Which Side To Put The Disc On The Trimmer
Today, after another argument. Which side to put the disk on “Angle Grinder”. I decided to speak on this subject in writing, even so in my opinion this question is quite interesting.
And also in the future, than once again to breed demagoguery, it is better to just throw a link to this entry.
I work in a workshop (mainly a power tool) and I see that quite often they wear an angle grinder with “jammed” disks. It sometimes gets stuck so much that you have to disassemble the gearbox and hold the pinion gear in a vice to unscrew the nut with a healthy gas wrench.
It is interesting that the nuts are stuck only on machines with a disc mounted to the right, i.E. “sparked” from the typewriter. If we take into account that under the NORMAL load the moment on the spindle is small, then such a bad self-tightening should not happen, and it happens, why? Due to shock loads, which when installing the disc on the right is generally common.
Why this happens is easier to explain with such an example (too lazy to draw). We start the motorcycle, and, holding it behind the wheel, we try to arrange the slipping of the driving (rear) wheel.To here is the most complete analogy with a sharp angle grinder with a disk “push” will be if we keep the steering wheel standing in front of the motorcycle. Try it, you will love it. If you like to cut “push” you’ll like it for sure.
There is an important reservation. The higher the support and the shorter the base, the more interesting the effect.
And yet, the center of mass of the angle grinder and the hands that hold it is located above the cutting plane (more precisely, the force vector), this is what leads to strong jerks, and as a result often to breakdowns and injuries
In short, it turns out that the work of an angle grinder “push” it’s something like a dangerous ride with a slip on the verge “getting up on the goat”.
Now how will it be if the disk is on the left and “sparks” under the grinder:
We take the front-wheel drive motorcycle, start it naturally, switch on the gear and, holding the trunk, we admire how the front wheel is wonderfully skidding. It is TOWING (in the analogy it cuts) and not “drives in” under the fulcrum, increasing traction and trying to raise the steering wheel, as with rear-wheel drive.
That is, it turns out that as a system “front wheel drive option” more stable and predictable, even if we press the steering wheel from above.
Well, something like that. Maybe idiotic, but figuratively.
I cut a couple of months ago, a rail sticking out under the ceiling, cut one, standing on a stool, a hefty 2.2 kW angle grinder, and also with the protective cover removed (with it, well, nothing at all!).
If only I cut “push”. I’d kill myself. And more than once.
What should be used to install a disk?
In fact, the process of installing a disc in an angle grinder is not that complicated. However, in order to carry out such work, it is necessary to take into account certain rules and use certain tools.
In particular, for installation you may need:
- The key with which the nut is loosened.
- Next, you need the disk itself.
- You may need a hole or a chisel. These tools must be used when the disk is jammed and will have to be removed by opening it, which means that the remains in the gap can be eliminated with a chisel. These tools may not be needed, but it is better to keep them handy.
Which side is suitable for installation?
In order to determine which side to put the disk, several key factors must be considered.
In particular:
- You can pay attention to the label.If the angle grinder works on its own, namely, it spins away from the control, then in this case the disc must be installed with the label inside. It turns in the opposite direction, which means that the label must be installed outward.
- Can be put without paying attention to the label. But then you can expect the most unpredictable results, for example, a normal disk breakdown and an angle grinder. At the same time, experts argue that such negligence can lead to the fact that the angle grinder simply sticks and there is no need to talk about safety in this case.
In order to determine in which direction the angle grinder should turn, here you need to refer to the safety information. In particular, concrete must be cut onto itself.
In this case, the sparks will fly from the side, namely from the manager. In general, cutting materials away from you is not safe, because in the case of jamming, the angle grinder with the disk will fly exactly to the person who controls it. This must be taken into account.
How to put a circle on the “angle grinder”?
Attaching a circle to the UMSh is not a very complicated process. It is easy to change it, you just need to look at the instructions, although there are some difficulties.
The first thing to do is to fix the circle on the right side. There is always the side of the circle with the emblem on which the marking is visible and, accordingly, the area of its use, is slightly different from the opposite side. Understanding will come, but with long work.
From the side on which the emblem is glued, the washer is pressed, and the nut acts on it when the circle is fixed. A nut travels along the polished area of the washer, it will become more difficult to tighten or unscrew without it, since the abrasive strongly holds the nut and it needs strength. This is necessary if you need to quickly change the circle or it has become faulty.
Circles for working on stone surfaces, have a special rotation indicator in the shape of an arrow: when fixing them, you need to consider in which direction the rod will turn.
When fixing the circle, you also need to consider the diameter of the circle. No need to ignore safety precautions and disassemble the protective cover. It happens that on a “small angle grinder” a circle is installed from a large machine. However, such a circle usually does not work well, the work area is limited somewhere by the half-radius of the circle. The circle becomes unusable faster, and less work is done.
When securing under a circle, debris should not be present. Usually, the nut can squeeze small parts, the rest will enter the surface of the disc. But the warp invisible to us can cause the inclination of the plane of rotation and, as a result, the vibration of the entire mechanism, it can cause damage to the circle, it is not necessary to hope for an exact cut.
Before fixing the circle, the “angle grinder” must be disconnected from the network. This is the main safety rule, since an unexpected start at this time can lead to injury.
The clamping nut must be turned off with the key included in the kit. In order for the stock to spin, it must be locked by pressing the special button. Unscrew the nut at the same time as holding the button down. Then, after unscrewing the nut, a circle is attached to the free stem, with the back side out, and it must be ensured that it is fixed exactly to the seat.
Installing a circle on an angle grinder does not require special skills, but you need to know some rules.
And what tips will you give, how to put a circle on the “angle grinder” correctly. Share your experience in the comments.
The main difference between the two sides of the circle
On any cutting disc, two surfaces are clearly distinguishable. One of them (back) is plain, formed by abrasive material. On the second (front) label is glued containing basic information about the characteristics of the disk. But the main distinguishing feature of the two surfaces is the presence of a metal ring on the front side.
Why do you need a metal ring
The metal washer (ring) is designed to protect the integrity of the disk when it is tightened with a movable flange nut, as well as to increase the area of the supporting surface. In addition, the metal washer does not allow to “stick” the cutting wheel to the surface of the nut, which greatly facilitates the process of replacing it.
Advantages of installing a disc ring to an angle grinder
Cut-off wheels do not have a programmed direction of rotation. Therefore, it does not matter which side will be installed. But as mentioned above, the installation of the circle with the front side outward, facilitates the process of replacing it (it is much more difficult to unscrew the nut on the abrasive side). In addition, this installation provides several more advantages.
Guaranteed smooth shaft mounting
A metal ring increases the bearing area. Therefore, when the disk is mounted on the shaft and begins to be tightened with a nut, the pressure is evenly distributed. This ensures a smooth fit of the cutting wheel and reduces the likelihood of damage due to skew.
Convenience of installation of a disk
Installing the abrasive wheel with the face outward provides another advantage. You will always visually see which nozzle (metal or stone) is currently installed on the angle grinder. They are not interchangeable and in case of error, the probability of serious consequences is high. For example, when trying to use a cutting disc for metal to cut concrete, it can be destroyed and traumatized by the resulting pieces of the master. Therefore, the installation of the abrasive wheel with the label facing out will provide not only convenience, but also safety.
Instruction instructions
The instructions for many angle grinders, such as the Metabo WP 850, clearly state that “the metal flange of the wheels for abrasive cutting must abut against the support flange.” It is not in vain that manufacturers give such recommendations, since they ensure safe operation of the tool and reduce the risk of serious injuries to the master.
Is there a significant difference from the direction of rotation
The direction of rotation of the cutting wheel can be both “on yourself” and “away from you”. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. So, when the disk rotates “away from you”, dust and sparks fly to the operator, which creates additional difficulties in work, is associated with possible burns to the eyes, skin, and flash of clothing. The rotation of the disk “on itself” is devoid of this drawback. But in this case, there is a higher risk of injury. After all, if a clamping of the disc occurs, then the instrument will fly into the operator’s face with force. There is no single rule in which direction the cutting wheel should rotate. If this is important, then the information must be indicated on the tool. In all other cases, the direction of rotation is selected by the operator, taking into account the type of surface being processed, convenience and work experience.