Monsterize your power drill for 35 cents

[FJ and G]

Are you tired of your wimpy drill? Would you like to have one of those drills you see on American Chopper and Monster Garage; the kind that has the large cutoff wheel that cuts steel? Tired of those little cutoff wheels on your Dremel breaking off all the time and cutting rail at an angle?

Now, for 35 cents, you too can convert your drill into a monster, I discovered Saturday during a visit to Home Depot, while eyeballing the tool section.

I noticed all of these monster cutoff wheels, 3 inches in diameter and up. Trouble is, they were made for a special drill.

Why not convert one of these bad bears, I thought.

So, I grabbed a 6-pak of 3 inch Husky wheels and went to the screw section. Picked up a hex bolt, 2 washers and a bolt, all for 35 cents (6-pak of Husky wheels was just a couple bucks extra).

Took 2 crescent wrenches and fixed the wheel to the bolt securely.

But the bolt was too thick for the drill, by just a hair. So got the old bench grinder out and shaped it to fit.

One more problem. My new battery drill didn't have enough RPMs and the wheel just tickled the steel.

So I pulled the 40-year old electric drill out of the cobwebs. It might be old but it sure turns out those RPMs!

Took some old rail out on the brick patio and watched the sparks fly as the cutoff wheel made short work of the rail. Be forewarned, however, that the wheel is a lot thicker than your typical dremel wheels and your cut will be about an eighth inch wide. Also, get a good grip on the drill or the wheel will literally get away from you. Be sure also to clamp down your work and of course eye protection.

I also used the cutoff wheel to reshape a point rail on a turnout that needed adjusting.

All in all, a good deal for 35 cents.

[Anonymous]

I would advise against doing this. Those discs are intended for use with a grinder which partially encloses the disc with a guard that protects against shards of the disc from flying in all directions in the event that the disc were to shatter. Dremel discs are no problem because as long as you wear eye protection, the fragments of a Dremel disc are not substantial enough to cause injury. However the heavier discs under discussion here CAN pose a risk since they could form heavier projectiles upon breakage. Furthermore, it is impossible for a bolt which was crudely turned down as you describe to serve as a mandrel for the disc to ever be "true", thereby increasing the likelihood that the disc would shatter. DO NOT DO THIS.
John J. Blair
(10 years experience as an industrial safety specialist)

[FJ and G]

John,

What are the discs used in making cars and motorcycles? Aren't they the same thing? I spoke to Home Depot employees about what I was doing and they thought it was a good idea.

A table saw can kick things up too. That's why I advised proper safety equipment to wear. Also, they make holders for the discs I mentioned to be fitted for drills so not sure where you are coming from.

[Anonymous]

You are not holding a table saw in your hand. You can duck or run away. Not so a drill, if you drop it oops there goes your leg and those were new pants.

The drill bit in your drill rotates at a certain speed if you put in a larger bit and the drill still had that same speed the ouside cutting edge is moving faster than the smaller bits was. This is basic physics. When you jack your truck up and put larger wheels on it you have to adjust your speedometer because the circumferance of the wheel is longer and your truck goes faster without indicating it on the dash. The same is true putting a cutting wheel on a drill. These cutting wheels are made for special tools. They sell short cut accessories but they really are not safe for this use.

Look at what you are proposing.You have a bolt with screw threading chucked into your drill. The drill rotates, so does the threading on the bolt. Eventually as it works itself out, you will have a flying bolt, washer and grinding disk helicopter. Good luck with this.

Instead of buying that new $400 engine, get the tool you really need. And since you ground off the bolt threading it will be really hard to change this wheel.

Home Depot employees a few years ago were actually former building trades people but with the chains expansion and the price of experienced labor those workers were replaced with regular retail people. They really know no more than the average person and any advice should be taken with a grain of salt. In fact this anecdote indicates that the advice might be really treacherous.

At stores like this they can assist you when you are strapping something to your roof like a christmas tree, but you are the one to actually do it. This is for liability reasons so when it flies off on the highway it is your "fault". I really hope this "impressed" employee doesn't advise others to follow your lead, it is really dangerous.

[SPFan]

Dave, What John says is corrrect. I have first hand experience. I was using a 3" disk in an air grinder and it flew apart, luckily away from me but it dented the wall. In your case the the drill motor is considerably slower so its slightly less risky, still.... BTW Harbor Freight is selling air grinders for 10 bucks. How do they do it?

Pete

[Anonymous]

BTW Harbor Freight is selling air grinders for 10 bucks. How do they do it?

C-H-I-N-A 8-)

Harbor Freight, by the way will sell you a proper electric grinder for far less than a tank of gas. You can still afford that engine and work safely with the right tool.

[yellowducky]

We all do unsafe things and get by, usually. But its that 1-in-10 time that's going to get somebody.

At the foundry, they used to roll 2' dia. ginding wheels across the floor to get them to the machine to install. After 65 years of this practice, one blew apart, killing a man.

Some people drive millions of miles without wearing a seatbelt, or maybe a cycle helmit, and live to tell about it. Some don't.

On the R.R. I was told "Use your head and save your feet " (you can sub. any other body part for feet). Even though this statement is out of context, I think it applies here.

[eZAK]

Bad move Dave!

Making your own tool accessories is not a good idea.

They do make a 1 1/2" cut-off wheel for a Dremel http://www.dremel.com/html/home_fr.html

[Anonymous]

I do not want a 3 inch monster cutoff wheel. I am not in a big hurry and allready had my visit to the emergeny room with an attempted thumb ambutation by way of a table saw.

Harbor Freight has 1 inch diameter, 1/8 inch dia shaft, Diamond cutoff wheels on sale, 5 for $2.50 with shaft. These should be saver, fit the Dremel and are rated for 22,000 rpm. I do not know if the fly apart like the Dremel discs.

Charlie Bee

[daan]

Besides all the unsafe things, the thread on a normal metal screw is the wrong way round to hold the disc when spinning. Assuming you have the nut on the side of your electric drill, it will come loose if you use it, since the movement is clockwise and the forces you get when grinding move the nut counterclockwise.. And that's the way to turn if you want it to losen up.
I know because I tried that before I bought myself a decent grinder..

[lionelsoni]

You could run a reversible drill backwards, however, whatever the other safety concerns may be.

[Back2Trains]

You could either use Loctite on the threads or use a second nut locked against the first one. In any event, even with standard Dremel tools, wear eye protection and keep yourself to one side so you will be less likely to get hit if the disk breaks. I use the standard Dremel cut-off wheels and cut on an angle to get through the rails, then square it up after the first cut.
Jim

[FJ and G]

I've had Dremel wheels break off at 35K RPMs, or whatever the max speed is. Safety goggles are important and I'm inclined to go out and purchase one of those very long plastic masks like welders do, as these flying things (from table saws as well) could probably put a nice nick in your neck.

A buddy of mine says he has seen photos of shards that had penetrated standard safety goggles and went on into the eye and brain.

Something to consider no matter which high speed rotary tool you are using.