Flexible cutting/grinding wheel?

[Waterbug]

Hi! 10 years ago I spent about a month at the LA County Fair at the Pomona Fairgrounds, and there was a guy there selling flexible cutting/grinding wheels. They attached to standard cutting tools, and they were ~8" or so in diameter. They were _really_ flexible, and one of his standard demonstrations was to drive a big nail partway into a 2 x 4, then flex the spinning wheel flat onto the wood and cut the nail off flush.

Then he'd cut various pieces of pipe, rod, wood, plastic, and whatnot to prove that it could cut anything. Then he'd hit the spinning wheel with a screwdriver to prove that it was practically indestructible.

I think it was some sort of fiberglass mesh impregnated with an abrasive.

Now, of course, it's 10 years later, and I think I have need for such a thing to flush-cut some steel piping set in concrete. I'm not finding the right type of stuff on Google, but that may be because I'm using the wrong words.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[64longstep/Brian]

I think I know the wheel you are talking about, I don’t think it made its way into the main stream.
Brian-

[rusty]

They still exist, it is a rubber bonded abrasive. The large diameters are dangerous for an unsuspected reason, they tend to throw objects at high velocities, so you probably won't find those any more. But small sizes are still used for casting cleanup.

http://www.shorinternational.com/DiskSandSep.php
(first place that showed up in google)

[Nolatoolguy]

Ive never personally used one but know a friend who has one and he sais there ok. These seem much safer as well.

http://toolmonger.com/category/manufacturers/paws-off/

[scottg]

I have need for such a thing to flush-cut some steel piping set in concrete.

 Just use a standard angle grinder and a zipdisk, available anywhere.
 Cut it off a little above flush and then finish grind it just so.
  yours Scott
   

[Nolatoolguy]

I have need for such a thing to flush-cut some steel piping set in concrete.

 Just use a standard angle grinder and a zipdisk, available anywhere.
 Cut it off a little above flush and then finish grind it just so.
  yours Scott
 

That would be most logical. We other here are trying to reinvent the wheel and find another way I guess.