The rules of metal cutting grinder

The metal is the material that the angle grinder was originally designed for. Now it is used to cut reinforcing rods, various metal sheets, pipes of various diameters, bricks, concrete, stone, tiles and other building materials. Due to the presence of various nozzles, the grinder also allows for polishing and grinding the surfaces of products. Metal cutting with a grinder is one of the main, most frequent jobs. To reduce the likelihood of injury, it must necessarily be carried out correctly, with strict observance of the requirements of general and personal safety.

Preparation for work as a grinder for metal

Bulgarian belongs to the category relatively hazardous power tools. You can get injured from a splintered disc or a tool that has fallen out of the hands. In both cases, the danger is associated with a high speed of rotation of the device’s motor.

To improve the efficiency of the grinder, expand its functionality, in practice they use such extras:

• tripods;
• clamps.

Their use allows to improve the quality of sawing metal blanks, to improve the accuracy of the process. Also, working conditions are improved from a position of safety, its productivity increases.

The use of accessories allows you to use the tool as a machine, designed to perform different types of work.

In order to secure the cutting process as much as possible, working with metal using an angle grinder should follow a number of rules.They are conventionally divided into preparatory and main (working) events.

Before you start cutting, you must perform a series of manipulations.

1. Put on a special work clothes and shoes (with an antiskid sole), gloves from dense fabric or skin.
2. Prepare, based on the characteristics and type of metal being cut, a suitable disk, and then install it with a marking to the top, holding it with a nut.
   

3. Check used working nozzles for the presence of various defects that violate their integrity: potholes, cracks and other deformations.
4. Take advantage of personal protective equipment: glasses, respirator or mask (shield), and in some cases also headphones.
5. Check the operation of the instrument, the reliability of fixing its casing (without it, it is strictly forbidden to work), the condition of the power cord with the plug.
6. Prepare a workplace: remove flammable materials (grease, fuel, paper, rags) and all interfering things. Cover or move to a safe distance objects that may be damaged by hot metal particles.

If possible, the material to be cut should be securely secured beforehand, for example, in a vice, in order to remove possible random movements. Keep the workpiece in the hands or between the knees is prohibited.

Proper tooling

Starting sawing any parts using an angle grinder, you should follow these rules.

1. Hold the grinder when cutting metal need to firmly, with two hands.
2. Circles can be changed only after their rotation is completely stopped and cooled down to an acceptable temperature by disconnecting the power tool from the power supply network.
3. Do not lay a working tool on the ground or on the table (do not let it go).
4. Required periodically for about 5 minutes stop for rest, and to drive cooled.
5. It is necessary to constantly monitor the state of the cutting wheel, preventing it from being pinched by the edges of the sawn billet.
6. Do not leave the tool included in the network unattended.
7. Use only disks of suitable size indicated in the instruction manual of the device used.
8. Work better perform on a flat surfaceso that the position of the body is stable.
9. Ensure that the power cord is away from a rotating circle, sharp edges, heated objects more than 100 degrees.
10. Movements not directly related to cutting should only be performed with the power tool turned off.
11. You need to be located on the side or back of the tool, doing the work with your own hands so that the body parts are not in the plane of the cut.

When cutting the metal with the grinder is finished, you should wait until the disk is completely stopped, unplug the power cord of the instrument from the mains. After it is recommended to ensure that there are no signs of fire. When you are cutting materials, it’s right to hold the device handle in the area of ​​the on / off button with your right hand. The left hand at the same time is located on the handle which is twisted from above into the body of the electric tool.

It is unacceptable to perform work with the use of the Bulgarian in a very tired state, or being under the influence of alcohol, psychotropic or narcotic drugs.

As for the question of which way - on oneself or from oneself - the disk of the included grinder should rotate, there is no definite answer. The operating instructions indicate that the first option is correct. This is due to the fact that the resulting sparks fly off in the direction opposite to the operator,without harm. Fragments of a circle will also fly in that direction if it breaks into pieces.

But in the event that a rotating disk is “jammed” into itself, the tool will fly off to a working one. For this reason, many experts prefer to cut the metal so that the circle rotates "from itself". The power tool torn from hands will fly to the opposite side. This reduces the likelihood of injury, and clothing, shoes and gloves will protect the user from flying sparks.

Cutting sheet metal grinder

To cut metal of different types and thickness, use the appropriate cutting wheels of various thickness and diameters. The algorithm for cutting sheets is as follows.

1. To cut with a grinder, sheet metal is pre-laid on a flat surface.
2. Mark with chalk (marker) the exact dimensions of the cut fragments on the surface of the sheet.
3. The sawing along the marked lines is carried out without changing the angle of the initial inclination of the disc to the working surface so that it does not get stuck and the power tool breaks.

If the skills of sawing sheet metal grinder are not available,recommended previouslypractice on gentle material - This will give the opportunity to experience the work of the tool.

It is necessary to take into account that the lower near segment of the disk cuts the metal more efficiently.

When cutting metal sheet, to obtain a high-quality result such recommendations should be taken into account.

1. A sawing point is needed to improve cooling. pour waterthat will also increase the life of the circle.
2. It is worthwhile to start cutting metal only when the disk rotates: you cannot turn on the tool if the stationary circle touches the surface of the workpiece.
3. To saw tin (thin sheet metal) or cut different geometric shapes, it is more convenient to use small, developed circles ("Stubs").
4. Press the grinder with a significant effort should not be: cutting should occur almost exclusively under its own weight of the grinder.
5. If the cutting wheel stops in the slot (when the power tool is turned off), then work can be resumed only after it has been removed.

If sheet cutting is slow, change the working nozzle. Excess load on the angle grinder when cutting metal will cause it to overheat or jam the rotating wheel.

Cutting a round hole in metal using angle grinders

In practice, it is often necessary to cut a circle in metal, and only an angle grinder is available from the tools. But it is quite enough for this purpose. The algorithm of actions is the following.

1. Draw a circle with compasses on the surface of the metal or on a previously made paper (cardboard) pattern with chalk or marker.
2. Holding the grinder at an angle to the surface of the sheet, perform a preliminary marking section of the metal along the marked contour, producing short movements with a disk (sawing in small segments).
3. Then, moving the nozzle in the same way, deepen the slot to complete cutting.

Need to cut on the outer contour of the circleso as not to reduce the size of the circle. If its diameter is small, then sawing, touching the metal disk points (without longitudinal movement of the nozzle). A round hole is obtained with an oblique cut, as well as with some minor flaws (they depend on the skill of the worker). After it, if necessary, processed.

The whole process of cutting a round hole in sheet metal using a special device is shown in the video:

Features of work with thick metal, copper, cast iron, aluminum

When it is necessary to cut thick metal into separate fragments, it is recommended to additionally perform the following actions:

• constantly cool the area of ​​contact of the metal with the disk with cold water due to the strong heating of the slot;

• make all cuts only straight;
• different curvilinear contours should be cut in separate straight sections of small length, while removing unnecessary parts;
• it is necessary to completely cut the workpiece in several approaches, with each subsequent deepening of the slot;
• if it is necessary to cut corners, I-beams, channel bars, rails, then each of their constructive parts is sawed separately.

Cutting of cast iron, stainless steel, as well as non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum and copper, is carried out using special circlesdesigned to work with these materials. All necessary information about the discs is contained in the labeling of these products, applied from their side. The circles differ in the composition of the fillers:

• in some, the additive is a heavy-duty material that is able to cut alloy steel;
• others use soft binders.

Cutting a stainless steel with conventional discs for metal is prohibited, because they contain substances that lead to accelerated corrosion of the cut.. Aluminum and copper are very viscous non-ferrous metals. They are sawn with the help of the grinder, pouring kerosene formed by the disc slot. It is required to comply with fire safety rules.

Recommendations for cutting metal pipes

Cutting of pipes from different metals is a demanded operation when carrying out repair and construction works. To cut off products it is necessary at installation of sewer and heating systems, water lines. In this direction, the Bulgarian copes well with various tasks. The disks for work are selected according to the material from which the pipe is made.

The use of an angle grinder allows you to:

• sawing pipes at different angles, for example, 45 and 90 degrees;
• cut products of large diameter;
• cut profile (rectangular or square section) pipes exactly;
• produce longitudinal cutting of tubular blanks;
• to cut cast iron pipes;
• cut thin-walled tubes.

If you need to cut a pipe of large diameter, the use of the grinder allows you to perform this work without significant cash costs. But at the same time labor productivity is small, and risks are considerable. When long pipes lie on supports, they saw off only hanging parts. If sawn in the center, the cut edges will clamp the cutting wheel, which will lead to jamming of the tool and possible injury.

Experts not only cut pipes from different materials at the right angles, but also cut holes in them of the required shapes. Work with profile and round blanks is performed in a similar way, with mandatory compliance with safety regulations.

Sawing pipes at different angles

Cutting at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees round and shaped pipes have to be laid when laying various communications. In any case, it is necessary to saw off the pipe evenly so that the elements that need to be connected are connected to each other as closely as possible.

Res at an angle of 45 degrees pipes of cylindrical section are carried out as follows:

• take the usual square paper sheet;
• fold it exactly diagonally;
• a pipe is wrapped with this template;
• chalk or other marking device put the future line of the slice;
• remove the template;
• clamp the workpiece in a vice;
• cut off the marked pipe fragment.

When a template is applied, either of the two short sides of this triangle should be parallel to the central axis of the pipe.

When to cut 90 degrees, the pipes are simply wrapped in a circle (cylindrical) or along the (perimeter) (shaped) sheet of paper. After that mark the line cut. It is also very easy to mark the profile pipe with the help of a regular angle piece.

If it is necessary to cut a significant number of shaped tubes at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees, the corresponding templates are made of this material, only of a larger section. This allows you to perform the required measurements only once. At the same time for the initial markup used construction angle, or protractor. When the template is made, cut blanks are inserted into it, marking the cut lines. Then make sawing.

Templates are made for other angles.This method increases the efficiency of labor.

Features cutting iron and thin-walled pipes

Cast iron is fragile material. To saw a cast iron pipe grinder, act in the following sequence:

• mark the cut line;
• put a wooden bar under the pipe that will support it;
• make a cut along the contour with a depth of several millimeters;
• insert into the recess made chisel;
• on precept strongly and sharply beat with a hammer.

After impact, the pipe will crack along the line. Its edges will be fairly smooth. If necessary, they are further processed.

To perform longitudinal pipe cutting is also important. accurate markup. For its application, various devices are used, for example, a construction thread ("beating"). The entire process of sawing should be carried out carefully, slowly, so as not to stray from the marked line.

Thin-walled pipes are one of the varieties of this kind of products. They are often made from non-ferrous metals: copper or aluminum. Cutting them is difficult. In this case, circles corresponding to the blank should be used for the grinder.

The cutting of thin-walled tubes is required to be done very carefully, because they can easily be deformed even from the application of a small load.

In order to reduce the probability of bending the cut part, various loose fillers, for example, ordinary cleaned sand, are poured inside.

Cutting of a professional leaf and metal tile

Quite often, in practice, one has to face the need to trim a profile sheet or metal tile. These materials are made of steel, which is coated with zinc and polymeric protective layers, painted.

Concerning the possibility of using grinders for cutting them, different opinions are expressed. In the installation instructions it is written that the profiled sheet should not be sawn with the help of an angle grinder. For this you need to use other tools. But they need to be purchased, which is not always justified by the amount of work to be done, and also requires additional financial investments. When there is no tool other than LBM, before sawing with a grinder, you should know the possible Negative consequences.

1. If you cut a metal tile or corrugated angle grinder,then the protective coating in the sawed area and a little near it will be destroyed, and the cut edge will begin to rust.
2. The material is removed from the warranty.
3. Sparks that fly around can spoil not only the appearance of the rest of the sheet (tear through the paint), but also damage the polymer coating.
4. The edge of the cut may be torn.

All the considered negative consequences can be minimized if cutting decking or metal tile with a grinder, observing the following recommendations:

• perform all the work immediately before installation;
• process sections with anti-corrosion compounds;
• cover the cut edges with a primer and paint;
• use metal discs of minimum thickness (up to 1 mm);
• to keep the edges neat, you need to cut pretty quickly;
• gently sand torn edges.

Before sawing, as usual, spend sheet layout.

If you want to cut a square, do this:

• draw it on the surface of the sheet;
• cut material on the marked contour grinder;
• at the end, carefully cut out every corner.

Circles or other shapes cut out, working in the same way.

The use of grinders for cutting metal tiles and professional sheet facilitates the work.It becomes more convenient to carry out it, because it is possible to adjust sheets in the size directly on a roof.

To ensure that the metalperiplitz or professional sheet remains under warranty, measure the object and order factory cutting of sheets. You can also try to choose a material with such dimensions that cropping is not required.

Metal cutting with a grinder is a cheap, practically affordable and fairly effective way to cut it. In this case, for each material, appropriate discs without defects should be used. From this will depend not only the quality of the result, but also their own health. Surely, sawing metal, it is required to observe safety rules and to use means of individual protection. It should always be remembered that when working with an angle grinder, any shortcomings and inattention can result in injury. Therefore, you need to work carefully and carefully.