Wire Brushes

[Glenn]

Jim "Paw Paw" Wilson attaching a wire wheel on a motor. The motor was attached to a bracket and securely hung on the outside of his shop.

All was fine till one day .....

The wire wheel caught the piece of 3/8" square "S" hook, grabbed it out of his hands, round the circle and launched it back at Jim. Jim took the 3/8" square in the fore head on as he ducked out of the way - it happened that fast. He then hit his head again on a 5 gallon bucket of concrete used to anchor the outside shop roof. Result = two concusions and several months of headaches that pills would not cure.

[Glenn]

As a teenager, I was helping my Uncle work on metal. He allowed me to use a industrial size wire bursh on a angle grinder type tool. The tool was extremely heavy and had maybe a 9" wire wheel attached. I do not remember ever seeing a grinding disc on that tool, so I assume at this point it was a wire wheel only tool.

There was never a guard on the tool, we knew to be careful and were careful when it was used. Till the day my right hand holding the tool slid a bit too far foward and that wire wheel devoured the flesh on the second joint of my thumb. Still am reminded that you do not trust any wire wheel every time I look at the scar.


Flat (non cupped) wire wheels do a good job on objects with contours but are not to be trusted on flat metal. Flat (non cupped) wire wheels WILL GRAB onto metal in one direction, but will slide on metal when you turn and face the other direction. This is especially true when you wire brush edges of objects. Make sure which is which and your truned the proper direction. Cup wheels do well on flat metal but not so well on objects with shape.

As the wheels wear down, they start throwing wires. Like sparks from the grinder, these wire darts can travel a surprising distance. Be careful what is downrange of your work.

[Brian C.]

I run an 8" wire wheel on a pedestal grinder. Once as I was cleaning up a piece of 3/8" round stock that I had forged into a hook on one end and a leaf on the other, the wheel grabbed it.

Cut my lip inside & out, several sore teeth, small mouse under my eye. All of this while wearing a face shield. Tore the shield from the headband.

What would it have done without the face shield? Which, by the way, I only started wearing after #1 son came to visit & walked up and pulled a couple of wires out of my cheek that I had not noticed.

When that wheel grabs, it is way to late to "duck and cover".

I still use those wheels, but very much more carefully than before. This made a Bill Epps believer out of me ,by using a variable speed sander-polisher with a wire cup wheel in his videos

[Mills]

I got rid of all powered wire wheels about 8 months ago. Flat wheel on small flat sheet and badly needed surgery was put off another 2 months whilst my belly healed. Wickers in the jeans, which get washed then transferred to the socks where I recover them in the wee morning hours as part of preparation for the day. I now use more chemicals, which has a different set of risks that I find more acceptable.

[HWooldridge]

Motor brushes can be very dangerous. I buy the best wheels I can find in soft configurations - primarily because the better ones last so don't shed wire bristles and also because the smaller wire, softer action wheels leave a nicer surface and are not as prone to grab.

A very usable hand brush is the butcher block style, which has fairly large, flat wire blades set into a big block, usually with a handle on top. These are sold in butcher supply stores to clean wooden cutting boards. In the blacksmith shop, they automatically protect the hand (because the handle is on top) and last a very long time. I have one in the shop that is about ten years old and still going strong - has lost a few bristles but a good 90% of them are still there.

[High Plains Forge]

Last winter, I was using a wire cup brush on a small angle grinder to clean the scale off a candleholder. I was going too fast and wasn't paying attention. The brush grabbed the piece, then fired off straight in my direction. It hit me right in the nipple. I was only wearing a T-shirt, and let me tell you, my nipple wasn't happy. Luckily it recovered and I still have both. Needless to say, I do a lot less wire brushing, and am much more careful when I do.

[irnsrgn]

Jim Wilson mounted a cup twisted cup brush to the motor or grinder, he admitted he should have never used a cup brush.

[Mr Smith]

I remeber using a wire brush attachment on an angle grinder to clean up something or other.
At the time. I was wearing my oldest, baggiest t-shirt, which I designated my "smithin' shirt".
Big mistake.

The end of the shirt caught on the bristles, and the angle grinder suddenly gave me a "nipple cripple". Thankfully I still have both, but I use a lot more vinegar for cleaning nowadays....

[henerythe8th]

For quite a while I have considered any powered wire brush to be one of, if not THE most dangerous tool in the shop! Similar to Mr. Smith, I had a very baggy set of overalls on--price was right at a yardsale--and ended up winding up and tearing a large chunk of denim at belly level (thank goodness I didn't have that part of the overalls full! ) with an angle grinder with flat brush in it.

Really, when you get right down to it . . .

NO TOOL IS DANGEROUS!!!

Unless of course it's the TOOL that you see in the mirror every morning...

WE TOOLS, have to make sure that we are aware, cautious, etc.

[ApprenticeMan]

I was wire wheeling a few peices a few weeks ago and afterwards, kept feeling this persistant itch on my arm. Loe and behold it was one of the wires from the wire wheel that had come loose flung against the wall and entered my arm, there was about 3/16ths of it in my arm with about another 3/16ths poking out.