Cutting 1X19 Life Line Wire

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Stumble

I have always found a hacksaw with the right blades to work far easier than a cut off wheel for wire. Doesn't take much longer either.

Same here.

I replaced my lifelines with Suncor Quick Attachs and their 1x19 wire.
I taped the wire, tighten between two wood blocks and used a hacksaw with a new blade to cut in the middle of the tape.
Much quicker and a cleaner cut than the one I tried with the Dremel.

[Jesse]

Dyneema is actually stronger and much lighter, and doesn't require the very expensive fittings that stainless does.

[roverhi]

Have tried various methods to cut wire. The neatest cut without heat or burrs goes to using a small hose clamp(s) and a hacksaw. Felco wire cutters make an uneven cut that begs to be cleaned up with a grinder. Dremel cutting disks get eaten up at a prodigious rate and have had really bad experience with the Dremel tool itself surviving more than a few hard uses. Grinder with cut off wheel is fast and gives a straight cut but leaves a burr at the end of each wire strand which can make installing StaLoks difficult without a little clean up with a file.

Norseman terminals are NLA and the cone supply has pretty much dried up so don't get suckered into buying them off Ebay. StaLoks work great and a lot of people like the Hayne terminals though I had a problem with the only one I've tried. I do not trust swages and always use mechanical terminals when replacing riggine.

On my last boat did the life lines with 1/4" 1x19 that I got out of a boatyard scrap pile. The wire was good but the swages were bad. Cut off the swages and used Norsman terminals, worked a treat.

You mentioned 7/16" wire. That is way way overkill and fittings will cost a fortune for wire that thick. Hope it was a misprint. 1/4" wire worked fine and fits through the eyes on stanchions.

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Jesse

Dyneema is actually stronger and much lighter, and doesn't require the very expensive fittings that stainless does.

But also has disadvantages. Insurance scepticism (it's different), UV degradation and susceptibility to chafe and nicking. All of these are manageable but require different thinking.

Dyneema is probably a great option where inspection is more frequent. Ie well staffed racing programs.

For cruisers ss wire and swaging / mechanical fasteners are a well proven baseline.

Eventually synthetics will likely obsolete ss.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Snore]

Guys thanks!!! Lots if good stuff in here.

LeftBrain- before retiring I was involved in utility construction. I was somewhat famous in tearing into the quality of imported iron. One guy came in and told me about how they "batches proof every container" and have been doing that for years. I said that was great---"could you let me know how many loads have been rejected?"

Never heard from him again.

PS- not going to rehash the dyneema-SS debate. Enough to say I am going bare SS wire rope.


Sent from my iPhone- please forgive autocorrect errors.

[jmschmidt]

Forget all the fancy, schmancy sturr.

Make a cutting die out of a small block of very hard wood like oak, say 1" thick. Drill a hole in the center of the block the diameter of the wire or maybe 1/64 smaller. Saw the drilled block in half with a fine-blade hacksaw through the middle of the hole you have drilled. Place the two halves of cut block loosely together and insert the wire into the hole to the point where you want the cut. Place the two pieces of the block with the wire inserted in a vise or C-clamp and tighten firmly. Next cut the inserted wire with a hacksaw or power grinder with a stainless steel cutting blade. Leave the wire in tightly clamped in the block halves. Next take a belt sander and press firmly against the slightly protruding wire strands to sand them flush with the clamped block. Take care to hold the sander exactly at 90 degrees to the block. If care is taken the clamped hardwood block surrounding the wire will prevent the hacksaw or other cutting tool and the belt sander from distorting the block face and a perfect 90 degree flush, smooth cut of the wire will result. Save these blocks, they can be used over and over again. I have used this procedure for all sorts of wire cuts from Nicropress to Norseman and other standing rig fittings of any diameter or strand count of wire which requires a smooth, flush cut. Good luck.

[jmschmidt]

Make a cutting die out of a small block (1” thick) of very hard wood like oak. Drill a hole in the block the diameter of the wire or maybe 1/64 smaller. Saw the drilled block in half through the middle of the hole you have drilled. Place the two halves of cut block loosely together and insert the wire into the hole to the point where you want the cut. Place the two pieces of the block with the wire inserted in a vise or C-clamp and tighten firmly. Next cut the inserted wire with a hacksaw or power grinder with a stainless steel cutting blade. Leave the wire in tightly clamped in the block halves. Take a belt sander and press firmly against the slightly protruding wire strands to sand them flush with the clamped block. Take care to hold the sander exactly at 90 degrees to the block. If care is taken the clamped hardwood block surrounding the wire will prevent the hacksaw or other cutting tool and the belt sander from distorting the block face and a perfect 90 degree flush, smooth cut of the wire will result. Save these blocks, they can be used over and over again. I have used this procedure for all sorts of wire cuts from Nicropress to Norseman and other standing rig fittings of any diameter or strand count of wire which requires a smooth, flush cut. Good luck.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

I prefer to avoid using cutoff tools due to the potential for heat induced microstructural changes. I wont bore you with the details but a background in aerospace welding (as a welder) and a masters of engineering in materials welding and joining means I dont like the potential for carbide migration and accelerated corrosion from friction cutoff methods. These are not approved for load certification methods so are not applicable for standing rigging IMHO. Microstructural analysis shows why this is so.

A dremel will not have the grunt to do the job.

It is almost embarrassing for me to differ with someone so obviously qualified but I can't help myself.

I've cut a lot of SS wire with a Dremel and I can verify from experience it has plenty of power to do the job. A little faster, definitely easier and usually cleaner than I can do the job with a hacksaw.

Regarding the heat and effect on the SS. I do understand (although I'm sure not at the depth and detail that you do) and agree that heat can have a serious effect on the strength and structure of metal. However in practice, using a Dremel I find only the very tips of strands, as in 1-2 mm get hot at all if you take your time. I can easily hold the end of the wire in my fingers after a cut.

Also, considering the shape and structure of a StaLok and how it captures the wire it seems unlikely that any potential changes on the very tips of the wires will have any effect on the strength and reliability of the connection.

[Tingum]

Originally Posted by magellanyachts

Ever thought about Dyneema?

X2. I always like something that can be fixed or replaced by almost anyone, anywhere!

[roland stockham]

Cutting wire with a cutting wheel is the easiest and fastest way to go. Worth getting the wheels designed for stainless if available. A cordless angle grinder is also an option for emergencies instead of wire cutters. Much faster and easier.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by Tingum

X2. I always like something that can be fixed or replaced by almost anyone, anywhere!

I am trying to be polite here. This is not intended to be SS vs dyneema!!!


Thanks


Sent from my iPhone- please forgive autocorrect errors.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Tingum

X2. I always like something that can be fixed or replaced by almost anyone, anywhere!

Never had to fix SS lifelines. I have replaced some of the old, plastic covered ones which I could do myself with StaLok fittings, a Dremel (or hacksaw ), a couple of wrenches and a tube of caulk. Can do without the caulk in an emergency.

If I tried to do it with Dyneema I would need a stack of photographs with circles and arrows and several pages of detailed, step by step by step instructions on how to do the splices, but that's just me. Maybe one day I'll figure it out.

And as someone noted, there are potential issues with Dyneema: UV, abrasion, etc although I'll bet it's a lot more comfortable to lean on that SS wire.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Cutting wire with a cutting wheel is the easiest and fastest way to go. Worth getting the wheels designed for stainless if available. A cordless angle grinder is also an option for emergencies instead of wire cutters. Much faster and easier.

I've cut SS and other metals with the old, thin Dremel cutoff disks. They work but they break easily, especially with thicker cuts and try to put your eyes out with little pieces of wheel that break and fly off at the speed of sound.

I got an EZ Lock kit and it's great. Disks don't break make shrapnel, cut better/faster/cleaner and they're quick change.

[Snore]

Using a cutting wheel without eye protection is rather foolish. Any uncut off wheel has the potential to break. This could have some very bad results!

The trick to not breaking the wheel is keeping it perpendicular; as well as going slow and letting the cutoff wheel set the pace of the cut- not the user.

FWIW, then working on deck or over/around fiberglass, I work over a sheet of aluminum foil. The flakes of material being cut collect on the foil and don't imbed in the glass. Real handy when cutting the anchor chain cause the PO used a SS shackle on galvanized chain.


Sent from my iPhone- please forgive autocorrect errors.

[s/vfootloose]

7x19 wire is commonly used on lifelines. It's much more flexible.