Chain disk for wood. Grinder disc for wood: how to choose the right grinding and cutting wheel? Tungsten carbide discs

Many homely owners have an angle grinder in their home arsenal - this is what people call an angle grinder. And so, when the need arises to work with wood: cut boards, cut down branches on trees or prepare firewood; and there is no corresponding electric saw at hand: circular, jigsaw, chain, etc.; some savvy craftsmen say to themselves: “So what?! After all, there is a Bulgarian! It’s quite possible to get by with it!” How right are such resourceful masters?.. This is exactly what our article is about.

Never place a saw blade on an angle grinder!

This is not just the title of the subtitle of the article, it is the cry from the heart of all power tool sellers. After all, they very often come to them with the same request: “Give me a saw blade for an angle grinder so that I can cut wood.” And they all unanimously answer in such cases: “You don’t cut wood with an angle grinder!” And in general, by definition, you can’t put a saw blade on an angle grinder!” Why is that? We addressed this question to the developers of the Ataka TM cutting tool, and they gave us a comprehensive answer on this topic.

Yes, an angle grinder (angle grinder) is a powerful tool, and it can easily cut a simple board or a thick log, as long as the diameter of the saw blade is suitable. But cutting wood with a saw blade mounted on an angle grinder is, first of all, very dangerous, especially if the protective cover is removed from it. After all, the grinder has a very high rotation speed, creating a centrifugal force that will significantly increase the load on the saw blade. In addition, a circular saw is structurally different from an abrasive wheel - it has teeth, and this circumstance leads to increased vibration, especially if saw blades for metal are installed on the angle grinder. As a result, such a load will significantly exceed the tensile strength of the circular saw blade; it may simply break during rotation. What this entails has probably already become clear to everyone. And in such a situation, nothing can save you from injury: neither the protective casing of the grinder, nor the personal protective equipment of the cutter.

To prove the danger of such disk “castling,” all kinds of tests were carried out. And in life there were many cases when a “savvy” owner was left without arms or legs. And in 2011, there was a unique case when a certain “economic” Volgograd resident decided to cut branches from a tree at his dacha using an angle grinder and installed a saw blade from a circular saw on it. As a result, he was taken to the thoracic surgery department with a torn chest. Fortunately for the poor fellow, everything ended well.

Is it possible to install a grinder circle on a circular saw?

The question can be rephrased: can a circular saw be used as an angle grinder? In principle, this is possible. If you install an abrasive or diamond blade on a circular saw, then there is no risk for the cutter in this case. However, the circular machine is very poorly suited for such use. Yes, when you need an even cut, a saw will cope with this task better than an angle grinder, but its protection from dust is much worse than that of the latter. Both the cutter and the tool will swallow dust - then it will take a long time to blow it out.

In addition, the rotation speed of the circular saw is significantly lower than that required for effective operation of angle grinder wheels. For example, if you install a diamond abrasive disc on a circular saw and try to cut ceramic granite with it, the motor could easily burn out. And the circles themselves will wear out faster. After all, saw and abrasive discs are designed for different angular speeds.

And we repeat once again: do not use saw blades on an angle grinder! Better buy an inexpensive circular saw!

If you are trying to understand whether it is possible to cut wood with an angle grinder, then the answer to this question is clear: it is possible. But many will not do this, because... Too many injuries people get from using an angle grinder as a wood saw, which is correctly called an angle grinder.

First of all, this is caused by the fairly high speed of its rotation, for which most saw blades are simply not designed. But who pays attention to this when the work needs to be done, and there seems to be a suitable tool at hand, and a compensator ring of the required size is also attached to the saw blade for wood. Moreover, the protective casing is removed for ease of operation, which is absolutely forbidden to do.

But we won’t talk about injuries, but we’ll talk about what and how you can process (including saw) wood using an angle grinder, but first, about the difficulties of working with an angle grinder specifically on wood.

Difficulties when working with an angle grinder

We mentioned the discrepancy between the speed of the grinder and the circular saw, but users who have an angle grinder with speed control can say that this factor was taken into account, and any saw blade for wood will be suitable for their tool.

Of course, by setting the number of revolutions of the grinder's output shaft corresponding to that indicated on the saw blade, they significantly reduce the risk of injury during operation, but do not completely eliminate it. This is primarily due to the material itself, or rather its structure and heterogeneity.

Even in different places of one trunk, a tree has different hardness, not to mention inclusions of viscous resin, the possible presence of metal found in the thickness of the wood: from pellets and bullets that hit the tree during a hunt, to wires that had grown into it, which were used to tie branches. Don't forget about knots, which are present in almost all types of wood.

When encountering the listed obstacles, the saw blade sharply slows down and, by inertia, the grinder is simply torn out of the hands, and when passing a hard section, it rushes forward with redoubled force.

When encountering metal, there is a high probability of chipping a carbide tooth, which can be captured next and thrown out at the speed of a bullet. It’s good if it’s within the range of the protective casing.

A person who decides to cut a tree is exposed to even greater danger, because in this case the grinder must be placed on its side, which changes the usual and comfortable grip, which means the grip weakens.

Grinder discs designed for cutting wood

1. Chain disks and cutters based on them.

Structurally, they are designed in such a way that even when biting the chain, which is similar in structure to saw chains for chainsaws, the base can rotate, so the tool will not be pulled out of your hands. Such discs are primarily intended for external processing of wood: sawing cups in logs, removing bark, modeling, but they can also be sawed, especially with a 230-size disc, which costs a lot, but compensates for its cost with the safety of work.

2. Saw blades for wood with a small number of teeth.

To enlarge the picture, click on it.

Such discs indicate the maximum rotation speed and should be selected based on the parameters of your tool. Such a large pitch between the teeth compensates for the high speed of the grinder and makes sawing much safer than working with standard saw blades, but you should also be wary of metal in wood. You will see their work in the video:

In addition to wood, they can also handle plastic and aerated concrete.

3. Tungsten carbide discs.

This is a new product in the field of tools for angle grinders, allowing you to freely saw wood without fear of metal inclusions, operating at rotation speeds of up to 12,200 rpm. She is the only one that gives an absolutely positive answer to the question: is it possible to cut wood with an angle grinder? You can see this for yourself by watching a short video about the operation of this disk:

Needless to say, these blades cut more than just wood.

4. Another tool, to one degree or another, suitable for cutting or other processing of wood using an angle grinder.

First things first:

a) Rotarex produces discs for cutting wood. In terms of their performance, primarily safety, they are inferior to those listed above, but are clearly more suitable for sawing wood than circular saw blades;

b) wood cutters designed for external processing of wood with angle grinders can also cut thin wood;

c) plane disk – attachment for an angle grinder.

d) a saw for creating wooden sculptures with a configuration of cutting elements vaguely reminiscent of the links of a saw chain; it is not entirely intended for sawing, but will cope with it to some extent.

Grinder for sanding wood

But this work, incl. on wood, specifically for this tool. Just a small photo selection of angle grinder attachments for grinding is evidence of this.

for rough grinding.

The most common type of attachments for grinding angle grinders, cleanliness depends on the size of the abrasive grain on the blades.

The simplest option for changing grinding wheels is to use a holder attachment with a sticky base, on which replaceable abrasive wheels with different grains or even polishing bristles are attached.

polymer abrasive nozzle made of silicon carbide with nylon.

belt attachment for sanding.

And instead of a conclusion. Is it possible to cut wood with a grinder? It depends on what and what. If you cut a thin dry twig, then there are practically no restrictions, but if you have to do more serious work, see above.

Dear readers, if you have any questions, please ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

We will send the material to you by e-mail

What a “grinder” is nowadays, even a schoolchild knows, is an angle grinder designed for working with metal workpieces using special cutting and grinding wheels. Not everyone, but only professionals, know that such an electric tool can be used for processing wood, so this article is intended to fill this gap in the information available to ordinary users. Disc for an angle grinder for wood - types, general characteristics and standard sizes, as well as safety measures for use and a review of prices for popular models - this is the topic of this article from the editorial website

Depending on the type of discs used, the “grinder” in skillful hands can be used at various stages of working with wooden workpieces: from sawing to grinding

The “grinder” was not originally intended for sawing wood, especially for workpieces of considerable thickness and hardwood. This is due to the design features of this type of tool and the associated dangers of use:

when the saw blade jams, it is difficult to hold the angle grinder in your hands, which can lead to injury;

Important! Jamming of the saw blade when using an angle grinder to cut wooden workpieces is the most common problem with this type of work, which is due to the softness and viscosity of the wood.

Inhomogeneity of the wood structure due to the presence of knots can lead to damage to the saw blade being used and injury to the user.

Despite the potential danger of using an angle grinder as a tool for sawing wooden products, manufacturers of consumables, which include grinder discs, produce similar products.

Expert's point of view

Victor Isakin

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“For processing workpieces of considerable thickness and for professional use, it is most correct to use a tool originally intended for sawing wood, such as a circular saw and a circular saw.”

The main and most common uses of grinders when working with wood are: stripping, grinding and polishing, for which manufacturers produce special types of discs.

General characteristics of discs for grinders, depending on the type

Discs designed for different types of use vary in their design and the materials used in their manufacture. In this regard, different types of similar products have different general characteristics, which requires their separate consideration.

Cut-off models

circular– considered “dangerous” saw blades;
chain– are made using links intended for chain saws;
with a small number of teeth– are the safest compared to circular analogues;
tungsten carbide- the safest type of such equipment.

For your information! Circular discs come in two modifications: a “dangerous” and a “less dangerous” option. A distinctive feature of models of the “less dangerous” type is the presence of protection against jamming, provided by the spread of the teeth.

Chain modifications are less dangerous when used, because Their design provides for a non-fixed fit of the saw chain on the surface of the disc.

Expert's point of view

Victor Isakin

Tool selection specialist for the 220 Volt retail chain

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“If the saw chain jams during use, the disk mounted on the angle grinder continues to rotate, the tool does not break out of the hands, allowing it to be stopped in an emergency.”

Discs with a small number of teeth come in two types:

with 3 teeth– used with small “grinders” with a diameter of up to 150 mm;
with 4 teeth– used on large-sized grinders with a diameter of 230 mm.

A distinctive feature of models made from tungsten carbide is the absence of teeth on the cutting surface of the product. The cutting element is the segments located around the circumference of the disk.

Important! Tungsten carbide models are capable of sawing various metal products (nails, screws, etc.) that may end up in the workpiece without damaging the cutting elements or their integrity.

Discs for roughing work

For stripping wooden products, manufacturers produce several types of attachments that differ in design and types of materials used in their manufacture.

By design, such nozzles can be made in the form of:

a disk with spikes or crumbs applied to its surface;
glasses with cutting elements made of twisted wire inserted around its circumference;
disk with wire turns mounted on its surface.

Expert's point of view

Dmitry Kholodok

Technical director of the repair and construction company "ILASSTROY"

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“Sanding attachments are used to remove paint and other coatings applied to a wood surface, as well as to rough the wood surface being leveled.”

Grinding and polishing models

To perform grinding and polishing, there are special attachments used for both wood and other materials (metal, plastic, glass, etc.).

Nozzles used for such purposes are of two types:

the basis of the design is a metal base fixed to the angle grinder shaft, and circles made from sandpaper of different grain sizes or polishing materials (felt, fabric, etc.), which, in turn, are attached to the base using Velcro;
flap sanding wheel.

Standard wheel sizes for grinders

When producing discs for angle grinders, the company's manufacturers operating in our country produce their products in accordance with the following regulatory documents:

GOST 21963-2002 (ISO 603-15-99, ISO 603-16-99) “Cutting wheels. Technical conditions".
GOST R 53410-2009 (ISO 603-12:1999-ISO 603-14:1999, ISO 15635:2001, ISO 13942:2000) “Grinding wheels for hand-held grinding machines. Technical conditions".

In accordance with these documents, the standard sizes of disks used on angle grinders are: 115, 125, 150, 180 and 230 mm.

For your information! The seat size for all standard sizes is 22.2 mm.

Manufacturers of discs for grinders for wood

On the domestic market of hand-held electric tools, discs for angle grinders from Russian and foreign companies are presented. Among them, the most popular are:

"GRAFF" (Belarus);
"GREATFLEX" (China);
"Bosch" and "Klingspor" (Germany);
“Ziflex”, “PRACTIKA”, “LUGA” and “ZUBR” (Russia);
"Makita" and "Hitachi" (Japan);
"FIT" (Canada).

In addition to the brands listed above, other manufacturing companies are also popular in different regions of our country, which is due to the location of the region and the presence of dealers of these companies in a particular territory.

Safety precautions when working with a grinder on wood

When performing work on wood processing using an angle grinder, the safety measures are the same as when using metal and other materials. However, in connection with the physical properties of wood, which have already been written about above (softness and viscosity), it is necessary to take them into account, and in this regard:

Review of prices for popular models

The cost of products depends on the place of their sale, technical characteristics and brand of the manufacturer. This section of the article presents several models, on the basis of which one can get an idea of the order of the numbers that determine the cost of one or another type of similar product.

"GRAFF Speedcutter"

The disc is designed for sawing wood and board materials (,). The model is equipped with three teeth.

Review of the “GRAFF Speedcutter” model:
More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6165824.html

GRAFF Speedcutter

"GREATFLEX 71-125120"

GREATFLEX 71-125120 consists of 72 petals located at an angle of 10˚ to the working plane of the disk, which increases the efficiency of use of the product.

Review of the GREATFLEX 71-125120 model:
More details on Otzovik: http://otzovik.com/review_4655934.html

GREATFLEX 71-125120

"Bosch 2608623013"

It's like the fairy tale about the unicorn, everyone has heard about it, but no one has seen it with their own eyes. The public of construction forums and authors of similar articles on the Internet is divided into two camps. The former say that during their lives they have cut through more than one cubic meter of wood with a grinder, the latter give strong arguments in favor of the fact that after such work you can lose your fingers or limbs, or even worse. Is there a disc for an angle grinder for wood, and if so, what does it look like and is it safe to use?

The author of this article kindly asks you not to consider this material as a guide to action. An angle grinder is not intended for working with wood; even those manufacturers that produce discs and cutters for wood write on their official websites that it is extremely unsafe to cut wood with an angle grinder. But you and I know that people rarely think about their health first.

Cutting with an abrasive disc

Yes, you can cut wood with a metal disc; to be honest, I myself have done this more than once while working at a construction site. What can we say? Well, firstly, the speed of work with this method is low. Secondly, the smell of burnt wood is guaranteed even in the open air within a radius of 10 meters. And thirdly, the thickness of the sawn board should not exceed four centimeters. This is not to say that the abrasive disc is not a wood disc for an angle grinder; its main purpose is to cut metal. As for the advantages, in my opinion these are: the absence of sawdust, and a smooth, even cut.

Circular saw blade and its improved analogue

The vast Internet is full of videos on how to turn a circular saw blade or a diamond blade for concrete into a blade for working with wood. You can argue for a long time about whether this is worth doing or not? Even without considering myself a very smart person, I would not conduct such experiments. And that's why:

The circular saw blade is not designed for high speeds; yes, it is carbide, but no less fragile. One chipped tooth can pose a great danger to a person.
The edges of the toothed disk are not smooth; when cutting into a tree, the grinder will vibrate and crash into the branches of the workpiece. This type of work may cause the operator to lose control of the tool.
the likelihood of a kickback increases

There is an adapted blade for a wood grinder on sale; manufacturers claim that due to the shape of the tooth and special expanders that are located on the cutting part of the blade, all of the above concerns about the tool jamming disappear. One of the manufacturers is the Rotarex company; in its assortment you can find both grinding and cutting discs for grinders. Below is an image of a circular saw disc and a grinder disc from Rotarex, which is universal. They can cut not only wood, but also aerated concrete.

Chain disk for wood for an angle grinder

At first glance, it may seem that this is a device for a horror film, but judging by the reviews of its owners, this disc is safer than the analogues presented above. It is a solid circle, along the edges of which there is a chain from a chainsaw, everything is made of high-quality tool steel. The main purpose of such a disk is: milling, modeling, stripping wood of bark and cutting out cups in logs for log houses. It is also possible to cut with such a disk, given that the cutting width will be about eight millimeters, since the thickness of the chain disk is six millimeters. Speaking of diameters, there are 125 and 230 wheels on sale. The service life of such a disk will be many times longer than that of others, since it can always be sharpened with a file. The price for them ranges from two to three thousand rubles, and with delivery from another region it will cost even more.

Remember safety!

No matter what kind of disc you work with and no matter what material you cut, you should always remember that following safety rules can save not only your health, but also your life. And before you start working, read the following points:

do not work while intoxicated;
use safety glasses and protective clothing when working;
Do not remove the protective cover under any circumstances;
It is prohibited to use a faulty cutting disc or a disc with any, even minor, defects;
When working with an angle grinder, hold it with both hands;
the electrical cord must be kept away from the rotating disk;
Do not put down the tool until the disc comes to a complete stop.

There are a lot of ways to cut wood, one of them is to make a cutting disc out of paper. How effective this is, of course, is up to you to judge, but please note that this is one of the safest options.

An angle grinder, which is popularly called an angle grinder, is not intended for processing wooden products. Even with the proper selection of workers, such operations are unsafe for health. Manufacturers producing wheels for grinders on wood 125 refer to this aspect in operating conditions, but not all people pay attention to this warning.

Working discs for angle grinders

In modern industry, several types of discs are available for grinders:

Abrasive wheels, which are divided into grinding and cutting wheels, are quite fragile if used for purposes other than their intended purpose. The range of operations for which they are designed are performed perfectly.
Diamond-coated discs, which are used for processing building materials and hard rocks. They are divided into solid and segmented. Segmented discs are more suitable for grinders for metal.
Working circles for circular saws, which experts do not recommend using in the processing of wooden products. It is better to choose saw blades adapted for the grinder, which are also popularly called a milling cutter.
Chain discs for grinders. Although they look like scenes from horror films, they do the best job with wood. They consist of a circle, along the edges of which a chain is applied, like on a chainsaw. High-quality steel allows you to perform various operations with lumber, or rather, milling, modeling, stripping bark and cutting out recesses in logs.

When choosing wood cutting discs for an angle grinder, you need to pay attention to the following points:

the diameter of the wheels should not exceed the diameter for which the grinding machine is designed;
select the main parts only those that are allowed for manipulating wood;
Sometimes you have to remove the protective cover, which is unsafe.

Therefore, you should try to select only those working wheels that are provided for these tools, taking into account the diameter of the grinder and the material. Experimenting with high-speed power tools can result in injury.

The nuances of using each type of circles

Diamond wheels can be called universal because they are suitable for almost any material. This disc is ideal for processing building stones and other hard rocks. But segmented diamond-coated wheels are not used for metal processing, and they cannot handle wood either. Lumber usually hides many surprises in the form of knots and uneven structure.

You can use 125mm metal abrasive discs to cut wood. But at the same time:

the thickness of the material should not exceed 4 cm (and it will have to be cut from both sides);
it is necessary to take regular breaks to check the circle;
change it at the slightest sign that the part has failed;
Replace a worn-out disc in a timely manner.

You should also be prepared for smoke and the smell of burnt wood. Lumber can take more laps to process than a steel plate.

The use of circular discs for an angle grinder 125 is dangerous to health and life. Although there are advisers on how to adapt a circle for a circular grinder, it is better to refuse such recommendations. If only because the rotation speed on an angle grinder is higher, which is why there is a danger of the wheel breaking and increased vibration of the power tool. Circular wheels are very fragile, and when using them on an angle grinder, there is a risk of injury from flying fragments.

In such cases, it is better to use a cutter for a circular cutter. It is distinguished by the shape of the tooth and the presence of special expanders, which eliminates jamming, minimizes the occurrence of kickback and vibration.

For processing lumber, it is best to use wood chain discs. The tool steel used for their manufacture is able to withstand loads and not break into fragments.

The service life of such a wheel with a chain is many times longer than that of a milling cutter; in addition, it can always be sharpened. But the price of chain disks for a wood grinder 125 or 230 exceeds 2 thousand rubles.

Safety first!

Convenience when using angle grinders in operations with wooden material overshadows safety.

However, you can minimize the danger by observing certain conditions:

When working with an angle grinder, use safety glasses and protective clothing.
The protective cover should not be removed.
Do not use a faulty wheel, or disks that have even the slightest defects.
When working with a grinder, you should hold the tool with both hands.
You cannot put the grinder down until the rotating part has completely stopped.
The cord from the tool should be located at a distance from the working circle.
Refrain from planned actions with an angle grinder if you are feeling unwell or in a state of intoxication.
Use wheels that strictly match the diameter of the tool and are designed to work with the selected material.

These rules will help you avoid unnecessary injuries when using a grinder for woodworking.

When choosing working disks for a grinder when purchasing, you should remember that it is better to spend a significant amount once, but to purchase a wheel with a chain for a long time. It will help you perform many operations when working with lumber, as well as unprocessed logs.

If the circle is needed for a one-time use, you can opt for a cutter. This disc can also be used when working with aerated concrete and other materials. The cost of a cutter is lower than that of a chain cutter, but also higher than the price of an abrasive device.

The most extreme case is to buy a cutting abrasive disc. But you should be prepared to strictly adhere to safety precautions: there is no need to swallow smoke and “enjoy” the aroma of burnt wood. In any case, such savings can cause irreparable harm to health and also lead to additional costs.