How to Cut a Wire Rope
Wire rope can be cut with a cutting torch or a hydraulic wire rope cutter. The key to cutting wire rope successfully lies in "seizing" the wire rope properly before making the cut. Seizing is the process of wrapping a smaller wire around a wire rope multiple times to bind the strands in place, and the name of such a wrapping. Seizing must be equally placed on both sides of the point where you will make the cut, must be have a sufficient number of coils and must be properly spaced and sized
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Things You'll Need
- Seizing wire
- End-cutting nippers
- Ball-peen hammer
- Rigger's vise
- Cutting torch
- Handheld hydraulic wire rope cutter
Instructions
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1
Multiply the diameter of the rope by three, rounding up for fractions, to determine how many seizing coils should be applied on each side of the location where you will make the cut.
Multiply the diameter of the rope by two to determine how far apart the seizings should be spaced.
If you are cutting a two-inch diameter rope, you will need six seizing coils on each side of the location where the cut will be made and each will be four inches apart.
Each seizing on a two-inch diameter rope should be two inches in length.
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2
Make each seizing by winding the wire around the wire rope, holding tension on the seizing wire. Twist the ends of the seizing wire together by hand, so that the twist is near the middle of the seizing.
Use the end-cutting nippers to twist any slack out of the wires. Use the nippers to clip the ends of the twisted wire short, then use the ball-peen hammer to hammer the cut ends down onto the rope, lest you catch your hand on a "rigger's fishhook."
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3
Set the wire rope into a rigger's vise and tighten the vise to hold the wire rope so that you can cut between the two seizings nearest the center. The rigger's vise will control the end of the wire rope after the cut is made. A double rigger's vise -- two opposing rigger's vises, closely spaced on the same bench -- may be necessary if you must control both ends of the rope while the cut is being made.
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4
Cut the wire rope between the two central seizings with the handheld hydraulic wire rope cutter or a cutting torch.
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Tips & Warnings
When wire rope is cut, at least one end of the rope will try to twist and fly away from the cut. The use of two rigger's vises, one placed on either side of the point where the rope will be cut, is highly recommended.
Wear leather gloves or other hand protection when working with wire rope. Read and follow all instructions for any tool used in this project and observe all recommended precautions.
