Archive for the ‘Grinders’ Category
Cleaning Up A Weld Joint Using My Milwaukee Grinder
Being a quality welder can take years to acquire the skills necessary to land any kind of welding jobs as a journeyman. Like any professional though, an amateur can clean up his or her less perfect welds using power tools such as a Milwaukee grinder.
There are many power tools manufacturers, but I prefer a Milwaukee grinder because of my experience with Milwaukee power tools. I find that using a Milwaukee grinder compared to other grinders is a good move for anyone looking to pick up a grinder that will last a long time, even with heavy use from all of those funky welds you may be fixing.
Cutting Down Some Rebar With A Makita Grinder
Out on the ranch, building is a constant action. While building the chicken coop, I used some rebar to re-enforce the cinder blocks I used for the foundation. I stacked the cinder blocks on top of one another right over a twelve inch deep hole that I dug with a diameter that is about the same size hole in the cinder blocks. I poured in some concrete around a piece of rebar placed in the hole.
The problem was, that when It came time to place the floor on top of the foundation, the rebar was sticking up, so it needed to be cut. I used my Makita grinder, which is one of my favorite power tools to make short work of it. I just plugged the Makita grinder in and in a matter of minutes, the rebar was at the proper size, and the floor fit perfectly!
Hand-Made Beveled Edges Using A Makita Grinder
Many times in stone work or carpentry, you will come across an edge of a stone, paver or piece of wood that looks like it has been cut diagonally. This is called a “beveled edge”. Usually, these beveled cuts are professionally made, either at the manufacturing facility, where the paver is set in a cast or on-site by a professional. There’s a do-it-yourself technique for accomplishing this in a pinch with your own power tools at home though.
In masonry, it’s common to cut a piece of stone, and then have a need for beveling an edge to match the other edges on the paver. I usually grab my Makita grinder and a carbide blade. I start at one end and slowly shave down the edge making long , smooth passes. This technique is not absolutely precise, but it will certainly do in a pinch, and can come out looking quite nice to where it would be difficult to notice unless someone got on there hands and knees with a magnifying glass.
A power grinder is one of those power tools that needs to be treated with care and respect. Safety become a major a concern when the air is filled with tiny particles of material created by the grinding action. This can be harmful to your lungs and to others around you if the proper safety steps are taken. This is why a mask is highly recommended for using a power grinder. A grinder should always be operated while wearing some sort of eye protection as well. You never know when a piece of stone or something is going to go shooting across the room.
Something I never forget to do while operating my Makita grinder at home, is wear a pair of work gloves. Grinding on metal has a tendency to shoot sparks around the bench, and sometimes they’ll hit my hands and arms and give me a little sting. Wearing long sleeves paired with work gloves offers my entire arms protection from just about anything the grinder throws off.
Cutting It To Pieces With A Makita Grinder
When I was working for my father on the roof tops of New York City, there was a pice of equipment that we called the “steel wheels”, which looked a lot like a wide ladder if that had more rungs with wheels mounted on them. These are often seen on assembly lines or leading into cellar stairs from city streets to assist in the movement of heavy objects by rolling them along the wheels on the surface.
Well, one day we needed to get the steel wheels up on a roof that wouldn’t fit in the elevator or stairwell. Fortunately, all of our power tools were in the gang box, so the forman, wasting no time, grabbed a makita grinder and an extension cord, and walked out on to the street with the steel wheels. Five minutes later, he came back with the steel wheels in two pieces and handed me the grinder, which I put back in the gang box with the other power tools. Problem solved.
When it comes to selecting a quality grinder, I always try to pick a tool that will let me tackle the job, and not the other way around. Some grinders out there just don’t have the power one needs to take off the most stubborn materials, and that’s something that can bring a project to a halt in a hurry.
I look for motor speeds with about six thousand RPM’s or faster, and a durable housing for when I know a job is going to take a little more elbow grease. A Makita grinder is one of those tools out there that I know I can rely in a tough spot. A feature I like about my Makita, is that it has a removable side handle that can be moved to either side, which is great when you’re in a tight spot or left handed.