[Boojo35]

take the ez wins.

Amen. A couple of bucks and some sweat equity.

 

[BowPro73]

This is something I did a while back, but just got around to putting a little video together. I still haven't completed the rest of the work I have planned. The photoshopped design at the end is somewhat how it will be finalized, but with a little extra detail into it. I'll post that video as well if I ever get off my butt and finish the work. lol.

 

[Awesome]

Do yourself a favor and put the guard back on the grinder. Cut disks - guard = injury.

 

[cobra30689]

Fix my dead fuel pump. Turned out to be the rubber hose from the pump to the sending unit.

Damn thing looks brand new. I think I may be following the same path shortly.

 

[BowPro73]

Do yourself a favor and put the guard back on the grinder. Cut disks - guard = injury.

I live just on the edge of danger. For one, I have operated this jeep on a public roadway, and I also swim without floaties.

Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk

 

[fishadventure]

I live just on the edge of danger. For one, I have operated this jeep on a public roadway, and I also swim without floaties.

Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk

I’ve been fortunate in life. Been careful too.

I know promising young people who have sustained permanent injuries from not being careful- including a young race car driver that hurt himself with a grinder, and in that melee the grinder threw a chunk of something in his eye. And thereby lost his free ride for the year in a nascar late model (which basically was for life) never mind the eye will never recover as his hand did.
I think you are not living on the edge of danger- you are over the edge of danger. And if somehow you equate open-blade 20,000rpm grinders with driving a jeep you are due a major reality check that I hope you start being smart and avoid. The floaties comment I must say is entirely ignorant in a conversation about injury.

 

[BowPro73]

I’ve been fortunate in life. Been careful too.

I know promising young people who have sustained permanent injuries from not being careful- including a young race car driver that hurt himself with a grinder, and in that melee the grinder threw a chunk of something in his eye. And thereby lost his free ride for the year in a nascar late model (which basically was for life) never mind the eye will never recover as his hand did.
I think you are not living on the edge of danger- you are over the edge of danger. And if somehow you equate open-blade 20,000rpm grinders with driving a jeep you are due a major reality check that I hope you start being smart and avoid. The floaties comment I must say is entirely ignorant in a conversation about injury.

The floaties are only sarcasm with the reference, along with the Jeep comment, with humor intent. I do wear safety glasses. I'm not an employer who's sending an employee into the work, without a choice, of the proper safety gear. I can choose to take my own risks. Some people will choose to never wear a seat belt anywhere they go, that's just as dangerous, if not worse. It's nothing you're gonna change with a paragraph. There is no rude intent here by any means. I can agree with what u said.

 

[Boojo35]

I think that most of you understand that I am safety conscious. Very much so. Yes, I have 4 or 4 1/2" grinders with guards. I also have angled die grinders and a straight die grinder that do not have guards and never came with them. If they did have guards I would not be able to use them to access some of the places where they save my bacon.

Yes, safety is important. Common sense is to never put your face or eyes in the line of fire from the wheel. Also, wear safety glasses covered with the minimum of safety goggles but the preferred is a certified safety grinding face shield. Also, never use a wheel that has a nick in it and if you have a quality die grinder, you do not have to run it to max RPMs to get the job done. My newest die grinder is a 1/2 hp pneumatic straight head one from Snap-on. It is very controllable speed wise and does not stall out.

I honestly think some of the low quality ratchets that some guys wrap their hands around and push towards sharp objects are more dangerous. JS. Common sense goes a long way. There is a safe way to use a grinder with no guard.

 

[93YJ4FUN]

Pfft, I'm so safety conscious that I don't even own a grinder. Unless you consider my swivel hips.

 

[Awesome]

I think that most of you understand that I am safety conscious. Very much so. Yes, I have 4 or 4 1/2" grinders with guards. I also have angled die grinders and a straight die grinder that do not have guards and never came with them. If they did have guards I would not be able to use them to access some of the places where they save my bacon.

Yes, safety is important. Common sense is to never put your face or eyes in the line of fire from the wheel. Also, wear safety glasses covered with the minimum of safety goggles but the preferred is a certified safety grinding face shield. Also, never use a wheel that has a nick in it and if you have a quality die grinder, you do not have to run it to max RPMs to get the job done. My newest die grinder is a 1/2 hp pneumatic straight head one from Snap-on. It is very controllable speed wise and does not stall out.

I honestly think some of the low quality ratchets that some guys wrap their hands around and push towards sharp objects are more dangerous. JS. Common sense goes a long way. There is a safe way to use a grinder with no guard.

The biggest difference between a die grinder and a 4-1/2" angle grinder is the second word in the description of the latter. "Angle."

Your hand is directly in-line with a blade spinning at 11,000 rpm. A lot of people who don't bother with the guard also don't bother with making sure the disk is rated for the correct speed, use cut disks to grind, never wear gloves, etc.

It's indicative of a deeper issue with keeping yourself (and therefore others around you) safe.

I have a very graphic example of just exactly what happens when you don't care about safety that I show my kids every year. One of the ladies in the office at school has a husband who was doing literally everything wrong that you can think of while using an angle grinder, and ended up in the hospital requiring emergency knee surgery. Put him out of work for a week.

 

[RedJeepster1]

Got it running! Rolled it outside this morning and put a hood on it for the first time. Had to roll another YJ in to pull the 4.2, and then rolled a TJ in to patch the frame. This YJ should be back in the garage by tomorrow afternoon. Lots to do still.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Boojo35]

The biggest difference between a die grinder and a 4-1/2" angle grinder is the second word in the description of the latter. "Angle."

Your hand is directly in-line with a blade spinning at 11,000 rpm. A lot of people who don't bother with the guard also don't bother with making sure the disk is rated for the correct speed, use cut disks to grind, never wear gloves, etc.

Touche. Those are indeed valid points.

The proper PPE and methods matter. My hands or face are NEVER in line with my work. I try at all costs to cut in the proper direction also.

Using a grinder relates to using a router in a wood shop or using a mill in a machine shop. The direction of travel matters.

Google climb cut vs conventional cut. Conventional cut is the safest way for a reason.

Crap. Table saws scare the hell out of me but yet I use one a lot. It may seem unrelated but understanding the direction of the cutter, and then the reverse forces of it for lack of better terms matters for safety.

Any time you use a bit or wheel that cuts, it has a safer direction and a direction that is not so safe. Knowledge in that matters. It is hard to cover all the scenarios.

Using a router can be safe and controllable but then change over to an opposite bit like from an downcut spiral to an upcut sprial to clear chips totally reverses what the work piece wants to do and how it reacts to the power tool.

Comparing routers, table saws and hand held grinders may seem off topic, but yet the learning of cutting directions and what is a climb or conventional cut really increases safety and controllability.

You cannot always go in the ideal direction but if you know and understand what you are up against, you are better off.

Yes. Safety matters. There is a lot to it.
e

 

[fishadventure]

There is a safe way to use a grinder with no guard

Yet the risk of an accident is still higher.

honestly think some of the low quality ratchets that some guys wrap their hands around and push towards sharp objects are more dangerous. JS. Common sense goes a long way

also have angled die grinders and a straight die grinder that do not have guards and never came with them.

The energy stored in a 4-1/2” angle grinder is the greatest risk factor imho.

Sparks and debris and direction of cut are all valid points. Yet that spinning grinder with the power switch locked ‘on’ is as indiscriminate as you can get like table saws and radial arm saws.

My makita angle grinders have a guard with a range of adjustable coverage. The guard is important especially with gloves.

My die grinders- two straight and at least one angled- are always used with care but other than flying chips to be mindful of there is little energy and little risk in using the. Other than when table mounted, routers are similarly lower risk and controllable.

I had a job at a ski area handling osha compliance for public areas and employee workspaces. Checking for fall protection, ensuring soundness of weight bearing tools, inspection of pinch-point guards and covers for power transmission belts and gears, etc. So I learned after a time how simple guards eliminate most injuries if not all with most equipment. The ‘fliers’ were a couple of things that that the human involved had the greatest influence over the outcome: lifting by hand (back injuries), hammers, and angle grinders. At the time nearly 100% of injuries that occurred with angle grinders happened with an ‘open’ disc/blade: fingers, clothing, gloves, etc. and many of those injuries were major.

There’s very little you can’t do adequately and well with the guard in place. Even in tight access, smaller air cutoff tools are safer and can do the job with a guard. Removing the guard is inviting troubles.

in my own case I’ve been very careful yet have had a couple close calls with fingers.
The most disturbing angle grinder accident I’ve experienced was doing my jeep frame. It was winter, 20*F in the shop, wearing cold weather driving pants and insulated welding gloves. I have chronic tennis elbow issues, recurrent tendon and ligament problems (I have pain frequently at the juncture of my bicep and elbow) and my grip is weak without warning in my right hand as well. Was doing my jeep frame using a 3” cup brush and in both being cold and having pain in my forearm and bicep, the brush caught on a sharp edge and jumping out of my grip, it proceeded to bounce off the floor and then caught my riding pants cuff. It burrowed up my pant leg through my jeans and removed a lot of flesh in the split second I was wise enough to dive and unplug it from the extension cord- if I’d gone for the power switch I’d have been unable to get to it up my pant leg… Had I had the guard on it may not have caught to begin with, or probably caught my pant leg and wrecked my boot instead of my upper ankle and calf.
Tools with momentum and lots of geared power need the guard(s) in place. Always. I’m no pansy but that calf was more on fire than any burn I’ve gotten or the couple of cases of motorcycle road rash I’ve had.

Unless it’s absolutely unavoidable I always use the guard and nearly always have the handle in place. One more second on my calf and thst could’ve been pretty bad. It took a sec to grind through my jeans, but it was through and deep when I unplugged it.

So call me Karen- my manhood isn’t threatened being safe.

 

[93YJ4FUN]

So call me Karen- my manhood isn’t threatened being safe.

When an accident can quickly and efficiently remove said manhood in a mishap, safety is first second and however many numbers you want to attach to it.

 

[fishadventure]

When an accident can quickly and efficiently remove said manhood in a mishap, safety is first second and however many numbers you want to attach to it.

i can successfully identify using only one number from a binary system. 😎

 

[Luuca]

I will say that most of the disk failures I have seen on a cut-off wheel application are due to improper use of the tool. Using force to try and get back on a cut path or even gently trying to round a cut. These lateral forces are what breaks the disk and shards it into you. A proper cut, one where you work the disk on top of the line and gradually through the metal in-line with the cutting edge will not shatter a disk when using proper force. A cut that uses only one small section of disk to force the cutting wheel into the metal will more easily cause critical failure of the disk.

Nothing is 100%, but IMO, if you use the gradual cut by tracing the cut along a section or it's length, then wear away at the material over a larger distance until the blade works it's way through the material is not only safer, but allows the cutting disk to last longer.

 

[jbolty]

I will say that most of the disk failures I have seen on a cut-off wheel application are due to improper use of the tool. Using force to try and get back on a cut path or even gently trying to round a cut. These lateral forces are what breaks the disk and shards it into you. A proper cut, one where you work the disk on top of the line and gradually through the metal in-line with the cutting edge will not shatter a disk when using proper force. A cut that uses only one small section of disk to force the cutting wheel into the metal will more easily cause critical failure of the disk.

Nothing is 100%, but IMO, if you use the gradual cut by tracing the cut along a section or it's length, then wear away at the material over a larger distance until the blade works it's way through the material is not only safer, but allows the cutting disk to last longer.

fact. I've gotten into trouble when the disk is into the cut past the "equator" so it grabs and pulls the whole thing down or up. Or cutting something that is incorrectly supported so when it starts to separate it pinches the disk.

I have about 10 of the HF $10 grinders with a different wheel on each, most with the guard and a couple without. It's so nice to switch from cut to grind to flap to wire without a wheel change.


FWIW. I have had very good luck with these disks. Pretty cheap and hold up well.

Amazon.com

 

[Boojo35]

There are many good safety points made here. It is really worth reading through and taking on the many different scenarios that people bring to the table.

My machine shop and woodworking experience really make me under stand direction of cut. Conventional vs climb. It is a very critical thing of how the tool itself will react and if it will grab and try to get away from you or if it will cut through in control.

Depth of cut was mentioned. Man. I know that one for sure. You never take a router bit or carbide cut die grinder bit too deep. Escpecially past its halfway point. It turns a conventional cut into a climb cut. It will make the tool kick back.

I hate the lock on switches in ANYTHING I would rather have a tired trigger finger and have to rest at times rather than a tool that can keep on going when disaster strikes.

Long sleeves, long hair that is not tied up, loose fitting jackets that hang off you, the wrong choice of gloves, etc. can be caught up in a rotating tool situation.

I will reiterate that their are a few very common jobs that I do frequently that there is NO WAY that you can do it with a 4 or 4 1/2 grinder. You cannot get the tool in there to do the job. You have to use a pneumatic angle or straight die grinder and it CANNOT have a guard. Do not underestimate the power of the newer pneumatic die grinders. I have a Snap-on that is 1/2 HP. They also make them in 1 HP versions. They have balls.

Other than that. Very informative and great ideas from others. A lot of things to think about but there are some scenarios that there is no other way but using a tool with no guard.

Doing a left side frame saver on a mail truck that replaces the forward rear leaf spring mount is one of them. You have to grind off the original rivet heads that hold the leaf spring hanger to the frame. It is NO place for a torch. There are too many fuel lines in the area and some on the opposite side of the frame are rubber. You cannot control what a torch will throw slag wise. You have to grind them off of the outside of the frame..... Period.... Yes you have to have the proper PPE and be aware that your body parts are not in the line of fire.

Somebody else here mentioned another bad situation. Using a cut off wheel on its side to chamfer, grind, smooth, etc. That action thins the wheel and can make it dangerous. That is a great point. I have a job that I frequently do that I have to do it. Replacing rear brake backing plates on old salt belt LLV mail trucks. They have gone so far that the shoes will wear through the plates or the posts at the top. When you remove the plate, the mounting flange on the axle has so my rust build up that the shoulder that defines its centering is crusty as hell. If you do not true it up, the new plate will warp and not bolt down true. It will present other problems. The only way to clean it up precisely enough is by using a cutoff wheel badly. I will do both flanges and then throw the wheel in the trash. I will not re use it. The company supplies them. I use them gingerly to not create a safety condition, but will not use the wheel again after I am done.

Exhaust shops..... .... The standard in them is to use a large chop saw with an abrasive cut off wheel to saw through pipe. Those POS saws leave a very large burr on the pipe. The default is for guys to take the edge of the pipe and run it up to the side of the blade to remove the burr. It thins the blade. It also side loads it which it was never meant to do. Exhaust shops that do this practice have a lot of blade explosions. Yep. They just do.

BTW. My personal chop saw at home is a Rage Evolution. It has a blade that looks more like a table saw blade. It is all metal. It has no abrasive qualities if pushing a cut against the side of the blade. I cannot even think of doing that dumb and unsafe practice because my chop saw will not even accomplish it.

I fear rotating and cutting power tools. I really do. I fear vehicle hoists and jacks. I fear a lot of things in my industry. I see guys grab a cutting torch and go to town when the guy in the next bay has a fuel tank sitting on the floor with the sending unit out whilst changing the fuel pump for instance. That could never go bad.

I go into the pool without floaties. But NEVER when drinking Tequila.

Good discussion.

 

[mark1305]

And lets not forget safety when using a bench grinder with a wire wheel mounted. I bought a sturdy shop apron after picking the fourth or fifth wire out of my belly. I was already using face shields but my stomach was in the line of fire more.

 

[Awesome]

My kids actually managed to kill a Baldor buffer with wire wheels mounted on it.

I'm sure it's because they stall it out at least once a day while using it. Pretty sure it's at least a 1990's model, if not a 1980's, so I'm very impressed with the longevity. The school is buying a new one. I'm going to see if I can get the old one re-wound so we can have two of them.