Angle grinders are powerful tools that can be used for a variety of tasks like cutting through metal, masonry, and even concrete. But about using it to cut wood? Is it a good idea to use an angle grinder to cut wood? Well, this article will give you an answer to this particular question. We will explain everything you need to know about using an angle grinder to cut wood, and how to use cut wood with an angle grinder.
What is an Angle Grinder?
An angle grinder is a type of rotary tool that drills holes in materials by rotating a tool against a workpiece. It first came into use in the 1950s and is still a common tool in today’s woodworking shops. The design of an angle grinder is self-explanatory, with the spindle rotating against a fixed bar or fence piece. The spindle can be connected to an engine, chain drive, or motor. Depending on the type of grinder, you may also be able to connect it to a pneumatic or hydraulic tool.
Can You Cut Wood with an Angle Grinder?
The short answer is yes, you can use an angle grinder to cut wood. However, before you get too excited, you should know that it’s not a perfect pairing. If you plan on working with hardwoods like oak, be sure to select a grinder with a spindle that is designed for softwoods like linden or maple. Angle grinders work best when used on projects that require gentle, pocket-sized cuts such as drawers, cabinets, and other home decorating projects.
Risks of Cutting Wood with Angle Grinder
The biggest problem when sawing wood with an angle grinder is that you have to deal with a super-powerful hand tool on a slightly sensitive material. This means that you may not have the control necessary to achieve the best results and may also increase the likelihood of a collision with potential injury. But why? The answer is very simple.
Once mounted on the angle grinder, a disc can rotate at up to 15,000 revolutions per minute, increasing the risk of major kickback and ultimately causing serious hand injury. If you’re lucky, you can do it, but why take the risk if there are better options, like a circular saw?
Although this is a fact, it does not exclude the possibility that certain types of wood are better suited for sawing with a sander. By the way, are you looking for a small woodcut or something more complicated? If you refer to the cutting edges, you will probably be fine as long as the angle grinder has its protection.
A material like plywood, for example, is certainly not something you want to use an angle grinder for! If you don’t want to end up with a face full of stitches or a paralysed hand, you better use other, more suitable tools when sawing plywood.
What Angle Grinder Blades Are Best for Cutting Wood?
When selecting an angle grinder, you’ll want to make sure it has the right blades for the job. There are different types of angle grinders, and the type that best suits your needs will depend on the type of wood you’ll be working with. Hardwoods like pine and fir can easily take the high-speed, 180-degree angles provided by an angle grinder, while softwoods like linden, maple, and others require a more delicate approach, as well as a slower speed. This is why you may want to look into the type of angle grinder that is specific to your project type.
How to Apply an Angle Grinder to Wood
To use an angle grinder, you’ll need to select the right tool for the job. Angle grinders come with multiple attachments and even different sized spindle bore sizes so you can tailor the tool to your specific application. The spindle of the angle grinder should be fairly small so it doesn’t take up a lot of space in your tool chest or tool storage container. If you’re planning on working on a large project, you may want to look into the other accessories available for the grinder to help you reach your project’s goals. To start, remove the dust cover from the angle grinder. Next, connect the power supply to the machine and turn it on. Locate the spindle that you want to use and connect it to the machine. Finally, line up the machine’s spindle so that it’s perpendicular to the workpiece you plan on cutting and place the workpiece on top of the machine.
Tips and Tricks to Avoid Mistakes
– Always wear safety gloves when working with wood, because you can get hand and skin infections from raw wood.
– Make sure your angle grinder is capable of creating a consistent speed and depth of cut across the workpiece. If it’s too slow, you’ll get a poor cut; if it’s too fast, you’ll cross-cut and strip out wood.
– Make sure the workpiece is extremely smooth and free of dirt, grease, etc. Before starting work, always clean the machine thoroughly with a wire brush and steel wool.
– When sanding, use medium steel or Belleville nuts and bolts to avoid stripping out your final product.
– When painting, use soft and light steel or Belleville wheel to avoid damaging your paint.
– And finally, don’t forget to oil the gear train on your Angle Grinder. This will help keep the machine running smoothly and avoid any damage caused by friction.
Is Sawing Wood with an Angle Grinder Efficient?
Yes, sawing wood with an angle grinder causes some safety problems, but if you take these precautions and feel that only the edges and smaller, heavier cuts of wood can be cut efficiently, is it possible to do this? The answer is an absolute yes! This has to do with the fact that it is virtually impossible to find a power tool that is more efficient than an angle grinder.
Can a Metal Cutting Disc be Used on Wood?
In short, the answer is yes. But this is not ideal, and most experts do not recommend the use of a metal grinder for cutting wood. Why is that? Using a grinding knife on a grinder to cut flammable materials such as wood can lead to tragedy.
In addition to this obvious reason, there is another potential danger associated with the use of a sander for sawing wood, namely kickback.
If you use a high-speed tool such as a grinder to grind a piece of metal, or even if you try to grind concrete with a diamond saw blade, you will gain greater strength due to the density of the material. It’s not about the tree. A slight change in position due to a slight twisting of the cut can cause a sudden and radical change in the reaction force of the grinder on the workpiece.
When this happens, your reaction time will not be fast enough to handle an almost instantaneous change and you now risk an uncontrolled rotation of the grinder at 15,000 rpm with a metal cutting disc flying over the workpiece. Besides, grinders usually don’t have electric brakes, and they turn slowly until they stop, and I don’t think you want to get in the way of an evil grinder floating in space and time.
So yes, using a sander with a metal cutting blade to sand the wood is not a good idea.
What is the Safest Alternative to Fast Wood Cutting?
It all depends on the tool you have access to, but you can use a circular or circular saw, or even upgrade the blade of an existing angle grinder to effectively cut any wood material. There is a saw blade that can be adapted to the grinder and uses only three teeth instead of a much larger number of teeth using a cross or a tear-off block.
As long as the rotation of the blade coincides with that of the grinder, you can easily cut wood with a triple toothed angle grinder. This type of blade is designed for high speeds, and thanks to the economical construction of the trident you have a minimal risk of possible kickback.
As mentioned earlier, this type of saw blade is relatively new on the market and can be considered a special saw blade, so it may be somewhat difficult to find at your local hardware store. The best way to find one of these unique saw blades is to search the internet among the many visits to the PornHub, or reluctantly go to the front door to find that mysterious saw blade. Or you could just try the Amazon…
Conclusion
An angle grinder is a versatile tool that can be used to create many different types of cuts in different types of wood. There are many different types of angle grinders, and each has different features that determine how well it works for different types of wood. Make sure that the grinder you select has the right teeth for your project type so that you can create the smoothest possible edge. You can also use it to sand wood to prepare it for paint, or to remove texture from wood to make smoother cuts. Before you get too excited about the idea of using an angle grinder for cutting wood, you should know that it’s not a perfect pairing.