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

A square 1" x 1" flap wheel is the one to reach for when the job is the inside of something: hydraulic ports, manifold bores, the ID of small tubing and fittings, counterbores and the pockets of a die. The full 1" face covers a bore wall in one pass and cannot tip and cut a ring the way a narrow wheel can, and the aluminum oxide cloth flaps conform to the radius instead of fighting it.

Each pack of 10 is one grit, 40 to 320, on either a plain 1/4" shank or a 1/4-20 threaded shank. Fluid-power shops, machine builders, gunsmiths and anyone who deburrs and satin-finishes small internal features on a die grinder or flex shaft will use this size constantly.

• Square 1" x 1" profile finishes bore walls and tube interiors evenly without tipping
• Aluminum oxide cloth flaps that self-refresh as they wear for a consistent cut
• Plain 1/4" shank for collets and chucks or 1/4-20 threaded shank for mandrels
• 40 through 320 grit: burr removal, blending and satin finishing in one family
• Small enough for cordless drills and flex shafts, not just die grinders
• Pack of 10; converted in Anaheim, California, free shipping over $200

Which shank style and grit should you choose?

The wheel is identical either way; pick the shank that matches the tool you will actually mount it in.

• Plain Shank: straight 1/4" steel shank for any 1/4" collet die grinder, a rotary tool with a 1/4" collet, a drill chuck or a flex shaft handpiece. Order this unless you know you need threads.
• 1/4-20 Thread Shank: a 1/4-20 threaded stud that screws into a mandrel, extension arbor or spindle with a matching tapped hole. Useful when you keep a long extension in the tool to reach deep bores and only want to swap the wheel.

Grit follows the finish you need to leave behind:

• 40 and 60 grit: heavy burrs at cross-drilled intersections, casting skin in ports, rust and scale removal.
• 80, 100 and 120 grit: the working grits for deburring machined bores and blending tool marks; most shops stock 80 and 120.
• 180 grit: the last grit before a part goes to plating or anodizing when a uniform matte is enough.
• 240 and 320 grit: satin finishing on stainless and aluminum, and the pre-polish step before compound on a mini buff.

Grit guide for bores, ports and tube interiors

What tools take a 1" x 1" mounted flap wheel?

• Straight die grinders with a 1/4" collet, air or electric. The natural home for this size: the wheel goes straight into a port or bore with the tool body in line.
• Right-angle die grinders with a 1/4" collet for working across the mouth of a bore or inside a housing.
• Flex shaft machines with a 1/4" chuck or collet, where the small wheel and light tool make long polishing sessions comfortable.
• Drills, corded or cordless, at their slower speed. Fine grits behave especially well here for satin work on aluminum.
• Rotary tools only when fitted with a 1/4" collet or chuck; the common 1/8" collet does not hold a 1/4" shank.
• 1/4-20 threaded mandrels and extension arbors, using the threaded shank version, for deep reach into long tubing.

Chuck the shank as short as the job allows and run within the RPM marked on the wheel or your tool's rated speed, whichever is lower.

How to get the most out of it

1. Start the tool before contact. Bring a spinning wheel to the bore; starting it against the wall grabs and can kink the shank on a long extension.
2. Stroke, do not park. Move the wheel in and out along the bore continuously. A stationary flap wheel in a bore cuts a shallow ring that shows through every later grit.
3. Light pressure only. The flaps must flex to cut. Enough pressure to see the flaps bend slightly is enough; more than that tears them and heats the part.
4. Keep the flaps trailing. Enter and move the wheel so the flap tips drag across the surface. If it bucks or skips, you are feeding against the flap direction; reverse your travel.
5. Match speed to diameter. A 1" wheel wants more RPM than a 3" wheel to cut well, but never more than the rating printed on the wheel or the tool.
6. Blow it out. Aluminum and brass pack the flaps. Clear them with compressed air and back off pressure rather than letting the wheel load and burnish.
7. Progress one grit band at a time and change wheels when the flaps are worn short; a stub wheel is stiff and scratches.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Deburring and finishing hydraulic ports, manifold bores and counterbores
• Cleaning weld color, scale and oxide from the inside of small tubing and fittings
• Removing tool marks and satin finishing the ID of bushings, sleeves and housings
• Blending small fillet welds and casting pockets on brackets and housings
• Deburring aluminum, brass and plastic parts without loading like a solid wheel
• Sanding inside turned wooden boxes, cups and bowls

Don't use it for

• Bores much smaller than the wheel; forcing it in stands the flaps up and stalls the tool
• Grinding welds flush or removing heavy stock; that is flap disc or belt work
• Cutting, slotting or notching of any kind
• Open flat surfaces where a 2" or 3" wheel would cover more area per pass
• Any speed above the RPM marked on the wheel

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All flap wheels, mounted and unmounted
• 1" x 1/2" Mounted Aluminum Oxide Flap Wheels, pack of 10 (narrow face)
• 1-1/2" x 1" Mounted Aluminum Oxide Flap Wheels, pack of 10 (next size up)
• Mini buffing wheels for polishing after a 320 grit satin
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days