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What tool to cut 3/4" cable?

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posaune

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While it is relatively warm and before it gets all green and overgrown, I should probably clean up our yard. The previous owner of the house was a ham radio guy and has a few different cables running up to the back (300' or so). Some of the cable I can coil as is, but I need to cut one of them in order to get it out. It is about 3/4" thick overall with a 1/4" solid copper core and an aluminum sheath.

I figure that this is as good an excuse as any to buy the correct tool, but what IS the correct tool?!?
 
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FNFS2000

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9511500.jpg


http://chadstoolbox.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=338
 
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garage-ist

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i would probably use bolt cutters.. dunno if an electrician would but they have sooo many uses and are quite affordable if you buy through harbor freight or the likes. you probably will have to chop the cable and go in there with a wire cutter to get any stray strands.. but they are good to have around and i promise you you will use them more than once
 
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FNFS2000

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Well, for anyone down the road looking for the right tool for the job, there it is...
You'd need a huge set of bolt cutters to open for 3/4 cable, and they normally will not do well, and push the cable out and not want to cut it all the way through, they are for "anvil cutting" where you squeeze a steel rod until it fractures... I've tried them on cable its just not the right tool. Great for bolts and locks though... I guess thats what they are for :)
 
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charlie_nj

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Klein model 63050 9 inch cable cutters will do the trick, even though their advertised capacity is less than .75 inches. They can be found retail for around $25 or so and are very well made.
 
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-B-

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A grinder with a cut off wheel pick you poison air or electric will do.

Circular saw with a metal cut off blade will do too.

Hack saw, reciprocating saw, ect.
 
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FNFS2000

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Good luck with that junk. Maybe if you can get an elephant to stand on it for you, their leverage is really sad compared to other cutters of their size that have been re-engineered since 1902.
 
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posaune

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charlie_nj said:
Klein model 63050 9 inch cable cutters will do the trick, even though their advertised capacity is less than .75 inches. They can be found retail for around $25 or so and are very well made.
Click to expand...

Ahh, that is more what I was thinking. I don't have a sawzall and much of this is too far away from the house to use air or electric. Thanks guys. :bowdown:
 
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Bustawrench

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Contact your local Ham Radio club, tell them you have 300+ feet of this cable, that they can have if they come get it out of your yard.

Then sit on porch with a beer and watch them do all the work.
 
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charlie_nj

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The Kleins will do the job, they are hardly "junk". Knipex are great tools, I've got 3 pair of their pliers, but the Kleins will do the job at half the price. So if price is no object, get the Knipex, if price is a factor get the Kleins. And unless you're a girl (no offense to the women on the forum) you won't need an elephant to stand on Kleins.
 
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FNFS2000

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Bustawrench said:
Contact your local Ham Radio club, tell them you have 300+ feet of this cable, that they can have if they come get it out of your yard.

Then sit on porch with a beer and watch them do all the work.
Click to expand...

Here is the best one yet, put it on craigslist, you'll be paid for someone to take it, if nothing else to the recycler...

If your looking for a tool to buy(I've been pushing Knipex) but really you'll probably never use cable cutters again... Buy a cordless reciprocating saw a very useful tool to own. I'm not going to push brands cause you'll really flinch at the price of anything i'd recommend, but for home use anything from big junk box stores like lowes or home depot will probably last a long time.
 
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64merc

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I have an 18in Greenlee cable cutter that I am willing to get rid of. It has a small nick in the blade, but it should still do what you want it to do. PM me if you're interested and get you more details.
 
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Danglerb

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+1 post on craigs or local ham group and let somebody use it, while not wasting your time with it.
 
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speed bump

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Butte Montana
Hacksaw is generally what you would cut this with or if you own one a Sawzall does a nice job as well. Cable cutters don't do a very good job on Heliax though.
 
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SteveU

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Michigan
posaune said:
Ha! Is that good or bad? Most of this doesn't really seem to be useable. Right before we moved in, they replaced the septic system and ripped up a lot of this as a result. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have even known it was there.
Click to expand...

That stuff goes for several dollars per foot new. I would get it advertised or let the local ham club know it is there & someone will surely get it out of your way.
 
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Adam McLaughlin

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Santa Rosa, CA
YES, post it for free or take away, or something like that. Don't just trash it.

I worked as a tower climber for nine and a half years through college using this material every day for hams, Verizon, A T & T, etc...

To make a point: I was in San Francisco one day pulling some of this Heliax off of a tower site where Sprint ( NexTel ) was working. I had dragged the helliax coil down four flights of stairs to put next to a truck for loading. I had gone to the bathroom after bringing the cable down the stairs, and when I came out, the coil of Heliax was missing! Someone had stolen it from the spot adjacent to the truck, presumably to turn in for scrap.

No kidding. Helilax is good stuff...

Adam
 
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posaune

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Collinsville, Connecticut
Adam McLaughlin said:
YES, post it for free or take away, or something like that. Don't just trash it.
Click to expand...

A lot of it is kinked, either from my need to make it take up less space or because the digger got it. Should I still post it? If someone has a chance of using it, I'd certainly rather do that than try to get it in my trash can over the next many weeks.
 
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Adam McLaughlin

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Oooh. Kinkage on Heliax is BAD.

I would take a couple of snapshots and then post it, if you get no takers by Fri, then trash it.

BTW we use a small, fine toothed hacksaw to cut ours. You might a well get a cut off wheel on an angle grinder for what you're about to do.

Adam
 
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ephotrod

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Jun 24, 2006
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Location
Texas
Tip: I usually use electrical tape on the area I want to cut. Tape the section you want to cut and then go at it with a grinder that has a cutting wheel on it. It will take you all of a minute to cut it. Once your done cutting the cable the ends won't be fraied. We use this same methond when cutting wire rope lines for our winches and cranes.
Josh
 
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