Angle Grinder Injury

[20 20]

I learned early on easy slow/low pressure with a grinder will actually lead to faster safer work of the project. I use a grinder for wood carving it has what looks like a chain saw blade on it. If I used this without paying attention it would easly CUT OFF a limb.

 

[ragkar]

I had an angle grinder take a bite out of me one day after I had turned it off. The spinning wheel hadn't spun down and when I went to put the grinder down, the gyroscopic effect of the spinning wheel caused it to jump.

 

[BrentD]

Yeah, wire brush wheels and cups will bite you pretty quick too. I've got a scar on my left arm where I was using a wire brush cup in a bench-top drill press (on about medium speed) to clean up a hot-tub cover lift arm I had brazed a little while before. Don't remember if I was reaching for something or just changing angles on the piece I was brushing but I got my wrist too close to the base of the brush and it cleaned the hide right off.

I also managed to burn the end of my nose with a soldering iron once when I was in Jr. High, but that had more to do with trying to solder and watch TV at the same time, laying in the living room floor, without my glasses on. (I'm very nearsighted without contacts or glasses.) I was holding the piece very close to my face, soldered the joint and then pulled the iron right back and drug it across the end of my nose in the process.

Seems like it doesn't matter what I'm working on, it ain't finished unless it has my blood in or on it.

 

[Eagleview]

......Please resist the urge to buy yourself a chainsaw .

 

[Bird]

I guess it's fairly common to remove the guards, but not a good idea. When I was repairing air tools, one of my customers sent me a couple of 8" Sioux pneumatic angle grinders for new guards because an OSHA inspector had visited their shop. Unfortunately, whoever removed the guards discarded them so I had to order new ones at a price that shocked even me; $130 each.

 

[Soundguy]

must have had liability insurance built into the price of them guards!!

soundguy

 

[hitekcountry]

I use a grinder for wood carving it has what looks like a chain saw blade on it. If I used this without paying attention it would easly CUT OFF a limb.

I don't think I even want to own one of those, I've had angle grinder blades reach out and touch me a number of times and that's one blade you really need to have some respect for.

Toolmonger Blog Archive 鼎hainsaw Carve With Your Angle Grinder

 

[Pops15]

The cutting disc was a Forney. It has actually been on that grinder for probably 8 years. I don't use the big grinder all that often. It's got almost more power than I can handle.

When the grinder kicked I wasn't really putting any pressure on it, I was just in a weird angle and the grinder was vibrating so bad I put the end of the handle against my knee for extra stability. I think what caused the kick is that my wrist of the hand holding the back of the grinder got a little tired, let the grinder slip down a little bit and put the disc in a slight bind against the sharp edge causing the kick.

Any time a grinder vibrates or chatters like that its a sign you need to try a different approach. Continuing with the added pressure of your knee against the handle was inviting the grinder to kick. It could be the grinder is too powerful or heavy for you, but poor work habits are more likely the culprit. Glad you weren't hurt worse.

 

[20 20]

I don't think I even want to own one of those, I've had angle grinder blades reach out and touch me a number of times and that's one blade you really need to have some respect for.

Toolmonger Blog Archive 鼎hainsaw Carve With Your Angle Grinder

Yep that is the type I use, it will tear into a piece of wood like there is no tomorrow.

 

[Window Geek]

And yes, I was wearing safety glasses. I plan on getting a full face shield and hopefully something to keep the sparks from going down the back of of my neck the next time I'm at Harbor Freight.

Brent,
Check out a new grinder while you're at HF. Could be the best new tool you got!
Glad it wasn't worse, buddy. Stay safe.

 

[powerpace]

If it rotates, chops, slices, saws, pounds, burns or rolls it can hurt you. Even if is hand powered the damage can be substantial. I've had both thumbnails smashed with a roofing hatchet. Left one on a Tuesday, right one on Wednesday. Operator error!!! I've had chop saw blades fail and fly everywhere. I always wear protection and everyone nearby also. Grandkids have their own eye safety equipment. When I moved to Douglas County in the early Eighty's there were a lot of people missing digits, nine times out ten they were millwrights or loggers. Better safety programs are required today.

 

[Soundguy]

Brent,
Check out a new grinder while you're at HF. Could be the best new tool you got!
Glad it wasn't worse, buddy. Stay safe.

I wear a welding helmet with 4" lense in it, with the shade removed for when i angle grind.. good protection. I used zip ties and an old kitchen towell, and made a shroud for the back/top of the helmet ( laced the towell onto t he top edge, and then let it drap down over the back of my neck.

serves 2 purposes, 1, when welding, it blocks light from behind you entering the helmet and making a glare on the inside of the lense, and plus acts as a spark shield for your neck.


soundguy

 

[Kubota-guy1911]

It's always a good idea to run your grinder no load away from your body (and not inline with it either) to check the wheel for cracks or vibrations. If it vibrates it's out of round and should be changed immediately. Better to have it come apart away from you than in your work.

kj

 

[Soundguy]

and wear that protective clothing.

I ground down some welds on some sheet metal on my tractor.. had nice gauntlet cuff gloves, full face shield ( welding helmet ).. and a tshirt. the 8" of arm from the cuff of the glove to the sleave on my tshirt apparrently got peppered quite a bit from grinder chaff, as it looke dlike dozens of lil red spots afterwards.. oops!

and to think I have a nice expensive flame retardent and leather backed , full arm welder jacket hanging on the wall. double oops!

soundguy

 

[deepNdirt]

Safety guards are a must, no if's an's and buts! 2 stories, working on the inside of a new home, the superintendent ( Flunky ) of the job ask to barrow my circular saw, I give it to him with a working safety guard but still told him to be careful, about 20 minutes later I here him screaming bloody murder, I run out of the house and found him laying up on the shed porch roof holding his knee, blood everywhere,
He had attempt to cut off a corner board that was jam to far down on the shingles, the inspector caught this, and ask that this be corrected ,code is that all wood to be 1" up from any water valley, the flunky had took it upon hims self to pin back the safety on my saw and tried jam cutting the corner this is when the saw kicked back cutting his knee to the bone and the saw road up his thigh to the groin area,
he told me several weeks later he had wished he had got someone else to cut that corner board off,....... I told him he would have been OK had he not have pin back the safety on my saw, was a young man in his 20's
Story #2- I was working inside the garage of a new home casing in the garage doors, the framer was still inside doing punch-out, deadwood etc, the builder came in with some 2x2 in his hand and picked up the framers saw and cut the 2x2 off he then sit the saw back on the floor while blade still spinning,
Note: with the safety guard working correctly you can sit it down while blade is spinning...... well anyway the safety was pinned back and when he set the saw down it done a circle right across the builders toes cutting 2 of them most the way off, and he was wearing leather boots,....
I have many many more stories like this and they all have to do with either no safety guards or the guards not working properly,
so you see! these safety guards are on there for a reason, to keep our body parts in tack with our body,