Metal working question...

[Irving]

So is a flap disc something I put on the angle grinder or does it go on another kind of tool?

Flap disk will work with a grinder. But I would use it for the final finishing after chiseling off the side plate.

Yes to both.

This is a flap disc. You've seen them before. They are more expensive than a grinder wheel, and don't last as long, but they take off material at a slower rate and leave a way better finish. These work great for removing paint and milscale and stuff.

[Erni]

You can also use sanding disks made for grinders.

[Martinjmpr]

Well, obviously my primary concern is how to remove the reinforcing strip without puncturing the can itself since that would either require a repair that I couldn't do myself (welding up) or would make the cans useless.

So would it be best to grind down the area of the spot welds very carefully until I got close to the surface of the can itself? Or would drilling be better? I'm reluctant to drill because I don't want to put a hole in the side of the can.

Right now I'm trying to use as small chisel, but maybe I need a bigger chisel specifically made for metal and a BFH to hit it with?

[Martinjmpr]

Angle grind over spot welds until they are thin, then chisel.
If you have a drill press and an end mill you could also drill them out. If you dont care about divits then use a regular 118 degree drill.

So an end mill is like a drill bit but it's squared off on the bottom vs pointed?

[def90]

Grind the spot welds down with an angle grinder. I have cans just like that that I keep all of my camping gear in. Looking at them the dimples/welds are easy to spot and should be easy to grind off without hitting the regular part of the can.

[def90]

So an end mill is like a drill bit but it's squared off on the bottom vs pointed?

Yes.

[Duman]

Thermite....

[Erni]

Thermite....

He said no holes, otherwise yes.

[BPTactical]

Go to Harbor Freight and get a spot weld cutter, just like a hollow end mill. Low rpm and oil.

[Martinjmpr]

Ain't pretty, but I'm calling this a success! I did get the spot weld cutter from Harbor freight, it works sort of OK. Ultimately though, the grinder and the chisel did the work.

Second picture shows what it looks like after I de-burred it with a grinder. Onto the next step