Grinder Wheel Guard

[Orlando Gonzalez]

I just got the WC slo-speed grinder. Do anyone of you remove the wheel guard(s) for any reason? I've seen some grinders set up w/o wheel guards that lets you grind on one wheel and allows you to work with the rotation from the backside of the other wheel.

OG

[Douglas Brummett]

You can and a lot of people do. These are really just safety devices with the purpose of keeping you out of the stone and providing some protection should the stone catastrophically destruct. If you are mindful of your digits and buy good stones it isn't a huge leap of faith to remove the guards.

Typically I leave mine on. I haven't found any task that requires them off. I am converting my high speed over to buffer and wire wheel duty and I won't be running the guards on it so I can access it from all directions.

[Johnny Kleso]

If you not a good grinder and not sure of what is safe or not safe dont remove it.....

The first 1/2 of my life working in machine shops I never used a guard but around the 90s Safety First because a big thing....

I even grind with glasses now, I feel unsafe with out them these days :)

[Orlando Gonzalez]

Thanks guys. Sorry for the delay in the response but I had to place my mom in an assisted living facility today. I will keep them on since I am also safety conscious.

OG

[Brian Kent]

Orlando - thanks for helping your mom today. That's a tough one when you are doing what she needs even though it may not feel right.

Brian

[Mike Cutler]

Orlando

Mine is off. I use it for many things though, and religiously wear a face shield when using it. If it were just for wood working, I'd probably put it back on.

I hope everything works out with your Mom. That's a tough decision to make.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

Thanks for the comments guys. She's 89 and has had series of mini-strokes recently. The doctors say that rehab is not going to help so I (only child) had put her in an outstanding small ALF. The tough part is watching her mind go and knowing that one day she won't recognize me and the grandkids.

OG

[Johnny Kleso]

Orlando,

Some of these care homes are some pretty evil places I know first hand and wish I had listen to my Mom when she told me she was being treated badly :(

She had told me a care giver was trying to make her fall when getting into a wheel chair, I confronted the guy but a few months latter she fell and broke her hip and died of complications.. She said she was made to fall and I wanted to kill someone but in the end nothing was ever done...

Just make sure you call her and belive what she says..