[TowerTalk] Help with saw blade selection

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

I've used the plain old angle grinder with a thin blade.  3" is plenty 
(but check for fit) and is my preference. The "cut off" wheels come 
quite thin at 1/16th or 3/32nds.  I never measured the thickness, just 
purchased the thinnest I could get.
I have an air powered "cut off tool" that uses a thin abrasive wheel and 
is easy to handle with one hand "In the shop!)  I'd hate to haul up 100' 
of 3/8ths in air hose up the tower, but it'd be great cutting U-bolts 
off an antenna setting on sawhorses.

I think you will find the Ryobi with the oscillating blade to be a bit 
awkward when the battery is attached but it should work with a fire 
tooth blade on the order of 20 teeth per inch. It too would be easier 
with the antenna on sawhorses.

A Skill saw with a metal cutting aggregate  blade sounds really 
dangerous. Awkward, heavy to hold, and difficult to control with fine 
movements to cut boom to mast clamp u-bolts without cutting into the 
mast or boom.  If the blade grabs or breaks you not only have dangerous 
pieces flying (wear a face shield with plenty of coverage, not just 
goggle or safety glasses!). A hand saw with a broken blade is difficult 
to hold with two hands when when you are working on the floor or a 
bench.  When that saw suddenly wants to leave your hand, it becomes 
almost impossible to relax your finger on the trigger.  That hand will 
clamp as tight as it can reflexively just when you need control.  That 
saw can do serious damage to equipment and you.

Almost all of us have violated safety rules, even in industry, but it 
only takes once of things going bad for that to prove why the safety 
rules are there..

The downside to all of these is being able to control the device careful 
enough to cut the bolt or clamp without damaging the underlying metal.

Preferably cut the bolt close to the clamp where there is no underlying 
metal right up against the bolt.  You can also cut the clamp or saddle 
next to each bolt, but that is often a more difficult cut to make and 
still may not clear the mast or boom.

73

Roger (K8RI)

On 8/30/2015 2:52 AM, Gene Smar wrote:
> TT:
>
>       Recently I purchased a Ryobi  multitool  http://tinyurl.com/lq28mbk
> (because I already have a Ryobi drill, batteries and recharger) to use atop
> my tower when I eventually replace the rotator and add a couple of V/UHF
> Yagis to the stack.  I expect that I will need to saw off the muffler clamps
> that I installed with the tower in 2001 to help support the mast on the
> bushing at the top and along the mast above a second rotator shelf (to use
> when the rotator is temporarily removed.)  In addition, I believe I may have
> to use this tool to saw off the SS U-bolts that attach the mounting bracket
> of my Bencher Skyhawk to the mast above the bushing.  I'll need to release
> all these items from the boom so I can lower the boom through the tower to
> add the small Yagis before I install the replacement rotator.
>
>       My question:  What specific blade should I purchase for this cutting
> work?  The Ryobi tool comes with an oscillating circular saw blade for wood
> but the u-bolts and muffler clamps will require a more robust blade, IMHO.
> The oscillating plunge cutting blade (shown in the Home Despot link above)
> might work for the muffler clamps but I could use your advice based on your
> experience with this kind of tool and blades.  Is there a specific blade I
> need for cutting through SS?
>
>       While I'm at it, another question:  For those of you who have a Skyhawk
> or F12, how likely is it that I'll have to saw or break off the u-bolts from
> the mast plate?  I don't recall if the Skyhawk used Nylock nuts which would
> make this question moot.  No, I didn't use anti-seize compound when I
> installed any of the antennas on this mast.  But I will with the small
> Yagis.
>
>       Thanks for your assistance.
>
>
> 73 de
> Gene Smar  AD3F
>
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)


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