Cutting mooring ground chain in-situ?

[lw395]

Someone has touched on it, but it's worth repeating that securing the link you are cutting solidly is very important. If it is free to move slightly, using a hacksaw will be a trial and if using a cutting disc will be a positive danger.

Absolutely.
I thought the 'sucker vice' suggests an amusing lack of non-slip on someone's deck.
I have an old vice bolted to a 3ft lump of 6x3, bit overkill, but useful when a clamp on desk vice isn't up to the job.

Also FFS don't mix wet mud with mains electric angle grinders, we like more originality in our Darwin awards.

 

[davidpbo]

I would have thought a smallish metal work vice on a stout wooden block would be more use than a sucker type one, which are fine for lighter jobs, soldering etc.

 

[prv]

I would have thought a smallish metal work vice on a stout wooden block would be more use than a sucker type one, which are fine for lighter jobs, soldering etc.

I have a piece of plywood which fits on my top companionway step, with a fiddle around the back and sides, a sort of tray area to hold screws from dismantled equipment, and a small vice. Great for all sorts of jobs on board, and saves marring the saloon table / galley worktops / chart table etc.

Obviously I wouldn't go dragging 20mm ground chain into the cabin, but I did once remove the vice and attach it to the anchor to make a solid base to hold chain links for cutting with a hacksaw.

Pete

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

One tip to remember when using a proper hacksaw - besides using 'professional' quality blades - is to tension the blades properly. A guideline here is to take up all the slack on the screw and then give the fly-nut three full turns. Re the hacksaw itself, I find the old type, with an in-line handle (like on a file) much easier to use accurately than a frame with the popular 'pistol grip' type.