How to Finish Grind Welds

Before you sandblast and paint your welded project, you will need to grind it to remove any burrs or metal castoffs. Without grinding, your finished weld will look rough and could have sharp points that can cause injury. It's critical to take care when grinding your welds to avoid injury to yourself and damage to your project.

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the weld. Pull off loose pieces of slag and chip away loose pieces of castoff metal and burrs with a screwdriver. Brush the joint thoroughly with a wire brush.
- 2
  Turn on the grinder. If your grinder has a variable-speed setting, select a speed between 5,000 and 7,000 rpm.
- 3
  Grip the grinder firmly at the base with one hand, and on the side handle with the other. It's extremely important to keep a firm grip on the side handle to prevent injury if the grinder kicks back.
- 4
  Grind from the center of the weld out toward the edges, moving the grinder in small circles in the direction of rotation of the blade. Apply light pressure to the grinder and avoid digging into the weld. Work the high points of the weld first, bringing them level with the low points.
- 5
  Stop grinding when the entire weld is sloped and smooth from the inside out. Avoid grinding the component pieces, which could weaken the structure of the piece.

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