Old foreman changed my mind about using a 4-1/2 inch grinder for beveling in Houston

He just handed me a 7-inch grinder and said 'stop fighting the steel, let the tool do the work,' and I haven't picked up the smaller one for bevels since.

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_campbell23d ago

Same thing happened to me a few years back. Old timer handed me a 7 inch and said the same kind of thing, and I was surprised how much easier it was on my wrist by the end of the day. Did you notice it helps with the heat buildup too, or was that just me?

blair_webb22d ago

Grace, you're absolutely right about the heat. I swapped over a couple years back after a buddy talked me into it, and the bigger wheel just doesn't bog down as fast, so less friction and less heat buildup for sure. My wrists thanked me too, and now I can't even imagine going back to the little ones for anything heavy.

tara_patel23d ago

Ha, sounds like the old timer just became your new welding sensei. I swear they have some secret handshake where they pass down the gospel of the 7-inch grinder. Next thing you know he'll be telling you to stop fighting the steel and start fighting the coffee pot instead. Honestly though, my wrist thanked me after switching, but my shoulder started complaining about the extra weight. Guess you can't win em all.