Angle grinder guards

[gaz1]

9" guard is on
4.5 guard is off

I have had a slitting disk go on me and it bounced around the garage floor and ceiling that was cutting up 3/4" steel plate with it for some reason it nipped and shattered

ive had a few go on me

now ive wanted to upgrade the guard so i could use 5" disks in it but that means i cannot use it for proper jobs
h&s cant use it as its adapted past its design scope

 

[bigegg]

I had glasses on and this went behind and landed on my upper eye lash. I could see it, so blinked a couple of times and the ruddy thing ended up in my eye! Came off a 115mm 3M 36+ sanding disc that really shift material.

View attachment 252826

A few years ago, i spent the day under my old van chasing a hole in the chassis rail trying to find some solid metal to weld onto.
Full face mask, bennie hat, goggles, prescription glasses, and a neck scarf on.

Gave up as it started to get dark, so stripped off and got in the shower.

Washed a sliver of steel out of my hair into my eye, and ended up spending four hours in casualty waiting for it to be dug out with a big needle.

So no amount of PPE guarantees 100% safety.
But a missing guard guarantees 0% safety.

 

[Richiew]

I always use guards. I even adjust them to the correct angle for the work I'm doing occassionally.

I once had a slitting disc let go in a grinder. Bit of a non event. Sample of one of course and your mileage may vary.

 

[northwest]

I had a wire cup brush kiss the back of my left hand. Ten years later the scar is really clear and evident so even a guard wouldn't have stopped that. Pair of bloody gloves would have "but it was only going to take a minute!"

My new Fein 125mm 1100 watt grinder is a bit of an animal and definitely requires a bit of respect. Pushes slitting disks through steel like there is nothing there.

 

[Mikes]

As an aside to this, I have a heap of Bosch angle grinders that are dead and if anyone needs a guard to replace a missing one then please let me know as will happily remove one FOC for you. Hate to see grinders without guards - just an unnecessary risk. Have noticed that a lot of guys in America who do You-tube videos often have unguarded grinders - bad example to people watching them.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Have noticed that a lot of guys in America who do You-tube videos often have unguarded grinders - bad example to people watching them.

Aye, and welding without sleeves or even gloves/gauntlets etc.

But I digress.......

 

[Munkul]

All the grinders in my workshop, and in fact on the farm at all, have guards.

Back in the bad old days we used to take em off to use the remainder of used-up 9" and 12" discs... luckily we never had any accidents, but one was definitely waiting to happen! When the adults were being tightfisted about buying discs and teenage us were ignorant and gung-ho.
None of that now... why would we? Buy the right tool for the right job, and you don't need to take safety guards off at all...

Flap discs can do a lot of damage if you get caught on the business end!

 

[Memmeddu]

I had a wire cup brush kiss the back of my left hand. Ten years later the scar is really clear and evident so even a guard wouldn't have stopped that. Pair of bloody gloves would have "but it was only going to take a minute!"

My new Fein 125mm 1100 watt grinder is a bit of an animal and definitely requires a bit of respect. Pushes slitting disks through steel like there is nothing there.

My smallest grinder has 1050W still quite manageable , but surely not a toy .
Even a small 250W angle grinder isn't a toy if it touches you.

My all days grinders have 1200 and 1250W ,the big ones have 1800W and 1900W .
I won't use them without guard .
I have an angle grinder spindle to use it on my cordless drill when I need to cut slots on screws or sharpen things .

 

[bigegg]

Even a small 250W angle grinder isn't a toy if it touches you.

<Snip>

I have an angle grinder spindle to use it on my cordless drill when I need to cut slots on screws or sharpen things .

I dont like using abrasive disks on the dremel/proxxon without a guard, and use a face shield/protective screen.

Maybe because i had to replace a pair of glasses last year, after a burst disk put a big scratch on them.
(Dog knows what it would have done to my face!)

 

[slim_boy_fat]

(Dog knows what it would have done to my face!)

Changed the colour - that's for sure!

 

[bigegg]

Changed the colour - that's for sure!

Added to the colour, at least.

Black AND Blue.

 

[Memmeddu]

Added to the colour, at least.

Black AND Blue.

I don't use drugs but I like to think that your avatar picture is actually you
Just joking surely not a great experience .
I've almost cut open my left leg with an angle grinder when I was starting playing with powertools
I've surely changed colour , my legs were trembling , my heart was pumping like an Harley engine .
I didn't touch tools for weeks after this experience

 

[Parm]

If only I could share some of the pics Ive seen of no guard on grinder accidents

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

If only I could share some of the pics Ive seen of no guard on grinder accidents

Shame I can show the picture of a human, sorry remains of a human.
The person tried to inhale the gas from a Foam Extinguisher, by inserting the nozzle up his nose.

He operated the handle and ...........

 

[Parm]

Shame I can show the picture of a human, sorry remains of a human.
The person tried to inhale the gas from a Foam Extinguisher, by inserting the nozzle up his nose.

He operated the handle and ...........

oh dear. There is no limit to stupid

 

[bigegg]

I don't use drugs but I like to think that your avatar picture is actually you

Genuinely quite similar - except for the complexion (bruises notwithstanding).
I had purplish-blue stained hands for several years when i worked with inks - the pigments take weeks to wear off.

 

[bigegg]

oh dear. There is no limit to stupid

I think he may have reached his limit.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

oh dear. There is no limit to stupid

Not for that person.

The gene pool was cleaned that day.

 

[droopsnoot]

I sometimes remove a guard if it's the only way to get access to something, but I don't like doing and it goes back on afterwards. I bought an electric die grinder so I could use burrs, and also so I could stick a 3" cut-off disc in it. But because it has no guard, and it has no adjustable speed, I very rarely use the cut-off disc in it, it just doesn't feel "right", and it usually vibrates because the arbor isn't all that good.

I had a wire cup brush kiss the back of my left hand.

I once had one run down the inside of my arm and onto my hand, because the thing I was cleaning up wasn't fixed in place properly (it was an awkward shape) and it moved, and I tried to secure it. For a moment I thought "lucky I was wearing overalls and gloves", but then realised that's exactly why I wear overalls and gloves, it wasn't luck at all. I know someone who once put a twisted cup brush down on the top of his leg while it was powering down - he said it "hurt quite a bit" or something like that.

I've done a few minor injuries to ends of fingers and thumbs recently, and they've all been a lack of care, a "won't bother with gloves as it'll only be a second or two". It's so inconvenient to have a hand slightly inconvenienced by a sticking plaster, I need to just stop doing it. As for eyes - I don't like having an eyelash in my eye, never mind anything more substantial, so nothing spinny or windy gets done without goggles or shield.

 

[Cobbler]

Not for that person.

The gene pool was cleaned that day.

Must have been “foaming cleanser”