Cutting Through Wreck (wood) - How?

[DennisS]

These will cut through anything. They have them in all sizes. I saw them using a surface one to remove a frozen pivot shaft in a crane, the shaft was about 6 inches in diameter. It was impressive.

http://www.brocoinc.com/default.aspx?page=underwater
from the Broco website.

Broco Underwater Ultra-thermic Cutting Rods

Burning in excess of 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit at the tip, Broco Underwater Ultra-thermic Cutting Rods cut or melt virtually any known material. Broco's patented rod design features alloy core wires retained by circular crimps. The special design prevents burnback into the torch, making Broco Underwater Ultra-thermic Cutting Rods the safest on the market. Ultra-thermic Cutting Rods can be bent 90 degrees or more to access hard to reach places, without restricting oxygen flow or causing the insulation to split or flake off.

Ultra-thermic Cutting Rods may be used with a maximum of 150 amps to assist in the burning process but have no electrical requirement. Once ignited, they continue to burn as long as oxygen is supplied or until the rod is consumed. Broco Underwater Ultra-thermic Cutting Rods are available in 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch diameters. Standard length is 18 inches. Broco offers 36 inch Ultra-thermic Cutting Rods for heavier jobs to allow more burn time between rod changes.

Get one of the big ones and check out the local bank vault.

 

[tim]

How about an air powered hack saw? Its like a sawzall, and can get one for around 100 bucks. Compresser on the boat and about 120ft of air hose.

Something else to look for on box cars from this era is a "lumber door". Its a small door in one or both ends near the top. It was used to get long pieces of lumber in and out of the car. It won't be big enough for you to swim through but will be big enough to see inside.

Defenatly need some photos and info on the wreck.

Tim
PS never too old to play with trains!!

 

[ryanmacneil8448]

120 ft of hose taped to the carb of a chainsaw just remeber to keep it at full throttle the whole time so it wont stall out cuz it would be pretty hard to start underwater oh hypothetically speaking of course

 

[Don Burke]

I found 2 box cars from a train wreck (1919) in about 110' of water (my post about it, HERE). The first car looks like a side loader that is mostly buried and closed. The second car is a top loader, is open and is easy to swim through.

It has been suggested to me that I find a way to cut into the top of the first car to see what's inside. So I have 2 questions:

#1. Not saying I'm going to do it, but, hypothetically, what is the best way to cut through the water-logged wood at 110'?

I would look into using a hole saw with an air drill. A surface compressor pushing 150psig should have no trouble making enough pressure, although the drill will consume something like four times the air the nameplate claims, requiring a pretty big compressor.

There will be substantial counter torque to consider.

A bunch of shallow water practice would be in order.

I would probably develop a fixture to do the drilling unattended as to not use up a bunch of bottom time just watching the drill cut.

#2. (This is really just a troll ) Is it ethical to cut a hole into this historical dive artifact?

I think not if there is an alternative. Blasting the silt away from the door with a water jet or sucking it away with an airlift would be my first choice.

 

[Tom Yerian]

I found 2 box cars from a train wreck (1919) in about 110' of water (my post about it, HERE). The first car looks like a side loader that is mostly buried and closed. The second car is a top loader, is open and is easy to swim through.

It has been suggested to me that I find a way to cut into the top of the first car to see what's inside. So I have 2 questions:

#1. Not saying I'm going to do it, but, hypothetically, what is the best way to cut through the water-logged wood at 110'?

#2. (This is really just a troll ) Is it ethical to cut a hole into this historical dive artifact?

No hypothetics envolved!!!Just breach the thing. All this political correct has got to go! No one has done any effort to preserve the site; There is not to much to it!! Find the linear center, old 1" hand crank drill. breach hole with spud bar and in at least acoulpe of trips you will be able to penetrate. Have good reel skills, good lites, good camera, and just incase a good ditty bag. Then come back and report that some one has already broken through since you were last there and tell us about it! Now thats as easy as it gets and the world may or may not know whats there.... capt Tom @ tyerian@charter.net

 

[NCSU_Diver]

A small charge should do the trick to loosen one or two of the boards. About 1 oz. of Aluminium powder and 3 oz. of Potasium Perchlorate should do the trick. That is from a chemical standpoint. From a mechanical standpoint use anything (airdrills, airsaws) already discoused.

Who says you don't learn anything from college chemistry!

 

[FredT]

On a recent edition of deep sea detectives John Chatteron used an air powered drill to drill into a coral formation to see if the base of the formation was a rock, or it was all coral. AN underwater air powered drill would certanly be more exciting than hand cranking.

Underwater core drills are fun, but hurt a lot when the bit binds. Tool has lots of torque, you have little resistance under water. Handles into the ribs are quite uncomfortable.

FT

 

[FredT]

A small charge should do the trick to loosen one or two of the boards. About 1 oz. of Aluminium powder and 3 oz. of Potasium Perchlorate should do the trick. That is from a chemical standpoint. From a mechanical standpoint use anything (airdrills, airsaws) already discoused.

Who says you don't learn anything from college chemistry!

Why use something so water sensitive even humidity can cause yield problems? Several of the easy to make synthetics will take smaller charges, can be formed into shaped charges for directed force and aren't picky about getting wet.

Two 8" hole saws at either end of the car, coupled with a good 6" airlift, mud pump, and surface screw compressor should enable you to de-silt the car in short order, and recover any smaller artifacts from the dredge plume.

FT

 

[AquaHump]

A small charge should do the trick to loosen one or two of the boards. About 1 oz. of Aluminium powder and 3 oz. of Potasium Perchlorate should do the trick. That is from a chemical standpoint. From a mechanical standpoint use anything (airdrills, airsaws) already discoused.

Who says you don't learn anything from college chemistry!

Screw it us about 4 pounds of C4, the car is P\probably full of nitro anyway :11ztongue

 

[NCSU_Diver]

I found that using aluminum powder and potasium perchlorate doesn't have problems with moisture as long as you give it a good coating of rustolium. I made a few about a year ago and let them fly this 4th! That stuff is just easier to get ahold of than some of the fancier plastics.