Grinder disc for wood – pros and cons

What a “grinder” is nowadays, even a schoolchild knows, is an angle grinder designed for working with metal workpieces using special cutting and grinding wheels. Not everyone, but only professionals, know that such an electric tool can be used for processing wood, so this article is intended to fill this gap in the information available to ordinary users. Disc for an angle grinder for wood - types, general characteristics and standard sizes, as well as safety measures for use and a review of prices for popular models - this is the topic of this article by the editors of HomeMyHome.ru

Depending on the type of discs used, the “grinder” in skillful hands can be used at various stages of working with wooden workpieces: from sawing to grinding

Is the angle grinder designed for working with wood?

The “grinder” was not originally intended for sawing wood, especially for workpieces of considerable thickness and hardwood. This is due to the design features of this type of tool and the associated dangers of use:

• when the saw blade jams, it is difficult to hold the angle grinder in your hands, which can lead to injury;

Important! Jamming of the saw blade when using an angle grinder to cut wooden workpieces is the most common problem with this type of work, which is due to the softness and viscosity of the wood.

• Inhomogeneity of the wood structure due to the presence of knots can lead to damage to the saw blade being used and injury to the user.

Using special circles and following safety rules, the likelihood of injury can be reduced to zero, even when sawing lumber products.
Despite the potential danger of using angle grinders as a tool for sawing wooden products, manufacturers of consumables, which include grinder discs, produce similar products .

Expert's point of view

Victor Isakin

Tool selection specialist for the 220 Volt retail chain

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“For processing workpieces of considerable thickness and for professional use, it is most correct to use a tool originally intended for sawing wood, such as a circular saw and a circular saw.”

The main and most common uses of grinders when working with wood are: stripping, grinding and polishing, for which manufacturers produce special types of discs.

We cut wood with a grinder

You can cut wood with a grinder in a relatively safe way. It provides for rigid mounting of cutting equipment on a frame with guide elements. This will be stationary equipment for sawing, in which the grinder is securely fixed. A self-made machine works on the principle of circular saws, where the material being processed is fed along guides.

You can cut firewood with a grinder, but you must use the devices necessary to ensure safety. More suitable for working with wood are a jigsaw, circular saw, and hand tools.

General characteristics of discs for grinders, depending on the type

Discs designed for different types of use vary in their design and the materials used in their manufacture. In this regard, different types of similar products have different general characteristics, which requires their separate consideration.

Circular disc for angle grinders for wood, 125 mm

Cut-off models

There are several types in this product category:

• circular saw blades – considered “dangerous” saw blades;
• chain - made using links intended for chain saws;
• with a small number of teeth - they are the safest compared to compass analogues;
• made of tungsten carbide - the safest type of such equipment.

The chain disk can be used for both sawing and roughing

For your information! Circular discs come in two modifications: a “dangerous” and a “less dangerous” option. A distinctive feature of models of the “less dangerous” type is the presence of protection against jamming, provided by the spread of the teeth.

Chain modifications are less dangerous when used, because Their design provides for a non-fixed fit of the saw chain on the surface of the disc.

Expert's point of view

Victor Isakin

Tool selection specialist for the 220 Volt retail chain

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“If the saw chain jams during use, the disk mounted on the angle grinder continues to rotate, the tool does not break out of the hands, allowing it to be stopped in an emergency.”

A disc with a small number of teeth cuts wood well both along and across the grain

Discs with a small number of teeth come in two types:

• with 3 teeth – used with small “grinders” with a diameter of up to 150 mm;
• with 4 teeth - used on large grinders with a diameter of 230 mm.

A distinctive feature of models made from tungsten carbide is the absence of teeth on the cutting surface of the product. The cutting element is the segments located around the circumference of the disk.

Important! Tungsten carbide models are capable of sawing various metal products (nails, screws, etc.) that may end up in the workpiece without damaging the cutting elements or their integrity.

Appearance of a tungsten carbide disc mounted on an angle grinder

Discs for roughing work

For stripping wooden products, manufacturers produce several types of attachments that differ in design and types of materials used in their manufacture.

A grinding disc with crumbs applied to its surface

By design, such nozzles can be made in the form of:

• a disk with spikes or crumbs applied to its surface;
• glasses with cutting elements made of twisted wire inserted around its circumference;
• disk with wire turns mounted on its surface.

Expert's point of view

Dmitry Kholodok

Technical director of repair and construction

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“Sanding attachments are used to remove paint and other coatings applied to a wood surface, as well as to rough the wood surface being leveled.”

Attachments for the “grinder”, which have twisted wire elements in their design

Grinding and polishing models

To perform grinding and polishing, there are special attachments used for both wood and other materials (metal, plastic, glass, etc.).

Set of polishing attachments for angle grinders (125mm) Bison model “3591-125-H7”

Nozzles used for such purposes are of two types:

• the basis of the design is a metal base fixed to the angle grinder shaft, and circles made from sandpaper of different grain sizes or polishing materials (felt, fabric, etc.), which, in turn, are attached to the base using Velcro;
• flap sanding wheel.

Flap sanding wheels are available in different grits, which allows you to choose the one you need for a specific type of processing.

Cutting wheel

Due to the fact that this tool has high speeds and cannot be firmly fixed in the hands, high-strength tungsten carbide is used for such circles, which is why their price is respectable.

A cutting disc for wood for a 125 mm grinder is classified not only by diameter and, accordingly, depth of cut, but also by shape, frequency and number of teeth.

Disc with goiter from a chainsaw.

• If you plan to use a saw blade for wood for a 125 mm grinder periodically, and you don’t know what kind of wood, you will need to cut. The best option would be a circle with variably beveled teeth.
• For cutting softwood, as well as any other soft wood, you can use products with straight teeth.
• The trapezoid tooth has a wider range of uses. Wood saw blade for grinder 125x22.2 mm with trapezoidal teeth, capable of cutting medium-density wood chips. It is also easy to use on laminated particleboards, USB boards and medium-density fibreboards.

Circle with beveled tooth.

As you know, an angle grinder operates at high speeds, so the wheels can get very hot. The use of water cooling in this case is impossible.

In order to avoid overheating and deformation of the metal, rounded slots up to 2 mm wide and up to 20 mm deep are made from the teeth towards the shaft. They can be empty or filled with copper. This measure compensates for the expansion of the metal and prevents its deformation.

Standard wheel sizes for grinders

When producing discs for angle grinders, the company's manufacturers operating in our country produce their products in accordance with the following regulatory documents:

• GOST 21963-2002 (ISO 603-15-99, ISO 603-16-99) “Cutting wheels. Technical conditions".
• GOST R 53410-2009 (ISO 603-12:1999-ISO 603-14:1999, ISO 15635:2001, ISO 13942:2000) “Grinding wheels for hand-held grinding machines. Technical conditions".

In accordance with these documents, the standard sizes of disks used on angle grinders are: 115, 125, 150, 180 and 230 mm.

For your information! The seat size for all standard sizes is 22.2 mm.

The use of angle grinders for grinding wooden products is quite widespread among users of different categories.

Grinding discs

Grinding wheels for grinders have a working plane of different types. This is determined by the characteristics of the material to be processed and the required quality of the resulting workpieces. Such equipment is divided into types:

• sponge-type discs or fabric version - used in conjunction with special pastes or liquid substances for grinding and polishing;
• solid circles of felt origin or with a plastic base - they have transversely located petals, used in conjunction with pastes for polishing work;
• discs with replaceable sandpaper - differ in thickness, are finely abrasive, and can be used in the process of grinding or pre-cleaning.

To sand a large work area, sand logs or rounded areas, use cone-shaped equipment.

woodworking

On the domestic market of hand-held electric tools, discs for angle grinders from Russian and foreign companies are presented. Among them, the most popular are:

• "GRAFF" (Belarus);
• "GREATFLEX" (China);
• "Bosch" and "Klingspor" (Germany);
• “Ziflex”, “PRACTIKA”, “LUGA” and “ZUBR” (Russia);
• "Makita" and "Hitachi" (Japan);
• "FIT" (Canada).

In addition to the brands listed above, other manufacturing companies are also popular in different regions of our country, which is due to the location of the region and the presence of dealers of these companies in a particular territory.

Saw blade brand “Zubr” with outer diameter 235 mm

Safety precautions when working with a grinder on wood

When performing work on wood processing using an angle grinder, the safety measures are the same as when using metal and other materials. However, in connection with the physical properties of wood, which have already been written about above (softness and viscosity), it is necessary to take them into account, and in this regard:

1. You cannot fix the “Start” button, because in this case, it will not be possible to quickly turn off the tool.
2. Sawing workpieces must be performed at a strictly specified angle, without creating distortions that can cause the saw blade to jam.
3. All work must be carried out with the protective cover installed and the use of personal protective equipment (gloves).

   
   When performing grinding work, the use of respiratory protection is also necessary.

4. It is better not to use “dangerous” saw blades equipped with large teeth on large-sized “grinders”, because In the event of an emergency, it will be impossible to hold the tool in your hands.
5. The presence of a speed controller on the tool is not a prerequisite for its use for such work, but it is desirable, because This will reduce the likelihood of injury if the saw blade jams.

Sawing with a grinder

If there is no other way out, that is, there is no special saw for wood (it’s broken) or urgent small work is required, of course, a grinder can help out. However, we must remember that the main purpose of this machine is not to cut wood. To use an angle grinder as a hand-held circular saw, you will need to stock up on one or more specialized attachments.

To avoid distortions and jamming, you need to saw in a comfortable position and fix the tool with both hands. The best results can be obtained if you do not remove the special guide handle; with its help it is much easier to control the angle grinder. Correctly sawing off a workpiece using a grinder is not at all easy; due to the heterogeneity of the wood, the operating mode will constantly change. Therefore, while working, it is better not to be distracted and monitor how the cut is progressing.

Review of prices for popular models

The cost of products depends on the place of their sale, technical characteristics and brand of the manufacturer. This section of the article presents several models, on the basis of which one can get an idea of ​​the order of the numbers that determine the cost of one or another type of similar product.

"GRAFF Speedcutter"

The “GRAFF Speedcutter” disc is a model with a small number of teeth.
The disc is designed for sawing wood and plywood, laminate and board materials (fibreboard, chipboard). The model is equipped with three teeth.

Review of the “GRAFF Speedcutter” model:

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6165824.html

GRAFF Speedcutter

"GREATFLEX 71-125120"

This petal-type model is made on a fabric basis using abrasive materials
GREATFLEX 71-125120 and consists of 72 petals located at an angle of 10˚ to the working plane of the disk, which allows to increase the efficiency of use of the product.

Review of the GREATFLEX 71-125120 model:

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_4655934.html

GREATFLEX 71-125120

"Bosch 2608623013"

“Bosch 2608623013” can cut wood and nails, plastic and drywall.
This model is coated with hard metal alloys and is universal in its use.

Review of the Bosch 2608623013 model:

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_3959218.html

Bosch 2608623013

"PRACTICE 773-606"

Appearance of “PRACTICA 773-606”

PRACTICE 773-606

"FITIT 39556"

The FITIT 39556 model is successfully used for grinding materials of varying degrees of hardness

The cost of “FIT IT 39556” ranges from 95 to 130 rubles, depending on the company selling the product.

FIT IT 39556

"Luga 3656-125-25"

Appearance "Luga 3656-125-25"
One of the most widespread models among ordinary users. It is characterized by low cost and good performance characteristics.

Review of the Luga 3656-125-25 model:

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_3749759.html

Luga 3656-125-25

Grinding and roughing work

If cutting wood is considered a very traumatic activity, then grinding solid wood does not require great qualifications. Here, flap discs are often used to sand wood with a grinder.

Petal disc.

The structure of such a circle is reflected in its very name. Many sandpaper petals are attached to the work surface in several layers like fish scales. When rotated, the paper gently sands the wood. The quality and level of processing of the board directly depends on the grain size of the material.

The flap wheel, although very common, is not the only option for surface grinding. Relatively recently, so-called universal sticky discs have appeared on the market. The advantage of such attachments is that they can be changed without removing the disk.

Disc for soft grinding.

The base is equipped with Velcro; as a result, the working surface itself with the desired grain is simply glued on top of the circle. The price of such Velcro is significantly lower than that of a solid petal disk, but they also wear out much faster. Another advantage of this design is their versatility. Velcro is produced not only for wood processing, but also for grinding stone or metal.

Important: no matter what type of tool you use, the surface of the wood itself must be well dried and preferably without cracks. It is not recommended to sand wet wood, and the surface infected with fungus should first be cleaned using a sanding attachment.

Quite often, when preparing a surface for application of any coating, it is necessary to remove a layer of old paint or varnish. Working with a plane is not possible in every case, and the sanding flap disc quickly becomes clogged with paint dust.

Peeling attachments.

In this case, stripping attachments are well suited; such a tool is especially effective for processing repeatedly painted old surfaces, for example, when cleaning a wooden floor.

Such attachments are a metal circle with metal wire bristles inserted into it. The wire can be positioned either around the perimeter of the circle, parallel to the disk, or perpendicular to the surface according to the brush principle.

Standard grinder.

The video in this article shows how you can make a disk for cutting wood with your own hands.