Wood attachments for angle grinders - any experiences?

[kenm46]

Recently I bought an AEG 125mm angle grinder and I am now discovering how versatile the little beast can be. I am also a wood turner and can see the potential for using the angle grinder to remove wood from awkwardly shaped blanks but I want to know more about the pro's and con's of various wood attachments.
My first question is: can I safely use an attachment eg Arbortech procarver, which is recommended to a 115mm grinder on my 125mm grinder. Intuitively I think I could because the attachment is smaller than the guard on the grinder, however, I am also suspicious there may be some technical reasons why this may not be so.
I seek the wisdom of seasoned users.
Many thanks.

[Jim Carroll]

You can use the arbortech wheels on the 125mm grinder as it uses the same spindle shaft as the 115mm.

Speeds are the same.

[kenm46]

Many thanks, Jim. Does the same apply to attachments other than the arbortech eg recommended for 100 & 115 mm?

[Mobyturns]

Just be cautious how you use the Arbotech or any other powered carvers like the Lancelot or Merlin chainsaw cutter styles. Very powerful & useful tools but they command respect. The work piece should be well secured in a carvers clamp or on the lathe with the spindle lock engaged. Always set the guard correctly and use two hands on the angle grinder with the side handle attached.

These things can inflict nasty injuries very rapidly. One turner in the USA had a very nasty neck gash a few years back. Something like 100 stitches were required to repair the damage caused from hand holding the workpiece while single handedly operating the grinder.

[Drillit]

Agree 100% with Mobyturns. Secure piece- use two hands on grinder - one on the side handle and ensure you use face shield.
I use all and find that short bursts are the safest. There is extensive information on all, including the Lancelot/Merlin systems
where you can use (2) circular chain saw type attachments at the same time on the grinder. I use a faceplate (as per lathe) with attachment
to hold in the Triton supajaws. No shortcuts. Drillit.

Just be cautious how you use the Arbotech or any other powered carvers like the Lancelot or Merlin chainsaw cutter styles. Very powerful & useful tools but they command respect. The work piece should be well secured in a carvers clamp or on the lathe with the spindle lock engaged. Always set the guard correctly and use two hands on the angle grinder with the side handle attached.

These things can inflict nasty injuries very rapidly. One turner in the USA had a very nasty neck gash a few years back. Something like 100 stitches were required to repair the damage caused from hand holding the workpiece while single handedly operating the grinder.

[BobL]

I have the Arbortech dedicated Mini grinder, as well the larger CT tipped wheel that fits on am angle grinder, .and they are indeed useful and interesting devices.
Both make a HUGE mess and I cannot bear to use them inside my shed as they scatter chips and fine dust all over place which I try to keep as dust free as possible
I consider face shields (and a face mask for dry wood) as essential PPE with these tools even when used outside.

The Arbortech Mini is an inherently safer and more manageable tool with much easier/better control, plus the sanding attachments make it into a much more useful tool.

The CT tipped wheel attachment on the angle grinder hogs out wood at a great speed even in hard dry wood and it takes some practice to avoid the kickback and not go too far.
As a regular large chainsaw operator I am familiar with kickback but after a while you will tire while using it and this is where the risk increases.
The plastic blade guard needs to be regularly tightened as it slowly loosens over time and eventually will make some contact with the blade teeth which is not very good for it.

The other problem with the angle grinder attachment is that chips and sawdust impact with and end up packing around and under the sliding switch of some grinders making them impossible to switch off. Then you have to stop and clean out the area around the switch.
This has happened to me several times with a new small (4") Makita that I bought specifically for this attachment and I found I cannot use it with this grinder so I switched it to use on one of my Bosch Grinders.

[Ratbag]

Over the years I've been mightily impressed with Arbortech's range, and pretty underwhelmed with the alternatives on the market.

Using the original carver on an old Elu 12000 rpm 4" grinder was a painful experience. This was before the company introduced advanced depth limitation fluting to the disc, and was ratherike being pelted non stop with fistfuls of blue metal.

Later discs were far superior in terms of safety and control, but still demand respect. I too had problems with grinder switches & dust. Cement dust seems to be especially problematic, but so are wood fines.

The solution? Get a decent grinder. Having used all sorts over the years in my own & colleagues' toolkits I now only buy Metabo. In my opinion nothing else even approaches their level of quality, robustness, longevity & versatility.

Not only do they have properly dust & moisture sealed switchgear, but the field coils are epoxy armour coated against dust too. There's over 120 different models available in their current range, although not all are available locally. I personally really like the 125mm variable speed models as an ideal compromise between power, speed, safety & versatility.

I also have bigger 150, 230 & 300 mm grinders too. The 150s are great for metal & stonework , but not (having rat tailed handles) for one handed use. I find the 9" size a tad too powerful and scary for most of my current uses. The 300mm Bosch is really more of a dedicated floor saw than a grinder, so it is more safely handled.

All of my Metabos are older models. Unlike my other B&D, Elu, Hitachi & Bosch grinders I've owned none have ever let me down. One should expect nothing less from the world's leader in grinders. The newest range SHOULD be even better, but I've not had the real need to replace or supplement any of my current tools, so I can't really comment with any real authority on their relative merits.

Nevertheless, one of the new 1500w variable speed range would probably cover all the tasks currently done by all of my smaller tools. I use grinders for a huge variety of tasks, from sanding weatherboards and interior paintwork to cutting traps in flooring (with a Tuffcut blade), carving in wood, cutting wood metal and stone with both discs & saws, and polishing with stone cups and pads. I sometimes also occasionally grind too, but I don't consider myself much of a metalworker.

The variable speed mini grinder is probably the most versatile and useful tool I've ever had.

[artme]

Apart from the Arbortech and other similar implements you can get saw TCT saw blades to fit the smaller grinders


I have found them very useful for tree trimming and getting to places where one cannot get other tools. Usual warnings
about safety apply.

[Ratbag]

From my personal experience Arbortech's pro model that uses replaceable torx-mounted TCT tips is a delight to use.

Beautifully machined and anodised from an (aluminium?) billet it cuts with such smoothness and control that all alternatives pale: including Arbortech's own stamped steel and Excalibur & Lancelot "chainsaw" discs.

The additional mass of the CNC milling seems to give a fairly pronounced flywheel & gyroscopic effect, which is easily countered by reducing the revs to 6k or so. It also seems to be equally at home hogging as it does at lighter cuts or smoothing horizontally. I suspect this is down to the carefully designed and beautifully milled depth limitation "ramps". Add to this the fact that the circular tips can be rotated (4 times in my experience) as they dull to provide greater sharpness as well as replaced makes this particular tool a winner.

Aussie ingenuity in design & manufacture. What's not to like?

[Mobyturns]

Apart from the Arbortech and other similar implements you can get saw TCT saw blades to fit the smaller grinders


I have found them very useful for tree trimming and getting to places where one cannot get other tools. Usual warnings
about safety apply.

Commonly called "meat axes." A good mate is an aluminium fabricator / welder and has a very healthy respect for them after having a good go at removing fingers with one about four decades ago. Same rules apply to saw blades on angle grinders - two hands for beginners & experts plus use the side handle.