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What Are Fillet Weld Grinding Discs?

Fillet weld grinding discs are 3 or 6mm wide discs of unitised abrasives in a range of grits and grades.  The most aggressive is the TA10 disc which is aggressive enough to remove steel mig welds.  The least aggressive is the SA5 unitised disc which will remove weld colour and pre-polish stainless steel.

Which is the Most Aggressive Fillet Weld Grinding Disc?

Cibo developed the TA10 unitised disc for heavier tig welds which are commonly needed in pharmaceutical vessel manufacturing.  The TA10 uses a more complex engineered abrasive grain whilst still benefiting from the unitised construction.

What are GA Combi Unitised Discs?

Cibo Abrasives have an excellent record of end user driven innovation. Based on the problems we see in the market, we are constantly on the look-out for ways to improve process times AND reduce process complexity.  It was out of this philosophy that the combi unitised range was born.

  • 20 years ago, to grind, finish & mirror polish a tig weld was a 5 to 6 stage process.
  • 15 years ago, with Cibo innovation this was reduced to 3 stages.
  • Today, with the introduction of the GA Combi unitised discs this is now a 2 stage process.

 

The most popular process for polishing fillet welds was developed by Cibo 15 years ago, with the introduction of the Cibo FinitEasy.  Previous to this, dynafiles & Beltit powerfile machines had been used which were slow, cumbersome and prone to causing abrasive belt damage when grinding out the weld.  However, they still have their place in the workshop for heavier weld grinding.

In simple terms, Combi Unitised is an aggressive MA unitised disc sandwiched between two softer & finer SA unitised discs.

All GA Combi discs are 6mm wide to allow the aggressive centre of the disc to remove and blend the weld in the middle of the fillet, whilst leaving the flexible and finer outer edges to apply a consistent, high quality, fine satin finish on your workpiece. This leaves a surface finish which is ready for mirror polishing if required.

 

 

The new Cibo Combi unitised discs.

  • 100% control
  • 30% reduction in finishing time
  • Prevents undercutting
  • Remove fillet welds & satin polish in one
  • Available in 3 distinct grades

Why should I choose Combi Unitised?

Labour is always the big cost and GA Combi Unitised discs will save you time and money.

In the Cibo tradition of innovation, the Combi Unitised discs allow you to remove a weld and apply a high quality finish which is suitable for mirror polishing in one action.

  • Combi discs work up to 30% faster due to increased grinding speed and no wasting time switching discs.
  •  Or for high aggression fillet weld grinding, use GA 6 Combi discs in partnership with the very high aggression TA10 discs.  Watch the videos in our new TA10 blog

What is the Best Fillet Weld Finishing Process to Use with the GA Combi Discs?

There are two key benefits to the GA Combi unitised process.  Firstly, it is easier and simpler, and secondly, what was once a six stage process is now one or two stages.

Stage 1:  Remove and polish the tig weld with GA Combi Unitised.  Only satin polishing?  Stop right here.

Stage 2:  Mirror polish the weld with a felt disc and Cibo polish.

Helpful Guides

Combi Unitised: Straight To The Finish
Read More...
Stainless Steel Fillet Weld Polishing With GA Combi Discs
Read More...
Radius Grinding Stainless Steel Vessel Fillet Welds
Read More...

Which Fillet Weld Grinding Disc Should I use?

The only decision you need to make is which grade of disc will be suited to your application.

1.  Removing & polishing a fused fillet weld

Stainless steel fillet welds

If you have fused the stainless weld and there is only a small amount of ripple to remove, then we would recommend the GA 6 discs.  They have enough aggression to blend away the tig weld ripple easily without the risk of digging or gouging into the metal, leaving a clean, bright, invisible weld.

Aluminium fillet welds

On a fused aluminium weld the GA6 is too aggressive.  We would recommend using the SA5 if you are looking for a bright or mirror polished finish or the MA5 if you need a satin / brushed finish.  Either disc will have the aggression to remove the ripple from the tig weld to leave either a soft satin or a pre-polished finish.

2.  Removing & polishing a Good Quality Tig Welded Fillet Weld (1 or 2mm wire)

Stainless Steel Fillet Welds

If you have used a good quality wire and need to fully blend the fillet weld so it can’t be seen then the GA7 combi unitised disc will have more than enough cut to remove the tig weld and at the same time you can use the sides of the GA disc to remove the weld discolouration to leave a very soft, pre-polished finish on the stainless.

Aluminium fillet welds

On an aluminium tig weld you can step down to the GA6 which will have a fast but controlled cut which will remove the aluminium fillet weld completely to leave a very fine brushed soft satin finish.

3.  Removing & polishing a good quality tig welded fillet weld with heavier wire

Stainless Steel fillet welds – Increased Wire

In important structural welds it is sometimes necessary to use a heavier wire.  In this situation then we would recommend stepping up to the GA8 combi unitised disc.  It will still leave an excellent finish when the work is done but the extra stiffness in the heart of the disc will ensure a fast clean process whilst the outer soft density fleece will ensure a high quality finish.

Aluminium fillet welds – increased wire

Again on the aluminium tig weld you can step down to the GA7 combi unitised disc (rather than the GA8 on stainless) to keep the controlled cut and prevent over-aggressive removal of the fillet weld whilst still leaving a very fine brushed soft satin finish.

4.  Removing a really heavy Tig or Mig weld

If it is a particularly heavy weld then using the TA10 RebelOne unitised to remove the fillet weld and then follow that with the GA6 Combi unitised.  To see this process explained in detail you can read / watch the blog.

 

For best performance run at between 3,000 to 4,000 rpm on a machine such as the Cibo Finiteasy. Too fast results in premature wear, too slow you run the risk of bouncing.

With the launch of the new GA Combi Unitised products, our recommendations have recently changed for this process.  We have detailed 4 options below, dependent on the size of the weld:

1.  Removing & polishing a fused stainless steel fillet weld

Option 1:  If you have fused the stainless steel weld and there is only a small amount of ripple to remove, then we would recommend the GA 6 Combi discs.  They have enough aggression to blend away the ripple easily without the risk of digging into the metal.

Option 2:  For a fine satin finish, the the new MA6 6mm wide discs have the aggression to remove most, if not all of the ripple and leave a very soft, satin finish.

 2.  Removing & polishing a good quality stainless tig welded fillet weld (1 or 2mm wire)

Option 1:  On a high quality weld, the GA7 combi unitised disc will have more than enough cut to remove the tig weld. At the same time, you can use the sides of the GA disc to remove the weld discolouration to leave a very soft, pre-polished finish on your stainless steel.

Option 2:  This is the classic Cibo Time Saving Kit process using the MA8 3mm discs followed by the SA5 discs to leave a perfectly smooth, semi-bright, blemish free weld with no ripple.

Option 3:  SA/7 T30 (3mm wide) and T31 (6mm wide).  For a slightly finer finish, the SA7 is a great option if you require a bright, polished finish after removing the weld.

 3.  Removing & polishing a good quality tig welded fillet weld with heavier wire

In important structural welds, it is sometimes necessary to use a heavier wire.  In this situation, we would recommend stepping up to the GA8 combi unitised disc.  It will still leave an excellent finish when the work is done, but the extra stiffness in the heart of the disc will ensure a fast, clean process, whilst the outer, soft density fleece will ensure a high quality finish.

4.  Removing a really heavy Tig or Mig weld

If it is a particularly heavy weld, then using the TA10 unitised in combination with the GA Combi unitised is worth considering.  You can read / watch the blog on this here.

 5.  Removing weld discolouration but do not need to remove the full weld

  • SA/5/T31 – The most popular disc for weld colour removal and pre-polish finishing.
  • MA/5/T31 –  A new Cibo product which is ideal for removing weld blueing and leaves a fine satin finish afterwards. The 320 grit finish left from the MA/5 means that it will also begin to shape the top of a fine ripple tig weld.

 

We have detailed 3 options dependent on the size of the weld:

 1.  Removing & polishing a fused aluminium fillet weld

We would recommend using the SA5 if you are looking for a bright or mirror polished finish. Or, the MA5 if you need a satin / brushed finish.  Either disc will have enough aggression to remove any ripples from the weld without the risk of eating into the parent metal.

 2.  Removing & polishing a good quality aluminium tig welded fillet weld (1 or 2mm wire)

Option 1:  On an aluminium tig weld, you can step down to the GA6 which will have a fast but controlled cut on the aluminium tig weld and will leave a very fine, brushed, soft satin finish.

Option 2:  USe the SA/6/T31 unitised disc which will have more than enough aggression to remove the weld whilst leaving a fine finish.  You may choose to give a final blend with either the SA5 or MA5, dependent on whether you want a semi-bright or a fine satin finish.

3.  Removing & polishing a good quality aluminium tig welded fillet weld with heavier wire

Option 1:  The fastest process is with the GA7 combi unitised disc to keep a controlled cut and prevent over-aggressive removal of the fillet weld, whilst still leaving a very fine, brushed, soft, satin finish.

Option 2:  Grind out the weld with the SA7 3mm disc and then blend the final finish with either the SA5 for a pre-polished finish, or with the MA5 for a fine, satin finish.

 

If you need to grind away a mig weld around the base of steel railings in preparation for powder coating or painting, then the TA10 unitised discs are a great option. TA10 has a high cut rate without losing control, so you can easily radius and feather out the weld until it becomes completely hidden.

The finish left by the TA10 is more than good enough for painting directly on top of the weld.

When Cibo began manufacturing their own unitised abrasive range, it meant that Cibo innovation could go to another level.

TA10  Rebel One Unitised Discs: Faster Cut – Longer Life

With an engineered abrasive grain, the new TA10 unitised discs are high density discs ideal for more aggressive grinding & blending of fillet welds and heavier Tig welds. The fast cut rate of the TA unitised disc still leaves a clean 150 / 180 grit burr free finish.  Discs are available from stock in the following sizes:

  • TA/10/T30: 150mm diameter, 3mm wide. Ideal for for grinding narrow welds.
  • TA/10/T31: 150mm diameter, 6mm wide to radius & blend heavier Tig + Mig welds.
  • TA/10/S121R/6:  125mm diameter, 6mm wide for use on grinders (variable speed recommended)

For removing weld discolouration & fine brush finishing, look at FA unitised discs.

The best way to work how quick the TA10 discs work is to see it for yourself.  Follow the link to our blog to see the latest videos of the TA10 in action:  blog

If you have finer fillet welds that are either fused or made with 0.8mm or 1mm wire, then the TA10 is probably too aggressive for the application (the SA & MA unitised range are more suited to removing these welds) but, if you need to put in a heavier weld and still need to radius the fillet weld then the TA10, 3mm or 6mm wide are great options.

Applications where the TA10 is proving to be a great hit with our customers are:

  • With larger stainless steel vessel manufacturing for the pharmaceutical industry where the TA10 is used for cutting & shaping the weld prior to polishing.
  • Stainless steel pedestrian footbridge work, where the welding needs to be done with heavier guage wire, but the quality of the final finish is important.
  • Food industry mixing tanks.
  • Internal seam blending on chemical industry mixing vessels, to prevent entrapment.

The Cibo Time Saving Kits were developed by Cibo in partnership with AFS to give our customers a complete solution in a box.

Time Saving Kit 02 includes the products needed to remove a stainless tig weld and create a very soft, satin finish.

Time Saving Kit 05 contains unitised products to remove tig welds and create a mirror polished finish on stainless steel tube.

  • Time Saving Kit 05 uses the MA/8/T30 disc to remove the weld, the SA/5/T31 disc to blend and pre-polish, followed by the MHV/5600/T31 with the PV/102 pink polishing compound to create a high quality, mirror polished finish.

The Cibo RebelOne unitised discs in either the GA family or SA5 will leave a finish which is able to be mirror polished.  All you need to complete the process is our MHV/5600/T31 felt discs.

MHV/5600/T31 is a 150mm diameter disc that fits directly onto the FinitEasy fillet weld grinder using the same connections as the normal unitised fillet weld grinding discs.

We recommend using these discs with one of our polishing compounds on your stainless steel.

Both of these discs fit on to the Cibo Finit-Easy machine and other fillet weld grinders.

Unitised abrasive discs are manufactured in pre-formed sheets, which restricts the diameters available.  However, within that restriction, Cibo can make any disc diameter you need, either by press cutting or water jet cutting from sheets.

  • Maximum effective disc diameter – 305mm, although we have made them a little larger on rare occasions.
  • Most common diameters – 150mm and 200mm.
  • Need to use a smaller diameter wheel?  You can see the range of 50 or 75mm diameter wheels here.
  • Want to see the wider range of unitised wheels?  Click here (opens in a new tab).
  • Or all wheels and brushes that can fit on a bench grinder?  Click here (opens in a new tab).