316 SS nd wire cutters again

[Ian_Edwards]

I started a chain by asking the question:
Will a set of Sealey S1 AK510 bolt cutter cut 10mm 316 SS rigging wire?
This is the link to the original post (not sure I'm putting the link in correctly!)
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthreaded.p...rue#Post1802493
The consensus was to try it and see ... which is what I’ve done.
If I’ve got the procedure for posting pictures right (1st time), then you should see a series of pictures, starting with the kit, the initial cut, piling the pressure on, when the handles came together, how the blades crossed and the overall effect on the wire.
The answer is NO!
At least the way I tried to do it, the blades seem hard enough to cut the wire strand, but the shears aren’t stiff enough and the cutter effectively rolled on the wire.
Back to the drawing board ... the shears can join all those other use once (because they don’t work) tools in the garage.

 

[lw395]

I'm not surprised. Quite reassuring really, if you want a wire cable to lock your bike up with!
As for severing rigging in a crisis, I'm unconvinced by any of the options once you get above 6 or 8mm. I hope never to go there!

 

[oldsaltoz]

Look for a set that cross over, this hold the wire in and stops or at least reduces it, I think they are called parrot beak.

We have been carrying a set for years and used them many times, but in anger or an emergency.....yet.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[boatmike]

You can see why when you look at them Ian. That type with just a flat plate to keep the blades aligned don't (if you see what I mean) They also only have a single lever action so the mechanical advantage is not good. I am sure the crossover ones would do the same if not built more robustly. I have a 36 inch bolt cutter which actually makes mincemeat of 10mm wire but I think it cost me about £70 about 10 years ago. Its probably about twice the weight of those you show though!

 

[wotayottie]

from a quick fiddle with the numbers it looks as if the bolt cutters are OK for materials up to 70 tonnes tensile - which is probably about right for cutting most bolts. The stainless wire strands in the 316 will be hardish drawn up to about the same tensile, but it does look from your photo as if the blades have started to cut the wires and have not been deformed at the cutting edges themselves. In other words, the blades are harder than the wire.

Instead, the load has proved too much for the pivot and the thickness of the blades so they have sprung.

All of which is a bit irrelevant - the cutters dont work. But contrary to an earlier post, I reckon the blade shape definitely had something to do with it, which is why all proper wire rope cutters have parrot beak type blades. Sure you can cut the wire with anything if you go big enough, even an axe. But the right kit is a pair of parrot beaked wire rope cutters.

 

[Stemar]

I haven't tried it for obvious reasons, but I have a set of bolt cutters on Jissel. I doubt if they'd cut the wire, but I'd be surprised if my bronze turnbuckles would put up much of a fight.

It seems so obvious - at the bottom of the nasty, hard to cut wire is the solid metal bit and bolt cutters are designed to cut sold metal, so what's so wrong with the idea that everyone doesn't think of it?

 

[npf1]

I picked up a set of these on ebay for not much more than a set of boltcutters. http://www.gizmosindustrial.com/servlet/the-24517/Detail
Having tried them, they clean cut 5/8 wire in a few secs by pumping the handle a few times. Extremely easy to use.

 

[vyv_cox]

The ones in your link say 1/2 inch minimum. Not many of us have shroud wires bigger than 13 mm.

Did you really pick one of these up for less than about £100? Seems a remarkable reduction from $1500.