Shop safety tips

[FORDification]

Here's a good shop safety tip:

When using a wire wheel attachment in an angle grinder to clean rusty steel, always wear heavy clothing and especially eye protection. I took this shot this evening of the front of my sweatshirt after using my angle grinder for about 20 minutes:



Those things really come whizzing out of the wire wheel when they break off. I've actually gotten them embedded into my skin! In fact, several months ago while stripping paint with this thing, I walked into the shop bathroom and happened to look in the mirror and saw one of these actually sticking out of my forehead with a little dried blood around it! (I was wearing goggles.)

I'm guessing most of you know to use eye protection when doing something like this, but I just thought I'd add the visual as to WHY. Your eyes won't recover very well from getting one of these wires embedded into it.

[FORDification]

Here's another good shop tip: When it comes time to remove heater hoses, especially ones that have been on for a while, slide the hose clamp back and and then slit the heater hose lengthwise along the nipple and peel back. It's almost guaranteed that if you try twisting the hose off the nipple that you're going to bend and/or break the nipple off. Here's a picture of heater hoses I was removing from a factory A/C setup today. These hoses had actually fused themselves to the heater core...I'd definitely have ruined the core if I'd tried twisting these hoses off.

[fordman]

i had one of those wire wheels do that to me. when i went to buy another one after that one was trash i got a better made one and it doesn't throw anythingh when i use it now. maybe because its new.

[flyboy2610]

Proper equipment for using angle grinders: Heavy, long sleeved shirt and long pants, good work gloves, safety goggles, and hearing protection.

[Jake11]

And don't use a wire wheel on a air powered die grinder!!!!

[Jake11]

Another tip. If your gonna do under dash work, a set of 1/4" sockets
and a wobble will make it a lot more pleasant. If you have air, get a
1/4" air ratchet too. They look like toys, but their great to have around.

[390Nut]

Another tip. If your gonna do under dash work, a set of 1/4" sockets
and a wobble will make it a lot more pleasant. If you have air, get a
1/4" air ratchet too. They look like toys, but their great to have around.

Yeah, but they are the kinda toys I long to have...

I still need a compressor first, though.

[Jake11]

You gotta get a compessor, Paul!!
Sears has some good deals sometimes.

[HOWDY69]

I need to do some painting on my rear bumper and frame. I was looking at a 4â€Â

[FORDification]

I've actually found the flat braided-wire wheels to do the best job. I was disappointed in how the wire cups actually performed in stripping rust or paint. I've tried a little of everything:



The wheel mounted in that grinder is what I'm sticking with....that, and the 3M composite wheel (blue, middle-right), which is a little more aggressive.

[flyboy2610]

I don't know how much the Sears grinder goes for, but I bought a Millwaukee for $109 at Home Depot. It has lasted longer than the two previous grinders put together!

[black70cs]

I use safety glasses and face shield and gloves, and dust mask and agree with not liking the cupped wire wheels, and get the best quality wire wheel. I use a dewalt and has served me well. I like the grinder with a 5/8'' arbor, they sell a lot varietys of wheels and acc.
Charlie