Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Hey guys, picked up a harbor freight angle grinder for ten bucks to sharpen the mower blades, but I grabbed a masonry grinding disk by accident. Is it safe to use this on a lawn mower blade?
I wouldn’t take the risk grinding disks can do some serious damage. Another forum member had a fairly serious incident with a grinding disk a few days ago
Yea i wouldn’t try it spencer it’s not worth getting hurt man I would go and get the right blade for the job. I also had that grinder from HF damn thing lasted me quite awhile b4 it burnt out on me while cutting some springs for a friends sons car.
Agreed with everyone above. Go back and get a grinding disk, they aren’t that expensive. Also, always wear eye protection. It only takes one tiny red hot piece of metal to ruin your vision.
The flap disk like Dan mentioned is probably the best bet.
yes a grinder can be your best friend or you worst enemy just on what you do with it, rule of thumb usually is if part that needs grinding is smaller than grinding disc it should be ground with bench grinder not hand held so you move the item not the grinder.
here is another tip, if you use a disc for any kind of metal you should always use the same disc for each type of metal and not mix them, for example never use the same disc you grind angle iron with and then go grind some stainless steel……your stainless steel with rust where you grind it……
The big difference is silicon carbide for masonry rather than aluminum oxide normally used for metal. You can use either wheel on either thing but the proper one will cut faster and last longer. In my experience silicon carbide masonry wheels also work better if you need to grind gummy materials like aluminum because less sticks to them and they tend to give a smoother finish than aluminum oxide grinding wheels. Your experience may vary though. Of course if you got a diamond wheel, which I doubt you’d mistake for a metal wheel, it will dull quickly and not grind well on metal.
tl;dr: grind away
Flap disc’s are really the way to go, the first time I used one I was amazed how fast they remove metal.
Thanks guys, I’ll hold out and get a flap disc!
Dan M wrote:
Get a cheap flap disk from HF or HD. That would be your best bet
Wow, first day on the forum and Dan answers my question! Thanks for the help guys!
Dan M wrote:
Get a cheap flap disk from HF or HD. That would be your best bet
Wow, first day on the forum and Dan answers my question! Thanks for the help guys!
Bigmikez wrote:
Yea i wouldn’t try it spencer it’s not worth getting hurt man I would go and get the right blade for the job. I also had that grinder from HF damn thing lasted me quite awhile b4 it burnt out on me while cutting some springs for a friends sons car.
Lasted that long? Wow.
Bigmikez wrote:
Yea i wouldn’t try it spencer it’s not worth getting hurt man I would go and get the right blade for the job. I also had that grinder from HF damn thing lasted me quite awhile b4 it burnt out on me while cutting some springs for a friends sons car.
Lasted that long? Wow.
A flap disc would be the way to go for sharpening. A 40 grit removes metal faster than a regular grinding wheel and it leaves a smoother finish.
Thanks for the tips guys!
Sent from my One M8 using Tapatalk
Flapper wheels are awesome for sanding metal to a nice finish and sharpening an edge up really nice. If you have never used one in the past, you will be highly impressed with the finished product.
Thanks for not using that masonry wheel on steel, I have a feeling it might do bad things to you in the process.
People really irk me when it comes to using angle grinders, especially at home. I used one at work everyday for years and saw some really bad accidents with them. Most would have been avoided had the person verified the disc RPM ratings to the grinders, made sure they were using the correct type of disc and used both hands. Not to mention wearing the proper PPE and controlling / containing where your sparks are going.
Grinding discs can be had for so cheap it doesn’t make a ton of sense to not use the right one for the job.