Angle Grinder for Twisting Damascus?

[Leon Husock]

I was thinking I could basically make a 1" square socket with a nut welded on so it can thread onto the screw of an angle grinder and use it to twist damascus. That said, angle grinders are scary bastards, so I was wondering if anyone else had ever done anything like this with one? I've seen a lot of similar designs with impact wrenches etc, but never one with an angle grinder. I've got a 7", 8000 rpm 13 amp Dewalt angle grinder if the specs matter.

 

[WValtakis]

Just no...don't even try it

 

[3fifty7]

But if you do record it from multiple angles and at least one slo-mo.

 

[Leon Husock]

Just no...don't even try it

Hah! You know, I had a feeling that might be the answer. Like I said, I thought I'd put it out there and see if maybe by chance someone else had ever done this successfully. Otherwise I definitely wasn't going to try.

 

[WValtakis]

It's about as far from the proper tool as you can get, angle grinders are high speed/low torque vs. an impact wrench that's low speed/high torque.

 

[Tyson A Wright]

Maybe get safety wire twisting pliers. Designed for evenly twisting wires, and don't have all the scary implications of doing this with an angle grinder.

 

[HSC ///]

Not enough torque I’m thinking

Oh already said. Haha

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Not only NO, but HELL NO!!!!!

Find an old used pipe threading machine, or make one up from a VFD and 3-phase motor with a shaft adapter. If you can find a 3-phase gear reduction motor or add a gear reduction to a regular motor, it will be even better. Either way, run it dead slow.

Grind the shaft adapter square to fit a 1/2" socket. Hammer the end of the billet square to fit a socket and use that size socket on the shaft. Use a foot switch to start and stop the motor. Again - Run it dead slow.
Place a vise aligned with the motor shaft and bolt it down solid.
Put the motor on some sort of sliding pipe rails so it can slide as much as 12" toward the vise as the billet shortens. Clamp one end of the billet in the vise and slide the motor up on the square end. Push moderately on the motor end to keep the socket engaged with the billet as it twists.

It takes two people do this type twisting. One fellow will run the motor and such and the other will play a large torch (Rosebud tip is perfect) up and down the billet to keep it hot and speed up slower twisting areas.

 

[elasmonut]

Should you clean your teeth with an angle grinder?...NO!!
Should you use angle grinder to twist hot steel?...same answer.. NO!!
PLEASE! just use it for grinding!