How To Change A Disc On A Grinder With A Key

Selection and replacement of discs for grinders
What are the types of grinder discs, their typical sizes. How to correctly change the nozzle on the grinder. What to do if the disc is stuck and the nut won’t loosen?

Unscrewing methods if the disc is jammed

What to do if the pressure flange is stuck? This nuisance, when the nut is bitten, often occurs if, while working with thick and durable materials, the tool is jammed in the workpiece. In this case, the abrasive wheel often breaks, and the spindle continuing to rotate tightly tightens the pressure flange. There are several ways to spin the grinder if the disc is jammed.

Dismantling the gearbox

In the event that the retainer is broken, you will have to disassemble the gearbox to remove the tool from the angle grinder. Break off the edges of the remaining abrasive disc with pliers so that you can get to the bolts holding the gear cover. Then unscrew the fasteners and open the gearbox. The cover will be removed together with the pinion shaft. Further, this shaft should be clamped in a vice, having previously laid aluminum gaskets between the steel jaws, and using a gas wrench to unscrew the flange (do not forget to determine the direction of unscrewing).

Heating nut

The nut can be heated with a gas torch, hot air gun or blowtorch. The heated flange can usually be unscrewed with a standard grinder wrench.

How to properly change the disc on the grinder

Since the circles for the grinder are consumables, sooner or later they have to be changed. They are attached to the angle grinder spindle using a clamping flange (nut) with an M14 thread. To unscrew it, a special open-end wrench with pins on one side must go to the grinder.

How To Change A Disc On A Grinder With A Key

So, to replace the tool on the grinder, follow these steps.

  1. De-energize the device by pulling out the plug from the socket.
  2. Lock the spindle of the angle grinder using the button located on the front of the case. When the button is pressed, the stopper enters the hole of the disk installed in the gearbox, which fixes the spindle in a fixed position.
  3. Insert the pins of the key into the holes in the hold-down flange.
  4. While holding the latch with one hand, turn the wrench to the left (counterclockwise) with the other hand until the nut comes loose. Then it can be unscrewed without a key and removed from the shaft. In this case, the angle grinder spindle rotates clockwise. But in which direction to unscrew the nut if your apparatus rotates the shaft counterclockwise? Remember: the clamping flange should always be unscrewed in the direction opposite to the rotation of the shaft.
  5. Now you can change the tool after removing the old one. If you notice that dirt has accumulated inside the casing, then you should remove the bottom flange and use a steel brush to remove dirt from all surfaces.
  • Screw the flange onto the shaft by hand. Tighten the nut until you can no longer turn it without a key. After that, holding the stopper, tighten this nut with a wrench, but no more than a quarter of a turn, otherwise the disc will begin to deform.
  • After performing the above steps, the tool change is considered complete.

    Purpose of discs and attachments

    Grinder wheels differ in purpose for:

    • Detachable;
    • Stripping
    • Grinding;
    • Sharpening.

    With a gas wrench

    This method is considered not entirely safe, since the stopper can be broken, although in most cases, it is possible to unscrew the nut. To avoid breaking the spindle lock, do not apply too much force to the gas wrench. The retainer is designed to withstand the force of a standard wrench.

    An overly tightened flange can be unscrewed using 2 gas wrenches. To do this, break off the protruding ends of the abrasive wheel with pliers so that you can get the first gas wrench to the bottom flange. Next, tighten both flanges with wrenches and turn them in opposite directions (taking into account which thread on the spindle is right or left).

    Cutting wheels for grinders, in turn, have their own subspecies, such as:

    • Cutting wheels for metal work;
    • Abrasive wheels for working with stone;
    • Wheels for woodwork;
    • Diamond discs (mentioned above).

    The purpose of each type of disc usually corresponds to its name.

    Among the grinding discs, there are four main subtypes. Flap, wire, diamond and bakelite-based grinding discs (straight, T41 profile and disc-shaped, T27 profile).

    1. The flap disc is made from sandpaper. Its main purpose. It is the elimination of an existing coating such as old paint, primer or paint coat. Also, with disks of this type, wood products are polished.
    2. Wire discs are used by artisans to remove rust. They can also remove other types of stubborn dirt.
    3. Diamond discs are used for stone polishing work.
    4. Disc discs are made of plastic or rubber and are used to polish metal surfaces.

    To install a new disk, after cleaning the casing, you must perform the following actions:

    1. Install the bottom flange in place;
    2. We put a special gasket on top of it (if gaskets are not provided, you can cut them yourself. The optimal material will be cardboard or tin).
    3. Install the disk;
    4. We put the second gasket;
    5. Install the top flange on top;
    6. We wrap the upper flange by hand in the opposite direction from the rotation of the grinder’s circle, while holding the disc itself;
    7. Next, press the release button again and scroll the flange with your hand until you feel resistance;
    8. At the final stage, we make the final fixation using the same open-end wrench. To do this, insert the key into the holes and scroll a little more.

    After all the actions taken, you can safely continue to perform the work.

    One of the most frequently asked questions about mounting / dismounting of angle grinder equipment sounds like this: “Which side to put the disc on the grinder?”

    Usually, inexperienced craftsmen ask such a question. Is it possible to set the circle on the wrong side. Yes. Firstly, if the disc is not flat, but, for example, a petal disc, then you will not be able to install it incorrectly, if the petals are located incorrectly, you just need to twist the casing and the handle on the grinder. That is, the question disappears by itself.

    If the circle is still flat, then you should focus on its label, the so-called “shirt”.

    If the grinder rotates towards itself, the disk should be installed with the “jacket” outward, but if the disk rotates away from itself, then, accordingly, it must be installed with the “jacket” inward.

    If you do not adhere to this algorithm, there is a high probability that the disk will fail very quickly or immediately deform.

    Grinder discs differ among themselves in the following main features:

    1. Outside diameter;
    2. Disc thickness;
    3. The material from which the disc itself is made;
    4. The characteristic of the maximum rotation speed;
    5. And, of course, the area of ​​the proposed work.

    For a better understanding, let’s look at the main types of grinder discs and give a definition of their application:

    1. Cut-off wheels. These are the most widely used grinder consumables. Their main purpose is to work with metal, stone and wood. A variety of cutting wheels for the grinder are diamond discs. This is a heavy-duty tooling for processing high-strength materials such as reinforced concrete, tiles, porcelain stoneware, marble.
    2. Grinding and roughing wheels. As the name implies, this type of disc is used for grinding various materials, for example, polishing products made of stone, or for removing (roughing) the top layer, for example, removing a layer of rust or old paint coating.

    How to remove, change a jammed disc from a grinder?

    How to remove a disc from a grinder. An angle grinder (hereinafter referred to as angle grinder), popularly referred to as a grinder, is probably the most demanded tool that is present in the arsenal of almost every master, regardless of his qualifications.

    This tool is actively used in abrasive processing: cutting, grinding, cleaning workpieces from stone, metal and many others. It is widely used in areas such as construction, woodworking and other similar types of work. Like any other tool, grinders are also divided into several classes.

    This refers to the following: household, semi-professional and pro-class instrument. This classification is determined by the power resource of the tool, its performance, the presence of certain additional options, material and build quality, etc.

    Consumables for angle grinders, in addition to various types of cleaning brushes, are cutting wheels and a variety of grinding discs. Types of grinder accessories: how to make the right choice?

    How to put the disc on the grinder correctly?

    To put the disc on the grinder correctly, it should first be noted that the disc is installed on the grinder spindle using a special clamping flange with M14 thread. Let’s take a closer look at how to remove a disc from a grinder. In order to unscrew the disc from the grinder, you first need to dismantle the flange. Especially for such purposes, manufacturers complete the grinders with a special open-end wrench. It has a specific shape. The pins located on the arms of this key are inserted into specially provided holes on the flange.

    To unscrew the flange, we fix the spindle. To do this, we clamp the latch, which is usually a button on the top of the case. When pressed, the cotter pin is placed in the hole of the driven disc of the gearbox, and this in turn prevents it from rotating. Next, we insert the pins of the key into the specially provided holes on the flange, pressing the retainer, you must simultaneously turn it counterclockwise and move the flange from its place. If the manipulations were successful and the flange gave in, you can unscrew it by hand and put it aside.

    Now let’s dismantle the disk. Often, in the process of intensive work with the tool, a kind of plaque from small particles of metal and abrasive material forms on the inside of the protective casing. For optimal, stable and durable operation of the grinder, remove the lower part of the flange and clean the casing with a steel brush.

    Method number 3 to remove the disc from the grinder

    This method is used in extreme cases.

    News How to put the disc on the grinder correctly?

    To put the disc on the grinder correctly, it should first be noted that the disc is installed on the grinder spindle using a special clamping flange with M14 thread. Let’s take a closer look at how to remove a disc from a grinder. In order to unscrew the disc from the grinder, you first need to dismantle the flange. Especially for such purposes, manufacturers complete the grinders with a special open-end wrench. It has a specific shape. The pins located on the arms of this key are inserted into specially provided holes on the flange.

    To unscrew the flange, we fix the spindle. To do this, we clamp the latch, which is usually a button on the top of the case. When pressed, the cotter pin is placed in the hole of the driven disc of the gearbox, and this in turn prevents it from rotating. Next, we insert the pins of the key into the specially provided holes on the flange, pressing the retainer, you must simultaneously turn it counterclockwise and move the flange from its place. If the manipulations were successful and the flange gave in, you can unscrew it by hand and put it aside.

    Now let’s dismantle the disk. Often, in the process of intensive work with the tool, a kind of plaque from small particles of metal and abrasive material forms on the inside of the protective casing. For optimal, stable and durable operation of the grinder, remove the lower part of the flange and clean the casing with a steel brush.

    Method number 1 to remove the disc from the grinder

    First, figure out which way to unscrew the nut.

    The flange must always be turned in the direction in which the disc rotates.

    For this kind of work, you will need either two gas keys or two clamps.

    Here’s what you need to do: destroy the remains of the disc, fix the washer located behind the disc with one key, unscrew the flange with the second.

    Method number 3 to remove the disc from the grinder

    This method is used in extreme cases.

    To install a new disk, after cleaning the casing, you must perform the following actions:

    1. Install the bottom flange in place;
    2. We put a special gasket on top of it (if gaskets are not provided, you can cut them yourself. The optimal material will be cardboard or tin).
    3. Install the disk;
    4. We put the second gasket;
    5. Install the top flange on top;
    6. We wrap the upper flange by hand in the opposite direction from the rotation of the grinder’s circle, while holding the disc itself;
    7. Next, press the release button again and scroll the flange with your hand until you feel resistance;
    8. At the final stage, we make the final fixation using the same open-end wrench. To do this, insert the key into the holes and scroll a little more.

    After all the actions taken, you can safely continue to perform the work.

    One of the most frequently asked questions about mounting / dismounting of angle grinder equipment sounds like this: “Which side to put the disc on the grinder?”

    Usually, inexperienced craftsmen ask such a question. Is it possible to set the circle on the wrong side. Yes. Firstly, if the disc is not flat, but, for example, a petal disc, then you will not be able to install it incorrectly, if the petals are located incorrectly, you just need to twist the casing and the handle on the grinder. That is, the question disappears by itself.

    If the circle is still flat, then you should focus on its label, the so-called “shirt”.

    If the grinder rotates towards itself, the disk should be installed with the “jacket” outward, but if the disk rotates away from itself, then, accordingly, it must be installed with the “jacket” inward.

    If you do not adhere to this algorithm, there is a high probability that the disk will fail very quickly or immediately deform.

    How to remove, change a jammed disc from a grinder?

    How to remove a disc from a grinder. An angle grinder (hereinafter referred to as angle grinder), popularly referred to as a grinder, is probably the most demanded tool that is present in the arsenal of almost every master, regardless of his qualifications.

    This tool is actively used in abrasive processing: cutting, grinding, cleaning workpieces from stone, metal and many others. It is widely used in areas such as construction, woodworking and other similar types of work. Like any other tool, grinders are also divided into several classes.

    This refers to the following: household, semi-professional and pro-class instrument. This classification is determined by the power resource of the tool, its performance, the presence of certain additional options, material and build quality, etc.

    Consumables for angle grinders, in addition to various types of cleaning brushes, are cutting wheels and a variety of grinding discs. Types of grinder accessories: how to make the right choice?