Why Different Materials Need Different Grinding Wheels - Gear Up with Gregg's

hey there i'm larry and i'm part of the

sales management team here at greg

distributors now

you might know the basics of grinding or

cut off wheels

but do you know what makes one wheel

better for the job than another

well

today on gear up with greggs we're going

to discuss the abrasive truth of

carborandum's cutting and grinding

wheels

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carbarenda began in 1890 all thanks to a

failed experiment an inventor by the

name of edward goodrich atchison was

attempting to heat carbon to the point

where it would turn into a diamond

surprisingly it didn't work

however his failure to create diamonds

led to him mixing clay with carbon and

electrically fusing it the result

silicon carbide also known as

carbarendum

atchison founded his company carborendum

and the future of abrasive innovation

began

from inventing the first synthetic

abrasive to putting the first patent on

a fiber disk

carborendum has consistently been ahead

of the curve when it comes to abrasion

products

but before we get into the nitty-gritty

if you're looking for the very basics of

grinding check out our grinding 101

video linked in the description

there you'll find information about

grades bonds dressing and grinding

safety

but if you want to know exactly what

type of abrasive is ideal for each task

then you've come to the right place

but first things first let's not forget

about safety

anytime you're about to start grinding

always be sure to wear safety glasses

with side shields

goggles

or a face shield

after all these wheels remove a lot of

material fast and the last thing you

want is a piece of that in your eye

now

with so many different abrasive types

finding the right wheel for the task at

hand might seem daunting

but don't worry

we're here to help make that decision a

little easier

let's start by discussing the different

types of abrasive grains that these

wheels are made of

the toughest grain available is ceramic

alumina

these abrasives last longer and cut

faster than the competition

this synthetic grain is the newest on

the market and while it's often more

expensive than other types of abrasives

the aggressive consistent cut is well

worth the price

ceramic wheels like the carberendum

premier red reinforced cutoff wheels are

ideal for cutting through stainless

steel and steel alloys

zirconia alumina is tough standing up to

high pressure machining and grinding

applications even in heated situations

this grain also commonly known as zerk

or zirconium is ideal for grinding or

cutting steel alloy steel malleable and

ductile iron and because this grain has

more grit than most itself sharpens as

it cuts

carborendum carries a variety of

zirconia alumina wheels but the premier

red depressed center wheels are a great

option

the most common and least expensive

grain is aluminum oxide

this naturally occurring mineral is

available in three types pink white and

brown

each type is better at different tasks

for instance white is the toughest and

works well for aggressive sanding on

wood and lacquers

pink is a good general purpose abrasive

and works well for softer materials such

as wood

brown is the most common type of

aluminum oxide due to its versatile

nature

in coarser grits this grain works well

for wood and metal stock removal

in finer grits it's perfect for

finishing and polishing metal

another grain option is silicon carbide

which is good for grinding glass

plastic

rubber

paint

wood

titanium alloys and cast iron

this green is less common than the

others we've mentioned

but it is still used for specialized

high-speed cut-off wheels such as the

karbal gold

now with so many wheels to choose from

coming to a decision may still seem like

an impossible task

but our catalog has convenient material

icons located next to each wheel letting

you narrow down your choices as you

browse

first determine whether you need a cut

off wheel or a grinding wheel

you might be asking if they're both

abrasives can't you just use them

interchangeably

not quite

by design cutoff wheels are thinner than

grinding wheels and aren't designed for

pressure to be applied on the face of

the wheel

this could lead to a weakened and

damaged cut-off wheel which may result

in wheel breakage and injury

so if you need to cut through a piece of

material look for an appropriate cut off

wheel like the carbo gold cut aluminum

oxide or a high speed saw reinforced

carbo gold wheel

but if you want to remove a lot of

surface material such as rust or some

poorly done weld joints turn to a

grinding wheel like the premier red

zirconia alumina

next

choose your wheel based on the type of

material you are cutting or grinding

this determines what type of abrasive

you should be looking for

for instance aluminum oxide or zirconia

alumina should be used for steels and

steel alloys while silicon carbide is

better suited to iron non-ferrous metals

and non-metallic materials

you also need to consider whether you

are cutting hard or soft materials

hard brittle materials typically require

a wheel with a fine grit and a softer

grade while soft materials need a wheel

with a coarse grit and a hard grate

wheel speed or rpm

is another consideration to keep in mind

you'll want to make sure you purchase a

wheel that matches the speed of the

machine you will be operating

since running a grinding wheel past the

recommended rpm can cause the bonds in

the wheel to break down this creates

unsafe operating conditions which you

want to avoid

again if you want to know more about any

of these steps in detail check out our

grinding 101 video where we go over the

basics like these with way more

information

now if you have any questions about

choosing the right wheel for the task

please don't hesitate to call us or

leave us a comment down below

you can also check out our website at

greatdistributors.ca

again i'm larry

thanks for keeping it canadian and

checking out gear up for the craigs can

i grind now

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so

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you