You have probably heard of a bench grinder before, a large grinding machine with abrasive wheels, kind of like a power sander on steroids. Now, you might be wondering what this fairly large, loud, and intimidating machine can be used for.
In fact, there are many different bench grinder uses, so let’s take a closer look at what exactly they are.
What Materials Can Be a Bench Grinder Be Used With?
The first thing that we want to make clear here is that bench grinders are very versatile tools that can be used to work with a variety of materials.
So, exactly what kinds of materials can these tools work with?
Metal
The most common material that a bench grinder is used for is metal. Bench grinders, most of them, are specifically designed to grind, shape, or buff various pieces of metal.
When you buy bench grinders, the grinding wheels they come with are usually designed for metal.
These are very strong wheels with various levels of coarseness or grit. Whether you are polishing or buffing a metal piece, you are shaping specialty bolts or screws, or you are sharpening a tool, if it is made out of metal, chances are that a bench grinder can handle it.
Wood
With the right kind of bench grinder wheel, this tool can be used for wood. Now, the applications in relation to wood are far fewer than with metal, but that said, it can still be used for some things.
Quite simply, you can use this tool to quickly grind down wood or shape it in a certain way, or even to sharpen wooden things, such as corners and points. You can even polish wood with a bench grinder, but you do need a different grinding wheel than the one that you would use for metal.
Plastic
Although not super common, a bench grinder can definitely be used for plastic as well. Now, these tools are very harsh and fast-moving, so they don’t work well with soft materials at all.
This means that really thin or soft plastic will not work with a bench grinder. However, large, thick, and really solid pieces of plastic can be worked with a bench grinder.
You can polish, sharpen, or grind down a piece of plastic with one of these tools, and quite easily too.
Glass
Yet another type of material that can be worked with a bench grinder is glass. Now, this is perhaps the most uncommon of all, and due to the fragile nature of glass, definitely the most difficult too.
For one, you absolutely need a special grinding wheel designed for use with glass. Moreover, grinding glass is always a dangerous undertaking, so be sure to exercise maximum caution when doing so.
That said, with the right accessories, grinding, shaping, and even polishing glass with a bench grinder is technically possible.
Stone
The other type of material that you can use with a bench grinder is stone.
Just like for wood, glass, and plastic, you will need a very special grinding wheel designed specifically for grinding, polishing, and shaping stone, but that said, it is definitely possible to do so.
7 Practical Bench Grinder Uses
Ok, so now that we know what types of materials a bench grinder can work with, let’s take a look at a variety of practical applications that this versatile tool can be used for.
Remember that within each of these so-called practical uses, there are many uses in themselves. For instance, our first point there, “cutting wood or metal pipe,” is practical for many situations.
Let’s take a closer look.
Cutting Wood or Metal Pipe
The first practical application of a bench grinder is to cut metal pipes, small metal sheets, small pieces of wood, and other such materials. If you have a relatively small piece, you can move it in a circular fashion so that the grinder wheel cuts through it from all sides, thus effectively acting like a little saw.
This works well for cutting small metal beams and poles, for cutting pipes, and for other such purposes, and of course, this is practical for all sorts of trades, whether construction, plumbing, or electrical work.
If you need a small metal or hard plastic pipe cut, a bench grinder can do it.
Buffing and Polishing Metals and Other Materials
Another practical application of a bench grinder is to buff and polish metals and other materials. With the right type of grinding wheel, you can buff small dents out of metal objects and you can also polish the metal to make it shiny and to get it looking like new.
This comes in handy when constructing or repairing anything made of metal. Moreover, a bench grinder can also be used to buff or polish wood, plastic, and even glass assuming that you have the right kind of grinding wheel.
This comes in handy for all sorts of construction and craft purposes.
Removing Rust from Metal
Another very common practical use of a bench grinder is to grind rust off of metal.
In fact, this is one of the most common applications.
Sharpening Knives and Axes
If you know what you are doing, and you have the right kind of grinding wheel, you can also use a bench grinder to sharpen axes, knives, and other items with blades.
In fact, if you have the right accessories, a bench grinder is perhaps one of the best knife and axe sharpening tools out there.
Grinding Metal and Other Objects Down to Size
If you are constructing something out of metal, you are installing various fixtures, or installing pipes, you can use a bench grinder to grind all of those objects down to size.
For instance, if you have a metal pipe, a bolt, or a screw that is too long, a bench grinder can be used to get them down to the appropriate size.
Making Glass or Stone Crafts
Seeing as a bench grinder can be used to grind, polish, buff, and shape both stone and glass, it can be used for all sorts of glass and stone crafts.
Cutting Stone Counters and Floors
If you need to cut thin pieces of stone for counters and floors, this is something else that a bench grinder could potentially be used for. That said, there are better tools for that purpose too.
Summary
As you can see, there are actually many applications that a bench grinder can be used for. This is a tool that can work with a wide variety of materials, and it has many practical applications too.
The bottom line is that if you need to buff, polish, grind, or shape a variety of materials like metal, wood, plastic, glass, and stone, as long as you have the right kind of grinding wheel, the possibilities are nearly endless.
Before you go out and buy a bench grinder, we would recommend doing a bit more research to find out what features you need to look out for.