How to correctly and safely remove (install) the disk from the angle grinder?
It is difficult to encounter such a problem when rotating at idle speed. Particularly when working with lightweight wheels and soft-start tools. However, after increasing the RPM and contact with the surface to be cut, the following happens:
- When material resistance occurs, the wheel has a sharp decrease in angular velocity of rotation, it brakes.
- The motor continues to run at the same speed for some moments due to inertia, dragging the gearbox and spindle along with it.
- The retainer nut tightens by inertia on the threads of the spindle head, thereby pressing the cutting disc in.
The tightening process of the clamping flange is now complete. the abnormal situation is evident. The following factors influence its occurrence:
- The large size of the grinding wheel.
- High tool power.
- Massiveness of the rotor.
- Sharp increase in cutting depth, t.е. Increase in resistance.
In this case it can be very difficult to remove the disc from the angle grinder. Additional measures must be taken.
How to re-insure
If the problem of excessive self-tightening of the nut has already occurred, then prevent a repetition of this situation, you can use three methods with varying degrees of effectiveness:
It is also possible to apply several of these methods simultaneously.
Owners of low-power (up to 1800 watts) and light angle grinders should not worry. They are not affected by this problem.
Why is the retaining nut tightened??
the angle grinder develops from 6 000 to 12 000 rpm, depending on the brand and diameter of the working disc. The following rapid processes are produced when the rotating disc jolts against the machining surface.the cutting disc, cutting into the material, experiences great resistance and slows down a little, but the rotor of the electric motor still rotates by inertia for a few moments at the same speed and literally screws the thread of the spindle into the retainer nut, pressing it into the cutting disc. It is not easy to unscrew it now, especially with the original wrench.
There are various ways to get rid of the defect. Not all of them go unnoticed by the tool. Here we will look at one of them, which can be called auto thermal.
How to eliminate disk jamming on an angle grinder
To use this method, you will need some solid wood material: a piece of thick board, a piece of bar, or just a stump.
Then we take an angle grinder with a firmly clamped disc, switch on the tool and press the fixing nut to the surface of the tree stump with enough force so that it continuously rubs against the wooden surface.
The process must be continued for two to three minutes. This time is quite enough to make the clamping nut not just heated, but red-hot. If the heating is not stopped in time, you risk damaging the spindle bearing due to overheating.
The degree of sufficiency of thermal influence on the fixing nut can be checked with a pipette with water: drops from it instantly evaporate, barely reaching its surface.
Further we proceed in the standard way. Press the quick change button and use a standard spanner to loosen the nut without any effort. In this case we are helped by the well-known property of metal to expand when heated.
Step
Unscrew and remove unnecessary consumable remnants
The obstacle is removed, now you can unscrew the nut and remove what is left of the cutting disc. the nut is easy to unscrew, in most cases it can be done by hand, without using tools.
Preventive measures
A cardboard washer will allow you to unscrew the nut after any emergency situation
This method is simple and convenient, but it is still more convenient not to break anything, but simply unscrew. There are also cases where the discs are just too tight. it is a long way to break 5 mm grinding abrasive and then grinding it under the nut. that’s why there is a method to avoid the situation when it is impossible to unscrew the nut with a spanner.
For this purpose it is only necessary to make a washer from cardboard.
Tool is now ready for use.
Jammed angle grinder DISK TRIPPED the tightened nut EASY.Cutting with angle grinder,angle grinder.Working with an angle grinder
How to unscrew the nut on an angle grinder without a wrench: a simple tiphack
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Replace the disk in normal operation
If you regularly use an angle grinder, you must change the grinding wheel, which is an essential consumable. If it is already inconvenient to work with the tool, the abrasive wheel should be replaced if worn out.
Important! Be sure to check the power plug to prevent personal injury.
Step-by-step procedure
The wheel is fastened to the spindle head with a lock nut, which has a M14 thread. There is a wrench with special protrusions for engaging with the holes of the fixing flange as standard equipment.
To unscrew the nut, you have to lock the spindle. There is a special retainer located on the back of the angle grinder for this purpose. By pressing the button, you lock the spindle with the cotter pin, eliminating the possibility of rotation.
Insert the wrench into the holes. Hold the safety catch with one hand and turn it counterclockwise with the other, sliding the nut.
The direction of rotation of the disc is generally clockwise. However, there are models that may have a different. In any case unscrewing is in the opposite direction to rotation.
When the nut is slid, it can be effortlessly unscrewed by hand.
After intense work with metal tools, you may find a build-up of burnt and abrasive scale inside the shroud. Use a steel brush to remove residue.
After cleaning the bottom flange, put it back in place, aligning the grooves of the spindle with the grooves of the flange. The gasket is placed on top.
If your model does not have additional shims, then such washers can be prepared from plastic or thick cardboard. Then you need to put the disk properly on the angle grinder and cover it with a similar gasket.
Important! Installed shims allow you to easily unscrew the nut, even if the disc is jammed or broken.
With your hand you twist the upper locking device in counter-clockwise direction (counter-rotation), supporting the cutting wheel. Hold the spindle lock and screw in the flange until resistance is noticeable. Use the open-end wrench to tighten with a little more force. Do not overtighten the fastener, otherwise you can overtighten the wheel and it will warp.
Now you can continue to work. However, from time to time problems arise and it is not easy to unscrew the disk on the angle grinder. How to change the disc on the angle grinder in such cases, let’s see below.
What solution to the problem is suggested by experts and amateurs
What is a gasket made of newspaper. This is a paper washer to the size of the nut. It is put on the mounted disc and the nut is screwed on top. This piece of paper was the stumbling block, because the safety inspection has always said that this solution is harmful.
The installation of shims made of any other material is treated in the same way by the representatives of the safety authorities:
But there is a solution that does not contradict the requirements of safety technology, and allows the normal installation and removal of the disk. It is a special nut which consists of two elements, a nut and a washer. The use of this nut does not require any padding because with it the disc does not jam.
If there is no special key at hand, the craftsmen suggest to do without a key. This does not mean that you can do without a wrench at all, but use a “gas wrench” or other tool. Clamp the locking device, use a gas wrench to squeeze the nut and unscrew it. It is possible to replace a jammed disc in this way, but it is a very inconvenient operation for one person.
There is also a suggestion to clamp the disk with your hand and unscrew it this way. Maybe, but it is unlikely you will be able to change broken discs this way. It is better to use wrenches that are designed for removing and installing discs.
Some foreign power tool manufacturers, such as Bosh, produce angle grinders with easily removable nuts. They secure the blade on the tool shaft and are quickly and easily removed for disk replacement.
Jammed nut. how to unscrew it?
It is not easy to remove the disc on an angle grinder if it has jammed, especially not without damaging the cutting element or the tool. There are also a few more ways to do this.
Disc replacement with opposite rotation
This method has several advantages. it can be carried out without a wrench and with a broken spindle lock. Those new to the angle grinder mistakenly believe that it is almost impossible to unscrew the nut if the stopper is broken. However, this is not the case. You don’t even need a spanner.
The idea is that the grinding wheel needs to be rotated in different directions. Wearing tight gloves, you need to hit the cutting edge of the wheel several times. That’s how you ensure the alternating motion in different directions. As a rule, all it takes is a couple of strokes to undo the nut with ease.
With an open-end wrench and socket head
In this case, you will have to slightly modify the existing standard tools. a 17 mm open-end wrench and a 24 mm socket head. The thickness of the spanner can be reduced to 4 mm. Four protrusions are milled into the head that fit into the holes in the retainer nut.
After preparation, the wrench is placed in the space under the disk, and the head is put on the flange of the angle grinder and turned in the opposite direction to the rotation of the wheel. It can then be easily removed and replaced with a new one.
Heating
This is one way to remove the disk from the angle grinder without a wrench. The fixation nut should be heated with a blow dryer or a gas torch. After that, the flange can be unscrewed much easier. However, there is a risk of damaging the plastic parts of the angle grinder or the gear unit.
With the nail
A 100 mm nail is best for this purpose. It must be bent into a U-shape so that the ends fit through the clamping flange holes. The point and flat are removed. Insert the nail into the holes and unscrew the retainer. If your hands are not strong enough, add a nail or screwdriver in the form of a lever.
Using a torque wrench
The reason for using this tool is to increase the applied torque with a larger lever arm. It will be much easier to unscrew the jammed connection with a gas wrench. However, when removing jamming, it is important to remember that by applying excessive force, there is a risk of damaging the spindle retainer or clamping nut.
Use a torch or drill in chisel mode
Unscrew the disk on the angle grinder without a key, you can use a drill or peorator, pre-transforming it into the chipping hammer mode. As a working tool is used a suitable auger, most often 6 millimeters. Place the drill against the edge of the clamping nut hole, freeze the movement of the spindle and, for a moment, engage the spindle. Even very complicated jams can be unscrewed with this method.
Pounding on the nut
This method is similar to the previous one, only you can use a suitable metal rod or chisel. With the head of the spindle locked, tap the edges of the jam holes in the direction of the wheel’s travel. With a little movement of the lock, you can unscrew it with your hands. However, this method is not the most harmless for the tool. the mounting holes for a standard key are damaged.
Cutting wheel breakage
The jammed nut can be unscrewed by completely destroying the disc. If there is already damage, you can finish breaking it by hand, but more often than not, you can’t do it. It is better to take a hacksaw or a metal blade and saw. This will leave you with a center ring and hard-to-reach pieces. find a suitable plate, clamp it in a vise and file the rest of the abrasive down to the metal ring. After that, it will be easily unscrewed with a standard wrench.
The most radical way to unscrew a jammed jam nut is to saw it out. It is advisable to resort to it only in extreme cases. Of course, you can find a new one, but you have to spend your time and money. It is not uncommon to have spare clamping elements in the delivery set of the angle grinder.
Disc breakage
The abrasive compressed by the nut can eventually be destroyed. For this you will need:
First of all, the disk clamped in the angle grinder is broken by hand. Then break off the abrasive remnants sticking out from under the retainer using pliers or narrow-nose pliers. Then remove the clamped part of the disc. To do this, a piece of metal is squeezed in a vise. Run the turned on tool along the edge of the sheet between the nut. This removes the remains of the disc and then the clamp should unscrew it easily using your hands.
As can be seen, in order to unscrew the stubborn retainer nut from the angle grinder there are many effective ways. When disassembling, it is only important to be careful not to damage the power tool.
Why the disk jams on the angle grinder?
The disc is jammed if the operating mode of the angle grinder is not correctly selected. If, for example, sharply increase pressure on the angle grinder during work, then the working tool will appear increased torque.
To cope with severely rusted connections, put the part in a container, pour vinegar into it and leave it to soak. Then clamp the part in a vice and unscrew the coupling with a gas wrench. If this method didn’t help, heat the joints with a blowtorch, a gas torch or an autogenous blowtorch.
What is the thread on the angle grinder?
On one side there is an M14 internal thread. It is designed to be screwed onto the outside threads of the angle grinder spindle. The other end is machined to match the standard M12 male thread of the chuck.
When the angle grinder brakes, the disc, by inertia can unscrew the nut, Try to put a spacer not under the nut, and under the disc. It could also be that the drive is rotating the wrong way round, look at the gearbox arrow angle grinder when cutting, the force is applied to tighten.
The main point at a glance
To remove the disk from the angle grinder, you need to fix the position of the gearbox by pressing a button and unscrew the clamping nut with a wrench with two pins.
If you do not have a special wrench, you can use a hammer paired with a nail or chisel, a self-bent stiffener paired with pliers or an adjustable wrench.
If the disk is damaged and the mechanism is jammed, it is possible to use a pair of adjustable wrenches or to disassemble the gearbox after removing the cover.
You can choose the correct outside side to install the disc by the crimp ring, the marked sticker (picture), the direction of rotation indicated on the disc.
Tips
If you had to use a gas wrench, you must remember about the very strong arm of such a wrench and the force applied to parts of the “angle grinder. If you are not careful, you might break the spindle locking device or damage the gearbox.
All manipulations with the disc of the angle grinder must be performed with the power supply completely disconnected (the plug must be taken out of the socket). Any unintentional pressing of the start button will cause the electric motor to turn on, and the rotation speed of the rod is very high. Injuries will not be avoided.
Working with an angle grinder involves a lot of waste in the form of metal or wood shavings and dust. Wear special safety glasses before starting work. they are intended to protect your eyes against flying splinters of the cutting wheel itself in case it jams or breaks.
Glasses are necessary not only as a safety element. If your eyes are protected, you can pay more attention to the actual work of the angle grinder, make sure you have the right cut or choose the correct operating mode. It allows to use consumable materials (cutting wheels) in the most effective way, minimizes occurrence of emergency situations with jamming of disk or its destruction.
It is especially important for craftsmen with poor eyesight who wear dioptric glasses, on which they cannot wear safety glasses, to replace safety glasses perfectly.
The disc on the “angle grinder” can be installed both “on itself” and “on itself” depending on the direction of rotation and, accordingly, the flow of chips. In the work it does not make a fundamental difference. However, the “angle grinder” with a “on itself” wheel tends to jump out of the cut forwards rather than towards the person using it when the disc jams. This is especially important when working with powerful tools, but even a small angle grinder can be a serious hazard.
A specially mounted extension cord with socket, preferably without grounding, will help you quickly stop the work of the machine that has torn out of hand.
“Angle grinder”. a tool of rough treatment and strive to get an ideal surface as a result of its work is not worth it, the main thing is to make a rough cut, which later, if necessary, can be processed in other ways.
To work without clamps and jamming it is better not to cut long metal workpieces to the end, leaving 1-2 mm of metal in the cut: it will be easy to break them afterwards, it will have almost no effect on the quality of the workpiece.
It is better to place small workpieces in a vice or clamp them to a workbench or other reliable horizontal surface. The quality of cutting and safety depends on the tightness of pressing.
On how to properly place the disk on the “angle grinder”, you can see in the following video.
What to do if the disc on the angle grinder is jammed (jammed)?
Everyone who has experience in intensive work with an angle grinder probably at least once, yes faced with this situation.
Usually it happens if the disc is jammed between the parts, it stops or breaks, and the motor of the angle grinder keeps rotating and thus irreversibly tightens the nut.
So what can be done if a disc jammed on an angle grinder?
Each master has his own secrets.Especially for you, we learned a few of them, and now we will share the most common ways out.
Remove the disk with an angle grinder
First, find out in which direction to unscrew the nut.
The flange must always be rolled in the direction in which the blade rotates.
For this kind of work you will need either two gas wrenches or two clamps.
Here’s what to do: destroy the remains of the disk, with one wrench fix the washer behind the disk, with the other unscrew the flange.
Remove the disk from the angle grinder
This method involves the use of the famous grease VD-40.
It is probably like duct tape, applicable in all cases of life.
You need to spray the flange, wait about 5 minutes and try to unscrew it with a wrench.
Remove the disk from the angle grinder
This method is used in extreme cases.
When no other methods help, you can try to saw the flange with a tool like a hacksaw for metal, and then buy a new one in a specialized store.