Grinding disc explosions
New User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Like these guys are saying (USE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB)
tHERES NO EXCUSE for not using the guards on a grinder. stay out of the line of fire use both hands. if a wheel gets wet junk it.
when cutting or grinding i always wear safty glasses and a face shield , even at home. Going to hospitial to get crap dug out of yer eyeballs is super fun(been there done that)
tHERES NO EXCUSE for not using the guards on a grinder. stay out of the line of fire use both hands. if a wheel gets wet junk it.
when cutting or grinding i always wear safty glasses and a face shield , even at home. Going to hospitial to get crap dug out of yer eyeballs is super fun(been there done that)
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
From: Tottenham Ontario Canada
Also...
When starting a bench grinder, stand to the side until it's up to speed. My high school welding teacher always cautioned this & I did when in his class (& he was looking).
And then a couple of years later a (brand new) wheel exploded in front of me. I was lucky. Most of the wheel stayed in the guard. One chunk went over my head and hit the ceiling. One chunk hit the front of my ankle & took off a patch of skin the size of a quarter (I was wearing flip-flops - Duh!). That scar stayed around for about six years before it faded away. And it was only a 6" wheel.
Now I always stand to the side. And wear proper shoes.
Cheers,
Eric
When starting a bench grinder, stand to the side until it's up to speed. My high school welding teacher always cautioned this & I did when in his class (& he was looking).
And then a couple of years later a (brand new) wheel exploded in front of me. I was lucky. Most of the wheel stayed in the guard. One chunk went over my head and hit the ceiling. One chunk hit the front of my ankle & took off a patch of skin the size of a quarter (I was wearing flip-flops - Duh!). That scar stayed around for about six years before it faded away. And it was only a 6" wheel.
Now I always stand to the side. And wear proper shoes.
Cheers,
Eric
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, WA
Thank you all. This is something (that a grinding wheel could explode) that would never have occured to me... until it occured. Now, thanks to you all, when it does, I will be much less likely to get killed or disabled.
Sincerely, thank you.
Sincerely, thank you.
More Turbo
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 630
Likes: 4
From: Northeast
Joe:
Very sorry to hear about your friend's brother, and I hope he surprises everyone and recovers fully, but I hear that that looks grim....
Thanks for bringing this up. I admit I think about disc explosion, but not often enough. I will now watch my angles as I work and see how careful I was actually being.
I've pretty much graduated to a full face shield, after repeatedly getting crap in my eyes even while wearing all types of safety glasses. However, I haven't been wearing the glasses under the shield. From this thread, I see others are. Is that right? Do you shield wearers all use the glasses at the same time?
I will also never stand in front of my grinder when starting. And I didn't know about the soft metal danger, either.
Thanks again.
Peter
Very sorry to hear about your friend's brother, and I hope he surprises everyone and recovers fully, but I hear that that looks grim....
Thanks for bringing this up. I admit I think about disc explosion, but not often enough. I will now watch my angles as I work and see how careful I was actually being.
I've pretty much graduated to a full face shield, after repeatedly getting crap in my eyes even while wearing all types of safety glasses. However, I haven't been wearing the glasses under the shield. From this thread, I see others are. Is that right? Do you shield wearers all use the glasses at the same time?
I will also never stand in front of my grinder when starting. And I didn't know about the soft metal danger, either.
Thanks again.
Peter
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
From: Tottenham Ontario Canada
If a wheel is off-balance or cracked at all, it will likely explode as it revs up. It could happen due to the wheel being off-balance when it was made, it could be mounted slightly off-center or it simply could have gotten whacked as someone was trying to carry something past it. When it happened to me, I think the wheel was off-center.
I'll keep standing aside. I'd rather have a wheel fragment go whizzing past my head than into it.
Cheers,
Eric
I'll keep standing aside. I'd rather have a wheel fragment go whizzing past my head than into it.
Cheers,
Eric
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
From: Cross SC
You always want to wear safety glasses with side shields along with your shield. Think about all those pieces of metal bouncing around.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
> Do you shield wearers all use the glasses at the same time?
Yes
> hy should you stand out of the way of a bench grinder until it is up to speed
On UPN, they just had a show, Max. Exposure, where a grinding wheel came apart while a guy was grinding a blade and it buried itself into the guy's skull. Gruesome is an understatement.
Yes
> hy should you stand out of the way of a bench grinder until it is up to speed
On UPN, they just had a show, Max. Exposure, where a grinding wheel came apart while a guy was grinding a blade and it buried itself into the guy's skull. Gruesome is an understatement.
New User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
On any bench grinder replacement wheel-
hold the new wheel on the tip of your index finger and lightly tap it with a screw driver or metal object. DO NOT whack it! DO NOT harm it. You want to hear this thing resonate and not thunk. If you get a "ring" its good. If you get a "thunk" it WILL explode in the near future.
as stated before ALWAYS stand aside and wait to make sure it is not going to explode before you decide to be in the middle of its path.
hold the new wheel on the tip of your index finger and lightly tap it with a screw driver or metal object. DO NOT whack it! DO NOT harm it. You want to hear this thing resonate and not thunk. If you get a "ring" its good. If you get a "thunk" it WILL explode in the near future.
as stated before ALWAYS stand aside and wait to make sure it is not going to explode before you decide to be in the middle of its path.
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
On a hand grinder I was using the disk tore loose from its center and spun away like a frisbee from hell. It skipped across the driveway and went under a car and bounced around under there until it stopped. Scary stuff.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,535
Likes: 1
From: I'm lost somewhere in NJ -- can someone please find me?!?!?!?
Geeze, I've considered removing the shield on my angle grinder a few times, but managed to resist the temptation. After reading a few of these horror stories, I know for sure I will absolutely leave the shield in place!
Now you guys almost have me scared about using my Dremel with the abrasive cut-off whell! I've had quite a few shatter during use (my mistake -- bad angle caused it to pinch/bind in the material and obliterate). No shrapnel managed to hit me yet, but with my luck...
Now you guys almost have me scared about using my Dremel with the abrasive cut-off whell! I've had quite a few shatter during use (my mistake -- bad angle caused it to pinch/bind in the material and obliterate). No shrapnel managed to hit me yet, but with my luck...
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 342
Likes: 0
From: British Columbia
electric grinders
On some of the large handheld electric grinders they have a lock "on" button . While this is convenient it also makes you get lazy and if the ****er ever decides to kick on you,its really tough to turn it off and a runaway grinder is no fun especially if its hunting for you.
Don't use offshore-made cutting disks and grinding wheels. Use namebrand stuff only.
I wish your friend's brother a speedy recovery.
Don't use offshore-made cutting disks and grinding wheels. Use namebrand stuff only.
I wish your friend's brother a speedy recovery.
Last edited by coplin; Feb 19, 2004 at 03:45 AM.
