7 Types of Angle Grinder Discs and Their Uses. Polishing disc for grinder
Types of Angle Grinder Discs and Their Uses
Here are seven types of angle grinder discs and their different uses.
According to Handyman’s World:
“Learning to use an angle grinder properly can take a fair bit of practice. Specifically, you’ll often need to practice a variety of techniques for accomplishing the many jobs assigned to an angle grinder.
“Along the way, you’ll likely discover that the default disc on your angle grinder can’t accomplish all of your desired tasks. As such, you’ll also need to set aside some time to learn about the various different types available to professionals and DIYers today.
“In this guide, you’ll learn about seven of the most popular angle grinder discs and their primary uses. This guide will also highlight what many of these discs are made from, which in turn will help you evaluate whether that type can be safely used on your targeted material.
Types of Angle Grinder Discs
Grinding Wheel
“As you can imagine, the first and most obvious angle grinder disc type is the eponymous grinding wheel.
“These wheels are disc-shaped in nature and often feature a ribbed edge that is optimized for removing rough metal edges at a Rapid pace. To that end, these wheels are used in all kinds of metal fabrication jobs that require smoothing down a fresh-cut edge.
“Fresh welds can also be smoothed out with a grinding wheel equipped to your angle grinder.
“However, proper safety precautions must always be taken when working with this type of disc. That’s because its metal composition causes metal-on-metal contact at a Rapid speed. In turn, such contact can cause a serious volume of sparks to spray from any contact point.
“These blades also tend to heat up a lot, so they shouldn’t be touched right after use.
Flap Disc
“Grinding wheels are considered a rather ‘blunt’ method of smoothing down a rough metal surface. As such, they aren’t generally used on jobs that require a person to eventually handle that newly-smoothed edge or surface. Instead, a fabricator may choose to pull out a flap disc.
“These are considered to be the metal equivalent of fine sandpaper.
“As such, a properly utilized flap disc can remove metal burrs, chamfer edges, and take off sharp corners with an enhanced level of precision. Some flap discs can even buff out scratches that occur during the cutting and fabrication process.
“As such, they indispensable for metal craftsmen whose projects are handled by other folks regularly.
Cut-off Wheel
“As you likely already, angle grinders can be used to cut into flat and round metal stock with relative ease. Of course, this can only be accomplished if you have a cut-off wheel equipped to your angle grinder.
“These discs feature a thin profile and a tapered edge that allows them to efficiently slice into forged metal. In practice, these wheels are often able to efficiently cut through bolts, plate metal, rebar, and more – so long as the wheel itself is of adequate width.
“This is because thinner cut-off wheels tend to flex more during a cutting process. This makes them unstable and prone to failure (and sometimes, even shattering) when making deep cuts into thick metal stock. Instead, a thicker cut-off wheel should be used in those instances.
Wire Wheel
“Angle grinders can also be used to accomplish other types of important abrasion jobs if you have the right discs available to you. A wire wheel is one such disc that any good fabricator should have, not least because these wheels are masters when it comes to removing paint and rust from metal surfaces.
“They accomplish this with their sets of metal wire fibers, which are arranged into straight or intertwined bunches to maximize their abrasion potential.
“Keep in mind, though, that wire wheels range greatly in terms of quality. That is to say, try to avoid cheap wire wheels if at all possible. Such discs tend to degrade quickly, which causes the metal wires to break free and fly around.
“Though you should always wear proper PPE when using a wire wheel, these free-flying wires can still pose a risk to yourself and others in your workspace.
Strip Disc
“While a wire wheel can remove paint fairly efficiently, such efficiency comes at a cost. To be specific, wire wheels tend to scuff up the underlying metal surface once the paint has been removed. To avoid that result, be sure to bring a strip disc with you to the job site. These discs are made of a poly-fiber material that can gently, yet firmly remove paint, glue, and epoxy from most metal surfaces.
“If you are removing any of those coatings or adhesives from fiberglass or wood, this type of disc is also a must-have. Otherwise, you’ll find that your wire wheel will do irreparable harm to the surface of either material.
Diamond Disc
“Diamond discs come in several forms. However, most diamond discs on the market today are cutting discs by nature. Not only that, but diamond discs provide top-tier cutting capacity for jobs that involve extra-dense metal stock.
“These discs are able to accomplish those tasks with ease thanks to their impregnated edges, which feature a layer of abrasive diamond shards.
“While they are plenty capable, diamond discs are also fairly expensive. As such, they should be reserved for use only in cutting jobs that truly warrant their use.
Ceramic Sanding Disc
“Ceramic sanding discs are not nearly as common in the professional field, despite their extended service life. In terms of function, ceramic sanding discs can do just about anything a flap disc can do.
“However, they can accomplish those jobs without risking overheating due to their ceramic construction. Better yet, many modern ceramic sanding discs carry a higher sanding capacity than their metal counterparts, making them as efficient as they are durable.
Summary
“Angle grinders are a great multi-purpose tool, regardless of whether you’re a professional fabricator or an amateur DIYer. However, this tool can’t do much more than roughly grind metal without a set of versatile discs available at its disposal.
“As such, anyone looking to make the most out of their angle grinder should invest in at least one of each of the discs described above.
“That way, you’ll be able to take on as many grinding or cutting jobs as your next on-site job requires.”
Flap Discs Vs. Grinding Wheels: When To Use A Flap Disc
Flap discs offer benefits such as fast stock removal and the ability to grind, blend, and finish with a single product, which can improve project timeline without compromising on results. In general, you’re better off using a flap disc over a grinding wheel when abrading metal and applying a smooth finish.
When using an angle grinder, choosing the right attachment for the job is critical to a successful outcome. The most common options are flap discs and grinding wheels. While they are often confused due to some overlapping characteristics, the two different abrasive products are not the same. In this blog, the team at Red Label Abrasives explains what they are, the recommended applications for each one, and when you should opt for a flap disc over a grinding wheel for your project.
What is a Flap Disc?
A flap disc is an abrasive product used to contour and shape metal. It consists of overlapping abrasive flaps glued to a backing plate and is regularly used for welding, machining, heavy-duty equipment work, and industrial maintenance. Common applications include:
- Cleaning flash from molds and castings
- Removing rust
- Edge grinding
- Deburring
- Blending weld seams
Flap discs offer benefits such as fast stock removal and the ability to grind, blend, and finish with a single product, which can improve project timeline without compromising on results.
When Should You Use a Flap Disc?
Flap discs are the recommended choice when you’re working with metal, especially when you intend to make right angle cuts. Being flexible, these discs make it easier to achieve contours in the metal.
For grinding, apply heavy pressure and for finishing, apply light pressure. You thereby avoid the downtime caused by switching discs between tasks. Other benefits include:
- Cooler operation, minimizing the risk of scorch or heat marks
- Reduced vibration and fatigue for a more comfortable experience
- Safety is improved because there are no pieces that break or fly off
- With less gouging, the finish is better
What Are Grinding Wheels?
Grinding wheels are one of the most commonly used abrasive products. Made from thousands of tiny abrasive grains, they remove material to both shape and refine a workpiece.
Different types of grinding wheels are available, and each type serves a different purpose. Some are sharpeners and cutters, while others are polishers and smoothers.
When Should You Use a Grinding Wheel?
Grinding wheels are great for general sharpening tasks, such as restoring edges on worn-down shovels and garden tools or performing an initial grinding on lawn mower blades, shears, hatches, and axes. They can also be used for material removal, but aren’t as great for finishing work due to their tendency to gouge surfaces.
When To Use a Flap Disc Over A Grinding Wheel
In general, you’re better off using a flap disc when abrading metal and applying a smoother finish. Although they’ve long been used with high-speed angle grinders, advances in both design and materials have brought flap discs to the point where they can carry out grinding, blending, and finishing jobs much more quickly and with less noise than grinding wheels- layered flaps constantly expose new grain and act as a cushion, resulting in less noise and vibration.
- Users have better control over flap discs, making damage (and rework to repair it) much less likely.
- Operators tend to find flap discs more comfortable to use, so they’re a recommended option for longer grinding jobs.
- Since flap discs don’t gouge the workpiece as fast as grinding wheels do, a less-skilled operator can use them more efficiently without damaging the work piece
Grinding wheels can play an important role in your project, particularly during material removal, but when you’re working with metal and need a tool that can achieve results during each stage of the project, flap discs may be your best and most efficient option.
Questions? Speak With An Abrasive Specialist
At Red Label Abrasives. we are a leading and trusted provider of specialty abrasive products, including sanding belts. discs. rolls. and flap discs. Whether you need the right abrasive for your application or advice on how to get the most out of your product, our technicians are here to help. For more information or help in placing an order, please call 844-824-1956 or fill out our contact form.
Types of Angle Grinder Discs Their Uses
Let’s check out the different types of angle grinder discs and their uses.
What is an Angle Grinder Disc?
First things first—let’s go over the basics. An angle grinder disc is any disc designed to fit in an angle grinder and rotates at high speed to perform cutting and polishing operations. The angle grinder disc or wheel spins at anywhere from around 2,800 rpm to 12,000 rpm, depending on the brand and model of the tool and the settings you select.
Just by switching different discs in and out of the tool, you can use your angle grinder for a variety of applications. You can cut, grind, polish, carve, and more.
over, you can work on a wide range of materials such as metal, stone, mortar, brick, or wood.
Angle Grinder Disc Types
Now that you know what an angle grinder disc is, let’s check out some of the most common types of discs you can use and what you can do with them.
Angle Grinder Wheel Demo 2021
Large and small versions of these discs are available to suit the size of your angle grinder. For general purposes, consider a larger disc. For detailed work, consider a smaller disc.
Grinding Discs
It makes sense to talk first about grinding discs, also called “grit discs.” These are the discs you need if you want to grind metal or stone. Each disc features an abrasive compound consisting of grains and a bonding agent. You can choose a higher or lower grit depending on how fine or coarse you want the abrasive grains to be.
You may want to start with a low, coarse grit to speed through the beginning of a task, and then switch to a high grit for a smoother finish.
Cut-off Discs
Next, we have cut-off discs, also known as parting wheels. Choose this type of slim, tapered wheel if you want to cut metal stock. You will find variations in thickness for cut-off discs. There are tradeoffs either way. The thinner the disc, the more easily it can slice into metal. But thin abrasive discs are brittle and more prone to breakage. The thicker the disc is, the sturdier it is, and the less likely it is to warp or fracture while you are using it.
So, you will need to weigh those pros and cons when choosing your cut-off discs. In either case, however, try not to push too hard or too fast into the metal. Doing that only makes it more likely you will damage the work and shatter the disc you are using.
Diamond Cutting Discs
If you are working with masonry or stones, a regular grit disc or cut-off disc won’t cut. You will need a diamond cutting disc which is a superior alternative. As the name implies, diamonds grits are embedded into the edges of a steel disc.
As diamond rates a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, it makes for efficient cutting of concrete, tiles, stones, etc. It also offers superb durability.
So, with a diamond disc, you can work more quickly and easily, even on harder metals. It will cost you more to purchase diamond discs, but they should outlast others, making them more cost-effective in the long run than they may initially appear.
Flap Discs
A flap disc is probably the best option when you need to do some sanding with an angle grinder.
This type of disc uses abrasive (usually Aluminum Oxide) that is similar to a grit disc, but a whole lot finer. The main difference here is that instead of a single flat piece, the flap disc is made of multiple layers of overlapping abrasive sheets called flaps. Sometimes these are referred to as flap wheels, although that name is more appropriate for a radial flap wheel that you use on a drill or rotary tool.
Flap Disc Uses
With a flap disc, you can remove minor imperfections from a surface, remove rust, and polish the surface. Also, if there are fine grinding tasks that you cannot tackle using a regular grit disc, a flap disc may be appropriate. These types of angle grinder discs are often used in autobody shops, metalworking, and fabrication industries. Worried about a flap disc overheating? You can try a ceramic sanding disc as an alternative.
Wire Wheels
One of the most distinctive-looking types of wheels you can get for your angle grinder is a wire wheel. You can use a wire wheel to remove paint or rust from metal.
You also can polish hard metal with a wire wheel—but keep in mind that on softer materials, using a wire wheel is more likely to lead to scratches than a smooth finish. Instead of featuring a cutting or grinding disc, this wheel includes clusters of bristles protruding in a radial formation. These bristles may be slender and straight, or they could be thick and twisted.
The type of wire disc you should get depends on the application you have in mind. The thick, twisted bristles are kind of like coarse grit on a grinder disc. Choose them for tasks that require more speed than precision. Then, switch to straight, fine bristles for work that requires more exactness.
Safety
You should always wear safety goggles when you are working with your angle grinder. But it is extra important with a wire wheel, as wires sometimes snap off. That is about the last thing you want flying into your eye. I have seen a lot of novice users ignoring the basic safety practices when with a grinder. I wrote an entire guide on angle grinder safety since this is really important.
Paint Stripping Discs
A wire wheel is not your only option to remove paint. An alternative wheel to consider is a paint stripping disc.
If you are working on a material like wood, fiberglass, or soft metal that you could end up scuffing with a regular wire wheel, a paint stripper may be more suitable.
Instead of wire bristles, a paint stripper wheel features poly-fiber material. It removes paint with efficiency, but should not scratch or scuff the underlying surface. You also can use it to remove epoxy or other residues.
Polishing Pads
You are probably wondering by this point whether there is a type of disc designed with the specific purpose of polishing in mind. Actually, what you are looking for is a polishing pad, which is also called a “buffing pad.”
A variety of different types of polishing pads are on the market. You will need to choose a material that is right for the surface you are working on. For fine surfaces such as polishing your car, get a buffing wheel made of wool.
It is important to take it slow when you are polishing. If you select too high a speed, you will probably end up damaging your surface. Bigger angle grinders are more likely to offer you speeds that are suitable for the job.
Concrete Grinding Wheels
With the right discs, your angle grinder can not only handle metal but can even grind or polish concrete.
There are assorted shapes of concrete grinding wheels and various grit materials. You can find wheels with silicon carbide grain or diamond grit. The diamond cup wheel is the most widely used type since it can be used on a variety of materials and are durable.
Along with hard abrasive materials, these wheels are made of sturdy materials through and through like durable fiberglass. Such materials not only preserve the life of the wheel but also help it push through concrete. Besides grinding concrete with these types of discs, you can also use them to grind granite, stone, marble, masonry, and similar materials.
Although a concrete grinding wheel can offer great longevity, these tough discs eventually wear down. An old disc becomes increasingly likely to chip during use.
Wood Cutting Discs
A couple of times now, we have mentioned grinding or cutting wood using an angle grinder. But as you already know, quite a few types of discs are only suitable for harder materials. If you attempt to use them to cut or carve wood, you might end up damaging your project.
So, is there such a thing as a wood cutting disc? The answer to that question is “yes.”
Woodcutting discs typically feature a toothed, circular blade. You will notice the tips are often tungsten carbide. The reason manufacturers use carbide tips for wood cutting discs is because carbide is incredibly hard. In fact, if you need to sharpen carbide tips, you will require diamond to get the job done.
Because carbide teeth are so hard, they can make clean cuts through both softwood and hardwood. Not only that, but you can get a lot of use out of them before you need to sharpen or replace them.
What types of wood can wood cutting discs handle? You should have no problem slicing a quality disc through pine, cherry, walnut, oak, mahogany, maple, or any other wood you can name.
Wood Carving Discs
If you want to bring carving, shaping, and grinding into your woodworking, you may need to go beyond wood cutting discs to purchase wood carving discs as well.
These discs also usually include carbide teeth. But instead of a flat disc, a wood carving disc has more of a donut shape to it. The teeth are not located around the edges. Instead, they cover the entire surface of the wheel. Typically, they number in the hundreds.
With this shape, this type of disc is especially ideal for creating a concave surface—say, for example, if you are carving out the interior of a wooden bowl.
Keep in mind that working on wood is a bit different from working on metal or concrete. Those materials are typically homogenous. Wood, on the other hand, has natural contours and knots. When working with a wood carving or cutting disc, you must take care not to let your tool catch on irregular features like these. Some wheels are more prone to this than others.
- What is an Angle Grinder Disc?
- 10 Angle Grinder Disc Types
- 1. Grinding Discs
- 2. Cut-off Discs
- 3. Diamond Cutting Discs
- 4. Flap Discs
- 5. Wire Wheels
- 6. Paint Stripping Discs
- 7. Polishing Pads
- 8. Concrete Grinding Wheels
- 9. Wood Cutting Discs
- 10. Wood Carving Discs
Types of Angle Grinder Discs Their Uses
Let’s check out the different types of angle grinder discs and their uses.
What is an Angle Grinder Disc?
First things first—let’s go over the basics. An angle grinder disc is any disc designed to fit in an angle grinder and rotates at high speed to perform cutting and polishing operations. The angle grinder disc or wheel spins at anywhere from around 2,800 rpm to 12,000 rpm, depending on the brand and model of the tool and the settings you select.
Just by switching different discs in and out of the tool, you can use your angle grinder for a variety of applications. You can cut, grind, polish, carve, and more.
over, you can work on a wide range of materials such as metal, stone, mortar, brick, or wood.
Angle Grinder Disc Types
Now that you know what an angle grinder disc is, let’s check out some of the most common types of discs you can use and what you can do with them.
Large and small versions of these discs are available to suit the size of your angle grinder. For general purposes, consider a larger disc. For detailed work, consider a smaller disc.
Grinding Discs
It makes sense to talk first about grinding discs, also called “grit discs.” These are the discs you need if you want to grind metal or stone. Each disc features an abrasive compound consisting of grains and a bonding agent. You can choose a higher or lower grit depending on how fine or coarse you want the abrasive grains to be.
You may want to start with a low, coarse grit to speed through the beginning of a task, and then switch to a high grit for a smoother finish.
Cut-off Discs
Next, we have cut-off discs, also known as parting wheels. Choose this type of slim, tapered wheel if you want to cut metal stock. You will find variations in thickness for cut-off discs. There are tradeoffs either way. The thinner the disc, the more easily it can slice into metal. But thin abrasive discs are brittle and more prone to breakage. The thicker the disc is, the sturdier it is, and the less likely it is to warp or fracture while you are using it.
So, you will need to weigh those pros and cons when choosing your cut-off discs. In either case, however, try not to push too hard or too fast into the metal. Doing that only makes it more likely you will damage the work and shatter the disc you are using.
Diamond Cutting Discs
If you are working with masonry or stones, a regular grit disc or cut-off disc won’t cut. You will need a diamond cutting disc which is a superior alternative. As the name implies, diamonds grits are embedded into the edges of a steel disc.
As diamond rates a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, it makes for efficient cutting of concrete, tiles, stones, etc. It also offers superb durability.
So, with a diamond disc, you can work more quickly and easily, even on harder metals. It will cost you more to purchase diamond discs, but they should outlast others, making them more cost-effective in the long run than they may initially appear.
Flap Discs
A flap disc is probably the best option when you need to do some sanding with an angle grinder.
This type of disc uses abrasive (usually Aluminum Oxide) that is similar to a grit disc, but a whole lot finer. The main difference here is that instead of a single flat piece, the flap disc is made of multiple layers of overlapping abrasive sheets called flaps. Sometimes these are referred to as flap wheels, although that name is more appropriate for a radial flap wheel that you use on a drill or rotary tool.
Flap Disc Uses
With a flap disc, you can remove minor imperfections from a surface, remove rust, and polish the surface. Also, if there are fine grinding tasks that you cannot tackle using a regular grit disc, a flap disc may be appropriate. These types of angle grinder discs are often used in autobody shops, metalworking, and fabrication industries. Worried about a flap disc overheating? You can try a ceramic sanding disc as an alternative.
Wire Wheels
One of the most distinctive-looking types of wheels you can get for your angle grinder is a wire wheel. You can use a wire wheel to remove paint or rust from metal.
You also can polish hard metal with a wire wheel—but keep in mind that on softer materials, using a wire wheel is more likely to lead to scratches than a smooth finish. Instead of featuring a cutting or grinding disc, this wheel includes clusters of bristles protruding in a radial formation. These bristles may be slender and straight, or they could be thick and twisted.
The type of wire disc you should get depends on the application you have in mind. The thick, twisted bristles are kind of like coarse grit on a grinder disc. Choose them for tasks that require more speed than precision. Then, switch to straight, fine bristles for work that requires more exactness.
Safety
You should always wear safety goggles when you are working with your angle grinder. But it is extra important with a wire wheel, as wires sometimes snap off. That is about the last thing you want flying into your eye. I have seen a lot of novice users ignoring the basic safety practices when with a grinder. I wrote an entire guide on angle grinder safety since this is really important.
Paint Stripping Discs
A wire wheel is not your only option to remove paint. An alternative wheel to consider is a paint stripping disc.
If you are working on a material like wood, fiberglass, or soft metal that you could end up scuffing with a regular wire wheel, a paint stripper may be more suitable.
Instead of wire bristles, a paint stripper wheel features poly-fiber material. It removes paint with efficiency, but should not scratch or scuff the underlying surface. You also can use it to remove epoxy or other residues.
Polishing Pads
You are probably wondering by this point whether there is a type of disc designed with the specific purpose of polishing in mind. Actually, what you are looking for is a polishing pad, which is also called a “buffing pad.”
A variety of different types of polishing pads are on the market. You will need to choose a material that is right for the surface you are working on. For fine surfaces such as polishing your car, get a buffing wheel made of wool.
It is important to take it slow when you are polishing. If you select too high a speed, you will probably end up damaging your surface. Bigger angle grinders are more likely to offer you speeds that are suitable for the job.
Concrete Grinding Wheels
With the right discs, your angle grinder can not only handle metal but can even grind or polish concrete.
There are assorted shapes of concrete grinding wheels and various grit materials. You can find wheels with silicon carbide grain or diamond grit. The diamond cup wheel is the most widely used type since it can be used on a variety of materials and are durable.
Along with hard abrasive materials, these wheels are made of sturdy materials through and through like durable fiberglass. Such materials not only preserve the life of the wheel but also help it push through concrete. Besides grinding concrete with these types of discs, you can also use them to grind granite, stone, marble, masonry, and similar materials.
Although a concrete grinding wheel can offer great longevity, these tough discs eventually wear down. An old disc becomes increasingly likely to chip during use.
10 Amazing & Useful Angle Grinder Disc !!!
Wood Cutting Discs
A couple of times now, we have mentioned grinding or cutting wood using an angle grinder. But as you already know, quite a few types of discs are only suitable for harder materials. If you attempt to use them to cut or carve wood, you might end up damaging your project.
So, is there such a thing as a wood cutting disc? The answer to that question is “yes.”
Woodcutting discs typically feature a toothed, circular blade. You will notice the tips are often tungsten carbide. The reason manufacturers use carbide tips for wood cutting discs is because carbide is incredibly hard. In fact, if you need to sharpen carbide tips, you will require diamond to get the job done.
Because carbide teeth are so hard, they can make clean cuts through both softwood and hardwood. Not only that, but you can get a lot of use out of them before you need to sharpen or replace them.
What types of wood can wood cutting discs handle? You should have no problem slicing a quality disc through pine, cherry, walnut, oak, mahogany, maple, or any other wood you can name.
Wood Carving Discs
If you want to bring carving, shaping, and grinding into your woodworking, you may need to go beyond wood cutting discs to purchase wood carving discs as well.
These discs also usually include carbide teeth. But instead of a flat disc, a wood carving disc has more of a donut shape to it. The teeth are not located around the edges. Instead, they cover the entire surface of the wheel. Typically, they number in the hundreds.
With this shape, this type of disc is especially ideal for creating a concave surface—say, for example, if you are carving out the interior of a wooden bowl.
Keep in mind that working on wood is a bit different from working on metal or concrete. Those materials are typically homogenous. Wood, on the other hand, has natural contours and knots. When working with a wood carving or cutting disc, you must take care not to let your tool catch on irregular features like these. Some wheels are more prone to this than others.
- What is an Angle Grinder Disc?
- 10 Angle Grinder Disc Types
- 1. Grinding Discs
- 2. Cut-off Discs
- 3. Diamond Cutting Discs
- 4. Flap Discs
- 5. Wire Wheels
- 6. Paint Stripping Discs
- 7. Polishing Pads
- 8. Concrete Grinding Wheels
- 9. Wood Cutting Discs
- 10. Wood Carving Discs