DIY Si
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 12:56 PM |
|
|
Which tool for grinding in small spaces?
I am in need of advice. Again.
Whist restoring my Sprite, there are places that I need to put small puddle welds, such as inside the A post. Doing the welds, whilst fiddly is fine.
However, as these places are visible, I would like to be able to grind them flat, as the originals were spotted welded.
When I do the other side, I will do the welds from within the foot well and have full access, but it's too late for the current side.  So what
tool, or attachment, would best allow me to get into these tight places? I know a Dremel might do it, but at only 100-150W, would it take me all day
to grind a few welds flat? I've heard about the Rotozip range of stuff, but I don't really want to spend much, as I only have a few welds
to do. I'd do it with a file, but it's been taking me ages and making my hand hurt. 
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
My new blog: http://spritecave.blogspot.co.uk/
|
|
|
|
|
jacko
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 01:14 PM |
|
|
How about a flex's drive chuck is a drill ? with a small grinding wheelhttp://www.thesitebox.com/Category/5381/flexible-drill-shafts.aspx
[Edited on 26/12/10 by jacko]
|
|
|
DIY Si
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 01:19 PM |
|
|
That's kind of what I've been looking into, but I've never used one before, and the only drill I've got is 1100W, and I
don't want to overdrive a shaft and bust it the first time I use it, or lean on it too hard. There also seems to be a much bigger array of them
available than I first realised. Will a cheap £10-15 one do what I need, or would something like
this be a better idea?
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
My new blog: http://spritecave.blogspot.co.uk/
|
|
|
jacko
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 01:30 PM |
|
|
http://www.bndabrasives.co.uk/industrial-tools/pneumatic-/-air-powered-tools/ut5765-20mm-belt-sander/prod_943.html
we use these at work if you have a compressor
there good for getting in small places not cheep though
|
|
|
jacko
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 01:34 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by DIY Si
That's kind of what I've been looking into, but I've never used one before, and the only drill I've got is 1100W, and I
don't want to overdrive a shaft and bust it the first time I use it, or lean on it too hard. There also seems to be a much bigger array of them
available than I first realised. Will a cheap £10-15 one do what I need, or would something like
this be a better idea?
At that price i would give it a go
|
|
|
Bigheppy
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 02:10 PM |
|
|
Over on retro rides they seem to use a black and decker power file for this type of job
[Edited on 26/12/10 by Bigheppy]
|
|
|
deltron63
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 02:12 PM |
|
|
I use a black and decker power file
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker-350-Watt-Powerfile/dp/B000XSP72K
i buy the silverline belts from ebay, cheap and last a long time
[Edited on 26/12/10 by deltron63]
[Edited on 26/12/10 by deltron63]
|
|
|
RazMan
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 02:40 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by deltron63
I use a black and decker power file
+1
I find all sorts of uses for mine and it even makes my welds look good 
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
|
|
|
Fred W B
|
| posted on 26/12/10 at 04:54 PM |
|
|
As above, a powerfile will feel like it was made just for that type of job.
Cheers
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
|
|
|
DIY Si
|
| posted on 27/12/10 at 11:35 AM |
|
|
If I wanted to possibly have a go at some light head porting and so on in the future, would that swing things in favour of the flexible shafts, or
would it be better to get a proper tool for those jobs, and get a powerfile for grinding/sanding in tight spaces? I'm on, as we all are, a
limited budget and I don't have loads of room left in my workbench to store lots more tools if one will do the job. But I want to be able to do
both jobs properly rather than get one thing that'll only do an all right job.
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
My new blog: http://spritecave.blogspot.co.uk/
|
|
|
Peteff
|
| posted on 27/12/10 at 12:00 PM |
|
|
I had a Powerfile for Christmas a couple of years ago and have found lots of different places to use it, shaping and grinding down. I get belts from
ebay, johnt1102 who is on another forum I read and with 80 grit belt you can shift some material pretty quick.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
|
|
|
Richard Quinn
|
| posted on 27/12/10 at 01:41 PM |
|
|
+1 for the Powerfile. It's one of those tools that you don't realise how really useful they are until you've got one!
|
|
|
Richard Quinn
|
| posted on 27/12/10 at 01:41 PM |
|
|
+1 for the Powerfile. It's one of those tools that you don't realise how really useful they are until you've got one!
|
|
|
alistairolsen
|
| posted on 4/1/11 at 02:42 AM |
|
|
Id use a powerfile, or an air powered die grinder with a carbide bit but wear goggles, full googles, that seal against your face! After a long lie in
casualty I can say that the flakes produced by a die grinder in steel arent cool stuck in your eye after wearing glasses.
My Build Thread
|
|
|
NS Dev
|
| posted on 5/1/11 at 08:10 PM |
|
|
If you have compressed air then without doubt THE tool to have is an air angle die grinder, plus a 3M Roloc backing pad and a load of roloc discs.
Look it up on the net.
I do this sort of thing for a living (www.retropower.co.uk) and would not be without it. it gets into tiny spaces, amd grinds stuff that would shred a
small belt sander belt (I have one of those too and rarely use it, by comparison)
Roloc discs come in 38mm, 50mm and 75mm dia. 75 is too big to be useful, but the 38 and 50's are brill
I was recently cleaning up welds at the bottom of the a-pillars on the Porsche 356 we are restoring and nothing else would have got in there.
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
|
|
|
