Exploding Cutting Disc

[Ashley Burton]

Was cutting some Aluminium earlier with a 4.5" grinder & the disc exploded straight away!

It was a new disc & no heavy pressure was put on the disc.

But couldn't believe it, Was Lucky not to get injured!

It was this disc for reference:

http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?id=20&method=mViewProduct&productid=18866

Think I was just unlucky? Never had it happen previously

 

[Welderpaul]

Aluminum can clog discs very quickly, causing them to overheat and burst.
Something like 60% of discs, if they are going to burst, burst when first turned on. Get in the habit of starting a disc up away from you, just in case...
Out of date
Damaged disc
Disc come into contact with a liquid that soaks in and causes it to be off balance
Loads of reasons why they burst.

Did an abrasive wheels course on Friday!

 

[rtbcomp]

I've had similar issues with Clarke discs. Don't last five minutes and develop a ragged edge and so run off balance.

 

[chevy2]

Yeah also done the abrasive wheels course,
One thing that i do is put all the new discs to the bottom of the pile to rotate stock,
A lott o f folk dont realise they have a date on the centre?

Another no-no that i've seen in the past is fitting worn down 9" discs to 4.5" and 5" grinders as they have the same centre bore,
Very wrong as the 9" discs had a much lower safe rpm than the smaller grinders spin at.

 

[Welderpaul]

I've seen enough pictures of people with bits of disc stuck out of their faces to last me a lifetime. Don't buy cheap discs, and look after them.

As cheap grinding discs wear down the mesh gauze built into the disc lets go and big lumps come off - i've been hit with them before from the other side of the workshop. The rep that sold them got the lot thrown back at him

 

[sg66]

I go through hundreds a year and have the odd one fail but its due to the disc either getting damaged pre use or between cuts ie getting kinked or stressed side ways putting a fault line in the disk, i have never had a new disc simply fail.

 

[chevy2]

I generally always buy Norton brand with cutting discs,
worries me when i see market stalls selling loose cutting discs that have most likely been chucked in and out of their van countless times and left out in the rain!

 

[brightspark]

I go through hundreds a year and have the odd one fail but its due to the disc either getting damaged pre use or between cuts ie getting kinked or stressed side ways putting a fault line in the disk, i have never had a new disc simply fail.

same here used hundreds . probably had about 14 let go and that was user error CARELESS

 

[Paul.]

I cant remember what make this was, but I don't buy cheap stuff
Fitted properly and exploded without even being touched to the job, luckily I was wearing a full face shield.
Used thousands in my time and although I've broken a few on the job, this was a first.

 

[Screwdriver]

I found a stack of (hundreds) of old rusty nasty cutting disks when I cleared an old shed. I find if you are careful, you can use them quite safely. The biggest factor is in choosing which direction to approach the cut. You need to work out which way the wheel will go if the disk grips the workpiece. It is perfectly possible to organise the cut so that if TH wheel grips slightly, it tends to lift out of the cut, away from the workpiece.

Normally we do that automatically but can be caught out if you are more concerned about which way the sparks are flying. Always best to move your position rather than risk the wheel digging into the workpiece.

A very easy way to discover how this works is to cut into a bit of pipe. You'll have two "edges" and depending on the height of the wheel centre relative to either cut, one will grip and dive into the pipe, the other will grip and tend to move away.

 

[Kent]

Don't know how many discs I have busted but it's a lot. You can't 100% avoid it so wear the ppe land use a guard at all times always no excuse or exception. Nipping can often be an issue as a cut closes up on you and that's not often mentioned

 

[brightspark]

Don't know how many discs I have busted but it's a lot. You can't 100% avoid it so wear the ppe land use a guard at all times always no excuse or exception. Nipping can often be an issue as a cut closes up on you and that's not often mentioned

specially on thin pipe with tension on it

 

[magnet]

And you see all those American Youtubers using grinders with no guard...............mecks ya teef curl

 

[brightspark]

best disk I used was one that was left in damp for 10 years and the steel center rusted away I chucked it under the bench and it got soaked with diff oil for a year .I dug it out as it was the only disk I had that was 9inch . it worked fine for its full use apart from smoking and stinking the place out

 

[Spark plug]

I did have the dis pleasure of useing a silverline disc once, the anti burst properties are world class......

They wear down before they get chance.


No seriously, I only use quality brand names, mainly Klingspor as it’s what my local suppliers stock and very rearly have issue.

If you buy quality brands like Klingspor and Norton by the box from welding suppliers and industrial suppliers they are no more expensive than buying bargain brands individually but last more than twice as long.

 

[Gan gan 123]

Hi everyone as far as I can remember this is first time it’s ever happened to me. I’m always apprehensive when cutting but i suppose I got a little carried away. Got a bit of a shock but no damage done.

 

[God mode restorations]

I have only had a couple burst. But I now use these discs now. And they are very good. And only 0.8 thin

 

[davidjohnperry]

It is scary I'm never buying cheep disks again not say expensive ones won't but it's more unlikely plus the whole pack had defects off center holes and stuff

 

[KemppiFrog]

Another no-no that i've seen in the past is fitting worn down 9" discs to 4.5" and 5" grinders as they have the same centre bore,
Very wrong as the 9" discs had a much lower safe rpm than the smaller grinders spin at.

Sorry! Can't let that pass. It is all about tip speeds and by the time the 9" disc is worn down enough to fit in a smaller grinder, the reduced diameter has a similar, or lower tip speed than the 9" grinder, so quite safe. Been using them for over 30yrs without a prob. It is all about centrifugal loads, which go up by a square of the RPM.

 

[brightspark]

disk manufacturers don't condone it well they wouldn't would they . they want u to buy new ones and make more money