Flap Wheel 1-1/2" x 1/2" Mounted Aluminum Oxide, Pack of 10

Weld toes, inside corners and fillets are where a narrow-faced flap wheel earns its keep, and 1-1/2" x 1/2" is the size fabricators pick for that work on a die grinder. The 1/2" face gets down into the corner where two plates meet; the 1-1/2" diameter gives longer flaps than a 1" wheel, so it conforms more, runs cooler and lasts longer per wheel.

Aluminum oxide cloth flaps on a 1/4" steel shank, sold as a pack of 10 in one grit from 40 to 320, in plain shank or 1/4-20 thread shank. Weld shops blending TIG and MIG toes, cabinet and furniture makers cleaning up coves and flutes, and maintenance crews knocking rust out of channels all keep this size on the bench.

• 1/2" face reaches into inside corners, coves, grooves and the toe of a fillet weld
• 1-1/2" diameter gives longer, more conforming flaps and more wheel life than a 1" size
• Aluminum oxide cloth flaps wear back to fresh grain instead of glazing over
• Plain 1/4" shank or 1/4-20 threaded shank on steel
• 40 to 320 grit covers weld blending through satin finishing
• Pack of 10, converted in Anaheim, California; bulk pricing on request

Plain shank or threaded, and which grit for the job?

Choose the shank by the tool, the grit by the surface you are leaving behind.

• Plain Shank: a straight 1/4" steel shank for die grinders with a 1/4" collet, drill chucks and flex shaft handpieces. The default choice.
• 1/4-20 Thread Shank: a 1/4-20 threaded stud for mandrels, extension arbors and spindles tapped 1/4-20. Pick this if you already run threaded mandrels on the bench or need extra reach through an extension.

• 40 and 60 grit: knocking down spatter, heavy scale, rust in channels and rough casting corners. Not for finished surfaces.
• 80 and 100 grit: blending the toe of a weld into the parent metal, removing grinder marks left by a hard wheel. The most-ordered grits in this size.
• 120 and 180 grit: refining the blend so the weld disappears under paint or powder coat; softening edges before coating.
• 240 and 320 grit: satin finishing stainless fillets and coves, pre-polish on brass and aluminum, final pass on hardwood carvings.

Grit guide for blending welds and finishing corners

Do not jump from 60 to 240. The fine wheel will shine the surface without removing the 60 grit scratch, and the scratch shows through every finish you put on top.

What tools does a 1-1/2" x 1/2" mounted flap wheel fit?

• Right-angle die grinders with a 1/4" collet. The angle head lets you lay the 1/2" face into a fillet or inside corner with the tool body clear of the work, which is why fabricators pair this size with an angle grinder more than a straight one.
• Straight die grinders, air or electric, with a 1/4" collet, for grooves, flutes and edges you can approach in line.
• Flex shaft handpieces with a 1/4" collet or chuck for carving and sculpture work.
• Drills, which run slower; a good match for the fine grits on wood and for rust removal where you want control rather than speed.
• 1/4-20 threaded mandrels and extension arbors with the threaded shank version.

Chuck the shank deep and keep stick-out short. Run within the RPM marked on the wheel or the tool's rating, whichever is lower; a 1-1/2" wheel is rated lower than a 1" wheel because the flap tips travel faster at the same RPM.

How to get the most out of it

1. Lay the face into the corner, not the edge. In a fillet, tilt the wheel so the 1/2" face rides the weld toe and the flaps sweep both plates. Working on the corner of the wheel wears it to a cone quickly.
2. Move along the weld, do not scrub across it. Long, overlapping strokes parallel to the joint blend the toe evenly and leave a straight scratch pattern that hides under paint.
3. Let the flaps do the work. Light pressure; you should see the flaps flex, not fold. Pressing harder stands the flaps up, heats the steel and tears cloth.
4. Keep the flaps trailing. Mount and move the wheel so the flap tips drag across the surface. If it kicks, reverse your direction of travel.
5. Respect the speed rating. Stay within the RPM marked on the wheel or on the tool, whichever is lower. Overspeeding a 1-1/2" wheel throws flaps and glazes the grain.
6. Run it dry and keep it clean. Blow packed dust or paint out of the flaps with air. On wood, a coarse grit and light pressure loads far less than a fine one.
7. Change wheels on grit, not on wear. Use a fresh wheel for each grit step and retire a wheel once the flaps are short and stiff.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Blending TIG and MIG fillet weld toes on steel and stainless before paint or powder coat
• Cleaning inside corners of frames, boxes, brackets and weldments
• Sanding coves, flutes, grooves and moulding profiles in hardwood and softwood
• Removing rust, scale and old paint from channels, angle iron and pipe fittings
• Softening edges and satin finishing stainless, brass and aluminum corners
• Cleaning up carvings, turnings and sculpture where a sanding pad cannot reach

Don't use it for

• Grinding a weld bead flush or heavy stock removal; use a flap disc or a coarse belt
• Cutting or notching
• Wide flat surfaces, where a 2" or 3" x 1" wheel covers more area with less overlap
• Bores smaller than about 1-1/2", where the flaps cannot flex
• Any tool that spins faster than the RPM marked on the wheel

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All flap wheels, mounted and unmounted
• 1-1/2" x 1" Mounted Aluminum Oxide Flap Wheels, pack of 10 (wide face)
• 2" x 1/2" Mounted Aluminum Oxide Flap Wheels, pack of 10 (larger diameter, same face)
• 4-1/2" ceramic Shredder flap discs for weld removal before blending
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days