Who has tested their " cut the rig" tools?

[pagoda]

I have , today.
We have just renewed our standing rigging so I thought I would see how our cutting tool
copes with the wire. (450mm lever cutters)
Not really well enough.
Our mast is stayed with 8mm and 10mm dyform wire (with 7mm D2 and 7x 19 backstay).
My cutter cut 7 and 8mm wire with 2 or 3 bites but made no progress on the 10mm wire.
My thoughts lean towards a cordless angle grinder with a cutting disc. I have used such tools for nearly 25 years without any real issues.
One would ideally just want to get rid of the collapsed rig ASAP, before it punctures your hull. Something needing both hands when there is a hoolie going on does not sound ideal.
Who else has actually tried what is on board ,in an aft locker?
Find a friendly rigger for some scrap wire your size... you may be surprised.
Ideas?

 

[Stingo]

Yep, I also tried an angle grinder on rigging wire off cuts. The rigger assured me that under tension, the angle grinder works better. The big lesson was that I would probably need a lot more s/s cutting disks than I thought.

Fortunately, I've never had to test the need for additional cutting disks.

 

[northwind]

 

[penberth3]

I have , today.
We have just renewed our standing rigging so I thought I would see how our cutting tool
copes with the wire. (450mm lever cutters)
Not really well enough.....

More details of your 450mm cutters, please. Type, make?

 

[pagoda]

Generic lever arm point (not scissor style) cutters. Probably not aimed exclusively at wire, but like most hand tools need both hands free to operate. A salutory experience I have to say. One can spend twice the price on a good cordless cutter on a big lever armed two handed device.
hence my question.. on heaving deck you need one arm for yourself....

 

[penberth3]

Generic lever arm point (not scissor style) cutters. Probably not aimed exclusively at wire, but like most hand tools need both hands free to operate....

Not entirely clear but that sounds like bolt cutters, which are designed to cut bolts and solid rod not wire rope. And using an angle grinder one-handed on your heaving deck isn't a great idea.

 

[pagoda]

Interesting.... we usually sail two up, not with six bods ready to spring into action. Different ball game?

My main point is " try out what you have" and re-assess?

 

[Stingo]

Yep, I also tried an angle grinder on rigging wire off cuts. The rigger assured me that under tension, the angle grinder works better. The big lesson was that I would probably need a lot more s/s cutting disks than I thought.

Fortunately, I've never had to test the need for additional cutting disks.

And very, very nb: safety glasses - those cutting disks disintegrate very easily, especially if you're off balance, which you will be on a boat out at sea.

 

[BrendanS]

And very, very nb: safety glasses - those cutting disks disintegrate very easily, especially if you're off balance, which you will be on a boat out at sea.

that sounds very sensible!

 

[RJJ]

I have just tested my hacksaw. Bi metal blade. I was advised by the previous owner to saw through the relatively soft bronze bottlescrew rather than the stainless steel dyform.

So I tried this out on last year's retired bottlescrews. With a blunt blade from previous cutting, it went through in about five minutes. Only needs one hand.

I like hacksaws because they can't go wrong and are easily kept available. Crew members can wield them with no prior knowledge, leaving me as skipper to do comms. I am going to have two plus enough bi-metal blades so there's at least one per screw.

I can be persuaded to do both solutions. I am interested to know if a battery grinder has enough juice to do potentially five stays. Also remember you will be hunting around for your goggles and gloves. I have a 240v grinder and wonder if I wouldn't rather start the engine and run it off the inverter.

Those with experience suggested a couple of key lookouts. Beware the tension on a bent-over stay at the point you cut through; consider restraining with some form of lashing. Also try not to finish all the stays but one; instead consider going part way through so you can ping them all off at the same time.

 

[penberth3]

…….I can be persuaded to do both solutions. I am interested to know if a battery grinder has enough juice to do potentially five stays. Also remember you will be hunting around for your goggles and gloves. I have a 240v grinder and wonder if I wouldn't rather start the engine and run it off the inverter...…

If you're in a situation where you're cutting rigging, it's likely to be wet on deck.

 

[Roberto]

I have some rather longish wire cutters, the handles must be around 70cm long; I tried them with my old shrouds (8 and 7mm) and they can be cut quite easily with one stroke, not tried with 10mm wire but given how it goes with 8mm I don't think it would be a major problem.
They are proper cable cutters, the jaws are both shaped like crescent moon and firmly grab the cable, unlike bolt croppers.

 

[Billyo]

If you've lost the mast it's more than likely going to be pretty wet on deck. How much water can a battery angle grinder take before it dies?

 

[LadyInBed]

I used my bolt crops when I cut my new inner forestay to length, no problem but I had to brace one arm against my chest and pull in on the other arm.
A point about using an angle grinder, you will have to keep it dry, no green stuff dropping on it!

 

[GHA]

Tested many many thousands of times. C16 felcos. Though on galv wire on theatre installations. With sharp blades will do 6 & 8mm stainless dyform, 10mm with a struggle. An excuse to buy a cordless grinder would be nice 1mm blades might be a better bet than 0.8mm, less likely to shatter.

 

[Boathook]

The problem that I have with cordless drills is that the battery goes flat shortly after starting a project. The same would apply for a grinder. I do have mechanical wire cutters on board but never tested, but I don't at least have batteries to worry about to cut the rig.

 

[RJJ]

If you're in a situation where you're cutting rigging, it's likely to be wet on deck.

Quite true. Also working in the dark, and possibly wanting to delegate the task to someone who had never used a grinder in favourable conditions. Hence my default choice is the hacksaw.

 

[Daydream believer]

To use a hacksaw the wire has to be held firmly & the saw has to be used in a straight line, otherwise the wires will just snag & flip back & forth. That would almost certainly end up with broken blades. It would take one hand to hold the wire & one for the saw. For most people, not used to using a saw properly, a hacksaw needs to be held with 2 hands to get a good even stroke. Cutting through a solid piece of rod, ie the terminal, would take far too long. Battery tools would be OK except that they have to be charged regularly & that is easy to forget.
I have standard Sealey bolt croppers. At the tool shop I bought them from they told me that they would be no good for wire.They said i needed a more expensive pattern. To prove it the chap produced a piece of wire. To his own surprise the croppers cut it like butter. I do not allow the cutters to be used for anything else so the blades are new without chips & they are adjusted so that they close together when under tension. They are kept on brackets on the panel to the engine bay, opposite the heads, where the heat of the engine prevents rusting & they are easy to find in an emergency
One can place one handle in the corner of the cabin & deck, perhaps genoa track, or similar space, & push the other handle easily enough.

 

[Refueler]

Flat plate and sharp chisel / hammer .....

I know - how are you going to use such on a heaving deck and rigging moving about ... but I would suggest that any method has that problem ......

Personally - in terms of cutters ... then its bolt cutters on the shackle or bottle screw ... not the harder to cut stranded wire.

 

[Rappey]

A decent battery angle grinder will have no problem cutting all the stays. They feel a lot more safe using one handed over a mains powered one.
On the plus side they can be used for sharpening tools, cutting a multitude of materials ,like plastic pipes ,course sanding/wood shaping with a flexible backing pad and disc or grinding out grp or maybe cutting anchor chain.
A sold secure gold motorbike security chain at 13mm can be cut through with a cordless in 20 secs, 10 secs with mains powered.