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Question about using a cheap angle grinder for forge welding prep
I was getting terrible forge welds for like a year, always had these little seams and inclusions. I was prepping the steel with my usual file and wire brush, but it just wasn't cutting it. On a whim, I grabbed a $40 angle grinder from Harbor Freight and used a fresh flap disc to really get into the joint area before the weld. I'm talking about grinding a slight concave channel where the two pieces meet, not just cleaning the surface. The difference was night and day. My next five welds were solid, with no visible line after forging. I know some purists say you should only use hand tools, but honestly, that grinder saved my sanity. It's not about being lazy, it's about getting a clean enough surface for the weld to actually take. Has anyone else found a power tool that made a specific welding or forging step way more reliable?
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the_vera6mo ago
Gotta push back on this. That concave channel you're grinding is a huge weak point waiting to happen, a stress riser right in the weld zone. You're just smearing metal over a hidden flaw instead of forging a solid bond from two truly flat, clean surfaces. Ever think those "purists" avoid grinders because they remove too much material and leave a contaminated surface the flux can't fully clean?
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