CAN ANGLE GRINDERS CUT WOOD?? (Tricks + Tips--Cutting Wood With Grinders)

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Can angle grinders cut wood? The answer is YES...but it can be tricky. This short video from The Honest Carpenter will show you how to cut wood with an angle grinder. It includes several tips and tricks for cutting wood with angle grinders.

Angle grinders are typically used to cut metal and masonry. But those cutting wheels have abrasive edges instead of teeth, so they won't help much if you want to cut wood.

Graff sent me out their new speedcutter blades, which are specifically designed to cut wood with angle grinders. They have 3 tungsten carbide teeth, and a beefy wheel shape.

Angle grinders spin at about 11,000 RPMs. (Circular saws only spin at about 5,000 RPMs.)

They also lack a snap-back guard. They are a freehand tool. This, combined with their excessive speed, makes them a very dangerous tool

When you cut wood with an angle grinder, be sure to keep body parts and clothing AWAY FROM THE BLADE! Let the blade spin down before you set the tool down.

CAN YOU CUT WOOD WITH AN ANGLE GRINDER?? (Tips + Tricks--cutting wood with angle grinders):

1) Set the blade guard low so it protects your fingers.
2) Use the blade guard as a pivot to lower the blade into the wood.
3) Angle grinders cut on the "Pull", so the teeth will engage if you draw the angle grinder towards yourself, cutting through the wood.
4) Thick material will be harder to cut because the angle grinder wood blade is not very big. You may have to flip wood stock to cut all the way through it with an angle grinder.
5) This Graff speedcutter blade is also rated to cut some aerated concrete products. I like to use it to cut hardie plank siding.
6) You can us an angle grinder with woodcutting blade to SHAPE WOOD! Just hold the blade flat and pass it back and forth across your stock--it will pare or gouge away layers of wood.
7) Angle grinders with woodcutting blades can be used to NOTCH wood as well. Just be sure to wear gloves when you create notches in wood with an angle grinder, because it can throw wood chips back at your fingers.

BE SURE TO EXERCISE ALL CAUTION WHEN CUTTING WOOD WITH AN ANGLE GRINDER. UNPLUG THE TOOL WHEN IT'S NOT IN USE, OR BEFORE YOU CHANGE THE BLADE OR ADJUST THE GUARD. WEAR SAFTEY GLASSES, EAR PROTECTION, AND A RESPIRATOR!

Thanks for watching! Be sure to visit us at The Honest Carpenter website:

[robertwoods]

As a kid, we had an angle grinder with a sanding disc on it. I put it on my lap and plugged it in. Well, someone had turned it on and, of course, it tore up my legs. So, another tip is to make sure the tool is turned off before plugging it in. Thanks for sharing this video. Great job!

[kevinstuart]

Thank you for being responsible! You always stress the importance of safety. Not enough tubers do that! Keep up the good work. Really helpful stuff.

[Forexfox]

35 stitches up the front of my leg from this idea. It opened me up like a salad sandwich. Don’t do it. Wood blades should not be used on this tool. Also, the corded model that your using has no safety switch, so the tool will dance all round your workshop, whilst you are bleeding right next to it. Don’t do it!

[brandonmims]

I’ve used these blades for years on aluminum although it had more teeth. Biggest thing I can tell you is find the handle to that grinder. Never use this type of blade without a handle

[tilerman]

I've been using angle grinders daily for over 30 years and i must confess that i did get lazy regarding safety when using them. Until i had an avoidable accident resulting in a very nasty injury. Now, every single time i pick up a grinder, every time i have respect for the tool. On a side note i recently got rid of my old grinders and got a new modern model with brakes. Game changing in my opinion.

[chhoc]

one of the best opening 10 seconds to an informational youtube video I've seen - clear, concise, the topic, the punchline all up front, details follow - well done, kudos!

[Ghostbit]

Just got my first angle grinder for a project I'm working on. Your safety tips were appreciated.

[dsmasynergy]

Next video series: How to reattach fingers and stitch up nasty jagged cuts.

[lcook]

I have spent the last two days watching all your videos. I am so impressed how well you explain things you are so diy guys can understand them. Keep the videos coming. I will probably finish catching up tomorrow.

[scottwalton]

Had my first experience using a grinder to cut wood. First and last. Scary, scary stuff. Twice (was stupid to keep going after the first) the blade caught and the grinder jumped - fortunately to the side and away from my body. Happy/lucky to have tens fingers and two eyes still. Never again.

[longviewconsultingengineer]

Thanks for sharing this video. I'm confident it has saved me significant injury. No angle grinder wood-cutting for me!

[commoncents]

Thank you for your video
People spend so much money on redesigning, repurposing angle grinders.
Thank you for stressing how dangerous these are

[plywoodcarjohnson]

I tried one of these. As in the film the seem to be fastened with the labelling down. Nasty backcuts all the time. I work mostly with stone though. So I quickly went back to a universal diamond cutting blade and went back to sculpting. The one good thing with the woodcutting blade is that the particles are rather big and doesn't affect your breathing as much, in the long run.

[satfleming]

thank you, thank you, thank you. be careful is something i hear so often (using my tools to do things they werent made for) but the fact you said it seventeen times makes me sit up and take notice.

[onepercentile]

I'm so happy to see you warning people of the dangers of power tools. It's better to warn than speak too late.. I bought one of these blades because the regular saw blade with multiple teeth scared the crap out of me with kicking. The 3 blades and depth stop seems like a great design. I didn't have rings to fit the larger arbor so will try it when I have them. When something kicks I'm like "Not worth it, " whereas before I'd just go for it. Loosing the tip of your finger after drinking and playing with power tools (finger caught in the chain of a DIY electric chopper) gave me a heightened sense of caution and an appreciation to continue playing the piano. I can't imagine the loss of fingers or even a hand. We wouldn't need OSHA if more people cared to warn like you do. So thanks THC!

[cjkcjk]

Well done. You stopped this beginner from using the angle grinder for wood 😮😅

[covinhas]

I've used a corded grinder (I borough from a friend) once in my life and I was terrified because the thing looks so dangerous. This week I bought myself a cordless milwaukee and I feel so much safe. It has a pressure paddle, so if you let the tool go it will stop, also has an electronic brake, so it stops spinning very quickly and it's only 8500rpm. Of course it is still dangerous, but I feel so much safe. Highly recommend a cordless grinder for someone looking to buy his first grinder. :)

[BDBMX]

I got one of these. Had a kickback and nearly ripped half my face off, I got lucky but it won't get used again!

[derekiwi]

I will not be cutting wood again any time soon with my angle grinder, except maybe under very controlled conditions as you show. I had a tree root coming from under a concrete foundation which I could not get anything like a chain saw onto. Then I saw a wood cutting blade in the hardware shop, basically a coarse saw blade and thought aha - just the thing. Access was difficult, I could only use one hand. First contact, that grinder flew out of my hand and straight into my leg. I was wearing heavy gumboots but still that thing cut through them and into my leg. Luckily the blade grabbed the boots and that changed its direction, but not before chewing a 5mm wide 50mm long gash right over my shin bone. So yes, I broke more than one safety rule, like not being able to hold it securely and using it for something I should not have. And PPE - without those boots it would have cut to the bone. Also one big problem with these angle grinders is that power is locked on. If anything like that happens it does not lose power when you let it go, even when it does go flying. It has given me a new respect for safety on this device which I already knew had to be used with care.

[fraz]

Very helpful. Thanks! After watching this, I've decided to buy the proper saw. The grinder is too unstable and it won't cut deep enough. Thanks again!