WARNING - Misuse of Angle Grinder - Please read and do not attempt what I did !

[Notch7]

Ouch!

Im very sorry to hear about your accident, but glad to hear you are still with us and with a full set of limbs with correct number of digits!

Whst you experienced is a circular saw kickback, nasty when it happens in a saw bench, very frightening in a hand held unguarded angle grinder.

The UK require riving knives to be fitted on saw benches, but these arent required on US machines, which is somewhat worrying because lots of enthusiasts over here watch youtube clips.

I hope you heal up soon!

 

[Graceful]

Courageous of you to post it Frazzles and I hope it gets a lot of views so others can learn.
It needs a wide audience.
You have certainly helped me. I was thinking of buying a circular saw for the first time
at north of fifty. My mate has said that I shouldn’t. I could do the job with a handsaw (plywood).
You have saved me money and perhaps fingers-or worse.
Get well soon and I hope no problems later.
“That which hurts instructs”- Benjamin Franklin.

 

[EddieM]

A 115mm blade @ 11000 RPM is travelling @ approx 150 MPH at it's edge

 

[pete50]

Just to be clear on this the OP was using an angle grinder with the wrong type of attacment aka a saw blade. Circular saws, whilst still a dangerous tool as are all power tools, is a completely different device. Circular saws do have a riving knife fitted and whilst a riving knife does eliminate the majority of kickbacks it isn't foolproof. Also circular saws do not have a locking switch, at least not the modern ones. To reiterate ALL power tools are dangerous but the paticular power tool that this thread pertains to was being used wrongly.

 

[Keithmac]

Respect to the OP for posting up his mistake and experience. Glad it wasn't a worse outcome!.

I use angle grinders daily for metal work and even with the grinding/ cutting disks in they have to be treated with respect. Had a disc explode once and its not pretty.

Had the circular saw out before Christmas and that is fankly scarey to use, always make sure the wife's about just in case anything goes wrong..

 

[DaveHerns]

I was using my circular saw to cut up a bit of worktop into dustbin size pieces on Monday. For convenience I was using the bin on it's side to rest the wood on. On reflection now, not a good idea. I'm happy with my 4.5" angle grinder but my 9" one terrifies me.

 

[geraldthehamster]

It amazes me that angle grinders are even allowed to have a locking switch. One of the most dangerous devices known to man.

 

[Daveydub]

My little angle grinder does not have a locking switch, it has a switch that needs to be slid back & then pushed in for safety. In gloves, not possible, slightly sweaty, not posssible. This means that you have to change your grip, switch it on, then change your grip back again while keeping it running.

 

[matz]

good on the OP for sharing, many would have slunk away licking their wounds literally! I have a healthy respect for power tools having been working with wood near 40 yrs and never had a really bad mishap. I've never used a hand held circular saw and never will. These grinders I no like either but I'm ok doing simple stuff with them and I agree about the locking switch as thats always made me uneasy.......

 

[big-all]

good on the OP for sharing, many would have slunk away licking their wounds literally! I have a healthy respect for power tools having been working with wood near 40 yrs and never had a really bad mishap. I've never used a hand held circular saw and never will. These grinders I no like either but I'm ok doing simple stuff with them and I agree about the locking switch as thats always made me uneasy.......

hand held circular saws can be dangerous if used wrongly but to be honest i have made several thousands off cuts with circ saws and had perhaps one or two frights
but then i dont cut thick or wet or timber thats not well supported
i also make sure the saw plunge depth is correct[2mm through the work]as wrongly set up or maintained tool along with misuse in general tends to be the problem

 

[John D v2.0]

Thanks for sharing and Ur very lucky!

Every time I get the angle grinder out I tell my wife is it's the most dangerous tool I own.
She thinks the mitre saw is but that's just the most noisy.
Second most dangerous is the circular saw.
Then probably the long ladders.

Always worth thinking what could go wrong before doing any job with tools.

Actually I'm wrong, I'm the most dangerous, all the other tools come afterwards.

 

[big-all]

you need to understand the tool
wear and use pp equipment including masks and extraction
best place and setup to use it including support and clamping
the correct way to set it up including guards
the correct way to use it including positioning the work or your body so ejected work or tool will as far as practical not cause injury
you need to understand its limitation and not go beyond them

and most off all if norm suggests it dont do it because they dont sell lumber in this country so wont work

 

[footprints]

Yes I agree to make matters worse both the grinders I have tend to get very stiff switches from the dust created I end up flushing them with WD40 from time to time.
thanks for sharing it's good to be reminded how easy it is to get caught out, glad you didn't loose any of your naughty bits!

 

[Diver Fred]

To be honest - any angle grinder frightens me.
But so do 'Plunge' tools. I learn most of my woodwork skills before plunge tools became available or common but as the old tools are being changed out I find I have more plunge tools in the workshop. What concerns me is I always feel the workpiece is going to slide away from me even when working on a solid bench.

As I use them more often I'm gaining confidence but I do use them with great caution rather than great care. Guess it is what you are used to.

 

[securespark]

like the guy in Leicester who did a similar thing to hack up a tree and too out his throat instead....
http://metro.co.uk/2009/04/20/man-killed-by-improvised-power-tool-39451/

You're not the only one - a chap who used to post here did the same in his garden. He died.

They are one and the same. RIP, Alastair.