What are Handheld Grinders Used for?

Series Summary

It is reckoned that in the Stone Age the first tools were created, and by extension, machines. Though the basic principles behind altering physical matter haven't changed much, some amazing advances have been made in tool technology. For instance, with the advent of consumer power tools, mankind has the ability to increase productivity and complete more projects in less time.

The handheld grinder is such a tool that makes the chisel seem obsolete. The handheld grinder can be used to accomplish many different tasks in metal working, including grinding welds. Though using a handheld grinder may seem intuitive it is certainly beneficial to get some expert instruction before using one. If you would like to learn how to use a handheld grinder, our expert can show you for free, online.

In this free how-to video series, learn how to use a handheld grinder from professional welder and fabrication specialist Terry Leafty. Terry will teach and demonstrate how to grind welds with a handheld grinder, how to use the cutting wheel on a handheld grinder, how to use the wire cup on a handheld grinder, how to the 90 degree wheel on a handheld grinder, how to maintain handheld grinders, how to oil hand held grinders, how to use the buffer attachment on a handheld grinder, and how to use a pencil grinder. Our expert will also tell you what handheld grinders are generally used for and how to choose a handheld grinder.

Video Transcript

"On behalf of Expert Village, I'm Terry and today I'm going to show you how to use a handheld grinder. Grinders are used for removing excess material or polishing material or refinishing material, it can be metal, wood, plaster, anything that has too much material that you need to be removed. Right now I'm going to start off with a small handheld grinder there are different sizes, you can go all the way up to a half or a quarter horse with the big grinders, but for today's application, we're going to use the smaller handheld grinder. Here we have what we call a dye grinder or a finishing grinder you can put different sandstones on it or stones or blades to get in tight intricate areas inside pipe or inside tight corners. This grinder here we primarily use for flat grinding cutting or polishing. This grinder here is used a lot in the automotive industry to cut panels, firewalls, you can cut fencing, wire, just about anything, it's air operated. Over here is another air operated and this one is used in the finishing of materials as sanding, polishing, you can even cut with this one also. Right now this has a angle on it for a removable sanding pad, so it will be used also for removing material like a grinder. Some of the other attachments and heads this one has a removable pad for polishing, you can actually bring metal to a mirror-like finish with this pad. This is a wheel that you can acquire for any one of these grinders use it for cutting pipe, cut sheet metal, cut nuts and bolts off. Then you have wire brushes which can be used to polish up the metal or remove slag from your weld or remove paint, remove rust. Here's another pad that's really, really abrasive and it's used to polish and remove rust too. Most of these usually go in a stack. You start with your grind, then you'll go to your polish, then you'll go to your wire wheel to knockout any rust, then you'll do a little bit of sanding and you'll finally polish it off with a polishing pad."