Yellow eBay 5 tonne lug crimpers as emergency shroud cutters?

[fredrussell]

I know I’m not the only one on here with a set of the (typically) yellow handled 5 tonne hydraulic lug crimper sets. It occurred to me today that with some cutting inserts in the jaws you would have a set of emergency shroud cutters.

If people could refrain from forwarding this post to the Nobel Prize committee I would appreciate it - running out of room for the damn things on my mantle piece.

 

[Refueler]

I watched a demo of wire cutters .. after two cuts - it needed a sledge hammer blow on the jaws to get to work .. so anything that can do better than the usual cutters has to be good.

I used to carry cutters on board - then didn't bother after the demo.

There's a reason on board ship we used to 'cold chisel with hammer' cut wire ..

I still do that now at home when cutting cable .. have an I Beam piece with hammer / chisel for the job.

 

[bikedaft]

If you could easily get cutting bits, they would do the trick, I'm sure (hydraulic crimpers).

Traditional bolt cutters are crap.

 

[vas]

smart idea, anyone would know what the pressure needed to cut a SS cable of say 8-10mm (is that the right size for what you're talking?)
the only other problem I'd image would be the fact that these hydraulic crimpers are fairly slow so in an emergency trying to keep your self upright, hold the cable within the thing, press, not drop the insert is going to be a bit difficult...

 

[Refueler]

If you could easily get cutting bits, they would do the trick, I'm sure (hydraulic crimpers).

Traditional bolt cutters are crap.

Certainly nothing like they show in the movies !!

 

[vas]

If you could easily get cutting bits, they would do the trick, I'm sure (hydraulic crimpers).

Traditional bolt cutters are crap.

should be easy to get the right thickness of ss plate and laser cut two (or more!) pieces then grind the one to a bit of a sharp end, the other maybe even flat and try

 

[rotrax]

I saw a post recently of someone flogging a 700 quid pair of proper hydraulic rig cutters for 500 quid.

Another poster said " They look just like my pair of hydraulic re-bar cutters that cost 50 quid".

The vendor said "Show me where you can get re-bar cutters for 50 quid!"

A link popped up and showed a page of them!

Thinking about it, hydraulic re-bar cutters might be an inexpensive way to cover oneself in the event of rig failure.

 

[StefanSG]

I am willing to wager that those rebar cutter blades would be like chocolate in the face of 316 Stainless

SSG

 

[Daverw]

Easier to have a battery grinder with slitting disk I would think

 

[penberth3]

I am willing to wager that those rebar cutter blades would be like chocolate in the face of 316 Stainless

SSG

I'll wager a cheap rebar cutter won't cut wire rope anyway. Cutting (actually shearing) bar is a different thing.

 

[Roberto]

FWIW, I have a long arm wire cutter, maybe 70-80cm long, I have cut without problems 7 and 8mm 1x19 wire, I had to punch some more for 10mm wire; I made several cuts of my former rigging wires I used for other purposes. I can't see any imperative need for other tools, even on a swiftly moving boat deck. 230v angle grinder... hmmm go ahead
They are wire cutters, both jaws are shaped like a parrot beak, not flat.

 

[Kelpie]

I'm sure they have the power, but if yours are anything like mine, it's fairly fiddly to get the dies and the retaining pin in place. I can't imagine doing it over the side of a rolling boat without dropping at least one vital component.

You could relatively easily make a pair of cutting dies, by grinding back a pair of the crimping dies to an edge. But again if your set is like mine, there's a lot of play and you'd never get the two edges to line up under pressure. You could do one sharpened edge and use the flat side of another die as an anvil, but that's starting to rely on brute force.

 

[john_morris_uk]

FWIW, I have a long arm wire cutter, maybe 70-80cm long, I have cut without problems 7 and 8mm 1x19 wire, I had to punch some more for 10mm wire; I made several cuts of my former rigging wires I used for other purposes. I can't see any imperative need for other tools, even on a swiftly moving boat deck. 230v angle grinder... hmmm go ahead
They are wire cutters, both jaws are shaped like a parrot beak, not flat.

The Felco wire cutters with the parrot beak shaped jaws are excellent but quite pricy.

The alternative is an angle grinder with a cutting disc and you don’t need a 230v one. We carry a Makita 18v battery one. It has a variety of cutting discs that go with it. One handed operation. Easy peasy.

 

[Daydream believer]

The Felco wire cutters with the parrot beak shaped jaws are excellent but quite pricy.

The alternative is an angle grinder with a cutting disc and you don’t need a 230v one. We carry a Makita 18v battery one. It has a variety of cutting discs that go with it. One handed operation. Easy peasy.

Trouble is that you have to make sure it is always charged up. Sod's law says it will not be when you need it.

 

[Daydream believer]

There's a reason on board ship we used to 'cold chisel with hammer' cut wire ..

OK on a steel deck but useless on a GRP or teak one as one would just push the wire through the GRP.
It is a bit like people saying they would cut anchor rodes etc. with an axe. Unless they have something solid to chop against it is a useless tool.

 

[Daydream believer]

What would one use for Dynema rigging?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Trouble is that you have to make sure it is always charged up. Sod's law says it will not be when you need it.

As in the home workshop you have more than 1 battery and they hold there charge for months.

Perhaps the best answer would come from a rigger.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

What would one use for Dynema rigging?

A very sharp knife.

 

[Daydream believer]

As in the home workshop you have more than 1 battery and they hold there charge for months.

Perhaps the best answer would come from a rigger.

But what if you are in trouble on the boat. Not in the workshop. Do you take a stackof batteries with you every time you go? I bet owners rarely even take one.

 

[Daydream believer]

A very sharp knife.

Will it cut dynaform rigging?