How to choose a wood saw blade for an angle grinder?

The grinder, or angle grinder, is a tool that has no analogues in its popularity. If initially the scope of its application was limited to operations that determined the name of the unit (grinding and technologically related types of material processing), then gradually the range of application of this power tool and the replaceable nozzles produced for it has incredibly expanded. Now they cut metal with a grinder, grind various surfaces, clean them of dirt and old paint, and much more.

The presence of a rotating rod made it possible to adapt the grinder for sawing wood. They began to try to install saw blades produced for circular saws on it. Manufacturers of attachments for this tool have responded by developing and producing special wheels, similar in effect to circular saw blades, but adapted to the high speed and increased safety requirements of hand tools.

Sawing wood with a hand tool comes with a number of features. Wood is a heterogeneous natural material, its density is unevenly distributed. After a relatively loose area, a denser area may suddenly begin, there may be defects hidden in the thickness, once filled with resin during the growth of the tree. There may be developed or underdeveloped knots, and sometimes ingrown foreign inclusions (nails, wire, shot, or even bullets that hit a tree in the forest, for example, during a hunt).

Thus, it is almost impossible to unambiguously select the operating mode of the cutting hand tool. This can lead to jerks, the energy of which will have to be extinguished with the help of the hands; in special cases, the instrument may even break out. If a cutting tooth hits the metal, it can be broken and ejected by the next tooth fast enough to cause serious injury.

When adjusting this tool for sawing wood, the craftsmen often removed the protective cover, which is categorically unacceptable, given the above-mentioned features of wood, as a natural material with unpredictable variations in properties. If the need to use a grinder as a circular saw nevertheless arises in order to ensure safety and get the greatest effect, you need to purchase a special disc designed specifically for this tool.

Saw blades for wood for angle grinders have been developed by various manufacturers and, accordingly, have several varieties. The simplest and definitely the most budgetary option is to install a circular disc of the appropriate dimensions on the grinder - both the outer diameter and the diameter of the inner mounting hole. For a grinder, which, according to its dimensional characteristics, is classified as small, a 125x22 mm circle is suitable.

Technically, a disc with a diameter of 230 mm can be installed on a small grinder, but for this you have to remove the protective casing, which is absolutely unacceptable. The user's hands of the angle grinder are in close proximity to the rotating work surfaces and any abnormal situation can cause serious injury. The use of such a circle on angle grinders can cause serious safety violations and is strongly discouraged for beginners.

Any misalignment, including those associated with the unevenness of the wood structure, can cause the disc to jam and, as a result, a sharp jump of the entire unit to the point that it can escape from the hands and make a dangerous unpredictable flight. The circular saw blade is not designed for such fast revolutions that the grinder's spindle gives out; this results in its excessive heating, which affects the strength of the steel. As a result, when skewed, the saw wheel can collapse with the scattering of fragments at high speed in unpredictable directions.

Special attachments for sawing wood, developed for UMSH, have significant differences from the circular saw blade. Let's consider the most common options for sawing wood. On sale you can find saw blades similar to circular saws, which have an increased set of teeth, which significantly reduces the likelihood of their jamming. In addition, the difference for the manufacture of such a disk is that other alloys are used, this reduces the risk of destruction of the disk when it is heated.

Further attempts to protect the blade from jamming led to the combination of circular and chain saws in one product. A chain similar to that of a chainsaw moves freely along the working surface of the disc, which absolutely excludes jamming. There are quite a few modifications of such a hybrid. Craftsmen with the help of such a combination saw successfully saw branches and can even saw not very thick trees.

A completely new direction in the evolution of circular discs was marked by the invention of a special nozzle that is suitable for working on various materials. This universal disc is made from a special composition - tungsten carbide. There are no teeth at all on such a saw blade. This type of disc allows you to cut a wide variety of materials well, it can be considered the safest disc for sawing wood from all that are used on angle grinders.

If there is no other way out, that is, there is no special saw for wood (it broke) or an urgent little work was required, of course, the grinder can help out. However, it must be remembered that the main purpose of this machine is still not in sawing wood. To use the angle grinder as a hand-held circular saw, you will need to stock up on one or more specialized attachments.

To avoid distortions and jamming, you need to saw in a comfortable position, and fix the tool with both hands. The best results can be obtained if you do not remove the special guide handle, with its help it is much easier to control the grinder. It is not at all easy to saw off the workpiece correctly with the help of a grinder, the mode of operation will constantly change from the heterogeneity of the wood. Therefore, during work, it is better not to be distracted and watch how the cut is going.

If it was necessary to use a grinder for sawing wood, it is better to use a circle of small diameter 115 or 125 mm. The 230th circles are much more dangerous, they have a large inertia, in the event of an emergency, it is not possible to stop their rotation immediately. Installing the saw blade on the angle grinder \. the direction of rotation must be taken into account, it is often indicated on the disc itself in the form of arrows.The circular saw teeth have special solders that increase their efficiency. A disc mounted on the contrary will not be easy to saw. When purchasing saw blades for a grinder, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:

• saw diameter;
• required cutting depth;
• shape and number of teeth.

If you plan to cut wood infrequently, then it is better to choose a saw blade with teeth that have a variable set. If the main material on which it is supposed to work is chipboard, it is better not to take a saw with a large number of teeth. If the grinder will be used on the construction of a log structure, it is better to purchase a circular saw. Sawing planks will require you to pay attention to the depth of cut and the diameter of the blade.

A circular saw will last longer, if teeth that are blunt during operation are sharpened, it is better to entrust this to a specialist. In order to sharpen the saw, the same grinder can be used only with a special abrasive nozzle. Also for this operation you will need a stationary vise.

Using a grinder to cut wood is a responsible and unsafe undertaking. That is why it must be well thought out and prepared. There are not so many basic security requirements:

• before installing the saw blade, the grinder must be de-energized;
• it is impossible to remove the protective cover in any case, even if the diameter of the disc turned out to be larger, it is better to postpone the work and purchase the appropriate tool;
• it is imperative to use protective equipment: gloves and goggles (mask);
• when cutting wood, you cannot use a large grinder; it will not be possible to stop it when it jams;
• the grinder must be kept strictly at a right angle, otherwise it is difficult to avoid the teeth catching and pulling the angle grinder out of the hands;
• in no case should the start button be fixed, otherwise the emergency shutdown of the grinder will be impossible.

For information on how to cut wood with a grinder, see the next video.