cutting wire rope

Use a chop-saw. Cutting with a torch is difficult because all the wires are separated by the grease, and it is difficult to get sufficient heat transfer to start the next strand burning. The grit wheel on a chop-saw makes pretty fast work on wire rope.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the suggestion but its not a option in this case.

insight, please: can't imagine a situation as so

If you can't get the rope to a chop saw, then maybe you can use a hot saw, the hand held chainsaw like saws that use an abrasive wheel. I'm assuming this is scrap type work? And if you only need it once a month, your local rental yard would be the place to shop. Wear a faceshield and safety glasses, but you already thew that.

JTMcC.

Use an abrasive wheel saw or a hydraulic cable cutter.

If you can't use the saw, and the rope is too big to use cutters, it is a pain. I have cut up a bit of heavy rope and cable with a torch and it is definately the hard way (4" galv strand lifting sling, greasy and dirty, into about 20 pieces for scrapping. I was not happy for about two days after that)

things that may make it easier: preheat (a propane weed-burner type torch is good) so that the cutting torch doesn't need to provide all of the heat, but principally the cutting oxygen. Keep the ocy presure down- feather the blow; too much blow will cool the strands before they begin to burn as the cut moves from one to the next; If you can, make up a clamp to compress the strands adjacent to the cut- this helps the cut move from strand to strand (try cutting right nxt to a tight U-clamp to see this).

We've always used a 1/16" cutting wheel in a grinder or an abrasive cut-off saw for the thicker stuff. Sometimes it is necessary to tape it first to keep it from unraveling.

Try these

Oxygen lance with a thermite like core. Now that should cut some cable.

How much do the sticks cost?

Gunner

"I mean, when's the last time you heard of a college where the Young Republicans staged a "Sit In" to close down the Humanities building? On the flip side, how many sit in's were staged to close the ROTC building back in the '60's? Liberals stage protests, do civil disobedience, etc. Conservatives talk politely and try to work out a solution to problems through discourse until they believe that talking won't work... they they go home and open the gun cabinets. Pray things never get to the point where the conservatives decide that "civil disobedience" is the next step, because that's a very short route to "voting from the rooftops" Jeffrey Swartz, Misc.Survivalism

Not sure of the cost of the rods, but they like O2, and lots of it.

Shawn

sufficient heat

wrote: (clip) Since it may be more difficult to shut down quickly you should definately use flashback arrestors(clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^ What? I can't believe you are the same Reitze who puts out fires by blowing on them, who eschews gloves and goggles. and who does all the other wrong things I do.