Power Tools

[GrumpyOldGuy]

My Dad and I were talking about power tools over the weekend and how B&D is by far the best of the cheap. I ended up buying a B&D 900W angle grinder from Builders W yesterday for R230, my other option was the new budget line from Ryobi for R225 and that was only 600W.

 

Used the grinder last night and build quality is impressive. Feels solid unlike the other budget brands.

 

I last used an angle grinder 15 years ago when I was working for a steel furniture company for a year and this grinder feels as rock solid as any of the Makita or Bosch we used back then. Its 100% perfect for home use.

 

Be careful mate and take precautions, gloves and a face visor are minimum requirements, I have seen terrible injuries inflicted by careless use of an angle grinder, its the one power tool that requires the utmost respect, even a baby grinder can slice a finger off in an instant, the bigger industrial ones will take your leg off.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Be careful mate and take precautions, gloves and a face visor are minimum requirements, I have seen terrible injuries inflicted by careless use of an angle grinder, its the one power tool that requires the utmost respect, even a baby grinder can slice a finger off in an instant, the bigger industrial ones will take your leg off.

 

True that. My grandfather almost lost a foot 'cos his kicked back on him. He's not that strong anymore and it bucked straight out of his hands, connected his foot, jumped off the boot and dug down behind the toe-cap. Sliced his big toe down to the bone and then luckily got caught in his pants leg.

 

This from a guy who is METICULOUS with his handling of tools. It was just a little 4" grinder, but they spin up so fast, and their motors have IMMENSE amounts of torque, that for the size blade / cutter you're using it's an overkill of note and WILL go wrong if you lose concentration for even a nanosecond.

[Brian Fantana]

Be careful mate and take precautions, gloves and a face visor are minimum requirements, I have seen terrible injuries inflicted by careless use of an angle grinder, its the one power tool that requires the utmost respect, even a baby grinder can slice a finger off in an instant, the bigger industrial ones will take your leg off.

 

+1. Grinders can cause very bad injuries. Also, never store a grinder with the weight on the disc, especially a cutting disc.

 

We have work instructions in place, which dictates the following:

 

- Cutting discs never stay on a grinder longer than a month (they don't last that long anyway)

- If a grinder is found lying with the weight of the tool on the disc, the tool may not be used before the disc has been replaced.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

+1. Grinders can cause very bad injuries. Also, never store a grinder with the weight on the disc, especially a cutting disc.

 

We have work instructions in place, which dictates the following:

 

- Cutting discs never stay on a grinder longer than a month (they don't last that long anyway)

- If a grinder is found lying with the weight of the tool on the disc, the tool may not be used before the disc has been replaced.

 

Yeah. Indeed. Although the steel cutting discs (diamond tipped segmented blades) are a lot hardier, they should always hang. Never rest on the blade.

 

ESPECIALLY if they're those fibre reinforced blades.

[LOOK695]

Some months back a chap was doing some tiling work at our home. He had one of those big grinders and when he plugged it into the extension cable, the grinder started up and picked itself up unto its blade and ran across three of my big stoep cement tiles and over his foot. Fortunately, he was wearing steel capped boots and he managed to grab the grinder before anymore damage was caused. What he had not realised is that somebody had burrowed his grinder and bypassed the on-off switch because it had broken. Some people are just plane crazy

Edited August 26, 2013 by LOOK695

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Some months back a chap was doing some tiling work at our home. He had one of those big grinders and when he plugged it into the extension cable, the grinder started up and picked itself up unto its blade and ran across three of my big stoep cement tiles and over his foot. Fortunately, he was wearing steel capped boots and he managed to grab the grinder before anymore damage was caused. What he had not realised is that somebody had burrowed his grinder and bypassed the on-off switch because it broke. Some people are just plane crazy

 

WTF dude!? And a switch is less than R 10 at the local leccie.

[LOOK695]

WTF dude!? And a switch is less than R 10 at the local leccie.

Yep, saw it with my own eyes. Am just glad that no pets were close by, or even worse, my son

[GrumpyOldGuy]

+1. Grinders can cause very bad injuries. Also, never store a grinder with the weight on the disc, especially a cutting disc.

 

We have work instructions in place, which dictates the following:

 

- Cutting discs never stay on a grinder longer than a month (they don't last that long anyway)

- If a grinder is found lying with the weight of the tool on the disc, the tool may not be used before the disc has been replaced.

 

Yes, very important is also to never run a grinder without the wheel protection in place, many folk take it off because it can get in the way, but I saw a grinder kick back on a guy once and almost sliced clean through his hand.

 

One of our appy's cut his leg seriously once because he put the grinder down before it had stopped rotating, basic lesson 101, but in the moment he just forgot, and as it bit into the floor it jumped back right into his leg, took plenty of stitches to repair that one and I am sure he still has the scars.

Edited August 26, 2013 by GrumpyOldGuy

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Some months back a chap was doing some tiling work at our home. He had one of those big grinders and when he plugged it into the extension cable, the grinder started up and picked itself up unto its blade and ran across three of my big stoep cement tiles and over his foot. Fortunately, he was wearing steel capped boots and he managed to grab the grinder before anymore damage was caused. What he had not realised is that somebody had burrowed his grinder and bypassed the on-off switch because it had broken. Some people are just plane crazy

 

I get goosies just thinking about that one.

[V12man]

I get goosies just thinking about that one.

 

I have cleaned up a few wounds from flying bits of angle grinder blades.... and many many ones from cuts caused by inattention when they are being used - one forgets how dangerous they can be too easily.

 

 

Somehow I don't think you want to see pictures... and I think Matt would ban me forever....

[LOOK695]

I have cleaned up a few wounds from flying bits of angle grinder blades.... and many many ones from cuts caused by inattention when they are being used - one forgets how dangerous they can be too easily.

 

 

Somehow I don't think you want to see pictures... and I think Matt would ban me forever....

You could always PM them to those interested

[V12man]

You could always PM them to those interested

 

Interested in what exactly? someone else's misfortune or medical technique?

[DJR]

I'm not afraid of much, but somewhere between "hyeina in the dark" and "snake in the thick stuff" is where "angle grinder" falls for me, personally! I'm expecting it to bite me any moment!

[Skott5]

I bought myself one of those Ryobi Rotary Hammer drills on special at Makro for 750 Zuma ronts about a year ago. Albeit for home use, it's the best tool I've ever bought. I used to battle with a normal drill to drill holes in walls and hang things.

This goes through masonary like a knife through butter.

Not all things Ryobi are terrible, I guess it depends on it's intended use.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I have cleaned up a few wounds from flying bits of angle grinder blades.... and many many ones from cuts caused by inattention when they are being used - one forgets how dangerous they can be too easily.

 

 

Somehow I don't think you want to see pictures... and I think Matt would ban me forever....

 

Yeah, I am sure you have, I had around 40-50 guys in the shop so we kept my local doctor quite busy. Usually small stuff like cuts but occasionally we had some bad accidents, even though I was absolutely pedantic about safety you are still working with people who have a bad day, get tired, get irritated or whatever and make mistakes, usually thats where it all goes pear shaped.

 

The worst we had I think was when one of our millwrights brought the tool up too quickly and it wasn't set, it struck the spinning work piece in the lathe and sent bits of cutting tool and steel flying everywhere, the guy ended up with an 8 inch slice up his forearm, man it was terrible, I nearly fainted, there was blood everywhere and that white fatty tissue under the skin was all hanging out. We rushed him to Millpark causality ward which was the closest to us and they had to operate immediately as he had cut some tendons or ligaments or something clean off.

 

Certainly ruined my day I can tell you.

[Skylark]

When working with power tools esp angle grinders, this one thing many people forget.

EAR MUFFLERS OR EAR PLUGS!!!

Those things destroy your hearing, anyone for a lifetime of tinnitus?