Tuesday 21 July 2015

A Beginner's Guide to Angle Grinders

An Angle Grinder (AG) is another power tool that is very handy to have. A basic AG can be used with a variety of accessories such as grinding wheels, cutting wheels, metal cut-off wheels, buffing pads, rotating wire brushes etc. making them very versatile.

An AG such as the Bosch GWS 6-100 fits the bill perfectly not only for beginners but also for professionals.
Its ergonomic design and powerful 600W motor make it the preferred tool for jobs around the house.

Let us look at a simple application of an AG.. Re-grouting Bathroom Tiles

Materials :
. Bosch GWS 6-100 Angle Grinder - shop here
. Bosch Diamond Saw 105mm - 4" - shop here
. Grouting materials as described here
. Skil Air Blower 8600 - shop here

Procedure :
. Mount the diamond saw onto the AG. To mount the saw, first clamp on the safety cover at an angle such that debris fly away from you. Now remove the top mounting chuck using the spanner and tool provided. Place the saw onto the bottom mounting chuck. Hold on to the rotation stop provided at the top of the AG to arrest the motion of the machine. Tighten the top chuck with the provided spanner. Ensure that at all times during mounting or un-mounting of the saw, the machine is not plugged in and switched on as it can be a serious hazard to your safety.
. Wear gloves and safety glasses.
. Plug the machine in and test for connection.
. Place the diamond wheel directly above the joint you want to re-grout.
. Squeeze the trigger and gently lower the saw into the joint. Moving slowly along the joint, ensure uniform removal of the old grouting material.
. Using the blower, clean out the loose material and dust from the joint.
. The tiles can now be re-grouted using the procedure given here.
. Re-grouting not only enhance the beauty of the bathroom but also stops any leaks.

Note :
The Angle Grinder is vital in this application as the removal of the old grouting material is essential to this procedure. Manually removing the grout can cause the tiles to chip and break. Also the material cannot be removed uniformly manually.