Splicing to ACSR triplex

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I was wondering why the cable cutter has been getting damaged over the years. And I am very careful not to cut steel with it and not knowing I have been cutting steel with it. :happysad:

I have to look at that utility support/neutral conductor very closely next time.
 
edward said:
I was wondering why the cable cutter has been getting damaged over the years. And I am very careful not to cut steel with it and not knowing I have been cutting steel with it. :happysad:

I have to look at that utility support/neutral conductor very closely next time.
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Center strand is steel. It is very noticeable that it is not the same as the outer strands if you untwist the cable and try bending each strand. It is a hardened steel and does not bend very easily, the outer aluminum strands practically fold like a sheet of paper in comparison. If it were not for the steel strand, the cable would stretch to obvious degrees in little time.

All the overhead lines, even copper lines, are same way. Steel strand in the center for mechanical strength. Some POCO's even have fiber optic strands within a line for communications between substations, generation facilities, etc. This is usually within the shield conductors of their transmission lines.
 
kwired said:
Center strand is steel. It is very noticeable that it is not the same as the outer strands if you untwist the cable and try bending each strand. It is a hardened steel and does not bend very easily, the outer aluminum strands practically fold like a sheet of paper in comparison. If it were not for the steel strand, the cable would stretch to obvious degrees in little time.

All the overhead lines, even copper lines, are same way. Steel strand in the center for mechanical strength. Some POCO's even have fiber optic strands within a line for communications between substations, generation facilities, etc. This is usually within the shield conductors of their transmission lines.
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I saw a line that squirrels had got to. All the AL strands were chewed right off the end and only one strand was holding up the triplex. The steel one, of course.
 
K8MHZ said:
That's how I learned.

I got some triplex left overs from a job a few years ago. The first stuff I used was all Al. Then, I used some from a different wad, and it had the steel strand in it, putting a big notch in my linesman pliers that were made for CU or AL only.
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Linesman pliers typically cut with a pinching action, and cut steel pretty well. You must have had some kind of specialty pliers. The cutters that don't like steel and are marked copper or aluminum only typically cut with a slicing or scissors type of action.
 
kwired said:
Linesman pliers typically cut with a pinching action, and cut steel pretty well. You must have had some kind of specialty pliers. The cutters that don't like steel and are marked copper or aluminum only typically cut with a slicing or scissors type of action.
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They were just Kleins. About ten years old. They were 27 bucks, the one the same size rated for steel was 39 bucks. I see on their website now that all their linesmans are rated for steel.

I tried with both hands to cut the steel wire and all I did was put a notch in the pliers. I still have them around here somewhere.
 
ptonsparky said:
I have had a pair of sidecutters that would cut the steel core of ACSR, but there is NWIH you would not know something is different from just aluminum. I don't care how tough you are. Won't happen unless you are smokin somethin funny.
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For sizes 6 - 2 AWG you may not notice anything is different from just aluminum. If you are any larger than that, they get tougher to cut, but the right cutters for larger conducgtors are designed for higher leverage and that may help hide the difference also.
 
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