How to Put a Disc On a Gas Trimmer Correctly

1. How to install?
2. How to remove it?
3. How to change a disk if it is jammed?
4. Advice

The disc “angle grinder” (angle grinder) is one of its main working parts. It is the disc that determines the use of the tool. With its help, this machine can be used for cutting, grinding or polishing various materials. Depending on the purpose, the disks differ from each other: from abrasive chips – for metal, steel mills and circular saws – for wood processing, with diamond spraying – for stone and tile, various brushes, brushes and emery wheels – for polishing various surfaces.

The disk “angle grinder” is a consumable item; you will not be able to save on it in the process. The disk is gradually erased (burned out) and must be changed. When planning work, you need to be prepared for this and it is better to stock up on several removable disks in advance.

How to install?

Installing a disk on a UMSH is not so complicated. You can change it simply by following the instructions, although there are some nuances here.

First of all, you need to install the disk on the right side. This is especially important if it is cut-off. Usually the side of the disc with the label on which the marking is indicated and, accordingly, the area of ​​its application, is slightly different from the opposite side. This may not appear immediately, but with prolonged intensive work, the difference will not only be noticeable – it will be obvious.

On the side on which the label is glued, a wide clamping washer is placed, and the movable nut acts on it when tightening (installing the disc). The nut slides along the polished surface of the washer; without it, it will become more difficult to tighten or unscrew, since the abrasive will hold the nut firmly and more force will be required. This is especially important if a quick disk replacement is required or if it breaks down (jamming).

With circular saws or other products that have teeth or a significant difference between the two sides, the problem of how to set, usually does not arise. For example, it is not possible to fix the grinding disk on the contrary: it simply will not be possible for them to work.

Disks on a stone, including diamond, have a special rotation indicator in the form of an arrow: when installing them, you need to mount them taking into account where the stock will rotate.

It is also important to consider the size of the disk during installation. In no case should you neglect safety and remove the protective cover – it is better to choose a disk of the appropriate diameter. Sometimes on the "angle grinder" of smaller dimensions put a worked disk from a large unit. However, an actuated disk, as a rule, cuts worse, the working surface is limited to about half the radius of the disk, the structure is slightly different. The disk burns faster, and produces less work. This operation can be justified if the diameter of the rod matches. But the change back will not succeed.

During installation, no debris should get under the disk. Of course, the clamping nut can squeeze small objects, something will press into the surface of the circle. But the skew imperceptible to the eye will cause a displacement of the plane of rotation and, as a result, a strong vibration of the entire mechanism, it can cause the destruction of the disk and, of course, it is not worth hoping for an accurate cut.

The clamping nut must be unscrewed with the key supplied with the tool. To prevent the stem from rolling, it must be locked by pressing a special button. Unscrew the nut while holding the button down.

After twisting the nut, the disc is put on the released rod, face out, and you need to make sure that it is installed exactly on the seat.

A set of new “angle grinder” always includes a number of cardboard gaskets – when installing the disk, they must be laid so that they are between the disk and the clamping elements. Such gaskets will help unscrew a broken or jammed disk.

Further, the nut is manually tightened completely and tightened with a special wrench. Everything, the "angle grinder" is ready for work.

Video: How to Put a Disc On a Gas Trimmer Correctly

How to remove it?

Disks, especially those intended for cutting, quickly “burn out” and have to be changed.

It will be useful to once again recall the need to disconnect the "angle grinder" from the network. Work is to be done with rapidly rotating parts and it is better to protect yourself.

If you need to replace a used drive, you need to perform a number of simple operations.

• The disc is mounted on the stem spindle with a threaded nut. In the kit of any angle grinder there is a special key, on the horns of which there are fixed pins that cling to the holes of the flange.
• The spindle is fixed with a special button, the cotter pin, when pressed, enters the hole of the gearbox, thereby fixing it. By pressing the button with your right hand, at the same time with your left hand you need to unscrew the fastening nut with a key. If the nut has budged, it is unscrewed by hand. That’s it, now the disk can be removed.

• There are times when for some reason the key was not at hand. What to do? The easiest way is to stop working. But, as they say, this is not our method. It is also possible to unscrew the clamping nut “angle grinder” without a key. Often, a pipe (gas) key is used for this. On such a key there is a device that spreads it. It is necessary to tighten the nut and, fixing the “angle grinder” gear with a button, move it from its place. Then it can be unscrewed by hand.

• The nut has holes for fixing it with pins on the key horns, you can unscrew it by tapping with a hammer on a chisel or rod rested in the hole.
• Sometimes it is possible to touch the nut simply by tapping on its edge with a hammer in the direction of twisting. However, in this case, flange damage may occur, especially of the holes for the key pins; later, it may not be possible to apply the key to such a nut.
• A very good result is obtained when using a nail for the manufacture of a key. It is better to choose a large nail, from 100 mm. With the help of a hammer and pliers, a nail is attached to a U-shape. A hacksaw or a chisel cuts off the point and head of the nail. With such an improvised key, you can try to remove the nut. You can bend the ends of such a key, then it will turn into a kind of open-end wrench, but this will require a lot of labor. You can also insert a collar, for example, a hammer or other nail, into the arc formed by a bent nail.

How to change a disk if it is jammed?

What to do if the circle on the "angle grinder" is jammed? This can happen, for example, when as a result of work the pieces of the cut workpiece sharply clamp the rotating disk. Often this leads to its destruction.

Unscrew the nut tightened as a result of rotation, if the circle bites, it can be very difficult.

• One of such methods will be the use of two gas keys at once. The remaining discs must be broken with pliers. One key must clamp the part of the stem located under the disk, and the other – unscrew the flange.
• Sometimes, in order to gain access of the gas key to the rod “angle grinder”, it is necessary to disassemble the gearbox.

• A simple device – cardboard or tin washers – saves from the problem of a jammed nut. Often they are sold with an "angle grinder." But over time, they may be lost or become completely unusable. Making homemade washers is not at all difficult. However, it is better not to neglect them.

Advice

If you had to use a gas key, you need to remember about the very powerful shoulder of such a key and the force that is supplied to the “angle grinder” parts. If you act carelessly, you can break the spindle lock or damage the gearbox.

All manipulations with the disc of the angle grinder must be carried out with the power turned off completely (the plug must be removed from the outlet). Any inadvertent pressing of the start button will cause the electric motor to turn on, and the stem rotation speed is very high. Injuries in this case cannot be avoided.

Working with an “angle grinder” involves a large amount of waste in the form of metal or wood shavings and dust. Before starting work, it is necessary to wear special safety glasses: they will protect the eyes from fragments of the cutting wheel itself in case of jamming and destruction.

Glasses are needed not only as a safety feature. If the eyes are protected, you can pay more attention directly to the work of the "angle grinder", to ensure the correct cut or the choice of the correct mode of operation. This will allow the most efficient use of consumables (cutting wheels), minimizes the occurrence of emergency situations with a bite of the disk or its destruction.

It is wonderful to replace glasses with a protective mask that completely covers the face – this is especially true for a visually impaired master who wears diopter glasses that cannot be worn with protective glasses.

The disk on the "angle grinder" can be installed both "on its own" and "on itself" depending on the direction of rotation and, accordingly, the flow of chips. In the work this does not make a fundamental difference. However, an “angle grinder” with a circle “on itself” when biting a disk has a tendency to jump out of the cut forward, and not on the one who uses it. This is especially important when working with powerful tools, but a small angle grinder can be a serious hazard.

A specially mounted extension cord with a socket, preferably without grounding, will help to quickly stop the work of the machine that has escaped from the hands.

“Angle grinder” is a rough processing tool and it is not worth striving to obtain an ideal surface as a result of its work, the main thing is to produce a rough cut, which later, if necessary, can be processed in other ways.

For 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 off, it will practically not affect the quality of the workpiece.

Small workpieces are best placed in a vice or pressed with a clamp to a workbench or other reliable horizontal surface. The cut quality and safety depend on the pressure density.

You can see how to properly place a disc on an “angle grinder” in the next video.