Talbot Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Also.. modern 1mm cutting (sometimes "slitting") discs are superb. You're removing less material than a "traditional" 2.5mm/3mm cutting disc, so you can go through steel like a hot knife through warm butter. I'd avoid anything thinner though. I had a pack of 0.8mm discs once and they were very prone to snatching and shattering. You'll be cutting out grot and welding in repair sections before you know it. chaseracer, brownnova, dome and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 I've been merrily chopping things up with my angle grinder for a good few years but recently watched this vido and learned I'd been making several, not very safe, mistakes warning : contains some horrific images of grinder accidents at the end tobyd, louiepj, Tickman and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floatylight Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 56 minutes ago, brownnova said: I shall heed this advice, didn’t realise grinders were so reasonable. I got this one a year or so back, been brilliant, also worth getting some flap discs as well as cutting and grinding. https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-eag900-115-900w-4-electric-angle-grinder-240v/763fv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 14 minutes ago, gm said: I've been merrily chopping things up with my angle grinder for a good few years but recently watched this vido and learned I'd been making several, not very safe, mistakes warning : contains some horrific images of grinder accidents at the end I think that’s what had made me shy away from getting one... but using it safely is key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 I wasn't meaning to put you off, it's still a very handy bit of kit to have - just, like you say, use it safely brownnova 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juular Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Talbot said: I had a pack of 0.8mm discs once and they were very prone to snatching and shattering. I've had a lot of success with the 0.8mm flexovit brand ones from Toolstation, although only for cutting 1mm sheet. They cut so quickly with little pressure that you can be more accurate when cutting shapes out of a big sheet. The downside is they wear down quickly, which can also be a benefit as it means you have lots of small discs lying around for those impossible to reach cuts on a car! For general chopping up of track rod ends, droplinks etc, I agree that 1mm discs are hard to beat. Even going up to 1.2mm you feel you're grinding rather than cutting. As for grinders, I've had my cheap £20 Aldi one for 7 years now, it just keeps going. chaseracer and Saabnut 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Well looky-here. Someone on Twitter remembers seeing your Pontiac in its previous life. Pontiac Google.jfif brownnova 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 4 hours ago, gm said: I've been merrily chopping things up with my angle grinder for a good few years but recently watched this vido and learned I'd been making several, not very safe, mistakes That video, although very good, is somewhat focussed on the US market. Those "type 1" guards he was using don't really exist here. We also don't really have those thicker backing rings to move the disc away from the guard. 6" grinders aren't really a thing in the UK either. Given that the vast majority of grinder accidents happen when people are using absolutely no protection whatsoever (no guard, no glasses, short sleeves, etc.etc.) then simply ensuring you have sleeves, gloves, glasses and don't ram the grinding disc into steelwork at the speed of light should keep you away from 99.9999% of incidents. Also being very aware of where the shower of sparks goes can avoid some interesting* fires. I don't particularly like using a grinder. On sheet steel a clubhammer and a sharp brick bolster is safer, quieter and (when used carefully) almost as accurate. Unfortunately the distortion it creates is rather excessive, so grinders are a necessary evil. When it comes to a rotten nut-and-bolt on an exhaust though.. there's very little to beat it short of Oxy/Acetylene equipment. Which comes with it's own rather obvious dangers. tobyd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 I've had a grinder for years and it still scares me a little bit every time I switch it on. Cord Fourteener and mercedade 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 3 hours ago, dollywobbler said: Well looky-here. Someone on Twitter remembers seeing your Pontiac in its previous life. Pontiac Google.jfif 137.9 kB · 12 downloads I do need to try and find some history out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 6 hours ago, gm said: I wasn't meaning to put you off, it's still a very handy bit of kit to have - just, like you say, use it safely No I agree, I’ve just always shied away, but as Talbot said, to do any bodywork (which is the ambition) I’ll need one, so best to start somewhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunny Jim Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 They're a really useful tool but certainly need treating with respect. Oh, and don't make the same daft mistake I did and wear a pair of polycotton gloves instead of my usual work gloves - sparks landed on my gloves and within seconds they started to melt onto my hands. Something worth mentioning that I wasn't aware of before I did an abrasive wheels course is that many discs have use by dates after which the manufacturer won't guarantee their integrity - beware being sold short-dated stock. Cord Fourteener and Skizzer 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 Grinder purchased, big boy pants on. Many precautions.... But cut them off. No bother. No nuns or kittens were harmed. Felt like a champ... Old one was fucked. But..... (and there’s always a but) Can I get the new one to fit? Can I bollocks. The problem is two fold. a) I can’t get the right angle to feed it through the bit where it needs to go. This would be solvable but for: b) there’s a joint in the straight section which it removed would make fitting easy. However, it has clearly been twisted round as the holes do not align with the holes on the front pipe. It was held on with a clamp. Now I’ve removed the clamp, but will the pipe budge even a millimetre? No. I wish I’d just taken it to a garage now. Any suggestions on how to free them before I just set the car on fire? tobyd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Bigger hammer Matty, brownnova, Cord Fourteener and 1 other 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steviemillar Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 There will be more knowledgeable folk than me that will comment and have much better ideas however I would try clamping the long section carefully in your vice just below the joint and use the silencer as leverage and see if the silencer section will move/start to spin. Obviously you have to be careful that you don’t crush the pipe too much but a nip up in the vice might just be enough to grip it and release the joint. Cord Fourteener and brownnova 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeB Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 36 minutes ago, brownnova said: Grinder purchased, big boy pants on. Many precautions.... But cut them off. No bother. No nuns or kittens were harmed. Felt like a champ... Old one was fucked. But..... (and there’s always a but) Can I get the new one to fit? Can I bollocks. The problem is two fold. a) I can’t get the right angle to feed it through the bit where it needs to go. This would be solvable but for: b) there’s a joint in the straight section which it removed would make fitting easy. However, it has clearly been twisted round as the holes do not align with the holes on the front pipe. It was held on with a clamp. Now I’ve removed the clamp, but will the pipe budge even a millimetre? No. I wish I’d just taken it to a garage now. Any suggestions on how to free them before I just set the car on fire? Heat is always the answer, Cord Fourteener and brownnova 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dome Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 5 hours ago, wuvvum said: I've had a grinder for years and it still scares me a little bit every time I switch it on. Me too, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing N19, brownnova, Cord Fourteener and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 I won.... adw1977, LightBulbFun, High Jetter and 16 others 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N19 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 13 minutes ago, dome said: Me too, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing I was told by an old hand metalworker that certain tools were to be treated with a great deal of respect and an ounce of trepidation - angle grinders top of the list. brownnova and dome 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sham Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Some power tools make me a little nervous. angle grinders and chainsaws top the list, but it's a bloody good idea to treat most power tools as if they can hurt - because they can. brownnova 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuboy Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 17 hours ago, wuvvum said: I've had a grinder for years and it still scares me a little bit every time I switch it on. love mine, i even bought a battery one so i can have one in the car Cord Fourteener 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Jetter Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 I think you're getting confused with a certain website there 🤣 Crackers, Cord Fourteener and brownnova 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 In the end the answer was bigger hammer. I wish I’d read @Steviemillar’S suggestion though as that might have been a better plan. Basically twatted the hell out of the end until it turned enough to join (but it wouldn’t come out), and then turned the car around, supported it in various means which it’s best not to ask me about and eventually managed to get the angle just enough to thread it through its gap. The holes on the join of the middle pipe were close, but not quite close enough.... so I could either take it all off again and weild the hammer or do some jiggery pokery with the holes to get it to fit. The latter was chosen and all was hooked up, safe and secure. The back box went on in about 2 minutes. I only wish the middle section had been that easy. Suffice to say my plans of leaving teaching to go into exhaust fitting are on hold for now! 2flags, Vantman, RobT and 4 others 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 And yeah, I’ll be honest I wasn’t much of a fan of being under the car in the pit angle grinding... but I’ve done it once and still have all my fingers, so I’ll probably do it again. Cord Fourteener 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Jetter Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 You can't quit quicker than a Quick Fit fitter, shirley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 The issue you had with the paint and the car wash is the extremely aggressive spray detergent they use. It's completely unsuitable for paint which doesn't have clearcoat, or just strips all the surface finish off - then you need to polish the whole car. Specifically ask them not to touch the car with it and you should be okay...but my experience has been that they listen about 20% of the time. That car was shiny and just a bit dirty...left me needing a full polish! richardmorris, Cord Fourteener and brownnova 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Great work. Please be careful though! I do all manner of shit with a dremel or heat gun, but have never progressed on to angle grinder action. I'm sure it makes certain jobs a whole lot quicker. brownnova 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 27 minutes ago, Zelandeth said: The issue you had with the paint and the car wash is the extremely aggressive spray detergent they use. It's completely unsuitable for paint which doesn't have clearcoat, or just strips all the surface finish off - then you need to polish the whole car. Specifically ask them not to touch the car with it and you should be okay...but my experience has been that they listen about 20% of the time. That car was shiny and just a bit dirty...left me needing a full polish! I’ll stick to doing it myself in future I think! Part of me was curious as to how water tight the hard top is when confronted with a jet washer! (Answer... pretty good!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cord Fourteener Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 15 hours ago, wuvvum said: I've had Grinder for years and it still scares me a little bit every time I switch it on. There's a rude joke in here somewhere... Ghosty and juular 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 @brownnova Looks like he's done the bare minimum to get your old mk1 through an mot - I do like the red roof though, really suits the white car https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/907410903412346/?referral_code=bsg_newsfeed brownnova and Shite Ron 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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