Flap Discs. How useful are flap discs on an angle grinder for working wood?

[Bob Deroeck]

I have a belt sander for aggressive wood removal, but it's large and awkward to use aside from on flat boards. I have ROS's for both aggressive wood removal (36 or 40 grit) or for finish sanding. I've heard people mention using flap discs on an angle grinder for wood removal but have no direct experience doing that. I'd appreciate input for situations where a flap disc on an angle grinder would be a better option than either a belt sander or ROS. Please include the recommended type of flap disc for these situations.

Also aside from working wood, what other uses are flap discs besides prepping metal for welding?

Thanks.

Bob

[Mike Kees]

Bob these work great for steel. I use them all the time on welding projects to clean up welds and polish stuff. I have never tried on wood. They would be very aggressive and not easy to control would be my guess. I can see using them to hollow out chair seats or round out or over stuff like an electric guitar body,as a first roughing step. Not sure what you envision trying to do but do not think this would make a good sander replacement option.

[Ron Selzer]

An angle grinder with a sanding disk has worked for me in the past when something other than a flat surface needs shaped and sanded.
This includes straightening the bottom side of rafters on a 1 1/2 story house (1913 build) preparing for drywall. This was done with a 9" angle grinder with 36 grit disks.
Ron

[Andrew Pitonyak]

An angle grinder with a sanding disk has worked for me in the past when something other than a flat surface needs shaped and sanded.
This includes straightening the bottom side of rafters on a 1 1/2 story house (1913 build) preparing for drywall. This was done with a 9" angle grinder with 36 grit disks.
Ron

Exactly!

I have them them well when I need to hog off a bunch of material and I do not need the result to be flat. In other words, usually there is some kind of curve involved. I recently saw a guy do this when he created a knife block with a curve by gluing together boards. He removed the "differences" with this. I have seen it used while shaping a handle of all things. For rough shaping anyway. It throws a bunch of dust around.

[Marc Fenneuff]

An angle grinder with a coarse flap wheel is supposedly the hot new technique for trim carpenters for coping joints on crown molding.

[Doug Garson]

I think a better tool is a Kutzall disc. More expensive than a flap disc but one will outlast several flap discs. https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/power-tool-accessories/discs/71098-kutzall-sanding-carving-discs