Cutting straight with angle grinder
-
- has a junk pile that will one day smoke LOTS of BBQ
- Posts: 67
- Joined: June 12th, 2018, 2:08 am
Cutting straight with angle grinder
IS there a trick or tips to cut perfectly straight with an angle grinder? My last build many of the cuts weren't perfectly straight. Should i use a metal ruler of plate to use as a guide?
-
- Expert
- Posts: 299
- Joined: March 29th, 2018, 10:07 am
- Title: Member
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Not competing yet...
- Location: Minnesota
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
Hah.... my experience as well.
The shop where I bought my stock for my double pan GF rather highly recommended a handheld metal cutting circular saw (I can go dig out their product if you'd like.) It will be noisy, but you'll get both a much straighter cut, and much faster, but at the expense of being pretty noisy.
The shop where I bought my stock for my double pan GF rather highly recommended a handheld metal cutting circular saw (I can go dig out their product if you'd like.) It will be noisy, but you'll get both a much straighter cut, and much faster, but at the expense of being pretty noisy.
"Measure with micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with fireaxe." Ted M., USCG (ret)
"Smoked pork. It belongs in me." Giles L
"Smoked pork. It belongs in me." Giles L
-
- Expert
- Posts: 510
- Joined: July 20th, 2018, 6:59 pm
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
I think the main thing is practice. I haven't got enough practice to be good at it either. I have seen tools that hold a 4" grinder to use as a chop saw although kinda neat they only help for small cuts and those are not the difficult ones. Just be safe a broken wheel is scary.
- Dirtytires
- Expert
- Posts: 2310
- Joined: November 24th, 2015, 12:36 am
- Title: It ain't broke...yet
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Dont compete...cook for events once in a while
- Location: Phoenix, Az
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
Hard to do straight with an angle grinder. I used to do a lot of dressing on a bench grinder.
I ditched the grinder method and upgraded to a carbide tipped cold cut chop saw. Works a heck of a lot better than a handheld and allows you to dial in angles. I don’t use it anymore now that I have the Ellis tho so if you are near Phoenix....
I ditched the grinder method and upgraded to a carbide tipped cold cut chop saw. Works a heck of a lot better than a handheld and allows you to dial in angles. I don’t use it anymore now that I have the Ellis tho so if you are near Phoenix....
-
- has a junk pile that will one day smoke LOTS of BBQ
- Posts: 67
- Joined: June 12th, 2018, 2:08 am
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
Do you ship to France?!

Is there a thread for insulation of a square FB?
- ajfoxy
- Expert
- Posts: 2246
- Joined: April 12th, 2016, 8:07 pm
- Title: Neophyte Smoker Bldr
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Not competing yet...
- Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
Of course he ships to France.... if you pay the packaging and freight
To cut steel sheet you could buy a budget plasma cutter and use a straight edge to keep the thing on track.
As for insulating the firebox if not already build... look at the Mack build thread. There was quite a bit of info in there.

To cut steel sheet you could buy a budget plasma cutter and use a straight edge to keep the thing on track.
As for insulating the firebox if not already build... look at the Mack build thread. There was quite a bit of info in there.
Learning generally boils down to "Repetition or the avoidance of pain", some people learn by doing, some by watching and some just have to pee on the electric fence.
Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right. Henry Ford
Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right. Henry Ford
- Dirtytires
- Expert
- Posts: 2310
- Joined: November 24th, 2015, 12:36 am
- Title: It ain't broke...yet
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Dont compete...cook for events once in a while
- Location: Phoenix, Az
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
100 ways to do it. Most difficult part for me was building out all the vents and door. Take your time. Plan it out.
-
- beginner
- Posts: 10
- Joined: April 27th, 2019, 4:23 pm
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
Iron worker here. Mark your lines with soap stone or bright paint marker. Clamp a straight edge a couple inches away as parallel as possible(or use the factory edge if you're close), but doesn't have to be perfect. Hold grinder with wheel on line, motor toward the clamped guide. With the hand up near the wheel, drag your fingers on your guide and follow your line. The hand holding the switch supports the weight and the top hand does the driving. Don't rush, you'll eat up fewer wheels that way too.
- McBroom
- Expert
- Posts: 317
- Joined: January 31st, 2018, 10:02 am
- Title: Retired U.S.Marine
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Not competing yet...
- Location: Denison Texas
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
I can vouch for the broke wheel being dangerous.Chromeski wrote:I think the main thing is practice. I haven't got enough practice to be good at it either. I have seen tools that hold a 4" grinder to use as a chop saw although kinda neat they only help for small cuts and those are not the difficult ones. Just be safe a broken wheel is scary.
I have a scar on my leg about 5” long from a cut off wheel that shattered. I spent 9 days in the hospital and 2 surgeries to get all the debris out. And another 4 months with a vacuum patch over it to make it heal up.
Use serious caution with cut off wheels.
I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Tradesman Power Wagon
-
- Expert
- Posts: 536
- Joined: February 2nd, 2016, 4:25 pm
- Title: Member
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Not competing yet...
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
I make my cuts long and flap disc em to the line. Takes a few minutes longer but works accurately every time.
-
- Expert
- Posts: 510
- Joined: July 20th, 2018, 6:59 pm
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
McBroom wrote: ↑May 1st, 2019, 1:58 pmI can vouch for the broke wheel being dangerous.Chromeski wrote:I think the main thing is practice. I haven't got enough practice to be good at it either. I have seen tools that hold a 4" grinder to use as a chop saw although kinda neat they only help for small cuts and those are not the difficult ones. Just be safe a broken wheel is scary.
I have a scar on my leg about 5” long from a cut off wheel that shattered. I spent 9 days in the hospital and 2 surgeries to get all the debris out. And another 4 months with a vacuum patch over it to make it heal up.
Use serious caution with cut off wheels.
I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Tradesman Power Wagon
Wow not good. I knew a guy that took one to the head and he wasn't the one with the grinder. I've had them break , but avoided injuries thus far.
- Dirtytires
- Expert
- Posts: 2310
- Joined: November 24th, 2015, 12:36 am
- Title: It ain't broke...yet
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Dont compete...cook for events once in a while
- Location: Phoenix, Az
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
Ouch....safety glasses are your friend tho they won’t save the rest of your face.
-
- Expert
- Posts: 510
- Joined: July 20th, 2018, 6:59 pm
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
I usually wear my electronic welding hood in grind mode. I admit I sometimes make the quick cuts without a full face shield even tho i know better.Dirtytires wrote: ↑May 3rd, 2019, 1:39 pmOuch....safety glasses are your friend tho they won’t save the rest of your face.
- McBroom
- Expert
- Posts: 317
- Joined: January 31st, 2018, 10:02 am
- Title: Retired U.S.Marine
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Not competing yet...
- Location: Denison Texas
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
This is the scar from 7 years ago. 
I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Tradesman Power Wagon

I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Tradesman Power Wagon
- Pete Mazz
- Moderator
- Posts: 2956
- Joined: February 16th, 2013, 8:19 am
- Title: Meathead
- Location: Bucks County, PA
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
Wow!
If it's tourist season, how come I can't shoot 'em?
Don't speak the language? Try this: Smoker Terminology
Try my SmokerBuilder Calculators
Don't speak the language? Try this: Smoker Terminology
Try my SmokerBuilder Calculators
-
- Expert
- Posts: 299
- Joined: March 29th, 2018, 10:07 am
- Title: Member
- BBQ Comp Team Name: Not competing yet...
- Location: Minnesota
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
I try to learn from other people's mistakes.... and I really don't want to do that. I make it a point to 1) Wear PPE, and don't work in shorts, 2) keep out of the plane of the spinning disc, and don't put sideways stress on the disc (strongest in the spinning plane.) Safety glasses are no replacement for full face coverage.
McBroom, thanks for posting the picture and the reminder.
McBroom, thanks for posting the picture and the reminder.
"Measure with micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with fireaxe." Ted M., USCG (ret)
"Smoked pork. It belongs in me." Giles L
"Smoked pork. It belongs in me." Giles L
-
- Just Got in trouble for buying tools
- Posts: 39
- Joined: February 21st, 2017, 6:58 pm
Re: Cutting straight with angle grinder
This is a topic that comes up often in our home..... Better half is manager of optical store. I have to admit I have cut and without protection more than once . The pics she shows me of eye /facial injury are hard to look at but, that's the point....I still can look at them she hammmers home eye protection and face shield Everytime she knows I'm headed to shop . Having said all that when you think of RPM cut off wheels grinders run it is not surprising they can fail catastrophically pretty much anytime.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk