2" x 1" Mini Flap Wheel with 1/4" Chuck (5-Pack)

Fine grit on a small wheel is what you need when the surface is already shaped and the job is to make it smooth: the spoke windows on an alloy wheel, a deburred edge that still shows tool marks, a weld that has been blended and needs to go bright. This 2" x 1" mini flap wheel comes only in 240 and 320 grit, the two grits that take an 80 to 180 finish to a satin that is ready for polish, and its 2" diameter fits inside the windows, pockets and radii that larger wheels cannot reach.

Aluminum oxide cloth flaps on a 1/4" steel shank that chucks into any 1/4" die grinder collet, drill chuck or rotary tool, pack of 5. Wheel repair and refinishing shops, auto body and restoration shops, and fabricators finishing small stainless and aluminum parts by hand are the buyers.

• Fine grits only: 240 and 320 for satin and pre-polish, not stock removal
• 2" diameter reaches alloy wheel windows, pockets and tight radii
• 1" face gives a stable contact patch without bridging small features
• 1/4" steel shank fits die grinders, drills, flex shafts and rotary tools
• Aluminum oxide cloth flaps conform to curves and expose fresh grain as they wear
• Pack of 5, converted in Anaheim, California; free shipping on orders over $200

Which grit should you choose: 240 or 320?

Both grits on this wheel are finishing grits. The choice is about what the surface looks like when you start and what comes after.

• 240 grit: the first fine pass after coarser work. It takes out 120 to 180 grit scratches from a blended weld, a deburred edge or a machined alloy wheel window, and leaves a uniform fine satin that primer, clear coat or a polishing compound can go straight onto. Start here if you can still see distinct scratch lines.
• 320 grit: the pre-polish pass. It refines a 240 finish to a soft satin with almost no visible scratch, which is the surface you want before a buff and compound on aluminum wheels, stainless trim or brass. Start here if the part already has an even 180 to 240 finish.

For a bright polished wheel window, run 240, then 320, then move to a small buff and aluminum polishing compound. If you need to remove material, shape or blend a raw weld, this is not the wheel: our 2" x 1" mounted flap wheels in 40 to 320 grit cover the coarse end of the job.

Grit guide for wheel windows, small parts and pre-polish

What tools does a 2" x 1" mini flap wheel fit?

• Air and electric die grinders with a 1/4" collet. The natural tool for wheel windows and small stainless parts. A 2" wheel is rated for die grinder speeds; still check the RPM printed on the wheel against the tool.
• Corded and cordless drills. Slower than a die grinder, which is often an advantage on aluminum because it keeps heat down and stops the fine grit from loading as fast.
• Flex shaft handpieces with a 1/4" chuck or collet, for reaching into deep pockets and around spokes.
• Rotary tools that accept a 1/4" shank, at a speed within the wheel rating.

Chuck the shank as deep as the tool allows and keep the stick-out short so the wheel runs true. Run within the RPM marked on the wheel or the tool's rating, whichever is lower. Check the wheel spins with the flap tips trailing when it is presented to the work; if it grabs or chatters, reverse your direction of travel.

How to get the most out of it

1. Start with the right surface. A 240 grit wheel cannot fix 60 grit scratches or a proud weld. Bring the surface to 120 to 180 with a coarser wheel or disc first.
2. Light pressure, visible flex. The flaps should bend against the surface, not fold. Pressing harder does not cut faster at these grits; it heats the part, glazes the grain and tears flaps.
3. Keep the flaps trailing. Move the tool so the flap tips drag across the surface. Leading flaps dig in, especially at the edge of a wheel window.
4. Work the window in one direction. On an alloy wheel, run each window with strokes in the same direction and blend into the next; random strokes show through clear coat and polish.
5. Follow the radius. Roll the 1" face around fillets and spoke edges rather than pressing the corner of the wheel in.
6. Clear loading often. Aluminum packs 240 and 320 grit quickly. Blow the wheel out with air or run it briefly against a rubber cleaning stick and reduce pressure.
7. Fresh wheel for the last pass. The final 320 pass on a visible surface is only as clean as the wheel; keep one of the five for finishing only.
8. Dry only. These wheels are for dry use. Wipe the part between grits so coarse debris does not scratch the finer pass.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Resurfacing and refining alloy wheel windows, spokes and lips before clear coat or polish
• Fine satin on stainless and aluminum trim, brackets, fittings and small fabrications
• Softening deburred edges on machined and sheet metal parts
• Pre-polish on brass, copper and aluminum before a buff and compound
• Final blending on welds that have already been dressed to 120 to 180 grit
• Detail finishing in pockets, radii and around fasteners that a larger wheel cannot enter

Don't use it for

• Stock removal, weld blending or shaping; use a coarser mounted flap wheel or a flap disc
• Removing paint, powder coat or heavy corrosion
• Cutting or notching
• Wet or lubricated work
• Bench grinders and polishing lathes; use our unmounted 6" to 12" wheels there
• Any tool running above the RPM marked on the wheel

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All flap wheels, mounted and unmounted
• 2" x 1" Mounted Aluminum Oxide Flap Wheels, pack of 10 (40–320 grit for the coarse steps)
• Aluminum Polishing Kit for the bright pass after 320 grit
• Polishing and finishing supplies
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days