Will W. Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Was in a hurry to get a knife done for a customer, just got the steel this morning. Was making a few cuts with my 4-1/2" angle grinder and the cut off wheel wore out. Looked around, couldn't find another *proper* one. But I did find about a 7 inch cut off wheel (probably for a demo saw) stupid me, I thought "I only have one more cut to go, what's the big deal?" Threw it on the grinder, about 5 seconds into cutting, it exploded, and a piece nailed me in the hand (wasn't wearing gloves.) It cut to the bone. I'm just glad it didn't hit me in the face, or the neck. Im all patched up now, though typing one handed. Todays lesson in the School of Hard Knocks: Don't use improper grinding wheels, even if it is just one little cut you have to make. P.S. That scar on my wrist that's kind of hard to see? Also from a grinder. One would think the lesson would have been learned the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Moved this into the safety section for you. Lesson to be learned: Buy an extra "proper" cut off wheel. New or old wheel, ALWAYS allow the grinder to speed up and reach full operating speed for a period of time before using the grinder. Hold the grinder in a safe position in case the wheel or grinder has a problem during this testing period of time. Keep all safety guards in place, in the proper position, and operational when using the tool. Glad it was no more serious than a few stitches and the injury does not restrict the use of your hand a whole lot while your healing process. Lessons in life are a learning experience. The tests to see if we learned from these lessons are sometimes graded on the pass / fail system. Thank you for posting the refresher lesson in safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Woops, thanks for moving that for me Glenn. I appreciate the wisdom, as I'm sure others will too. It was one of those go, go, go moments where safety was forsaken in favor of production. "The customer has been waiting long enough" I kept thinking. Would have taken me about 45 minutes to run and get another wheel, now I'll be lucky if I'm only a day or two behind. And yeah, the mobility is still there. The gauze and medical tape are somewhat restrictive, however haha. Thank you for the kind words as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Hoping you heal quick and well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 What were you cutting with the cut off wheel? Did it REALLY require such a dangerous tool to cut? The only place I use a cut off wheel except when it's the only thing that'll work is in my hot saw and I only use that for really thin material the band saw snags on. Unless the stock you were cutting I'll bet a hack saw would've worked and in many cases faster. The worst injury you're likely to do yourself with a hack saw is barking your knuckles if the blade breaks and then only if you're leaning too hard on it. About cut off wheels. Oh yeah NEVER use one that isn't rated for the tool you're using it in!! would you put an Allison airplane engine in a Cooper Mini! That's just an example I knew a fellow that if he were alive he'd do just that and be running it on drag strips, he was famous for V12 and V16 Allison powered funny cars. Sorry for the side track. The right cut off wheel in the right grinder is only the start. As Glenn just said, let it come to speed BEFORE applying it to anything! Even peanut grinders torque when you start them, give it a try, hold it as steady as you can and pull the trigger. It WILL twist in your grip, not a lot just a little bit. However cut off wheels are pretty fragile and if it's in even a little cut the grinder torquing will bind it and binding can break or damage the wheel. Same for shutting it off, remove it from the cut BEFORE letting go of the trigger! Do the above text again or just pay attention to what it does in your hand when you let go of the trigger. It torques the other way and if the wheel is in the cut it has drag on it the motor has to fight with momentum. Conservation of angular momentum says it WILL twist and the blade is trapped in a slot almost exactly the same width. The blade will bind, maybe not enough for you to notice it but it can damage an already darned fragile cut off wheel for the next time you use it. If you drop the grinder or heck anything hits it. CHANGE the BLADE! It may look fine and it might be. MIGHT BE FINE pieces of a shattering 4 1/2" grinder leave the party at around 140+mph and you are literally inches away. The only time I wear my leather apron anymore is when I have to use a cut off wheel. I think hard about alternatives before picking up a cut off wheel. Glad you weren't injured more seriously though where it got you is a really close call. Lots of tendons and connective tissue to damage in your hands. Heal up quick. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 How did you fit a 7" wheel inside the guard on a 4-1/2" grinder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 6 minutes ago, JHCC said: How did you fit a 7" wheel inside the guard on a 4-1/2" grinder? Didn't, couldn't. He's a B-A-D boy. Deserved the itty bitty spanking he got but I wasn't going to beat him up for it. Thanks for bringing it up John. Frosty the Lucky. (Want to know why they call me Lucky, Will?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 I once used a larger cut off wheel (don't remember the size) on a 4 1/2" grinder. I named it the meat slicer, and was very careful using it but realized it was Too dangerous to use like that so I took it off and quit doing that without getting hurt. I'm very lucky not to have had an incident, and recommend the simply wise safety mentioned above. Heal up and DON'T DO THAT AGAIN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 58 minutes ago, JHCC said: How did you fit a 7" wheel inside the guard on a 4-1/2" grinder? 50 minutes ago, Frosty said: Didn't, couldn't. Nothing gets by you guys haha. No, admittedly, there was no guard. Ding! Another foul. I was pretty much asking for disaster, I realize that, but I was in too much of a rush. Frosty I was making a few cuts on the stock to save from having to grind it out, hacksaw probably would have worked, but again, too much of a rush. Did it require that dangerous tool with a lethally incorrect wheel on it? Nope. Definitely not. I hope youre not kidding about if I want to know why you're called Lucky. That sounds like an interesting story. Thanks for the wisdom and kind words as well. Anachronist Thank you. Das Thank you. I don't plan on doing that again. Like frosty said, a few millimeters could have meant me losing 1. A lot of blood, or 2. Mobility in a finger or two. On my dominant hand nontheless! I'm glad to hear you took the wheel off that deathtrap though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Nope, not kidding Will. Check the prayer section of Iforge starting around 09/28/09 for the one that flat lined me a couple few times on the medevac flight to the new head trauma wing of Providence hospital in Anchorage. That was only the most serious and hopefully the last bad accident for me. It is the main cause for the web handle though, an awful lot of things had to go just right for me to have survived that one. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackdawg Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 I had a similar experience, but not with a different size diameter, but a different thickness. Was not until I had exploded the 3rd disk in a row that I realised they now make 1mm thick cuttoff disks for 100mm grinders, and I had just bought my first box of them! Turns out my old makita couldn't bite down on them properly, it would feel tight when you did it up, but if you really pulled on them you could move the disk in the mount. The old girl just not able to clamp on such a thin disk. The old girl has now been retired to wire wheel duty only. Mind you those thin disks in my modern grinders cut like a knife through hot butter! I'll never go back to using the old drop saw for cutting steel again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Frosty Had to do a little digging but I found it. I'm sorry to hear about that, but definitely glad you're OK now. Jackdawg If the makita doesn't clamp down on them too well, I would be careful using it for even wire wheel duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 2 hours ago, Jackdawg said: I had a similar experience, but not with a different size diameter, but a different thickness. Was not until I had exploded the 3rd disk in a row that I realised they now make 1mm thick cuttoff disks for 100mm grinders, and I had just bought my first box of them! Turns out my old makita couldn't bite down on them properly, it would feel tight when you did it up, but if you really pulled on them you could move the disk in the mount. The old girl just not able to clamp on such a thin disk. The old girl has now been retired to wire wheel duty only. Mind you those thin disks in my modern grinders cut like a knife through hot butter! I'll never go back to using the old drop saw for cutting steel again. My Makita has the same issue Jack, I only use it for cup brushes or grinding disks with the integral threaded section, no cut offs or sanding disks. Okay is a matter of definition Will but I pass. . . Usually. Issues or not I'm glad to be here to irritate the youngsters. Sometimes their folks. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will W. Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Glad to hear it, Frosty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 On 5/7/2017 at 5:19 PM, Frosty said: Issues or not I'm glad to be here to irritate the youngsters So am I. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.