Anyone used a Kutzall carving disk?

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 2:36 pm

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=926

Woodcraft sent me a catalog that has them on one page...

I'm wondering if any of you guys have used one on fiberglass? Carbide teeth bonded to a steel backing. Looks like the abrasive on them is something like a gravel parkinglot!

Ancient Race · Post by **Ancient Race** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:02 pm

Wow Zach - looks kind of like a tool that might turn a fiberglass hull into a pile of dust without much effort at all.

Greg

Post by **Tim** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:36 am

Please be extremely careful using any sort of serious grinder on a fiberglass (or other) boat. I've seen way too much unnecessary damage caused by people using this sort of thing, or even less aggressive attachments. I think in general it's a very bad idea.

There's a time and a place for something as aggressive as this, but they're few and far between. One can do enough damage with something like this in 5 minutes to require 2 weeks of repair work, so think about alternatives and proceed with great care.

Quetzalsailor · Post by **Quetzalsailor** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:05 am

On that same site, check out the Launcelot chainsaw blade cutting toy.

It's nice to be able to remove something with appropriate ease and speed, but you've got to be able to control the tool. And that's all the time, even when your type A nature means you're working tired or in a bad position. It's not just the boat, it's yourself and the surrounding world.

I use 50 grit discs on a 4 1/4" angle grinder as a matter of course (coarse?); 36 is too aggressive. The 50 grit is fine for cutting scarphs in fiberglass, and cleaning the surface preparatory for laminating.

A technically savvy workmate suggested the Launcelot for removing wood stringers from my wood FD, but I decided it was 'way too aggressive as well.

There are many aspects to safety worth discussing on a site like this, at the very top of the list is the necessity to think the task through. Every time! Bad things happen to bright experienced folks, as well as to hapless, and very quickly, too.

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:35 pm

My thoughts as well. With the exception of filling through hulls and the like, it has no real purpose.

Quetzell: I've actually used an electric chainsaw on a wooden boat to remove a rotten portion of the keel... but that thing scares me. To many little parts to fail on a fast spinning device. Ouch!

cantstopnow · Post by **cantstopnow** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:22 am

Yep.. I once ground my way through the cabin roof on my compac 16 because I thought that I could be gentle with the too coarse wheel on my grinder... I won't do that again.

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:49 pm

Update:

I tried out a dewalt 40 grit flap disk on the icebox opening after the velcro on my sander quit sticking... sanding away only to have a 40 grit disk fly over your head every few minutes! (I think there was to much dust for it... cheap sander.)

Scary fast material removal. I'd say doing the first 3/4's of the job with a flap disk would be no big deal, doing the last 1/8th inch of finishing wouldn't be much fun as a minor pause reposition for a corner will leave a line you can feel. Its about the same movement and pressure as usign a high speed buffer on the paint of a car. Hold it still or apply and pressure and your boat will turn to dust... I've done about a million hours of grinding doing metal and body work, but the flap disk is not the tool for doing anything but bulk material removal. (2 hours with a 40 grit random orbit vs 20 minutes with the flap disk.)

Verdict... going to blow out the Milwaukee and leave it by my welder, and get a cheapo chinese grinder. That fine glass dust can't be good for the guts of a good tool. After trying something that removes material quick at 40 grit... that kutzall thing scares the bajeebies out of me.