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angle grinder question

3K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  Jim F 
#1 ·
Never really felt the need for an angle grinder until now, so I've never paid much attention to them.

But now with two bathroom renovations we have to refinish the outsides of two clawfoot tubs. Seems like an angle grinder with the right head would work well.

Question number one: would a grinder with a wire brush head work to strip the paint off the cast iron? Some is loose, other parts are pretty well attached.

Question number two: Since the tub project will fall mainly to my wife--she wanted the damned things--and she is a pretty small woman, I'm thinking we need a small sized grinder. She really liked this one at HD since it is easy to hold.

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Could get a more powerful grinder for the same price, so I'm on the fence.

Any reason I shouldn't get this model? It DID feel good to hold in the store, and at the ripe old age of 44 I'm starting to like small sized tools, too.

thanks--Bill
 
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#2 ·
Bill, A wire cup brush will take off paint and they are as cheap as 3$

but there is a major hazard with lead paint dust that has led the EPA to mandate new RRP rules. The rules only apply to contractors but lead dust has to be a major concern for your family

That Ridgid R1005 is new this year and because of its ergonomic design has won a 2010 Editor's Choice Awards
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply Bob. I've had a couple chips of paint from the tubs tested and they showed lead free, so we should be good to go.

Anyone have an idea on what paint to finish the outside of the tubs with. I know, I should post this in the paint section, but the project is probably 6 months away...
 
#5 ·
and an extremely important consideration is face/eye protection, especially (but surely not limited to) when using a wire wheel. Those wires do break off and fly about. Getting one stuck in your eye is not a pretty site.

and while the larger bodied grinders don't give me a problem...yet, I would think a woman would be much more comfortable with the thinner design of the Rigid model.
 
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