What’s your tool for cutting concrete filled tubesteel lallys? We’ve got a Sawzall with metal blades, skilsaws with metal blades, and we can borrow Rob’s grinder he uses for cutting tile and ‘crete.
Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Replies
We use a large pipe cutter and then hammer the cement level with the cut off end.
You mean one of these? I have asked the supply yard, and they don't have or use one.
View Image
This one, from Ridgid, handles pipe up to 6 inches.Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Yes, like that Gene, or use a right angle grinder with a thin cut off wheel just to get through the steel.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
Here we go again....order them cut to size or borrow the yards column cutter.
you only need to cut the steel, but I wouldn't use a sawzall. we use a gas powered cut-off saw with a carborundum blade to do this and then just whack it with a sledge to break the concrete
carpenter in transition
A simple, and cheap at around $4, abrasive metal cutting blade in an older circular saw will cut through the surrounding steel pipe in short order. Place on sawhorses with a couple of blocks tacked in place to keep it from rolling off the edge and have a helper spin the pipe slowly as you follow the line. Just score the pipe the first time around. The blade will follow the groove the second time around.
Once you have cut through he steel a sharp hammer blow will break the concrete free. Use the hammer with or without a chisel to remove any protruding concrete.
Whole thing doesn't take ten minutes once you get the hang of it. A masonry blade in the circular saw will also work but seem to cut the steel more slowly. Use an old saw as the dust is hard on bearings and make sure you and your help wear safety glasses. Make sure there are no readily flammable materials around as the cutting of the steel creates a lot of very hot sparks. So shorts and bare backs might not be a good idea. Work steadily and don't force the disc.
You can also use a hacksaw or sawsall. The blade will likely be ruined, unless you use a more expensive and slow cutting grit blade, so the sawsall, with their fairly expensive blades, might not be the best idea. Hacksaw blades are relatively cheap and although it means sweating it isn't that bad. Cut a bit and roll. Cut some more and roll a bit. You want to stop just shy of the concrete. It goes quickly with a sharp blade and is not much of a burden as long as you only have two or three cuts to make. With just a little care to make sure your not hitting the concrete too much a blade is easily good for three cuts or so.
If you only had one blade and needed to make three cuts a trick is to make the initial scoring cut on each column so the majority of the steel is removed before the blade is dulled by hitting the concrete.
Recently I saw a guy use a small hand-held grinder to to do a similar job as the circular saw with an abrasive blade. He was working by himself and used a boot to hold the column on the bumper of his truck. He would gring a bit and spin the pipe repeating this perhaps five times per column. He had to cut what looked like ten or twelve of them but it only took a few minutes each.
All this verbage makes it seem cutting lally columns a difficult problem but it is really pretty easy. Cut the steel and snap the concrete.
All this verbage makes it seem cutting lally columns a difficult problem but it is really pretty easy. Cut the steel and snap the concrete.
Not likely you are ever short for words..............
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
I like to include some options. Hard to say what works best in which situation. Maybe a safety tip or two and some encouragement, if it seems appropriate. I try to include what I would like to hear if I had asked the question. I figure writing is easy, reading is cheap and the most expensive words are those not said.
I figure writing is easy, reading is cheap and the most expensive words are those not said.
That's nice, I like that.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
I too use a large pipe cutter and hold it with a Vice-Grip chain wrench... takes all of a minute to cut 'em.
The cutter wasn't cheap though.... ran me almost $300 and it's a no-name brand. Can't even imagine what that Rigid would cost.
my large pipe cutter was only $3 at a garage sale, but only handles up to 4".
You really are a Junkhound! Good score.
Actually, here is the one that will handle up to 4" OD. The Ridgid #32840, and it is $308 at ToolUp.com
View ImageGene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Sounds reasonable to me. Mine is a 6".
I only have to cut maybe a dozen lallys a year, so I do what 4lorn wrote: I use an inexpensive metal abrasive blade in the circ saw, score the steel, and whack it with a hammer.
Fast and easy, but the noise and the smell?