Cut Off Saw from an Angle Head Grinder

It is difficult to cut a straight line by hand with thin cut off wheel in an angle head grinder. I had an angle head grinder and wanted to make a mount for it to convert it to a cut off saw. I know you can buy a mount at Harbor Freight Tools, but I have a bias against most of their tools and wanted to make my own. I also have a welder. I used scraps of steel I already had.

Step 1 Basic piece for a start

A friend gave me some scrap pieces of steel. One of these was a piece of 1 inch square tubing about 22 inches long with a 90 degree bend at one end. For a long time I had no idea how I would make use of this piece. If you choose to make a saw like mine, you probably will not have a piece like I had, but you can use other things. You could even weld a couple of pieces of square tubing together to make an "L" shaped piece.

Comments

[bannutechniclor]

the cut dust and sparks are very open. this is sedentry so use is dangerous as we have to move the object to cut. no use is machine stays. pls make it more different. but good concept keep it up dear sir

[Phil B]

I am not sure what you are talking about. I do not move the steel, but the grinder is hinged and the steel is stationary. Further, I can use this with the factory guard, but usually the sheet metal deflector for the sparks is more than sufficient. I wear a face guard, too, when I use it.

I saw your design. I notice the grinder is held in place with only one bolt. It appears to me the grinder could twist on its mount and bind against the steel being cut. It also appears to me you have no fence to hold the steel from moving as it is being cut. My grinder is held very firmly in place and cannot twist or move in its mount.

My design is an adaptation of a design once sold by a tool company (Harbor Freight) in the USA. Thank you for your comments, but after about ten years of use, I do not see any safety problems with the unit I built.

[Cooldeal]

Nice design and all but I really see lots of possible danger here for a serious accident. Modifications of tools often lack of properly engineered safety design and lead to horrible accidents. Yes I have witnessed lots of modified tools especially powered ones that harmed or killed people. Upside down bandsaws, skilsaw attached to a table upside down, unguarded blades and methods of attaching rotating power equipment that can bind or be thrown off and where improper access to switches were improvised.

Go ahead and curse me for wanting people safe from dangerous and improperly designed tool modifications. When your finger or hand gets cut off then you'll stop. This can throw a chip off the blade, loosen in the vice you made for it which is squeezing the motor chassis. Just as bad mixing electricity with water, mixing power tools with modifications FAR FROM THE INTENDED AND LICENSED SAFETY ORIGINAL DESIGN...

How would you feel Phil B if someone looked you up and told you that one of your improvised safety power tool modifications caused them to lose a limb? Or a life of a family member? Just looking at your skills and placement of the tool cutting blades lets me know you are not qualified to design and scary configurations of your contraptions are DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!

Can you show us a way to put safety guards on your devices and a way to insure clamps at motor casings and switches can be operated properly as to the tools' original safety design? I don't want anyone hurt. Especially not you.

[Phil B]

After some thought, I checked and it can be operated as shown with the original guard in place.

[harvey639]

you should use a cable tie to hold down the grinders switch and make a a foot operated momeruntry switch and plug the grinder into that

[Phil B]

If I used this tool more regularly I would probably do that. Thanks.

[rimar2000]

Very useful tool.

[prestux]

Excellent idea! I just happen to have a extra angle head grinder that could be converted into one of these. Just the thing for those smaller cut-off projects.

[Phil B]

Even though I have a big (230 volt, 200 amp) welder, I find most of what I do are fairly small projects. A small cut off saw works fine for cutting 3/4 inch square tubing or 1/8 inch strap iron. Sometimes I cut something too big for a single cut, but it is easy to stop and roll a piece of pie for another cut until I get all of the way through the piece. The tapped holes on this grinder are 180 degrees opposite one another. The second grinder I bought has angled holes in the head. It would still be possible to make one of these for angled holes, but it would present a couple extra little challenges.

[Lftndbt]

"Angle Head Grinder" Got to love it! ;) Preparing for Zombie wars anyone?