Sawzall for cast iron?

Ed, As everyone else has already pointed out a coarse blade in a SawzAll is a fine choice. A couple of years ago I modified a pump base made from a 12" heavy section channel. I cut a rectangular chuck out of the corner where the flange and the web intersected. The thickness ranged between 1/2" and

7/8". I sent the pump company pictures to show what I had done. One of their engineers called me and asked how it was done. They were taking bets on whether the Bosch saber saw sitting in the picture background was what I had used! In fact it was. I picked a really coarse blade, cut the speed down and held it very tightly against the steel. The saw never even got hot. It took about 20 minutes to take out a block 1" x 2" x 4". Real nice saber saw.

Gary H. Lucas

Ed, As everyone else has already pointed out a coarse blade in a SawzAll is a fine choice. A couple of years ago I modified a pump base made from a 12" heavy section channel. I cut a rectangular chuck out of the corner where the flange and the web intersected. The thickness ranged between 1/2" and

7/8". I sent the pump company pictures to show what I had done. One of their engineers called me and asked how it was done. They were taking bets on whether the Bosch saber saw sitting in the picture background was what I had used! In fact it was. I picked a really coarse blade, cut the speed down and held it very tightly against the steel. The saw never even got hot. It took about 20 minutes to take out a block 1" x 2" x 4". Real nice saber saw.

Gary H. Lucas

Score it with a grinder(wafer wheel) and whack it hard with a sledgehammer.

John

Holy cow, what a great list of tips! Let me thank everyone and answer a few things in one message.

I did cut the strings, with a Dremel and a little grinding wheel. I think it played a tune from Phantom of the Opera when I did it. Man, those strings are under some serious tension. But the Dremel works fast (don't use the thin silicon carbide cutoff wheels; the short piece of the string reacts in a way that breaks them pretty regularly. Wear gloves and, of course, eye protection.) I cut all 88 (much more, actually; some are multiples?) in less than ten minutes.

I tried a small sledge on it on Friday and it didn't break. But I'm not taking a full swing. This is in my living room, on a hardwood floor. I'll try notching them with a grinder tomorrow morning and take a few more swings.

The Sawzall is ready to go and loaded with a 14 tpi bimetal blade. I'll report results.

Too bad I don't have a trebochet. There's an apartment building nearby that would make a great target.

Thanks again.

-- Ed Huntress (remove "3" from email address for email reply)

Ill have to research that, but as a side not, recently an elderly gentleman in Whittier was arrested for murder when he used a accordian and played Lady of Spain until his wife died.. A terrible way to kill someone.

California law is quite clear, "Play an Accordian, Go to Jail"

Gunner

"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio

A double wrap of 25 grain primacord at each of the 4 corners, cover it with a few old matresses and touch it off. Leave full tension on the strings for proper implosion effect.

Better living through high velocity exothermic chemistry.

Gunner

"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio

Well, I've put the squeezebox down for a while, ( my skills and interest tends to stagnate on any one instrument after a few years)--actually, I've went back to playing the piano about a month ago and have rigged up my old Rhodes electric, its sitting here beside me right now.......

Its interesting how even after few years without playing, one usually picks back up on an instrument real quickly, also figuring out how to do new things that you probly wouldnt have if you hadn't of set it down to begin with.

...BUT...

*IF* you step one foot onto my property without permission, you *damned* well better bring your earplugs--cause Im a warning you right now, I'll pick up my accordian in a heartbeat if need be!!!

===

How about that trebuchet???--looks like theres lotsa room out there where your at.......

And *damn* it just looks like it would be *so* much fun !!!

( *I* would have to be content with launching Volkswagons over I-5--just Im not too sure the authoritys would like that very much )

I'll bet our living rooms look somewhat different. I was thinking of primacord about 10:00 PM on Saturday, BTW. But I gave up on that idea.

My uncle once cut a Mitsubishi Zero into man-cartable pieces with primacord, in a muskeg swamp in the Aleutian Islands. He developed a real appreciation for it.

The Zero's pilot had been killed and it glided into the swamp with very little damage. My uncle was in the Sea Bees and was given the job of getting it out of there for a good look-over. But they couldn't get any equipment into that swamp, and they didn't care if it was in little pieces.

-- Ed Huntress

Hummm if I do decide on a full frontal assault, Ill stick a pickup on my Gibson RD-250 and make a high powered electric assault banjo out of it..then you will really be in deep kimchee, you accordian playing Fiend!!!

Buwahahahahahaha..cough cough....

The entire neck broke off my old beat up mountain dulcimer..so thats a project for the upcoming months. Playing Amazing Grace...and Sprong!! the glue line parted.

Gunner

"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio

LOL..Im sure they do...chuckle...

25 gr is pretty tiny stuff. It wouldnt do much more than make some new ducting in your floor.

Damn..a hell of a waste of good airplane.

Gunner

"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio

It's probably too late to donate it to charity, have them pick the whole thing up with their truck & manpower & take a deduction .....

Are you going to make that feel good for me?

You figured me out.

-- Lady Chatterly

"I was watching Lady Chatterly's webcam last night and she certainly doesn't look like a bot to me. I'd provide the URL if I thought any socmen were attracted to adult women." -- Peter J. Ross

"Welcome to heaven, here's your harp. Welcome to hell, here's your accordian." From Gary Larson's 'Far Side.'

Jim

When I did it was thought that was my case?

However I would like you to believe?

-- Lady Chatterly

"So you would like everyone to know you have been getting your nuts kicked in a pissing contest with a bot?" -- Aratzio

They wouldn't touch it. Apparently there are a million pianos around right now, that people can't get rid of.

This is an old Sohmer upright that needs some work. Just getting it to the dump would have cost me.

Ed Huntress

I would imagine it would matter who was playing, Liberace, or the "Killer" , Jerry Lee Lewis

I have that one on the wall of my reloading shop

Gunner

"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio

Thanks again, all. The Sawzall made pretty quick work of the cast iron. I cut about 3/4 of the way through each web and then banged each with a hammer.

It seemed that a medium speed worked best. Too fast and the blade just skidded over the work. Too slow and the blade grabbed, which reciprocated

*me* across the hardwood floor.

Dave will appreciate that I used some old, rancid lard oil to help the job along. My living room smells to high heaven now.

Ed Huntress