I know this should probably go under destruction techniques, but we dont have that heading.
I need to break up a cast iron tub in a small bathroom. Usually I use a sledgehammer but this time I thought i’d use my head and bring along one of my rotary hammers. The question is what bit should I use?
Will just a chisel bit do it?
Replies
First thing it is going to be loud as hel l.
If the rotohammer doesn't have the umph you're just going to make alot of noise & chip the finish.
I think a shortened swing with a 15 pounder would still be quicker.
Do you look to the government for an entitlement, or to GOD for empowerment. BDW
I would also vote for the sledge, but try the power hammer and let us know how it works!
John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
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John boy, think about reserving a spot at the Fest this year.The natives are getting restless. "Calvin"
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Still working on it. We're waiting for my wife's schedule (she's a 4th grade teacher) to come out. There's a good chance they'll start Mon 21st , which means she will have to be at school the Fri the 18th.Till that gets resolved (and our family vacation plans) I won't know for sure.John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
Neighbor conned his deaf friend into helping him bust out his tub he loved it . <!----><!----><!---->
I don't think the rotohammer can put enough energy in it to break it. Unlike rock or masonry, even cast iron can locally deform (a little) to relieve strain. The porcelain will chip (and spall like crazy into you), but not the tub.
Beat it out like everybody else! :-)
Forrest
I guess I was just thinking out loud. I have a 1 9/16 sds max, and a 1 1/8" sds plus (both Bosch). I was just kind of wondering if anyone had tried it and I guess I got my answer. I still may try it though, The sds max is brand new and i've been looking for an excuse to try it out.
Of course i've had good results w/ a sledge but these last two jobs have been tub replacement only not gut the room and I was trying to cut collateral damage.
I'll let you guys now how it works.
Cutting collateral damage is easy.
You need to use a moving blanket or two over the tub to keep the chips from flying everywhere, you could also cover the near by walls and floor with cardboard to help protect them.
The moving blanket really works great.
I forgot my sledge hammer last time i had to braek a tub,but happen to have my rotary hammer since i just chipped up a tile floor. Don't bother it doesen't work and is very loud. It is must easier and faster with a few cracks with a sledge.
Thanks thats what I was looking for. Wasnt sure, SLEDGE TIME!!
I tried with bothmy chisel bit and point bit with my Bosch Bulldog. No luck. Ended up using a ball peen(SP) hammer to bust it up. Wear earplugs and glasses. Not only is the stuff heavy, it is sharp
we've demo'd so many over the years it's hard to remember what was fact & what was fancy.
but MY memory says we had good luck on one with a diamond crusted blade in a sawzall.. i think we cut it in half , then threw it out a window and busted it up on the ground with a sledge..
if i remember, i knocked a small starting hole in the side and then the sawzall went thru it like butter
hard to differentiate between dreams and reality sometimesMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
MikeI seriously doubt it. Two years ago I decided to try one of those blades on my sawzall to cut a 4" cast iron soil pipe. It worked for sh*t, so I did what I should have done in the first place-rented the pipe cutter and snapped it in 5 min.Maybe it was a steel tub you cut?John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
I have not heard of diamond coated recept blades, but I think that it would work fairly well.How I have used the carbide grit blades to cut 4" CI and it was slow and used lots of blades. That was AFTER I found that I did not have clearance for a CI cutter.But that was also part of the reason that it used a lot of blades. I could only use about 1/2" at the tip for cutting on 1/4 of the pipe.
c'mon! your passing up an opportunity to go absolute caveman on your tub!
SLEDGE! SLEDGE! SLEDGE!!!!!
knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
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Use the sledge hammer. Be sure to plug the drain with a rag first the cast iron pieces back up drains real easy.You're entitled to sh!t.---Tony Soprano
Are you sure that want to remove the tub? 6 years ago, I gutted the bathroom and took out the old cast iron tub....wish that I would have saved it and had one of those refinish jobs to cover it. sure do miss the old cast tub. Just a thought.
No on the keepin it. First its cracking, second H.O. is getting up in age and cant get over the side anymore so away it goes.
If you want it, and want to lift it i'll give you a call on demo day....shes all yours.
When he said no collateral damage I was bummed I was going to give him a home brew recipe for Dynamax¯ it's like dynamite on steroids.Do you look to the government for an entitlement, or to GOD for empowerment. BDW
sheesh! kinda like taking away a kids cake at their birthday!
the last tub I got to demo was big on the "no collateral damage" aspect as well...had a new glass shower right next to it...had to demo it with my 28oz framer...took twice as long and all the fun was sucked right out of it...knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
http://www.cobrajem.com
Eight pound sledge did it for me. Too bad the toilet was in the way; oh well, it was gonna go, but it woulda been right convenient to have a working toilet for a while longer.
Bruce
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Smack it with a BFH...
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hello! Hello! HELLO! Can ya hear me? Did it work?
EH, too bad, you are too far away, I'll travel a few miles to do the sledge bit for free, lotta fun and stresses get relieved!
safety glasses are the only need.
Better yet, it sure is fun watchin' one of those bust up from 2 stories up onto a good solid concrete walk - how big is the window??
I found out (the hard way) that a long sleeve shirt keeps the shrapnel from cutting your arms. Didn't even know I was cut until I saw the blood trickling down my arm!John Svenson, builder, remodeler, NE Ohio
Yeah, porcelein is pretty sharp. This is one of those jobs where you make sure to have safety equipment on.
Yeah, I love bustin' um up. I was just looking for an excuse to use my breaker. I'm waiting for the new shower base to come in so we can start.
I found a splitting maul to be very effective ..
just did the same thing here at the house. used my milwaukee 14" hand held elec cutoff saw...had the sucker in half in 10 minutes. definitely the route i would go.
While I always love an excuse to buy a new tool, I dont think I could justify buying a cut off saw for a couple tubs a year. Looks like i'll be using a sledge.
I wonder if some type of scissor or hydraulic jack would do it. I would love to try it out, but some people pay a good chunk of change for those things
Its not a claw foot tub. Its about 50's vintage its chipping a little. Everything has a price, its finding the buyer when you need him that is the trick.
Finding a buyer for a chipped 50's vintage tub is pretty well impossible. That one's a goner.
Don K.
Yeah, we took it out today. I actually forgot that it had also been reglazed at one time too.
I'm thinkin that would be an explosion
Inward pressure would be contained but outwards yer just askin to be fraggedDo you look to the government for an entitlement, or to GOD for empowerment. BDW
Now that I think about it, I have to agree. I suppose the only way to safely test the method would be in an open field with a boat-load of protective clothing on. I can only imagine how loud roto-hammering that thing would be. Sledge, is definitely the best tried and true way of doing it.
you could always stand in the tub :-)
Get some lethal weapon action goin on
OK on 3
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Do you look to the government for an entitlement, or to GOD for empowerment. BDW