Bandsaw to cut large wire?

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growler said:
I would assume that Iwire was making a joke when he suggested useing a wood blade. I didn't take it as a serious suggestion. :? But I have never tried it.
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I was 100% serious, use a blade with large aggressive teeth as you do for cutting wood. It cuts both copper and aluminum conductors much faster than a metal type blade.

Again, this is for demo work, it leaves a nasty cut that none of us would use for a termination of new work. :)
 
iwire said:
I was 100% serious, use a blade with large aggressive teeth as you do for cutting wood. It cuts both copper and aluminum conductors much faster than a metal type blade. ...
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The problem with using a metal cutting blade is the blade does not reciprocate the distance required to clear the sawed particles when cutting large conductors. It helps to rock the saw. If you don't, you will find yourself going nowhere fast. That is if you want the cleaner cut afforded by using a metal-cutting blade.
 
Smart $ said:
The problem with using a metal cutting blade is the blade does not reciprocate the distance required to clear the sawed particles when cutting large conductors. It helps to rock the saw. If you don't, you will find yourself going nowhere fast. That is if you want the cleaner cut afforded by using a metal-cutting blade.
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FWIW, many of the newer reciprocating saws have a longer stroke than older models. YMMV
 
growler said:
I would assume that Iwire was making a joke when he suggested useing a wood blade. I didn't take it as a serious suggestion. :? But I have never tried it.
Click to expand...

iwire said:
I was 100% serious, use a blade with large aggressive teeth as you do for cutting wood. It cuts both copper and aluminum conductors much faster than a metal type blade.

Again, this is for demo work, it leaves a nasty cut that none of us would use for a termination of new work. :)
Click to expand...

I would never have even thought of useing a wood type blade for sawing copper or even Aluminum.

I worked with some guys that used a hand held die grinder for such work and it did do a very neat cut. You have to use the right cutting wheel but it is fast.

I guess you are never to old to learn new tricks of the trade.
 
We (several people here) regularly use a Milwaukee Porta Band with about a 14 to 18 TPI blade (whatever is in the saw when they pick it up) to cut fine strand rubber cord, like type W and G-GC. 4 to 4/0 size. Works very well!

The bandsaw blade does not reciprocate, so the pressure on the conductors is always in the same direction. No vibration problem.

Works faster than the ratcheting cutters on larger wire.

Frank DuVal
 
peter d said:
A wood blade on copper wire? :blink:
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There are bandsaw blades made for both wood and metal. I hope the OP intends to use the version that is made for cutting metal. The most noticeable difference is that the teeth have a larger size and spacing for cutting wood. Metal cutting teeth are smaller, just a few millimeters in spacing.

One that normally cuts structural aluminum alloys, should have no trouble cutting either copper or aluminum electrical wire.
 
mikerbutler said:
Is there a problem with using a portable band saw to cut large (500MCM and up) conductors with a portable bandsaw? It's much less effort and seems safer than using long-handle cutters. And the bandsaw has numerous uses; I can't justify spending $1,000 or more on a cordless cable cutter tool.
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Is 500MCM large?
What is it in AWG?
Just curious.
 
AWG doesn't go that large, but if you follow the formula used to define AWG then 500KMCL works out to about AWG -7 (or AWG 00000000 since multiple zeros seem to be more popular than negative values).

-Jon
 
kwired said:
20.65 mm diameter, AWG stops at 4/0 and everything larger then that is just referred to in circular mils.
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Thank you sir. That falls somewhere between our 240mm2 and 300mm2

chess.com/echess/myhome

Bearing in mind that we generally use 3-core wire armoured cable, that would be difficult to work with. For that size we'd generally parallel cables.
 
Besoeker said:
Thank you sir. That falls somewhere between our 240mm2 and 300mm2

Bearing in mind that we generally use 3-core wire armoured cable, that would be difficult to work with. For that size we'd generally parallel cables.
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I've wrestled 3/C 500kcmil armored cable at least twice. I can verify it is difficult to work with. :happyyes:
 
iwire said:
... See how much simpler our system is. ;)
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A system that uses one & only one unit for each thing lacks imagination & character. Where would we be without tons of refrigeration, tons of tnt, tons of homework, long tons, short tons and registry tons? Pints of beer that are bigger than pints of milk, five different definitions of a horsepower, it's a wonder that the rest of the world (save Liberia & Myanmar) accomplish anything at all.
 
mikerbutler said:
Is there a problem with using a portable band saw to cut large (500MCM and up) conductors with a portable bandsaw? It's much less effort and seems safer than using long-handle cutters. And the bandsaw has numerous uses; I can't justify spending $1,000 or more on a cordless cable cutter tool.
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the battery powered milwualkee small portaband works well.

the large battery powered one works as well.

i've also got a spare burndy cable cutter that works well in
tight locations. $400 will pick up one if you look around a bit.
new, they are about $1,000.

i usually prefer the small portaband to it, however. portabands
work a lot better for a clean cut than a reciprocating saw does,
in my experience.
 
Carultch said:
1 in=25.4 mm
1 in^2 = 25.4 mm * 25.4 mm = 645.16 mm^2

6 mm^2 = 1/(645.16) in^2 = 0.00155 in^2
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Thank you for making my point so eruditely.
6mm2 is 6mm2
To quote a UK advertising slogan it's exactly what it says on the box.
 
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