Idea for cutting rigging

[Norman_E]

My boat came equipped with a massive pair of cutters, but I doubt I am strong enough to cut through 10mm rigging with them. I notice that you can buy re-chargeable circular saws, but have never seen a rechargeable angle grinder. If anyone knows of one it would make a good rigging wire cutter if fitted with a thin cutting disc.

 

[savageseadog]

Makita do one. I've seen them at the Plunb Centre if you have one near you. A handy tool but the battery has to be kept charged. It would cut through rigging wire but might not be practical for an emergency

 

[KellysEye]

If the cutters are big enough they may well work but do what riggers do - one handle on the floor and use both hands and full bodyweight on the other handle. Some people just sit hard on the handle. Worth trying before spending money.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Although I have never used one myself, I have noticed (while scrutineering) that many of the larger and better equipped yachts taking part in the Rolex Middlesea Race do have rechargeable angle grinders fitted with a metal cutting disk. Some others - only a few, really - seem to prefer the explosive types. The general opinion regarding hydraulic cutters seems to be that (1) they are too cumbersome, (2) they are too slow.

Either way, if you are restricted to use sheer muscle power and your rigging is 10mm, then I would suggest that you'd need to keep a good supply of canned Spinach on board and start humming "I'm Popeye, the Sailorman...." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Blueboatman]

And it would be smart to fit a lanyard to them (not to be tied gff to the rigging...) SMILEY THING

 

[Norman_E]

Thanks for the information, I will try to buy a grinder. I have thin arms and one biceps muscle so badly torn in the past as to be pretty useless, so my only option would have been to put one handle of the bolt cutters on the deck and sit on the other one.

 

[tome]

I've just seen a demo of a rachet rigging cutter with handles no longer than about 8 inches at Seateach Emsworth. You operate the handles repeatedly against a spring to cut through

I couldn't believe it when he cut through a sample of 10mm 1x19 SS rigging with comparative ease, but had to as he did it in front of my eyes! Worth a look - they do models up to 13mm

Never seen anything as good yet

 

[2Tizwoz]

Alternatively get a couple of pices of pipe to slip over the handles to make them long enough to use with ease.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

The other advantage of a rechargeable angle grinder would be the ability to cut the remains of masts/booms to either clear them from the deck, or to construct a jury rig....

 

[savageseadog]

Yes the little Makita grinder is an extremely useful tool.

When I spoke to a hire shop about them they said that they had been unofficialy "banned" for quite some time because of the usefulness to thieves. My grinder came from a car boot sale for next to nothing, it was probably stolen!