Spot welds are a common way to join metal sheets and panels in auto body work and other metal fabrication projects. While sturdy, the raised spots where the sheets were welded together often need smoothing down with air angle sander for appearances or for the next manufacturing step.

What Is Air Angle Sander

An air angle sander is the perfect tool to accomplish this metal refining work. It is a pneumatic tool well-suited for grinding, sanding and finishing applications. It uses compressed air to drive an abrasive flap wheel or disc at high RPMs needed to efficiently remove material. Models will have an ergonomic grip and controls to allow using it vertically, horizontally or at any angle needed to best access the area being worked on. 

Assess The Spot Welds

First, examine the spot welds joining the metal pieces that need finishing. Note the size of the raised weld spots, spacing between them and just how rough they appear. This will help determine what grit sanding disc you’ll need to start with and the amount of smoothing work required overall. Larger, rougher welds call for 60-80 grit to rapidly level them down before moving to finer abrasives.

Smooth The Welds Step by Step

Begin working on the spot welds in a methodical pattern. Maintain a 20-30 degree angle between the spinning abrasive pad and metal surface for the best cutting action. Apply moderate pressure, letting the pad do the work of grinding down the weld profile without forcing excessive tool deflection.

Periodically stop to check your progress and wipe away accumulated residue to clearly see the welds. As they flatten out, you can move to finer grit abrasives on the sander. Always ensure secure workpiece fixturing so sudden tool grabs or hang-ups don't translate into dangerous metal panel movements. Continue smoothing until the desired weld profile is achieved.

The last steps require finer abrasives like 120 grit or higher to blend away noticeable transitions between the flattened welds and parent metal around them. Gliding along continuous weld seams helps better obscure where exactly the welds themselves were located. Keep an air blow nozzle nearby to frequently clear dust off the workpiece and maintain visibility for this finish sanding work.

Final Touches

After thoroughly wiping off residual dust, do a careful tactile inspection of the welds area using protective work gloves, feel for any remaining unevenness signaling locations needing a bit more smoothing work. Then clean the piece with a solvent suitable for the metal alloy and let fully dry. Complete the air sander welding post-processing by applying a protective clear coat if desired to help forestall appearance degradation from handling.  

Tips:

Let the tool do the work. Don’t force it or apply too much sideways pressure.

Keep the grinding wheel flush to the surface as you sweep across welds.  

Apply a deburring tool to smooth rough edges after grinding.

Check wheel regularly for wear and replace when excessively worn.

Allow grind areas to fully cool before handling to avoid burns.

Choosing the Right Air Angle Sander

AEROPRO AP7327 air angle sanders designed specifically for metal grinding provide the best performance for removing spot welds. Key features to look for include:

• Sug. 5 HP air comp for strong power

• Rear exhaust to keep air blast and particles away from the user

• Built-in regulator to control speed

• 7500 RPM free speed

• Accepts 7”metal grinding discs

• Burst-proof disc guard for safety

Planetary gearing balances load on bearings and gears for greater power. Efficiently on light- and heavy-duty sanding jobs,including roughing body filler, removing rust and smoothing welds. Used in automobile repair, maintenance services industry.

Model:AP7327

Sanding Pad:7''

Free Speed:7500RPM

Air Inlet:3/8''

Air Hose(ID):1/2''

Avg.Air Consumption:15cfm(423L/min)

Sug.Air Comp:5HP

Net Weight:6.80Lbs(3.09kgs)

Max working pressure:90PSI

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