Old pipefitter in Baton Rouge showed me how to grind a bevel with just a flap disc

I was on a shutdown at the Exxon refinery last month and this guy in his 60s comes over while I'm setting up my grinder with a cut-off wheel. He just shakes his head and tells me I'm wasting time. He grabbed a 40-grit flap disc and showed me a technique where you rock the grinder at a 45 degree angle and work the edge in sections. Got a cleaner bevel in half the time. Never thought a flap disc could do that, always thought you needed a specific wheel. Has anyone else learned a simple trick that made you feel dumb for not knowing it sooner?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverk8215d ago

Flip that flap disc over and use the worn side for the final pass. Once it's broken in, the grit gets smooth and you can almost polish the bevel without digging in too deep. I picked that up from a boilermaker in Texas who said new discs are too aggressive for a clean root pass. Your mileage may vary but it saved me from having to grab a file to clean up burrs.

brown.susan15d agoProlific Poster

Always thought new discs were the way to go but you might have just changed my mind on that. Never considered flipping it for a smoother pass, that boilermaker knew what he was talking about.