Rotary die & cut-off tools: Can I..

[Spot the welders dog]

Hello boys & girls..

Contemplating as to weather I should buy a cheap Air Rotary Die Grinder and a Air Cut-off tool: OR is there a way of using a die grinder as a mini cut-off using the std 75mm disks?
I noticed that there are similarities in the quoted rpm (20,000rpm), so am appealing for more real world experiences

Ta muchly

 

[brightspark]

hello boys & girls..

Contemplating as to weather i should buy a cheap air rotary die grinder and a air cut-off tool: Or is there a way of using a die grinder as a mini cut-off using the std 75mm disks?
I noticed that there are similarities in the quoted rpm (20,000rpm), so am appealing for more real world experiences :d

ta muchly

View attachment 25970theres nothing stopping u putting a slitting disk arbor on a die grinder its just a bigger version of a dremmel .as long as u dont go over the top with the disc size for safety. probably no more than 2inch

 

[Spot the welders dog]

Excellent news Brightspark.

Could I be cheeky and ask if you have any good links to a range of accessories that would accommodate both tools?
If I can source a varied combination I might opt for a better quality Rotary Burr: How would I tell what is good and what is toyland stuff?

 

[Country Joe]

Rotary carbide burrs - Halls are good.
CJ

 

[brightspark]

Excellent news Brightspark.

Could I be cheeky and ask if you have any good links to a range of accessories that would accommodate both tools?
If I can source a varied combination I might opt for a better quality Rotary Burr: How would I tell what is good and what is toyland stuff?

halls .york abrasives. and garryson carbide burrs and rotary files are about the best i find the cone shape one is a good all rounder . try ebay or cromwell tools

 

[Country Joe]

Whoops!
I was looking at a Halls countersink at the time.
Garryson were the folk I was thinking of - as brightspark says, just above.
Not even sure Halls do the burrs, Garryson definitely do, though.
(Halls do make very good countersinks, though!)
All the Best,
CJ

 

[brightspark]

Whoops!
I was looking at a Halls countersink at the time.
Garryson were the folk I was thinking of - as brightspark says, just above.
Not even sure Halls do the burrs, Garryson definitely do, though.
(Halls do make very good countersinks, though!)
All the Best,
CJ

halls for taps dies countersinks and cone cutters excelent quality

 

[Country Joe]

Oh yes, one more thing...
Getting hold of those arbor things that hold the disc will most likely be the trickiest part of all this. They don't seem all that easy to find. The couple that I do have are a very tight (almost too tight) fit in the collett of the die grinder. So much so, that I sometimes wonder if I'll ever get it out again! Always makes me wish I had a lathe, to skim a bit off it.
All the Best,
CJ

 

[brightspark]

Oh yes, one more thing...
Getting hold of those arbor things that hold the disc will most likely be the trickiest part of all this. They don't seem all that easy to find. The couple that I do have are a very tight (almost too tight) fit in the collett of the die grinder. So much so, that I sometimes wonder if I'll ever get it out again! Always makes me wish I had a lathe, to skim a bit off it.
All the Best,
CJ

the arbour may be metric and the collet imperial or vice versa

 

[Country Joe]

halls for taps dies countersinks and cone cutters excelent quality

Quite right, their cone-cutters & step drills are the best I've come across.
All the Best,
CJ
P.S. - Not used their taps 'n' dies, but I can imagine they're damn good too!

 

[Robotstar5]

Always makes me wish I had a lathe, to skim a bit off it.

Can you put it in a drill the wrong way round and polish a bit off the shaft with emery cloth?

 

[Country Joe]

If I were more organised...

Can you put it in a drill the wrong way round and polish a bit off the shaft with emery cloth?

Nice idea, there Robotstar.
Think the thought crossed my mind once before, but never at the right time. Usually in-between virtually hammering it in, and wondering how long it'll take to extract again.
You know how it is - always seem to need to do whatever I'm doing right now!
All the Best,
CJ

And thanks!

 

[Spot the welders dog]

Many thanks Brightspark & Country Joe...
Oggled a few & more of the sites you mentioned. Found some lovely things to clean and polish, although as Cj has mentioned; the arbor/spindle to enable the use of cutting disks is more elusive. I spied one but was mighty expensive.

Also looking for an opinion on whether I should buy 'branded' tool or a generic re-badge (light DIY work) or are they mostly much of the same at the bottom end of the market: CFM/PSI, rpm all seem roughly the same for most I view?

If there are any major differences: What are they, and would they necessarily concern me for the little use the tool would probably see?
Is a 6mm collett type fixing the one to go for?

 

[Country Joe]

I don't really know anything about the air-powered ones - mine is an electric (variable speed) makita (GD 0800 c?) type.
Brightspark will know though, he has quite a few air tools.
Been thinking about the collett size thing myself. Maybe the tightness problem that I have is the difference between a 6mm & a 1/4 inch sizes.
Most likely going to do what Robotstar5 said above, though.
The arbor is the hardest part to find, and I found them to be extortionately expensive, too.
Also if the shaft of the arbor isn't the same size as the hole in the cutting disc, it's a bit hit & miss when trying to centre it - can also take a while, too.
I'm still half-heartedly looking for an arbor that matches the cutting disc size-wise, but sort of "semi gave up" a while ago.
All the Best,
CJ

 

[Spot the welders dog]

Cj: At the expense of being called a failure, I think I will concede that using the die grinder 'multipurposily could be a pain. I think I will still buy a cheapo and spend my money on some fancy 2" clean&strips and a 3M clone backing pad.
The cut off tools are really cheap- cheaper than an arbor alone, and the disks are readily available.
I await awhile before committing to any purchase on the chance that more info becomes available.

Thank you

 

[gavuk]

My cut off tool has the same collet as my die grinder...buy the cut off remove the guard its a die grinder......or wait until they are in lid//aldi and by both....

 

[Spot the welders dog]

Now why didn't I think of it like that

 

[gavuk]

Where are you looking to buy? ebay,machine mart ?......should be able to confirm the collet size....

 

[Country Joe]

Hey, Spot the welders dog, I've just had a thought!


This type of arbor seems the easiest to get hold of. The main problem being that the diameter of the shaft is 6mm, and the hole in the disc is 10mm.
However, with a (very) short piece of 10mm tube with a 2mm wall, used as an adapter, there will be no (or maybe just less) trouble in centreing the disc.
I've even found the tubing!
See!!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STEEL-PRECISION-TUBE-10mm-OD-x-300mm-LONG-2mm-WALL-/250953459100?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&hash=item3a6dfde59c

So, it seems, all is not lost.

Obviously, not so relevant any more, as you'll most likely be taking another route - which, given the horrific cost of electric die grinders, is probably a very good plan.
Almost feels like I'm attempting to sell you a solution, here - but I'm not. I'm just not really all that good at containing my excitement at finding a "no lathe" way of getting around the centreing problem!

I guess most of this is driven by the fact that I have the arbor, and a pile of discs, a the die grinder; but the speed they need to run at feels like a potentially face-losing exercise, when used with my current "hope-based" centreing system.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Country Joe]

Cj: At the expense of being called a failure...........I await awhile before committing to any purchase on the chance that more info becomes available

Failure, you won't hear that from me! Sensible, maybe?

Anyway, just to ruin my own party, after all this typing & taking photos, I've just seen an arbor that would've done the job from the start, too. Actually has a 10mm "wheel shaft" and a 6mm part to go in the die grinder.

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=12474

But I'm not about to undermine my own inventiveness and just buy it!
Maybe I should, though!
Can't decide, now. Where's me dice?
All the Best,
CJ