Handyman 0 - Angle Grinder 1.

[The Medway Handyman]

Did a somewhat stupid thing today.

Using a 4" angle grinder with a segmented diamond disc to cut out lead flashing remains (after pikeys had stolen most of it).

Couldn't be arsed to move along, so for the last 3" stretch I used the grinder one handed - big mistake. I realised how stupid it was almost as I did it.

It bounced straight at my left arm, ripped my sweatshirt to shreds and before it stopped cut a 4cm groove in my inner forearm.

Two hours in A&E and 7 stitches later I am a wiser man. Luckily it's only surface damage, missed tendons etc completely.

A word from the (now) wise - don't mess with angle grinders - vicious nasty things capable of doing immense damage to human tissue.

[Andy Burns]

Eeek, v. lucky!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - they scare the s**t out of me more than any other power tool I possess. I don't have a chain saw, though. ;-)

Glad you're ok.

[dg]

Yes thay are nasty machines that will catch you unawares when you are least expecting it.

I had one take a chunk of my palm off when I was using a woodcarving blade. Always use two hands now

But the most surprising thing, is that you only had to wait two hours in A&E, or that there was one open near you in the first place!

Its going to hurt tommorrow

dg

[Mark]

its best to do all the stupid things with drills, angle-grinders, etc first. before moving on to chainsaws, arms, legs and heads come off just like a hot knife through butter if even think of misusing one of these.

-

[Andy Dingley]

Don't use diamond disks on lead - you'll get kickback.

Diamond disks are for hard brittle materials, not even for metals (maybe cast iron). If you use them on something soft like lead, or (more commonly in A&E) bitumen, then they grab and kick. I doubt if you'd hold them much more easily with two hands.

I wouldn't use any high-speed powered tool on lead, not even a drill.

I still happily use my angle grinders single-handed, even with an Arbortech.

[Sparks]

Ohh, nasty!

I have an 8" grinder (am I "willy waving"!?), I don't use it very often as it scares the crap out of me, this tool has my full respect and 100% concentration when using it!!

Next tool that scares me almost as much is an SDS drill without a clutch, when cutting a 4" hole in a 9" solid brick wall!

Sparks...

[Dave Liquorice]

Same number has I had in the ends of two fingers after a Stanley knife nearly had the top 1/2" off.

Can you work? Incapacity Benefit is not means tested and is available to= every one, including the self employed. It's not much about =A360/week b= ut better than nothing and you've paid the taxes...

Time to think about Permenant Health/Income Protection Insurance as well= ? Just in case the next time something bites it has your arm off.

[John Rumm]

Don't do that near it when it is spinning for heavens sake!

(in fact 8" is nothing to boast about, most real men have at least a

9"/230mm one ;-)

[Sparks]

My mistake, I have just checked the "beast" it is indeed a 9" one ;-)

[Andy Hall]

Sound advice, but an expensive insurance...

[Andy Dingley]

Buy it some 7" plastic-backed flap disks from CSM Abrasives. They're lighter and smaller diameter so that they have much less inertia and so don't have the same gyroscopic effect.

I rarely use my 9" grinder, usually just with a diamond stone saw disk in it as it has more cut depth than a 4 1/2". As it has about the same linear velocity as a a small grinder and a much wider range of abrasives, I do nearly all my grinding with one of the little ones. You have to be working it _really_ hard for the extra motor power to make a difference.

[Colin Wilson]

Who got my other half ?

[Robbo]

Wise words indeed.....

Cutting a sapling down in a small overgrown area a few years ago with a Husqvarna 30" chainsaw had the sapling give up eventually winning a small piece of me. Kicked back, missed the chainsaw leggings ties properly at the waist on a belt, nicked through my jeans just 2......YES 2cm from my (luckily) tucked away nicely.....Cock! Cut through the jeans, and left a miniscule scar *just* above my femoral artery.

Went out and bought full PPE for chainsaws the same afternoon!

Oh, and before anyone asks, yes I am certified to use one and no I don't want to send any pics of the tiny scar ;-)

[The Medway Handyman]

Now that is a good point. I was actually using it on the mortar holding the flashing, but it could easily have caught on a piece of lead. I'll use a plain abrasive disc next time.

Thanks for the tip mate.

Should we add that to the Power Tool FAQ?

[The Medway Handyman]

On light duties for a few days, I've got a few easy jobs to keep me going till the end of the week & some estimates to do, but thanks for the info.

I have looked at that, but the premiums are huge.

[robgraham]

Was it not Rabbie Burns that wrote "Nine inch will please a lady" !

Rob

[tony sayer]

In article , The Medway Handyman writes

Theres not many who would admit to their very human failings on newsnet.

Bin there dun that well not quite that but know what you mean with angle grinders. Once has a disk come to bits and part of that went through a door into the back yard. Search as we might never found it. Theres a lorra energy in DIY tools so ever vigilant!..

Hope it mends, your arm that is.

Didn't try super glue to stitch it back together then in real DIY fashion;?..

[tony sayer]

In article , Mark writes

Yep agreed .. though I was very impressed with just how quickly the chain stops when you let go of the handle on one I hired the other year.

So shall we take a vote for the most damaging DIY tool then;??......

[Stuart Noble]

I think Alan's right about the lead. If those big jobs paving contractors use ever kicked back, you'd need more than 2 hands to save yourself.