Flap Discs and grinding wheels

[cooljoe57]

Hey guys I'm in the market to restock my supplies on my 4-1/2" and 7" flap discs, and grinding wheels. I've been using SAIT for years with no problems, but my local supplier has gone belly up and i figured id shop around since i have to change suppliers any ways. I'd appreciate your input and opinions on what you guys have used and what works best for you.

This is what i've been using, and they last a long time. I use them for general fab/clean up for weld prep and grinding welds down.

 

[Robert Haas]

You will save 5 bucks a disc if you stop using "thread on" and go back to arbor mount.

 

[chickenfarmer]

I like the Sait stuff also, I find great prices on ebay. Usually close to half what the LWS has them for

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[cooljoe57]

Robert, I'm ok with loosing the thread on arbor. I was actually thinking about switching back, figured it might be cheaper. Its just what my local supplier had.

Chicken, I'll check eBay, for some reason never even thought about that.

I tried amazon, and almost everything that comes up is some no name brand that come. My experience has been cheap abrasives don't seem to last.

 

[MoonRise]

Try looking at lehighvalleyabrasives.com

4.5" flap disks: $2/disk for zirconia flap disks with no built-in nut, $3.69 for zirconia flap disks with the 5/8-11 nut.

SAIT is usually very good stuff, the LVA stuff is usually quite good too.

 

[platypus20]

I hope your luck with Lehigh Valley was better than mine, everything I got from them, was ****, made the Harbor Freight offerings look like super premium abrasives.

 

[ez-duzit]

...I'm ok with loosing the thread on arbor...figured it might be cheaper...

Not only cheaper, but it takes much less space to store them.

 

[cooljoe57]

Not only cheaper, but it takes much less space to store them.

Thats an excellent point. Never thought about it, but the flap disc boxes do take up a ton more space than the cut off discs.

 

[cooljoe57]

I hope your luck with Lehigh Valley was better than mine, everything I got from them, was ****, made the Harbor Freight offerings look like super premium abrasives.

Yea i saw the Lehigh Valley ones, but was kind of Leary. You know that whole if its too good to be true it probably isn't. I really want to avoid buying cheap abrasives, they just end up wasting more time and money in the long run.

 

[MFolks]

Some places to look;
www.nortonabrasives.com
www.3m.com
www.msc.com

 

[danielbuck]

Yea i saw the Lehigh Valley ones, but was kind of Leary. You know that whole if its too good to be true it probably isn't. I really want to avoid buying cheap abrasives, they just end up wasting more time and money in the long run.

I've used the Lehigh flap discs, they seemed fine.

 

[tarbellb]

If you havent tried running fiber resin disc, this may be a good time to try them out.

Buy the cheap backing pad from HF
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-in-backing-pad-for-resin-fiber-discs-60290.html

Combine them with your favorite grits, and pick from any mfg you like. Ive been converted from flap disc to these, I find them cheaper and more consistent.

If you are locked on flap disc, this looks like a excellent deal from Walter (German made) $3.38/ea 10pack
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZHXPKO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Farmer888]

I like the Walter abrasives a lot. Cheap abrasives rarely seem good .

 

[jamscal]

I own a fab shop and use Lehigh Valley.

There are better abrasives...maybe the big names last 3x as long...

but they cost 5x as much.

Their ceramic (red) flappers are very good.

I get metabo slicers from them (cut offs) and their clean and strip discs too.

 

[Offcenter12]

Hi Cooljoe,
Not a fulltime welder for many years, a little up the food chain for a gov't entity now, but have tried Norton, Sait, Weiler, Prostar, Radnor, and a few others and prefer Pferd over everything. Not the cheapest, but consistent and long lasting. Good luck, John.

 

[tarmy]

I started getting them from Amazon...I load 5 or 10 packs in the cart...watch them for a few weeks...they usually drop down to 4-5 bucks each...

 

[strength_and_power]

I’ve actually had decent luck with Heleta abrasives. Definitely better than HF and about the same performance as what Home Depot/Lowe’s carries at a lot lower price.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Walter and Pferd are my go to. The Walter Zip Discs have incredible life.


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[Willie Makeit]

https://benchmarkabrasives.com/

 

[cooljoe57]

Thanks Guys Found theres a Walter distributor right down the road from me. I think I'll run down there and pick up a few and give them a shot.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

I complained at a welding forum about the short life/cost of flap wheels. They almost unanimously suggested using sanding discs with a backing plate like they do.

 

[sberry]

I use a 7 inch air sander. I bought a couple flaps thinking I might use them cordless but have never used one. They look handy but I am super smooth with a 4 1/2 or I sand.
As for cheap or good,,, have only used a few HF and they worked ok. I been using a 10pack of grinders from the farm store for a buck a piece and they work quite well. I have used some brand on real heavy work, I think they work a little better but its hard to tell as unless I get a special job a wheel lasts a while. Lots of use but not so much grinding heavy welds off.
I used a couple wheels in a day a while back, before that it was long enough I cant even remember clearly.

 

[king nero]

I have had training and done grinding tests at a 3M abrasives production facility - x2 on the backing disc with sand paper option. Also, they take a tremendous amount of material off. Does take some training on how to properly manipulate it, but they're more than worth it.
one more thing, these backing plates are also consumables - plan on changing those every year/few years, depending on how hard or rough you use them.

 

[Mark_17]

https://benchmarkabrasives.com/

Love their stuff, great price and a great product.

They have plenty of sales too, always a deal to be had

 

[sberry]

I have had training and done grinding tests at a 3M abrasives production facility - x2 on the backing disc with sand paper option. Also, they take a tremendous amount of material off. Does take some training on how to properly manipulate it, but they're more than worth it.
one more thing, these backing plates are also consumables - plan on changing those every year/few years, depending on how hard or rough you use them.

There is a joke about welder or grinder but I am w very good grinder, people notice it. I can do 95% of it with a 4 1/2, use air cut off a little, sander a little.

 

[lis2323]

I have been extremely fortunate to never have a cut off wheel or grindstone explode on me. I’ve heard enough horror stories to convince me to stick to brand name products. I’m well aware this is no guarantee to safety but I’m certain my chances are a lot better.


ATM I use all Walter and Klingspoor.

 

[dr_clyde]

I complained at a welding forum about the short life/cost of flap wheels. They almost unanimously suggested using sanding discs with a backing plate like they do.

Yep. Flap discs are for neat blending and finishing, but they **** compared to resin fiber discs for general shop grinding and sanding tasks.

I run a full time fab shop, we use maybe 1-2 flap discs a year.

A VSM ceramic resin fiber disc is either .50 or a buck, can’t remember off the top of my head. They last for a very long time and remove 10x the stock of a flap.

Flap discs are a salesman’s dream. They are expensive, don’t last long and aren’t as effective. And yet, everyone seems to love them. I don’t get it.

 

[sberry]

I have a 5 and 7 inch. On occasion I cut old 7 down with old snips but my fave is the 7 36 grit. They dull fast enough that they are not that coarse for long and I plan accordingly.

 

[cooljoe57]

Ok so it seems the fiber resin might be worth picking up a few to give a try. Any brands to look for, i cant say I've seen them at the LWS (maybe they have them hiding in the back).

 

[dr_clyde]

Ok so it seems the fiber resin might be worth picking up a few to give a try. Any brands to look for, i cant say I've seen them at the LWS (maybe they have them hiding in the back).

VSM is all I use.

 

[lis2323]

cant say I've seen them at the LWS (maybe they have them hiding in the back).

Most likely because there is way more profit margin in flap wheels.

 

[joe49]

Has anyone tried the bad dog disc's and comment on them?
https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Dog-Tools-Grinding-Sanding/dp/B073HKQ458

 

[nadogail]

The recent Harbor Freight Catalog that arrived maybe last week had a coupon for $1.00 flap discs with a limit of 5.

If I were fabbing something together, I would jump on that.

 

[Joebass]

Yep. Flap discs are for neat blending and finishing, but they **** compared to resin fiber discs for general shop grinding and sanding tasks.

I run a full time fab shop, we use maybe 1-2 flap discs a year.

A VSM ceramic resin fiber disc is either .50 or a buck, can’t remember off the top of my head. They last for a very long time and remove 10x the stock of a flap.

Flap discs are a salesman’s dream. They are expensive, don’t last long and aren’t as effective. And yet, everyone seems to love them. I don’t get it.

Where are you finding them at that price. I've been buying mine at Lehigh Valley abrasives. We use 24,36,and 50 grit.

 

[dr_clyde]

Where are you finding them at that price. I've been buying mine at Lehigh Valley abrasives. We use 24,36,and 50 grit.

Local welding supply, Purity cylinder gases. I buy them 50-100 at a time.

 

[danielbuck]

Has anyone tried the bad dog disc's and comment on them?
https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Dog-Tools-Grinding-Sanding/dp/B073HKQ458

is that $170 for a single disc? holy ****! It better be magical. Cut through anything and also do my laundry and such.

 

[cooljoe57]

Well I picked up some Fiber Resin Discs. Got to say, you all were right about the fiber discs. They're great, plus i can get Ceramic ones for 1/4 the price of the zirconium flap wheels I've been buying. Thanks everyone!

 

[joe49]

is that $170 for a single disc? holy ****! It better be magical. Cut through anything and also do my laundry and such.

Does say lifetime guarantee, so one and done.

 

[lis2323]

Does say lifetime guarantee, so one and done.

Haha. Lifetime warranty but most likely doesn’t work worth a sh*t.

I’ll pass , thanks. [emoji16]

 

[metlmunchr]

Funny thing is, you can buy an identical appearing "magic disc" off of Ali Express for about 15 bucks including shipping. Chances are the Bad Dog one is coming straight from China as well, but with a "reasonable" markup added.

 

[joe49]

Have you tried those out?