Cutting wire rope

[vic008]

What would you wrap around it to stop it unravelling as you hacksaw it please?

 

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

Well, perhaps you could whip it with tie wire or constrictor knots both sides of the proposed cut. But I think the right answer is to use parrots-beak cutters, not a hacksaw. (You might be able to borrow one from your local chandlery.)

Mike

 

[Norman_E]

Another method is to cut it with a thin disc in an angle grinder, again with a twist of wire either side of the cut. The angle grinder disc does not disturb the lay of the wire as much as a hacksaw does. The rigger who did my boat a few years ago used that method. I have some 1mm thick discs that are specially for stainless steel, and I think they are easily available.

 

[alteredoutlook]

Don't know whether this works on thicker wire - but it does when cutting cycle brake wire - but to glue it together using super glue before you cut it.

 

[prv]

Would a few turns of masking tape not do the job? Use the wide stuff and saw through the middle of it.

Pete

 

[lw395]

The thin discs in a dremel work well.
If you need to use a hacksaw, clamp the wire between two bits of scrap wood in a vice and saw through the lot.

 

[KellysEye]

>What would you wrap around it to stop it unravelling as you hacksaw it please?

I used three tight turns of tape, it worked fine.

 

[ronsurf]

The actual answer is to drill a hole the same diameter as the wire in a piece of wood about 25mm thick. Put the wire in the hole. Cut through the wood and the wire at 90 degrees with a hacksaw. As you withdraw the wire, wrap tape around the wire to stop it unravelling.

 

[Jaguar 25]

>What would you wrap around it to stop it unravelling as you hacksaw it please?

I used three tight turns of tape, it worked fine.

+1. Lots of fuss made about cutting steel wire. I have just replaced the guard rails on my boat and a few turns of insulation tape and then clamp in a vice and cut through the tape. Absolutely no problem if you use a good quality hacksaw with fine teeth..

 

[30boat]

The actual answer is to drill a hole the same diameter as the wire in a piece of wood about 25mm thick. Put the wire in the hole. Cut through the wood and the wire at 90 degrees with a hacksaw. As you withdraw the wire, wrap tape around the wire to stop it unravelling.

That seems a little complicated when a few turns of electrical tape will do perfectly.What if you're cutting a wire withe fittings at both ends?

 

[Mark G]

The thin discs in a dremel work well.

+1:encouragement:

 

[NOHOH]

What if you're cutting a wire withe fittings at both ends?

Cut the piece of wood bisecting the hole.....then mount the two bits of wood around the wire holding the whole lot together in a vice. Simples

 

[30boat]

Cut the piece of wood bisecting the hole.....then mount the two bits of wood around the wire holding the whole lot together in a vice. Simples

Yes but by then I'd have cut the wire tape and all.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Tape, Sharp cold chisel, Lump hammer, Job done.

 

[vyv_cox]

Tape, Sharp cold chisel, Lump hammer, Job done.

Doesn't do the deck much good though.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Doesn't do the deck much good though.

Anyone ham-fisted enough to do it directly on a deck does not deserve to own a boat.

 

[Dipper]

+1. Lots of fuss made about cutting steel wire. I have just replaced the guard rails on my boat and a few turns of insulation tape and then clamp in a vice and cut through the tape. Absolutely no problem if you use a good quality hacksaw with fine teeth..

+1. When I fitted new rigging with Sta-Lok terminals their instructions included the option to cut with a hacksaw after wrapping insulation tape around the wire. I used a Junior hacksaw, held the wire in molegrips and cut as close to the molegrips as possible. I needed to judge how hard to grip with the molegrips - too tight and the wire splayed, too loose and I didn't get a good enough grip but it's failry easy to work out.

 

[differentroads]

I recently replaced my 7mm and 8mm shrouds and stays. Good quality hacksaw and blades is the main thing. I made up a wooden block with holes for the wire rope and a slot for the hacksaw - probably a little OTT but once done, cutting the wire ropes was a doddle. Although I used a workmate to hold the wire while cutting, the block will enable me to cut wire ropes neatly on board should the need occur. Hard to imagine a circumstance when that will happen, though

 

[savageseadog]

If you use high speed cutting discs the heating of the wire will cause corrosion

 

[lw395]

I recently replaced my 7mm and 8mm shrouds and stays. ...

7 mm 1x19 is a different problem from 2.5mm 7x7 for a dinghy halyard. The fine wires snag the blade unless it is really solidly held.