On our never-ending quest to improve this place by listening to feedback from the B&B, we are taking a new tack with these product posts, choosing instead to focus on items we have actually used or purchased with our own meagre income. After all, if we’re giving you the truth about cars, we ought to give you the truth about car accessories.
This instalment of Stuff We Use takes us back out into the garage again, cutting away rust and grinding down those welds which looks a heckuva lot better with the dark helmet in place.
We know this type of tool can be referred to as many different names depending on where you are in the country but, for simplicity, we’re sticking with the term ‘angle grinder’ for this post since it is arguably the most common moniker. Generally comprised of an electric motor housed in a plastic case with a couple of handles and spinning a detachable disc, angle grinders are generally used for tasks related to metal work.
What sort of metal work? If one isn’t too concerned about precision, cutting out a section of rusted metal is with an angle grinder is one way to take care of that problem, though there are other (albeit probably more expensive) tools to get that job done a bit more neatly. Other people use an angle grinder to smooth out a sloppy or difficult weld, allowing for a cleaner repair and easier time with any prep work if painting the area is required. Similarly, folks often use these things to grind off a sharp edge – they’re literally grinding off an angle, hence the term ‘angle grinder’.
Most recently, this writer used one to fix a self-inflicted problem (aren’t they all?). The failure of front wheel bearings on a family whip necessitated the removal of the car’s entire front spindle, not the worst job in the world but one complicated by a dozen years of road salt and grime. No matter how much I initially begged, hammered, or pleaded, that infernal lower ball joint would not separate. Whaling on it with a BFH didn’t really help; the problem was solved by using an ancient hydraulic floor jack to take some pressure off the suspension and relax the ball joint so it could slide out of its home.
You can guess the problem. When it was time to reassemble everything, the abuse suffered by the ball joint at the hands of said BFH flared out the top of its threaded stock, meaning it was impossible to spin the fastener home and button up the job. Breaking out the angle grinder was my solution, gently touching the rapidly spinning disc on just one side of the unwanted flare to flatten the area a bit and allow the fastener to bite. It worked, thanks in no small part to the fact a ball joint has way more thread than necessary – the part onto which the fastener is holding has plenty of thread area.
Angle grinders can be picked up relatively affordably on places like eBay, though it is a decent idea to realize the potential limitations of really low-cost options from off-brands no one has ever head of before. In addition to possible problems with any warranty claims, these ultra-cheap angle grinders are sometimes packed with parts provided by the lowest bidder, meaning they may not endure much abuse or last very long in a commercial setting where daily use is required. It would also be frustrating for the thing to burn out its motor at a colossally inconvenient time such as in the middle of a repair. For these reasons, some mechanics prefer to stick with well-known brands – and we can totally understand why.
One final thought: given the rotational speed of the discs attached to angle grinders, always keep safety top of mind when using these things. Wear eye protection and never touch the disc whist it is spinning. It is also important to use the right disc for the job; don’t deploy a disc intended for metal work on a task involving ceramics or vice versa. And don’t forget to make sure the battery is included if you’re buying an angle grinder which doesn’t plug into the wall.
As planned, this series of posts will continue to focus on items we’ve actually used and bought with our own money. We hope you found this one helpful.
[Image: Nissan]
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