If you are trying to understand whether it is possible to cut wood with an angle grinder, then the answer to this question is clear: it is possible. But many will not do this, because... Too many injuries people get from using an angle grinder as a wood saw, which is correctly called an angle grinder.
This is primarily due to the fairly high speed of its rotation, at which most saw blades just not calculated. But who pays attention to this when there is work to be done, and there seems to be something at hand? suitable tool, and for the saw blade for wood there is also a compensator ring the right size applied. Moreover, the protective casing is removed for ease of operation, which is absolutely forbidden to do.
But we won’t talk about injuries, but we’ll talk about what and how you can process (including sawing) wood using an angle grinder, but first about the difficulties of working with an angle grinder specifically on wood.
Difficulties when working with an angle grinder
We mentioned the discrepancy between the speed of the grinder and the circular saw, but users who have an angle grinder with speed control can say that this factor was taken into account, and any tool will be suitable for their tool. saw blade on wood.
Of course, by setting the number of revolutions of the grinder's output shaft corresponding to that indicated on the saw blade, they significantly reduce the risk of injury during operation, but do not eliminate it completely. This is primarily due to the material itself, or rather its structure and heterogeneity.
Even in different places of the same trunk, a tree has different hardness, not to mention inclusions of viscous resin, the possible presence of metal found in the thickness of the wood: from pellets and bullets that hit the tree during a hunt, to wires that had grown into it, which were used to tie up branches. Don't forget about knots, which are present in almost all types of wood.
When encountering the listed obstacles, the saw blade sharply slows down and, by inertia, the grinder is simply torn out of the hands, and when passing a hard section, it rushes forward with redoubled force.
When encountering metal, there is a high probability of chipping a carbide tooth, which can be captured next and thrown out at the speed of a bullet. It’s good if it’s within the range of the protective casing.
A person who decides to cut a tree is exposed to even greater danger, because in this case the grinder must be placed on its side, which changes the usual and comfortable grip, which means the grip weakens.
Grinder discs designed for cutting wood
1. Chain disks and cutters based on them.
Structurally, they are designed in such a way that even when biting the chain, which is similar in structure to saw chains for chainsaws, the base can rotate, so the tool will not be pulled out of your hands. These discs are primarily intended for external processing wood: cutting out cups in logs, removing bark, modeling, but you can also saw with them, especially with a 230-size disk, which costs a lot, but compensates for its cost with the safety of work.
2. Saw blades for wood with a small number of teeth.
To enlarge the picture, click on it.
Such discs indicate the maximum rotation speed and should be selected based on the parameters of your tool. Such a large pitch between the teeth compensates for the high speed of the grinder and makes sawing much safer than working with standard saw blades, but you should also be wary of metal in wood. You will see their work in the video:
In addition to wood, they can also handle plastic and aerated concrete.
3. Tungsten carbide discs.
This is a new product in the field of tools for angle grinders, allowing you to freely cut wood without fear of metal inclusions, operating at rotation speeds of up to 12,200 rpm. She is the only one that gives an absolutely positive answer to the question: is it possible to cut wood with an angle grinder? You can see this for yourself by watching a short video about the operation of this disk:
Needless to say, these blades cut more than just wood.
4. Another tool, to one degree or another, suitable for cutting or other processing of wood using a grinder.
First things first:
a) Rotarex produces discs for cutting wood. In terms of their performance, primarily safety, they are inferior to those listed above, but are clearly more suitable for sawing wood than circular saw blades;
b) wood cutters intended for external processing wood angle grinder, can also saw thin wood;
c) plane disk – attachment for an angle grinder.
d) a saw for creating wooden sculptures with a configuration of cutting elements vaguely resembling links saw chain, is not entirely intended for sawing, but will cope with it to some extent.
Grinder for sanding wood
But this work, incl. on wood, specifically for this tool. Just a small photo selection of angle grinder attachments for grinding is evidence of this.
- For rough grinding.
- The most common type of attachments for grinding angle grinders, cleanliness depends on the size of the abrasive grain on the blades.
- The simplest option for changing grinding wheels is to use a holder attachment with a sticky base, on which replaceable abrasive wheels with different grains or even polishing bristles are attached.
- polymer abrasive nozzle made of silicon carbide with nylon.
- belt attachment for sanding.
And instead of a conclusion. Is it possible to cut wood with a grinder? It depends on what and what. If you cut a thin dry twig, then there are practically no restrictions, but if you have to do more serious work, see above.
Dear readers, if you have any questions, please ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)
Bulgarian, being universal tool at home handyman or a professional, is used when performing many operations on cutting materials, grinding, peeling various surfaces etc. Sooner or later, every owner of this tool asks the question: is it possible to work on wood with an angle grinder, and what attachments are needed for this?
The only operations with wood that can be performed with an angle grinder (angle grinder) without danger are grinding and peeling, and then only using special nozzles. Of course, you can cut wood, but it is strictly prohibited! The Internet is full of shocking photographs showing what the consequences of using an angle grinder as a cutting tool on wood.
The main arguments that can be made against use of angle grinders for sawing, the following.
- This machine is not designed for sawing wood.
- Since wood has a viscous and soft structure, the saw blade can jam in it. As a result, the grinder is often pulls out of hands, and it flies in an unpredictable direction (in the leg, along the arms, in the stomach, etc.), causing deep wounds to a person or amputation of fingers. Even fatal cases have been reported.
- When cutting wood it happens very quickly heating the saw blade, causing it to begin to lose strength. The slightest misalignment or excessive pressure may cause it to fly apart. Since the spindle speed of an angle grinder is high, tool fragments fly away at the speed of shrapnel and penetrate deeply under a person’s skin. The user will be lucky if the fragments do not fly into the head or eyes.
- Despite the dangers of using saw blades with teeth, some angle grinder users ignore this fact and continue to install circular saw blades with large teeth or improved carbide tipped. If, when cutting wood, a hard knot or nail residue gets caught in it, the tooth or solder breaks off, gets caught by the next saw tooth and is thrown out at the speed of a bullet. One can only guess about the consequences.
- Ignoring all the warnings, users of grinders install a circular saw on the device larger diameter than the protective casing. This is the most dangerous option for using an angle grinder.
Based on the above, you can cut wood with an angle grinder only at your own peril and risk, and only if this is a single or infrequent operation.
If you have to cut wood constantly, it is better to purchase a special machine for this purpose, or use a jigsaw. In extreme cases, the grinder can be used as a drive and made into a circular saw, securing the device rigidly to the frame.
What kind of circles are there for cutting wood?
Despite the dangers of using an angle grinder for cutting wood, tool manufacturers still produce saw blades for it.
Circular saws
The photo below shows “dangerous” saw wheel for an angle grinder, although its diameter corresponds to the protective casing of a grinder with a maximum working tool of 180 mm. There are tipped saws with smaller diameters.
On next photo you can see a less dangerous version of the circular saw. It provides protection against jamming, and is implemented by slightly moving the teeth in different directions.
Chainsaws
A saw blade made using a chainsaw chain reduces the risk of injury if the tool jams. This attachment is designed in such a way that the chain attached to the inner disk (base) has not fixed landing.
If the chain gets stuck in the material being processed, the base continues to rotate and the tool does not tear out of your hands.
Data chain disks for grinders have many modifications, and with their help you can trim branches in the garden, and also use them for rough cutting of thin boards.
In addition to cutting, the chain disk can also be used like a ripper, for example, for removing bark, as well as for cutting cups in logs and modeling.
Saws with few teeth
Also for grinders, in order to increase the safety of working with wood, tool manufacturers produce cutting discs with a small number of teeth.
Discs of small diameter can have 3 teeth, and large ones - 4, as shown in the following photo.
These grinder blades are excellent at cutting wood both along the grain and across it. In addition, with the help of a saw wheel you can cut grooves, make various cuts and tenons in the workpiece. But when working with an angle grinder, you should adhere to one rule: you need to install a cutting disc on the grinder with a diameter for which it is designed by the manufacturer, that is, do not exceed its dimensions. Circles of smaller diameter can be installed.
Tungsten carbide discs
Tungsten carbide discs for angle grinders appeared on sale not so long ago and made a kind of revolution in the field of woodworking.
This universal disk has no teeth. Instead of the latter, segments are located around the circumference of the nozzle. Trimming disc looks similar to diamond wheel for cutting concrete. With the help of a tungsten carbide wheel for an angle grinder, you can very easily saw wood of any hardness and viscosity. In addition, he is not afraid of nails, screws and other metal inclusions that may be in the workpiece on his way.
This is the safest wood saw blade for an angle grinder.
Its price on the Internet is about 700 rubles. But if you consider possible consequences the use of circular saws, then this is a low price to pay for safety.
Wood sanding attachments
For wood processing, except cutting wheels, there are specially designed for installation on angle grinder attachments, with which you can peel, sand, brush and mill wooden surfaces.
Peeling attachments
If you need to remove a layer of paint or other coating from a wooden surface, you can install a sanding attachment on the grinder. Available for sale large number various attachments for roughing work. They differ in shape, design, and types of work that can be performed with this tool.
The photo below shows the disc nozzles with thorns or crumbs, with which you can easily remove top layer wood, grind the end of the board, etc.
The next cutter, due to the fact that the tenons on it are located on a flat plane, allows level various wooden surfaces. For example, if 2 floorboards at the end joint are on different heights. Using this attachment, the defect is easily eliminated, and the boards are joined in the same plane.
Peeling attachments are also available twisted wire. They can be made in the form of a metal cup with a wire inserted into it.
Or in the form of a disk with turns of wire clamped in its central part.
These brushes are used if you need to quickly peel old paint from a wooden surface or rust and paint from metal.
The next photo shows a brush with a smaller diameter wire, and it is used for finer roughing work on wood and metal.
In addition to cleaning, this brush is often used for brushing wood, that is, giving it an aging effect. If this effect needs to be applied on large surfaces, professional field, then for brushing it is better to use special hand-held machines with wide brushes.
Grinding and polishing attachments
For grinding various surfaces, including wood, there is a special attachment for angle grinders on sale, consisting of a metal base, onto which it is attached using Velcro emery grinding wheel . The attachment is screwed onto the angle grinder shaft and tightened with an open-end wrench.
It is often equipped with an adapter for mounting in a drill chuck or drilling machine.
A grinding wheel is not used for polishing surfaces. Instead, they are installed on the nozzle felt discs, which are attached with Velcro.
Also often used for sanding wooden surfaces. flap sanding wheel. It is called so because it consists of many petals fixed on its plane, made of sandpaper. The grain size of the latter can be selected based on the requirements for the surface being processed. For rough sanding, coarse-grain sandpaper is suitable, and for finishing sanding, vice versa.
What is better to sand wood - with a grinder or a sander - depends on what you are going to prepare for wooden surface. If under application regular paint, then you can use a grinding wheel. If for varnishing, then a grinding wheel mounted on an angle grinder cannot be used, since it will produce small radial scratches on the surface of the wood, which will clearly appear after applying the varnish. In this case, longitudinal grinding is used for grinding. belt sander(the sanding belt moves longitudinally) or vibration, where the same sanding wheels are used.
Safety precautions when working with an angle grinder on wood
If you decide to use an angle grinder as a tool for cutting wood, then you should remember some safety measures that cannot be ignored.
- Before installing the tool on the angle grinder, it must be disconnected from the power supply.
- Under no circumstances do not remove the protective casing from the angle grinder. This is the only barrier between the circular saw and your skin. In some cases, it will be able to protect your face from flying instrument fragments.
- When working with an angle grinder on wood and not only the use of protective gloves is a must.
- Do not use large and powerful angle grinders to cut wood. If the saw jams, you will not be able to hold the tool in your hands.
- Do not use saw blades with teeth large sizes, since the likelihood of them catching on hard wood fibers increases significantly and, accordingly, the likelihood of tearing the tool out of your hands increases.
- An angle grinder must have speed controller which need to be reduced to a minimum. If there is no regulator in the device, then it is better not to risk your health. As a last resort, you can make a regulator yourself and install it in an extension cord socket.
- The grinder should be held strictly at a right angle while sawing. Any slight misalignment can cause the circular saw to collapse.
- Under no circumstances should you fix the start button of the device, since in an emergency you will not be able to stop the tool and minimize injuries.
Corner grinder, which is popularly called an angle grinder, is not intended for processing wooden products. Even with the proper selection of workers, such operations are unsafe for health. Manufacturers producing wheels for grinders on wood 125 refer to this aspect in operating conditions, but not all people pay attention to this warning.
Working discs for angle grinders
In modern industry, several types of discs are available for grinders:
- Abrasive wheels, which are divided into grinding and cutting wheels, are quite fragile if used for purposes other than their intended purpose. They perform the range of operations they are designed for perfectly.
- Diamond-coated discs used for processing building materials And hard rocks stone They are divided into solid and segmented. Segmented discs are more suitable for grinders for metal.
- Working circles for circular saws, which experts do not recommend using in the processing of wooden products. It is better to choose saw blades adapted for the grinder, which are also popularly called a milling cutter.
- Chain discs for grinders. Although outwardly they resemble scenes from horror films, they cope with wood operations in the best possible way. They consist of a circle, along the edges of which a chain is applied, like on a chainsaw. High-quality steel allows you to perform various operations with lumber, or rather, milling, modeling, stripping bark and cutting out recesses in logs.
When choosing wood cutting discs for an angle grinder, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- the diameter of the wheels should not exceed the diameter for which the grinding machine is designed;
- select the main parts only those that are allowed for manipulating wood;
- Sometimes you have to remove the protective cover, which is unsafe.
Therefore, you should try to select only those working wheels that are provided for these tools, taking into account the diameter of the grinder and the material. Experimenting with high-speed power tools can result in injury.
The nuances of using each type of circles
Diamond wheels can be called universal because they are suitable for almost any material. This disc is ideal for processing building stones and other hard rocks. But segmented diamond-coated wheels are not used for metal processing, and they cannot handle wood either. Lumber usually hides many surprises in the form of knots and uneven structure.
You can use 125mm metal abrasive discs to cut wood. But at the same time:
- the thickness of the material should not exceed 4 cm (and it will have to be cut from both sides);
- it is necessary to take regular breaks to check the circle;
- change it at the slightest sign that the part has failed;
- Replace a worn-out disc in a timely manner.
You should also be prepared for smoke and the smell of burnt wood. Lumber can take more laps to process than a steel plate.
The use of circular discs for an angle grinder 125 is dangerous to health and life. Although there are advisers on how to adapt a circle for a circular grinder, it is better to refuse such recommendations. If only because the rotation speed on an angle grinder is higher, which is why there is a danger of the wheel breaking and increased vibration of the power tool. Circular wheels are very fragile, and when using them on an angle grinder, there is a risk of injury from flying fragments.
In such cases, it is better to use a cutter for a circular cutter. It is distinguished by the shape of the tooth and the presence of special expanders, which eliminates jamming, minimizes the occurrence of kickback and vibration.
For processing lumber, it is best to use wood chain discs. The tool steel used for their manufacture is able to withstand loads and not break into fragments.
The service life of such a wheel with a chain is many times longer than that of a milling cutter; in addition, it can always be sharpened. But the price of chain disks for a wood grinder 125 or 230 exceeds 2 thousand rubles.
Safety first!
Convenience when use of angle grinders in transactions with wooden material pushes security into the background.
However, you can minimize the danger by observing certain conditions:
- When working with an angle grinder, use safety glasses and protective clothing.
- The protective cover should not be removed.
- Do not use a faulty wheel, or disks that have even the slightest defects.
- When working with a grinder, you should hold the tool with both hands.
- You cannot put the grinder down until the rotating part has completely stopped.
- The cord from the tool should be located at a distance from the working circle.
- Refrain from planned actions with an angle grinder if you are feeling unwell or in a state of intoxication.
- Use wheels that strictly match the diameter of the tool and are designed to work with the selected material.
These rules will help you avoid unnecessary injuries when using a grinder for woodworking.
When choosing working disks for a grinder when purchasing, you should remember that it is better to spend a significant amount once, but to purchase a wheel with a chain for a long time. It will help you perform many operations when working with lumber, as well as unprocessed logs.
If the circle is needed for a one-time use, you can opt for a cutter. This disc can also be used when working with aerated concrete and other materials. The cost of a cutter is lower than that of a chain cutter, but also higher than the price of an abrasive device.
The most extreme case is the purchase of a cutting abrasive disc. But you should be prepared to strictly adhere to safety precautions: there is no need to swallow smoke and “enjoy” the aroma of burnt wood. In any case, such savings can cause irreparable harm to health and also lead to additional costs.
If it is necessary to carry out woodworking work, many people think about using an angle grinder as the main tool for work. In general, an angle grinder can be used, but its scope of application is limited. So, with the help of an angle grinder you can grind, polish and peel wood. Nowadays, special attachments used when working with wood have become very popular, but not all of them can be used.
To understand whether it is possible process wood grinder, you need to study the structure and types of attachments that exist for it and what characteristics they have. So, any circle has its own diameter.
The most compact is 115 mm, which is often used for grinding and simple processing. The most common diameter is 125 mm, it is not heavy, and is used to grind and cut workpieces. Nozzles from 180 to 230 mm are used in the tool high power and are more often used in professional construction.
Types of discs are usually divided according to production technology and purpose (for metal, for stone).
Abrasive coated discs
Is universal disk- with his help Can cut and grind both metal and stone. The abrasive coating consists of corundum, electrocorundum or silicon carbide. The advantages of these circles include:
- Cooling of consumables due to the porous structure of the disk.
- It does not become dull during work.
- Wide range and low cost.
Disadvantages include:
- Formation of a large sheaf of sparks during work.
- Strong burnt smell when cutting workpieces.
- Fast wear.
The most common type of attachment for an angle grinder, which is used when working with stone and metal. There are three types of diamond blades:
- Solid. One-piece disc with continuous edge made of diamond sputtering. Designed for wet cutting of metal.
- Segmented, in which the cutting edge is divided into segments. Used for dry cutting.
- A turbo disc with a wave-shaped cutting edge, due to which the contact area with the workpiece is reduced, which ensures natural cooling of the wheel. Can be used for both wet and dry cutting.
The diamond blade is wear-resistant with very accurate cutting line, does not give off a burning smell, and the number of sparks during operation is minimal. Disadvantages include relatively high cost and poor heat resistance.
The use of diamond and abrasive discs when working with wood can cause the grinder to break, and replacing them with circles used in circular saws or milling cutters is prohibited - these attachments are designed for low speeds. The use of such wheels in an angle grinder can lead to damage to the tool itself, so it is becoming increasingly popular new look attachments: wood cutting disc for an angle grinder, the use of which is theoretically allowed in woodworking work.
Wood discs for angle grinders
Visually, they resemble a milling cutter; there are also discs with a chain surface. The most standard is a wood saw blade for an angle grinder with a diameter of 125 mm; as the diameter increases, the risk of injury during work increases. The optimal thickness is 2 mm, and the cutouts should be rounded towards the shaft. There are three types cutting discs on wood for an angle grinder, which differ in the shape of the teeth:
- Trapezoidal suitable for cutting chipboard medium density.
- Variably beveled teeth are universal and are well suited for irregular work, when the type and thickness of the material is unknown in advance.
- Straight teeth are used for soft woods, such as conifers.
Sanding discs for wood
Used for roughing work petal disk, work surface which consists of several strips of sandpaper of various grits. This attachment provides gentle sanding, however, you should remember that you need to work with well-dried wood.
In addition to the petal one, the so-called sticky disk. It is an attachment on which sanding paper of various grain sizes can be attached. The connection occurs using a special adhesive paste applied both to the circle and to the sandpaper. Using a Velcro disc, you can process both wood and metal and stone workpieces.
There are special attachments for brushing - the process artificial aging wood They are brushes with metal, synthetic and sisal bristles, the choice of which depends on the stage of processing. So, metal brush suitable for initial roughing of the workpiece, synthetic bristles are intended for intermediate sanding, and a sisal brush is used for final polishing.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the grinder is not structurally intended for sawing wood and using carbide blades. For this there are special tools: circular saws, milling cutters. They have a lower rotation speed, and the use of wood cutting discs for an angle grinder systematically leads to injuries, including those incompatible with life. An angle grinder can be considered as a tool when working with wood only in the case of grinding work.
An angle grinder, if you know and correctly use all its capabilities, is a truly universal device that can be used on almost any material. And if we are talking about processing wood on a large scale, then the “grinder” is much more effective than hand-held abrasive tools and devices. The main thing is to choose the right nozzle. This article will help you understand their main modifications and specific application.
Rough stripping of wood
Disc plane
This attachment almost completely replaces this hand tool.
An irreplaceable thing if, for example, you need to rough-process a log - when erecting a log house, preparing fence supports, and so on.
Features of application:
- IN in this case The protective cover can be removed. This nozzle is solid and does not break. But protection from flying wood chips (glasses, thick clothing, gloves) is required.
- It is allowed to work only with a grinder, in which a second handle is provided (or installed). The angle grinder must be held with both hands when roughing wood.
Roughing disc
The main purpose of such attachments is to remove bark from wood and trim the workpiece. If the “grinder” is in skillful hands, then with such a device you can make a selection of material. For example, if it is necessary to cut out a bowl. If it is being built log house, then an angle grinder with such an attachment perfectly replaces a carpenter’s axe.
In some cases abrasive disc cutting can be done. True, the cut will be wide, and there will be a lot of waste (shavings, sawdust).
Milling
Discs
These nozzles are available in various designs. The main difference between the devices is the size of the abrasive grains.
In terms of specific application, they are not much different from rasps. The only difference is the execution speed technological operation. With certain skills, it is advisable to use these for finishing wood.
Milling cutters
They exist, and especially for wood. The assortment is significant, since nozzles of this type differ in the configuration, location and size of the teeth.
Purpose of cutters:
- Selection of grooves.
- Pre-alignment of edges.
- Bowl cutout.
- Sawing (for small-section wooden pieces).
Application specifics:
- When processing wood with such attachments, it is prohibited to dismantle the protective casing.
- Each product has instructions. It clearly indicates what types of work this attachment is intended for, the recommended speed of the grinder, and so on.
Sanding wood
If you decipher the abbreviation angle grinder, it is clear that finishing is the main purpose of the “grinder”.
Cord brushes
They are used primarily for primary (rough) sanding of wood, when it is necessary to smooth out the unevenness of the sample.
End discs
The name speaks for itself. These attachments are used to process the end parts of wooden blanks (cuts). They are especially effective if you have to deal with corner (oblique) cuts.
Petal attachments
The most used grinding devices for grinders.
Such attachments are used sequentially, so you will need several of them to process wood. Grinding begins with a disk with a “coarse” abrasive, and gradually its grain size must be reduced. Consequently, the devices change periodically during the work on the grinder.
Grinding wheels
Most universal device to the "Bulgarian". One is enough for to varying degrees grinding. The nozzle itself is metal base, on which circles with one or another grain size are attached. They are easily changed either as they wear out, or in case of moving to another area of work. Therefore, only circles are consumables. The nozzle itself can be used for an unlimited time.
Application specifics:
- Sanding wood.
- Parquet scraping.
- Processing of edges and ends.
- Stripping wood before painting.
Wood polishing
For these purposes, brushes and discs are used. Their “working elements” can be made of sponge, felt, fine-grained sandpaper and a number of other materials.
The article provides examples of only the main types of attachments for an angle grinder. There are quite a lot of products in this class, so it’s easy to choose best option devices for processing any wood. The author hopes that the information provided will help the reader with this.
Note!
Wood processing also means its cutting (sawing). Sometimes, when manufacturing piece parts, you have to adjust them to the installation site even before you start grinding the sample. Some “craftsmen” (and there are many of them among friends and on the Internet) recommend using for such operations. Strictly prohibited! Here are just the main reasons why this should not be done.
- “Bulgarian” is a high-speed machine. And although the metal from which the cutting discs are made is durable, it does not withstand this mode for long. More precisely, cutting edges(teeth), which are fixed by soldering. During intensive work, they fall off and fly apart, and with great speed. The consequences are easy to predict.
- Not all discs in size (primarily, outer diameter) are suitable for installation on angle grinders. This means you will have to dismantle the protective casing. The same thing - you can forget about employee safety.
- The structure of wood (even hardwood) is quite loose. Therefore, there is a high probability that the saw blade may jam due to constant vibration. How the “grinder” will behave in such a situation, given its power and speed, no one can predict. But it’s clear that it can easily escape from your hands.
- Constant changes in mode (for the same reason - the viscosity of lumber) lead to systematic overheating of the angle grinder engine. If used this way, the grinder will not last long.
That is why wood processing with its help is carried out only superficially - rough stripping, grinding, brushing. And for cutting you should use sawing tools and mechanisms (hacksaw, circular saw, electric jigsaw, and so on).
