Tips on How to Store and Use Abrasives Correctly

Abrasives are materials that are used to shape or finish a particular work piece through extensive rubbing. They work by scratching away the surface of the material to eventually eliminate unwanted roughness or substances. Other popular uses for abrasives are for grinding, polishing, honing, buffing, cutting, drilling, sharpening, lapping and sanding.

Nowadays, abrasives are widely used in industrial, domestic and technological applications. As a result, abrasive cutting tools come in a great variety of sizes. Abrasive cutting tools range from very simple to very complex. Metal file is an example of a simple abrasive cutting tool while cutting and grinding wheels are few of the complicated abrasive cutting tools. All of these tools are utilized to cut and polish stone, and they work a lot faster than hand tools.

Abrasives can be one of the most important inventions ever made in the manufacturing industry and they undoubtedly play a significant role in any tradesman’s job.

However, abrasive products can be very sensitive and failing to store those under the right conditions can lead to damage and a reduced lifespan. These factors can make the abrasives fragile and inefficient to use. Therefore, to give your abrasives a longer life, here are some tips on how and where you can store your abrasives correctly:

• Keep all coated abrasives in places that have a 40-50% relative humidity and at a 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity can be a crucial factor because it can cause cupping of coated abrasive products.
• Place coated abrasive discs no less than 4 inches above the surface of concrete floors. Also make sure that they are away from open windows and doors, out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources like radiators, steam pipes, furnaces and exhaust vents.
• Always store coated abrasive discs in their original packaging. If the packaging you received is damaged, never use the product inside. Return the broken product to the manufacturer.
• Ensure that grinding wheels are kept on wooden shelves that prevent them from rolling. The shelves should be created and designed in a way that different grinding tool types can be organized on a safe and uncomplicated style.
• When storing the wheels, ensure that they are sorted where the older wheels can be selected first.
• Store the wheels horizontally on flat surfaces. Never lean them against any equipment or roll the wheels on the floor.
• Do not ever pile other materials like tools on top of wheels.
• Ascertain that wheels are placed in a dry environment.
• Sand belts must be rolled up and located on their edge on a tidy shelf or draped over a large cylinder, like a gallon can or a flanged hanger of the type used for garden hose.
• Do not hang sand belts from a peg or nail because this can cause the back to crease and consequently crack the abrasive.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how long the wheels should be stored and how to store thin wheels.

Tips for using Abrasives:

1. The most important rule in using abrasives and discs is to carefully read, understand and follow the safety information included on the product packaging.
2. When transporting wheels, never carry them by your hands; transport them in containers that are intended to give support for the wheels.
3. Do not anymore use a wheel that has been dropped because the impact may have resulted to cracks and the wheel may eventually break.
4. Do not start the machine unless you have safety guards in place. Always wear personal protective equipment too like eye and face protection, safety gloves, ear muffs, loose-fitting clothing and dust mask.
5. Run the machine at operating speed for at least 1 minute, with its guard in place, before cutting or grinding. Make sure that you use the right wheel for the right type of job.
6. One common reason for wheel damage is over-speed, so never go beyond the operating speed of the wheel.
7. Stop the tool immediately if vibration occurs while grinding. Identify the cause of the problem and correct it before proceeding with the task.

As abrasives can experience stresses they therefore they must be handled with care. The effectiveness of your abrasives’ performance can depend on the way how the owner takes good care of them. These guidelines can assist the operator from injuries and to extend the tools’ life. Failing to follow initial storage and care procedures may cause the operator harm in the forms of time, money and safety.

For more Metal Working Tips and Metal Abrasives Products, visit Smith and ARROW Australia.