Flap Discs

[Turbo]

Thought I'd start a thread on what flap discs we all use. I have used them in the past, usually for finishing off welds after a grinding disc.

Recently I bought some of the Dronco Jet Zirkon flap discs & they are a revelation.

http://www.dronco.com/en/innovation/jet-flap-discs/

The first test was putting a chamfer on some 50x10mm steel - in no time it had it sharpened to a point, much quicker than a grinding disc!

The next test was cleaning off a rusty inner wheel arch. It cut through the rust & back to clean steel very quickly. It devoured old underseal with no sign of clogging.

Best part is that the disc itself still looks like new after all the abuse I gave it!

 

[james butler]

i do find them better for cleaning and gently shaping metal as a grinding disk is a bit harsh.
i dont find them quicker than a grinding disk allthough they do give a better finish.
i buy mine from a cash and carry at 30p each or something and find them fantastic and my main go to for prepping metal and taking off paint and rust

 

[RonA]

Might try some dronco ones next time I run out, so far best ones I've used have been 3M. Don't know who came up with the flap disc concept but personally don't know what I'd do without them. Sometimes they can be a bit fierce but I think this is down to the grit size I tend to buy.
RonA

 

[gordon stephenson]

Does anybody know where flap wheels can be bought for around the 30p that poster two suggests, Good quality cubic zirconia only please? Also has anybody tried the "see through"
discs? with gaps in the flaps,

 

[dan.taylor.1]

I use klingsplor and rate them highly, we use dronco and others at work but they never seem to last as long as mine. Got a load of Norton ones free through a competition recently so have them to try yet.

 

[gaz1]

i have both of the dronco disks they are alot better to use for cleaning metal off ive tried a few others and left a demo disk with friends to try out

 

[123hotchef]

I use klingsplor and rate them highly, we use dronco and others at work but they never seem to last as long as mine. Got a load of Norton ones free through a competition recently so have them to try yet.

I like the norton ones for longevity

 

[Turbo]

I have tried all makes over the years & they all worked well but they don't like getting warm from hard use & start to shred. These Dronco Jet Zirkon discs screw directly onto the grinder & they incorporate vents in the backing pad to keep the disc cool. It seems to work & after some hard use the disc showed little wear.

I've bought 30 of these so at the wear rate that's enough for a few years!

 

[james butler]

Does anybody know where flap wheels can be bought for around the 30p that poster two suggests, Good quality cubic zirconia only please? Also has anybody tried the "see through"
discs? with gaps in the flaps,

your not going to get good quality ones for 30p but i find they do the job.
i get them from a cash and carry so not exactly general public access and you have to buy in bulk to get them for that price.
its not so bad when you split the bulk up between a group of you then the cost is shared.
heres some for just under a pound each
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10Pcs-Ang...hash=item238311dc0a:m:mBK5hjqkrb36xnbcOMOSicA

to be honest you might find buying a more expensive brand would last longer than the cheap ones i buy.
i dont use them that often so they last a reasonably long time but if i used them every day i would probably go through quite a few.

 

[Kent]

Grinding disc is at least a third quicker than flap disc. Flap disc is maybe a third faster than a sanding disc. Very late adopter of flap discs myself but I now appreciate the fact they don't curl like sanding discs will stored outside in the workshop.
Not sure what brand I am on at present as I just buy in bulk and forget

 

[Hitch]

3M 566A or Klingspor SMT325Extra usually.

Im not a huge fan flap discs, great for the first 5 minutes of use, then seem to loose the abrasiveness. The ceramic ones are a bit better, but diffiult to justify the extra cost if used in the wrong hands, the edge goes and the rest is wasted.