Electric Die Grinder

Electric Die Grinder - How To Use a Die Grinder

An electric die grinder is one of the best power tools you can buy and work with in your home workshop or around the house or for craft projects. They are usually used for engraving, cylinder head porting, and general shaping of a part. The name comes from their use in touching up hardened steel dies. Although air die grinders have always been popular, handheld electric die grinders are amazing grinding machines and have them beat. Many home improvement and weekend tinkerers want this buffer and polisher power tool handy for a variety of buffing and smoothing jobs or projects, big or small. One of the most common questions we are asked is how do you use a die grinder which we will answer here.

An electric die grinder is used when you want to buff and polish the inside of an item or material that is shaped like a cylinder. There is an attachment that hooks on to the die grinder base called a grinding nose, thus where the name of the tool came from. The cutting or grinding is done with a burr, bonded abrasive or coated abrasive. The die grinder will buff, polish and smooth the edges of your item with ease. People buy the grinder when they want to grind, buff and polish and is most commonly used on metal but is also used on wood and plastic.

An electric die grinder has a multiple speed setting and depending on the die grinder you buy can reach RPM's up to 30,000 - unloaded.

Most electric die grinder throttles have a spring-loaded kickstand mechanism between the throttle lever and the body of the cutter grinder. This prevents the throttle from opening (being pressed down towards the body of the surface grinder) and helps prevent accidental activation.

An electric die grinder, like a lot of tools, is rated by RPMs and no load speeds. You want to take particular attention to this because the kind of job you are typically going to undertake will need a grinder with the best RPMs that are indicated for it. Grinders can vary- you can find 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 RPM tools. RPMs are simply revolutions per minute - the rate of revolution of a motor, how often it spins, for example.   

No load speed would refer to the rotations of the spindle that's inside of the die grinder. You want to make sure you buy an electric die grinder with an RPM rating that is lower than the no load speed. You can damage the grinder buffer if you're not careful to purchase the best die grinder for the job you need it for. You'll want to determine which RPM is best for your project or job. You won’t need as many RPMs for a small job as you would a larger project.  

If you want to buy an electric die grinder you'll find they come in many sizes. You may want a simple hand held die grinder that looks like a power drill or more elaborate bench grinder. It will depend on what you plan to use it for. You may need to buy some of the attachments that are available for it, if they don’t come in a kit, depending on the job you're going to do. If you are going to be using it a lot, you want to get a good or the best quality tool.

You don’t want to take any shortcuts here because they do wear out. Most electric die grinders like Makita come with the accessories needed or in a kit. There are also angle die grinders too so you can get at difficult angles. You can always shop and buy cheap power tools online but for an electric die grinder that will last through a variety of jobs buy the best grinder at the lowest cost. Often you can find grinders on sale online at a discount or even at wholesale prices. Shipping is often free.

One good electrc die grinder is made by Chicago Electric Power Tools and  has a long shaft.  It is used a lot for automotive grinding.The long shaft reaches cramped areas. The 1/4'' collet accepts most die grinder accessories too. It's lightweight and maneuverable and has all ball bearing construction and comes with some spare brushes. The motor is 110V, 60 Hz, 4.3 amps, single phase; It has a maximum speed of 25,000 RPM's.  The wheel diameter is 1-1/2'' maximum. It's overall length is 14-1/4'' and it weighs 4 lbs. Cost or price  is about $40.

Some of the questions workshop hobbyists and tool lovers have asked us include: does the electric die grinder go in a reverse direction and how to use an angle die grinder.

Electric die grinders are made by many manufacturers including: Chicago Electric, Makita, Dremel, Milwaukee, Raffael Tools, American, DeWalt, Import, Bosch, Ryobi, Ingersoll-Rand, RAM and many others. You'll commonly find that home improvement and tool lovers buy the 1/4 inch, 240 watt electric die grinder online made by Makita and some of the other brands listed. Some brands come with warranties or even lifetime warranties such as Sears Craftsman on some power tools. And always use power tools, buffers, polishers and grinders with safety in mind. Take the usual precautions you would for all power tools. Electric Die Grinder

Picture of Dremel Electric Die Grinder

Electric Die Grinder