth saving on such consumables as a cutting disc.
Bulgarian, whose real name is an angle grinder, angle grinder is a universal tool. Without it, almost never do construction work. But in order for the tool to last a long time, it is necessary to choose the right grinding discs. A disc for wood is fundamentally different from a disc for metal. What are its features, and what are the varieties?
To date, the entire range is divided into three main areas:
- Saw discs. They resemble a regular saw, but are made from completely different materials. Until recently, such copies were not found, but now they are sold completely freely. The most preferred option is tungsten carbide.
- Diamond coated disc. The most popular variety. In turn, it is divided into continuous and segmented. Their scope is different, but there is a common feature - a high-quality and accurate result of work on concrete, metal or stone.
- Abrasive. Universal consumable suitable for any type of surface. Qualitatively cuts and grinds, and also polishes.
Of the listed discs, the first and second are not suitable for wood. Natural wood has a very dense structure, and if you use a diamond blade, the grinder will overheat until it breaks.
Also, the products differ in diameter. The most practical ones have a diameter of 125 mm, in rare cases a compact disc is needed - 115 mm. There are specimens up to 230 mm, but they are not suitable for wood. Their use may result in injury.
Choice of cutting wheels for wood
Cutting discs are divided into three parameters - diameter, depth of cut and shape / frequency of the teeth. When choosing the right option, you should consider several things: how often the product will be used and for what wood.
Coniferous and other soft woods can be easily sawn with a straight-tooth blade. If you plan to cut different woods, it is better to take a universal wheel with variable beveled teeth. There are also trapezoid teeth which are ideal for sawing through medium density wood and solid woods.
Choice of grinding and polishing wheels
If cutting material requires certain skills, then almost anyone can grind. For this operation, petal discs are usually used. Such a disc consists of several petals of emery, arranged in a circle. Sandpaper provides soft sanding.
Another option is a Velcro abrasive disc. It is convenient to use, but even more convenient to change. Such circles do not last long, but also have a low cost. And, of course, they are many times more effective than the manual method of processing with sandpaper. For example, using such a circle, you can polish parquet.
Tree preparation
Whatever the disc for the grinder, the work cannot be done well if the wood is not properly prepared. Here are some tips for this:
- the tree must be thoroughly dried;
- special peeling nozzles are suitable for removing paint or varnish from the surface;
- work is carried out in two stages, roughing and finishing.
Discs and other tools that you will need for full-fledged grinding or polishing of wood:
- Cord brushes designed for rough surface grinding. Helps to give the workpiece an acceptable shape.
- The next step in processing a natural wood blank is to use a sanding attachment. If the subject is complex, you will also need to apply radial stripes.
- A felt circle made of pressed wool (coarse, fine or semi-coarse) will help get rid of the slightest roughness. With their help, the surface can be made almost mirror.
As you can see, when using various nozzles, the grinder becomes a universal tool for woodworking.
Saw (chain wheels)
Suitable for cutting boards less than 4 cm thick. Use requires extreme care. During non-working hours, the disc should be kept in a case, and during operation it should be used only at those speeds that are written on the product itself.
Goggles and protective gloves are also required when working. It is important to remember that on the grinder, in no case should you use ordinary circles designed for a circular saw.
Using an angle grinder for milling
A wood cutter for a grinder in non-professional hands can be dangerous. For a specialist, its use is permissible.
The cutter helps to level the edge, make grooves, cut blanks and cut out bowls for log cabins. Even on inhomogeneous wood, the tool will not jam or kick back. However, before using it, it is important to carefully read the instructions, as well as observe the necessary speed.
The choice of cutters for angle grinders is quite wide, no less than for a manual milling machine. They are not designed for precise processing, but are quite suitable for shaping.
Safety rules during work
In order for the use of a wood disc for a grinder to bring only benefits, and not injuries and damaged products, several important rules must be observed:
- choose the right circle according to size and properties;
- the mode of operation of the machine must comply with the requirements on the disk;
- in no case should you use damaged circles;
- protect your hands and face with special devices and overalls.
The nozzle should fit effortlessly under the casing of the angle grinder. If you cannot do this, then do not remove the casing, it is traumatic.
Why can't saw blades be used with an angle grinder?
The hardness of a tree can be different even within a few centimeters. Also, it can come across clots of resin and knots. All these uneven areas lead to the fact that the saw blade stops abruptly, as a result, the angle grinder breaks out of the hands.
