What Are Angle Grinders Used For?

As tools go, angle grinders are an invaluable tool for any workshop, service garage, auto repair shop, or home hobbyist. Angle grinders are used for a variety of projects that include:

• Cutting and grinding iron
• Steel
• Metal roof cladding
• Corrugated iron
• Steel sheeting
• Brick
• Stone
• Concrete
• Slates and building tiles
• PVC pipe
• Rusted bolts
• Rebar in concrete
• Sharpening garden tools
• Sanding wood
• Removing paint
• Cleaning rust from steel
• Cutting up trash for disposal
• Removing grout for tuck pointing
• Scoring tile
• Polishing metals to a shiny luster.

Angle grinders use various wheels or discs that are designed for different tasks, and it’s this what makes an angle grinder so versatile. With a wire cup brush attachment, you can easily remove caked-on cement, rust, and paint from your other tools.

Just secure the tool with vice grips or clamps, and make sure the brush is spinning away from the edge to prevent kickback. With a metal cutoff wheel attachment, you can easily cut rebar, rusted bolts, and welded wire fencing, which is much easier and quicker than using a hacksaw.

To Cut Tile, Stone, or Concrete:

Use a dry-cut diamond wheel. It’s super thin for a more accurate, sharp cut. It’s also perfect for scoring out the middle of a ceramic tile to fit over an outlet, for example.

To Sharpen Edges:

Grinding wheels or discs are used to restore edges on rougher tools such as shovels, garden hoes, and ice scrapers. They’re also useful for the initial grinding of lawn mower blades, hatchets, and axes.

When it’s turned off, position the grinder so that the wheel spins toward the edge and away from the body of the blade. Then rest the wheel against the tool’s blade and match the angle of the grinder to the blade’s bevel – you will want to maintain this angle as you grind the edge.

Lift away the grinder from the edge and turn it on, moving it into the blade. Stroke the grinder in the direction of the handle, lift off, and repeat this motion, making sure you maintain the correct angle throughout the strokes.

To avoid overheating the metal, only apply light pressure and keep the grinder moving. It’s also a good idea to keep a bucket of water and sponge handy to wet the metal frequently. This will help the metal stay cool.

For Removing Old Mortar from Bricks:

Nothing beats an angle grinder in speed and ease (read our extensive review on this here). Using thicker tuck pointing wheels will remove old mortar quickly without harming the bricks. Remember to wear a dust mask, however, as this job gets very dusty!

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many ways to use an angle grinder for your projects. To get a better idea of all the attachments you can use with your grinder, just browse your local hardware store. These tools will ultimately save you a ton of time.