[TowerTalk] EHS Question

[Steve Maki]

Tom Rauch wrote:

> I cut EHS steel strand all the time, and all I use are a good set of
> bolt cutters. Snip, and the end looks fine! Never a problem, and I
> use the same bolt cutters for years before tossing them out.
> 
> When I read about cutting wheels, plasma torches, and everything
> else I wonder what kind of bolt cutters people are trying to use???
> 
> And yes, the cable I cut is EHS steel. Been cutting it since 1970,
> and never a problem even with 5/16" .

The only thing better, IMO, than good bolt cutters is good cable
cutters. Makes sense, eh?  Good cable cutters have one straight
and one curved cutting surface, and use a bypass shear type action,
rather than the anvil type cut of a bolt cutter.

In practice, the only real advantage of the the pretty cut that
results from the cable cutter is that nicopress sleeves can be
slipped over the end very easily - not so with a cut made by a
bolt cutter.  If your termination method is anything other than
sleeves, you might as well use the cheaper bolt cutters.

OTOH, cable cutters work on aircraft cable (wire rope) also.

Grinding wheels?  Hammer and chisel?  Yikes!

73, Steve K8LX

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