If you happen to have a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder laying around, you might consider picking up one of these converter stands:

[www.amazon.com]

Basically bolt your angle grinder into the stand, attach an abraisve cut off wheel, and you have a very slick chop saw that will make quick work of doing any type chopping that you might need to do for rod building in the form of chopping blanks, cork wood etc.

Take care
Roger

Check the reviews!! Doesn't look like a good buy even at that price.
Ray

High-speed cut-off saw on a Dremel tool works just great on most freshwater blanks. Put masking tape around blank, mark it, lay Dremel along side and rotate blank. I do it in front of my 20" box fan with filter taped on. I've done a dozen or so in the last year. I always tell the client that it voids the blank warranty and they could care less. I cut 6" off of three RX8 blanks for one fellow. Felt like I was committing a crime, but it was what he wanted.

We also have a 10" chop saw with a HS cut-off blade in it at work, but I've never bothered to try it. The Dremel goes through so easy. I suppose if i was doing big blanks I might try something else.

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Ray,
Yes, I checked the reviews.
Of course, this tool may not be for everyone. But as I said in my original post, if you happened to have an extra grinder laying around in the shop, the $15 or so for this mount could make that unused tool more useful to you.

If you haven't considered it before, it also does a nice job of chopping pvc, for shipping tubes, or even cardboard tubes for shipping or for rod tubes.

I personally already have several other saws, including full sized chop saws, table saws, radial arm saws, miter saws - both small and large.

It is simply an inexpensive bit of tooling that might put an unused tool to use.

I did some more research yesterday and found several other angle grinder holders that are of a different design that might be even better than the one listed above.


By the way Chuck, have you checked with your blank manufacturer to verify the fact that trimming a blank from either end voids the warrenty? I have never received this information from a manufacturer that this is the case. I know that blanks are being trimmed every day by rod builders all over the world and I find it suprising that this would void the warrenty.

Good luck
Roger

I don't know about that one - a 4 1/2 angle grinder generates a suprising amount of torque - at least my Makita does. I wouldn't mount it to a flimsy little stand without donning a flack jacket and kevlar helmet...

Grizzly has one that seems to be built better. $25.95

If your scared, go to church. I dont think you could ask for anything more for $13.

Rick,
Of course, you would want to bolt any type saw or grinder like this one or a similar one to a solid mount. That is just common sense.

By the way, my neighbor can vouch for what you just said.
He was using his 6 inch 6000 rpm grinder with a coarse wire brush attached to do some deburring on some steel that he was using for a project.
He had the piece of steel in front of him. The grinder got away from him and the wire brush got stuck in his jeans.
The area where the wire brush attacked his jeans was right in the zipper area of his jeans. By the time that the wire brush stopped spinning, the jeans, the jeans zipper, and what was under the zipper were all entangled in the wire brush.

A few minutes later, his wife had to take he, his jeans, his angle grinder with the wire brush still attached to his jeans and himself to the hospital for removal.

Fortuantely, the emergency room doctors were able to extricitae the wire brush and grinder from everthing with only a few stitches involved in the affected areas.

So, I couldn't agree with you more on potential dangers for personal injury with poorly secured angle grinders. Great tools, but they need to be used with respect, caution, and safety procedures.

Be safe
Roger

Yeowch! Had a friend who had a drill get away from him and do the same type of thing. Thankfully, I have never had anything that embarassing to take to the ER. Must admit though, I have made a few payments on the ol' Dr's Porche just the same
Ray

Ray,
I have had to make a few visits for some different things over the years.
The word hospital, doctors , nurses and embarassing can't be used in the same sentence. There isn't such a think as embarasment when it comes to hospitals, doctors and nurses.

I am just thankful that they are there if the situation needs them.

Roger

Roger,
That's true. I'm a retired Patrol Deputy and I've seen things that would make people shudder. We just laughed them off and moved on. Never lost any sleep, but did get the occasional funny story. lol
Ray

You guys want to hurt your self ??

A fine tooth saw mark a blank - scribe all the way around so there are no fibers to peal. then just cut it. If you want a square cut block sand the edge

I sure do not need any high speed sharp objects going into my Man Hood I like me

Bill - willierods.com