Rigging cutter

oldbilbo

oldbilbo

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I'm aware of the difficulties of releasing s/s standing rigging after a mast going over the side, that the Special Regulations specify - for good reason - the carriage of a cutting tool that's up to the task, and also that most bolt-croppers carried for this purpose just are NOT up to the job.

Which leads me to look with interest at this offering from LIDL Stores...


mptool.jpg



I'm wondering if any forum reader has experience of cutting s/s rigging wire using one of these tools and a suitable cutter blade - perhaps the diamond-edged one?
 
I'd hate to rely on any of the cut price electrics in Lidl, especially after rolling around in a locker for an unspecified period of time.

One of the boating magazines did a test and the humble hacksaw (a decent one, not a junior hacksaw) came out very well.
 
This thread reminds me to put our Felco C16 up in the for sale section.
We have absolutely no chance of cutting the 10mm rigging with a Felco C16 in anger. I have seen it done hence I know it would be impossible on a yacht in any swell.

(I have now added the Felco cutters to the 'For Sale' section.)
 
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I would not like to rely on anything electrical either...

As Talulah says - The Felco cutters appear great (for size and weight) but we've never managed to cut 10mm rigging with our C16 Felco cutters either. They are kept on board for the smaller wires :)

Last year, the best value manual cutters for cutting 10mm 1x19 shrouds that we could find appeared be the Baudat KS13 from Seateach. Tested on a few old 10mm shrouds and still looking like new...
 
Note - The C16 is probably great for cutting a new 1x19 wire... but when new I believe the shroud wire is much easier to cut than after a few years on a tensioned rig...

So - If testing cutters.. I would suggest trying on an old wire and not a piece of new wire.
 
Sarabande - How good are those cutters on 1x19 stainless.. Just asking because the stainless rigging wire seems so much tougher than any cable that I've ever tried..

(Apologies for Thread Drift)...
 
BruceDanforth said:
I just have some of these: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hand Tools/Cutters & Snips/Bolt Cutter/d10/sd2410/p95739 They seem to work: I tested them by chopping my guard rails in half.
Click to expand...

Aye, but one has to give thought to the circumstances in which they'd need to be used....

Middle of the night, an angry sea breaking over the decks, the boat bouncing every which way, a jagged mast-stump slamming and tearing into the hull, a handheld torch, nothing to hang on to.... Both hands needed for operation. People yelling at you to 'be careful'. Feeling with frozen fingers for proper location of the jaws.....
 
It was like cutting butter.

And I'm only little with 5mm wires.

I have a rather nifty petzl headtorch not a handheld torch....

Will that gizmo take a wave from this angry sea breaking over the decks?

oldbilbo said:
Aye, but one has to give thought to the circumstances in which they'd need to be used....

Middle of the night, an angry sea breaking over the decks, the boat bouncing every which way, a jagged mast-stump slamming and tearing into the hull, a handheld torch, nothing to hang on to.... Both hands needed for operation. People yelling at you to 'be careful'. Feeling with frozen fingers for proper location of the jaws.....
Click to expand...
 
Hypocacculus said:
One of the boating magazines did a test and the humble hacksaw (a decent one, not a junior hacksaw) came out very well.
Click to expand...

Snarled up glider launching winches regularly require taut steel cables to be cut. I found a tungsten carbide hacksaw blade did that very well. The cables tend to be very hard, from repeated running over pulleys, and normal hacksaw blades just bounced off.
 
BruceDanforth said:
I just have some of these:

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hand Tools/Cutters & Snips/Bolt Cutter/d10/sd2410/p95739

They seem to work: I tested them by chopping my guard rails in half.
Click to expand...

+1

I've thought about this alot recently, and ended up buying some of these this week. Admittedly the smaller ones for my 4mm wire.

It's all about the circumstances that they are likely to be used, in a rolly sea, possibly in the dark... and there's likely to be a certain amount of tension on the rig still which would result in some 'whip back' when it's cut. I decided on these as they would give me an extra half an arms length back from the action. You wouldn't get that with a hand tool.
 
I have 9mm wire and thought about what was best to cut it in an emergency. I borrowed our big chompers (big brother to yours) from work that we cut container seals with and tried to action it whilst we were gently rocking about at anchor. It was nearly impossible as you need four hands not two. One to hold on for ballance, two to operate/support the blade handles and one to guide and place the jaws in the right place. IMO, in my case, there is no way these would work on an angry sea. So I went for lightness and simplicity. Two decent hacksaws with quality blades, with lanyards on. These are light enough to use one handed and don't need batteries. As someone has said, a scared determined individual with a hacksaw can be very effective.
ClaireDuet said:
+1

I've thought about this alot recently, and ended up buying some of these this week. Admittedly the smaller ones for my 4mm wire.

It's all about the circumstances that they are likely to be used, in a rolly sea, possibly in the dark... and there's likely to be a certain amount of tension on the rig still which would result in some 'whip back' when it's cut. I decided on these as they would give me an extra half an arms length back from the action. You wouldn't get that with a hand tool.
Click to expand...
 
'Brucey', 'Jumbleduck', I'm happy if you are.... :cool:

Perhaps the important thing is to think about it 'ahead of the game', as others have done. It's not just an academic exercise - I've 'been there' and it was far from easy. I do carry some 'sealed' TC-tipped hacksaw blades and a new hacksaw frame, all protectively sealed.

But I'm still thinking about it.... ;)
 
On the electric tool idea (not that I would rely on batteries ofter sitting forgotten in lockers) an angle grinder does the job well for me on the bench. Fast and one handed. I did rerig a big ketch with 12mm 1x19. All cuts with a hacksaw, but in a vice on level pontoon.
For a dedicated tool, what about the 'shootit'? Blank powered shear. Got good reports. No batteries to fail.
DW
Link: http://www.safety-marine.co.uk/cabl...8s7/shootit-12r-22t-shroudandcable-cutter.htm
But, at that price, I would buy some really big bolt cutters.

OldB, are those TC tipped blades flexible? Trying to hold biggish wire and cutting with a hack saw (& worse with small wire) unless the blades are very flexible, they break pretty quickly. Then yer gotta change and try again, add infer... Only plus, is that hack saw and blades are quite useful for other jobs. Unless you keep them in a red box with a class front?
 
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DownWest said:
OldB, are those TC tipped blades flexible? Trying to hold biggish wire and cutting with a hack saw (& worse with small wire) unless the blades are very flexible, they break pretty quickly. Then yer gotta change and try again, add infer... Only plus, is that hack saw and blades are quite useful for other jobs. Unless you keep them in a red box with a class front?
Click to expand...

Yes, 'downwest', I agree that TC-edged hacksaw blades are not very robust, and that's why I favour keeping several of them AND several conventional fine-toothed blades wrapped up and set aside for emergency use. I also agree that's not an ideal solution to 'emergency use at sea' and so my interest in keeping thinking about possible emergent better ideas.... and my original question of 'who's tried this sort of kit'.
 
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