Angle grinders are a power tool which can be used for cutting a massive variety of different materials.
There is a massive variety of different types of angle grinders, but they all utilize a similar format of a spinning disk attachment which is spun at a high speed to be able to ‘grind’ through the material it is designed for.
This is one of the most impressive aspects of angle grinders, being their customizability.
While you can buy angle grinders which are smaller for more precision work, or bigger heavy-duty angle grinders which are designed for big projects, if the angle grinder can fit a disk for a certain material it will be able to cut it.
Certain materials will have different angle grinders which are better suited for them. Angle grinders are designed in a variety of different ways so if you know what you want to be grinding, it is best to buy one which is best for your use.
If you are cutting a relatively soft material you will want a grinder which allows maximum control, while if you are cutting something harder, you will want a grinder with more stability and power, but often sacrificing maneuverability.
Some angle grinders in more niche sizes will have a more limited variety of disks which will be able to fit them, especially smaller grinders. So if you know that you will need to be able to cut a massive variety of materials, it is best to get an angle grinder which fits the most standard sizes of disks.
This level of customizability and control will lead many users or potential buyers to wonder what can and cannot be cut with an angle grinder and this is what will be answered in this article.
This article will focus specifically on what an angle grinder is unable to cut and help you understand the limitations of the device you are buying.
As you can tell from the nature of angle grinders, they can be incredibly dangerous if they are not used safely, and one of the most unsafe things you can do with an angle grinder is use it on a material which is can not cut.
This article is a must-read if you are unsure of the limitations of your tool and need to know what you can and can not cut with an angle grinder.
As well as discussing the limitations of angle grinders, this article will also give some basic safety and performance guidelines for using an angle grinder.
This will be good foundational knowledge, but if you are looking for something more specific there are more in-depth guides and video instructions available.
What Can Not Be Cut With An Angle Grinder?
As mentioned in the introduction, angle grinders are incredibly versatile tools which with the right attachments can be used to cut almost any material which you need to for your projects.
So being told that a device can be used to grind through anything leads to many people wondering what the limitations are and what will not be able to be cut.
The limitations of the angle grinder have already been explained however, the angle grinder is able to cut anything which is has a certified disk that will fit it. Some angle grinders will not be suited for cutting specific materials.
A lightweight angle grinder which fits small disks will not be suited for cutting metal or concrete. And a heavyweight angle grinder with minimal maneuverability will likely not have the precision needed for working with materials like wood.
But in theory, if you can find a disk which fits your angle grinder and is designed to cut a certain material, you will be able to cut that material with this angle grinder and necessary skill required.
Some materials are much easier to work with, with tools that are not angle grinders.
For example, it is possible to cut materials like diamond with the correct angle grinder attachment, but there is equipment that is much better designed for this purpose which will provide much better results.
There are some materials which can also not be cut at all, so of course an angle grinder will not be able to penetrate these, but that is quite obvious.
The main takeaway from this point is, if you have the talent needed as well as the angle grinder disk which is designed to cut the material, you will be able to cut it.
Angle grinders are able to grind a massive variety of materials from; metal, concrete, pavers, bricks, wood, aluminum and even more dense materials. They are not even limited to cutting and grinding!
With the correct attachment you can use an angle grinder to polish surfaces and even sharpen other tools.
But this all comes with the warning to avoid using an angle grinder disk on a material it is not designed for.
Of course, you will not want to use a disk designed for something much softer on something which is tougher than it, but being careful not to do the inverse is also true as using a disk which is too sharp will lead to a poor level of control when grinding the material.
When using an angle grinder, make sure to know the limitations of the specific tool you are working is, and also prioritize your safety as power tools can be very dangerous if you are unprepared to use them.
How To Be Safe Using An Angle Grinder?
While one of the best pieces of advice for staying safe with an angle grinder is mentioned in the previous section to not use an unfitting disk for the job it is designed for, there is plenty more advice that should be followed when using an angle grinder to stay as safe as possible.
- Make sure there is as little clutter as possible in your workspace to make sure nothing will distract, confine, or impede your use of the angle grinder, Having clutter will make your experience using the grinder uncomfortable and unsafe depending on how much clutter is surrounding you.
- Be careful there are no stray cables, especially cables on the floor. The worst situation which could arise when using an angle cutter is stumbling or tripping so make sure your floor space has no chance of this happening.
- Make sure that there are no flammable substances nearby, angle grinders, depending on the material you are working with, can create sparks, and you want to avoid starting a fire when working on your projects. Make sure you always have a fire extinguisher handy just in case
- Make sure you are not wearing anything which hangs off of you like headphones or jewelry as this could get caught in the angle grinder during use.
- Make sure you are wearing protective equipment and clothing. This includes protection for your eyes from debris as well as breathing equipments, and proper clothing and earplugs. Different grinders will have different protective requirements but make sure to always protect the most sensitive areas.
