Angle Grinder

The primary purpose of an angle grinder is to grind metal. It achieves this with the use of abrasive grinding discs that come in a range of materials, like aluminum, carbide, and diamond-tipped discs. Attach a grinding disc and turn on the grinder to start the disc spinning rapidly. Press the abrasive disc to the target metal to flatten, smooth, or completely remove pieces from the metal.

The rapidly rotating disc on an angle grinder doesn’t just smooth, polish, and grind away metal, it can also be used for cutting through metal. This is a common use for plumbers who are working with galvanized iron or lead pipes. Welders frequently cut pieces of metal to clean up projects or prepare a piece of metal to serve as a match.

Remove paint, rust, and lacquer from metal surfaces with the help of an angle grinder. Equip a plastic stripping disc or a metal cleaning wheel to take off chipped and peeling layers without damaging the metal underneath. Plastic stripping discs are a good option for removing paint, lacquer, and similar coatings that aren’t fused to the metal. These discs are made with nylon webbed material and silicon carbide to provide enough abrasion to lift these coatings away from the metal.

Angle grinders also can be used to sharpen other tools, like restoring the edge to lawn mower blades, axes, or chisels. Equip the angle grinder with an abrasive grinding disc and ensure that the blade of the tool is properly secured in a vise so that you can focus on controlling and steadying the movement of the grinder.

While angle grinders are primarily used when working with copper, iron, steel, lead, and other metals, they also can be used to cut through tough masonry materials, including tile, stone, and brick. Switch out the metal cut-off disc for a masonry cutting wheel and cut straight through these difficult materials. The precision of an angle grinder makes it useful for cutting custom angles in tile to help with bathroom shower repairs, making a garden pathway from brick or stone, or replacing broken pieces of a backyard fire pit.

Leaks, drafts, and recurring insect infestations can be fixed by replacing the mortar on the exterior of a home. However, getting the mortar out without damaging the bricks isn’t easy without the use of an angle grinder. Get a thick abrasive grinding disc that can handle soft masonry work or use a masonry cutting wheel to begin chipping away at the lines of mortar between the bricks.