As I posted here the new welding table(s) require a bit of caution and care to keep nice. While scraping with a chuck of steel does do a good job of removing most of the weld splatter, every few months they will require a very careful once-over with a grinder using a flat flap disk for light cleaning/removal or a type 11 cup wheel to remove bad defects or fused lumps (link is to an annoying video, but it has good info on technique).
It really helps to have a large grinder for this, so I think we should get a nice 7" grinder, cup wheel, and an assortment of consumables (so we can make good use of it for more than just maintenance).
My google-foo tells me the Mikita GA7021 7" grinder is the current top dog on the market and it is reasonably priced at $150 from Home Depot.
6" 20 grit type 11 cup wheel is $50
10 packs of 60 grit and 120 grit 7" flat type 27 flap disks would total $150 (I’ll shop around more for these if the vote is approved, I bet there are better prices out there)
10 pack of 7" grinding stones for $30
10 pack 7" cut off wheels for $30
The consumables put the total at $410, so I propose $500 to account for tax, shipping, or unexpected changes/additions.
Thanks,
Kevin M.
A yes vote from me, the makita or metabo is always a good route.
This vote is for next week, but let me know if there are any questions for tomorrow’s meeting.
-Kevin M.
I am all for this, but I do have one question. What other uses does a 7" Angle Grinder have to us at the Hive, beyond cleaning up the table? I have no idea what its used beyond what you posted here, metal working isnt my strong point.
It can be used for freehand cutting, grinding welds and weld preps, smoothing surfaces, sanding and polishing, etc. Almost no welding project doesn't use an angle grinder.
I may not make next week’s meeting so I Vote yes.
This vote is for tomorrow.
Thanks,
Kevin
This purchase vote was approved, I will order sometime this week.
Everything should except the Type 11 cup wheel will be in today or tomorrow, I’ll bring it all in with me Saturday when I come in for the clean-up. The cup apparently is taking the slow boat and will be here sometime next month (fortunately, the tables are still in good shape and don’t need that type treatment yet).
I was able to get the total for everything down to $353.04 by shopping around a bit more for the best prices.
This is now in the metal shop, feel free to check it out! This thing is BIG.
If anyone wants to take it for a true test drive, the sitting weld table needs all it's lumpy welds ground down, perfect opportunity to play with a new tool and help make the Hive better!