Why Do I Need An... Angle-Grinder?

I may not break out my 4 1/2 inch angle-grinder everyday but it sure comes in handy when I need it! This metal grinding power house of a tool has many more uses. Did you know it's a great handyman tool for making difficult, intricate cuts in tile? I noticed a tile setter using it on a job once and found out that it's his most used tool. He said he use it more than his wet tile saw. I've used it for cutting steel, aluminum, morter, stucco, cement and tile. I've cleaned rust and paint with a wire brush wheel and of course ground and polish metals.

The one shown on this page is a 4 1/2 inch Dewalt angle grinder. Larger grinders are available but I find that this one is all I ever need. The job they do depends on the type of blade or wheel you put on it. If you want to grind, steel, put on a grinding wheel. If you want to cut concrete, call me crazy... but you put a concrete cutting wheel on it. Cutting ceramic or stone tile requires a diamond blade.

You can get these tools at any large home center and all the blades and wheels that you need for the different applications. A light duty one is great for the home DIY'er and can be purchased for about $35 from Amazon.com

If your needs are more frequent or demanding for jobs like cutting tile, stucco or cement you can get a heavy duty 4 1/2 inch or a 5 inch angle-grinder. They range in price from $55 to about $130 for a professional model like a Metabo.

Angle grinders are so versatile because of the different wheels and accessories you can mount on them. I'll only be scratching the surface on what you can do with them here. Below is a list of uses and the wheels you'll need to accomplish the task.

For Grinding Metal, slap on a metal grinding disc. Maybe it's time to sharpen a lawn mower blade. Sure, you could just go out and buy another one but it's going to cost you. Especially if you're driving around the yard on a 42 inch lawn tractor with two cutting blades.

Outfit your angle-grinder with a grinding wheel and you can restore the edges of any lawn mower blade. First secure the blade into a metal vise or use a couple of wood clamps to secure it to your work bench. Next (grinder off) adjust the angle of the grinder to match the blades bevel by resting the grinding wheel against the blade. Maintain this position as you grind the edge so you maintain the same bevel angle as the blade manufacturer.

Now you're ready to sharpen that blade. Position the grinder so the wheel spins from the body of the blade toward the edge (Most angle-grinders have an indicator as to which direction it turns). Switch it on and let it gain full speed before you begin. Remove only a little metal at a time and once you've sharpened both sides put the blade on a lawn mower blade balancing tool. A blade balancing tool is a simple tool you can get at any home center. Simply rest the blade on it and if it's heavy on that end you going to have to keep sharpening (removing only a little metal at a time) until the blade is balanced. If you don't balance the blade after sharpening... you could seriously damage your lawn mower.

Handyman-Tip Be careful not to overheat a metal blade with a grinder. Overheating the metal turns it to a bluish black color and won't stay sharp for to long. Keep it from overheating by applying light pressure and don't leave the grinder in one place for too long... keep it moving. Another smart idea is to keep a bucket of water and sponge handy to drench the metal frequently which will keep it cool.

When it comes to restoring edges on hoes, shovels and ice scrapers or for the initial grinding of axes, hatchets. If you're looking for a sharper edge then follow up with a mill bastard file for a sharper edge. Use the same method described above to sharpen your other edged tools.

Do you have some metal cleaning to do? A wire wheel works great for cleaning rust or paint and can fit into tight spots or crevices leaving the metal looking shiny and new. Wire wheel or brush attachments can cost a little more (Sometimes $10-$20) but they're great for deburring, roughening, or rust/paint removal . A regular cup brush provides a flexible abrasive for uneven surfaces. The brass coating, like the one shown, helps the brush run cooler and resists corrosion of the bristles. The knotted steel wire brush will plow through your heavy duty, industrial applications like the toughest weld splatter, scale or surface corrosion. This one has heavy .020 gage steel wires that are twisted into a tight knot to maximize the abrasive action.

When choosing the right attachment for your application make sure you match the threads to the spindle threads on your angle-grinder. Most of the 4 /12 inch models will have a 5/8th inch threads, but check to make sure.

When you have to Cut Steel or aluminum bars, rods or bolts, and you don't want to spend all day with a hack-saw, you can't beat an angle-grinder. I've used it to cut the re-bar inside concrete pours, angled aluminum, tube steel and rusted bolts . A cut-off wheel is pretty cheap, about $2-$5 depending upon the quality. The higher the price usually means it will last a little longer.

When it comes to cutting stone, concrete, mortar, or making intricate cuts in tile nothing beats an angle-grinder. If you have to cut a circle in tile all you have to do is score a line using a diamond blade then make a series of straight cuts towards the score line and break the tile off. If you've got a lot of tuck pointing to do, it's worth buying one just to remove the old mortar. The diamond blades used to remove old mortar from in between brick or block is called a Tuck Point wheels. The look like regular diamond wheels except that they are segmented and thicker... a least a 1/4 inch thick. These wheels aren't cheap either ($25 - $125). You're going to be producing heavy dust so wear a good dust mask and a face shield... Oh yea, you might want to close you windows too.