Happened really fast. It bound up twice, and before I could react it exploded.
Damn glad I have a healthy fear of cutoff wheels. I always use the proper guard and I recently bought a 3M face shield specifically in case of this…
I seem to have gotten away unscathed, except for my nerves of course.
Lord, I just saw MY life flash before my eyes just seeing this picture. Glad you’re ok
Thank you. Me too. I feel very lucky.
except for my nerves of course.
What about the pants?
They’ve seen better days, certainly.
This is the scariest tool that I have used. A table saw is incredibly dangerous, but it’s predictable and proper safety protocols will keep you safe. An angle grinder with a cutoff wheel can become shrapnel in an instant…
Cutoff wheels aren’t even the craziest thing people do.
Those people using power carving attachments have balls of steel or no sense of danger whatsoever. All it takes is the tiniest unexpected twist in the grain – something EVERY piece of wood has – to have that thing dancing across your knuckles and belly. I don’t care how strongly you THINK you grabbed it, it’s got more angular momentum than you have grip strength.
Stumpy Nubs, who advocates strongly for safety in all his videos, did some serious damage to himself doing power carving. He did a whole series of videos on it. Seems like he’s recovered well though, he hasn’t talked about it in a while.
I was amazed how little warning I had. It was over before I realized I was in danger.
Yep, I always charge hazard pay if I need to use my angle grinder. Even Dremel cutoff wheels make me incredibly nervous.
Watching people trying to make small cuts with a Dremel, face 10" from the wheel, with no eye protection gives me anxiety.
Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of a safety squint.
Thankfully I’ve never seen this done. Although I used to regularly rake my co-workers over the coals for not wearing a face shield while wire-wheeling rims.
If you think wearing a grinding mask is uncomfortable, wait until you get shrapnel in your eye.
Guards and goggles and a healthy fear. I do use the angle grinder on screw tips sometimes when woodworking, so it is a good reminder.
They’re not called “wheels of death” for nothin.
That’s a nice guard, I’ve only seen the half open crescent that is supposed to protect the user from sticking their finger into the wheel.
Came with my grinder (MasterCraft). It came with the half-open style you mentioned as well, and I use that one for my grinding wheels/flap disks.
The guard change mechanism is pretty slick too. Once you get the wheel off its a tool-less cam lock mechanism
