Bolt cutter attachment

[Pitalplace]

We found this bolt cutter in the bottom of the tool box on one of our old grass rig fire trucks. The bolt cutter has an attachment but we didn't know what it was for.

 

[Goose]

It appears to be intended to pull something together, but I'm not sure what.

 

[Janicholson]

We found this bolt cutter in the bottom of the tool box on one of our old grass rig fire trucks. The bolt cutter has an attachment but we didn't know what it was for.


View attachment 100024

Using the tool to cut square across a fire hose by pinching it together as it is progressively fed into the cutting edges? If the handles are really well insulated, cutting unknown downed electrical cables (and hooking them away from each other or? is my new Guess. Jim

 

[leroy in ne]

Grass Rig, I'm saying fence cutter until some one comes up with a better answer.

 

[DoubleO7]

That added on piece looks to be one piece of stamped metal.

I think it is just a guide to help get the item being cut into the right spot quickly?

The final slot also limits the size to what the cutter can handle?

 

[Brian G. NY]

That added on piece looks to be one piece of stamped metal.

I think it is just a guide to help get the item being cut into the right spot quickly?

Like for cutting heavy electical cable?

 

[Dingo3]

That added on piece looks to be one piece of stamped metal.

I think it is just a guide to help get the item being cut into the right spot quickly?

Agree, combination guide and fireman’s hook.

 

[rrlund]

It's for guiding your mustache in the blades without getting your nose in there.

 

[Pitalplace]

Using the tool to cut square across a fire hose by pinching it together as it is progressively fed into the cutting edges? If the handles are really well insulated, cutting unknown downed electrical cables (and hooking them away from each other or? is my new Guess. Jim

The handles are well insulated so this appears to be a good probability, Thanks

 

[Jim.ME]

The handles are well insulated so this appears to be a good probability, Thanks

Most cutters I have seen intended to cut power cables will have fiberglass or other non-conductive material handles, not just the heavy rubber grips common on bolt cutters. Please post a picture of the entire tool.

 

[Pitalplace]

Most cutters I have seen intended to cut power cables will have fiberglass or other non-conductive material handles, not just the heavy rubber grips common on bolt cutters. Please post a picture of the entire tool.

They have the fiberglass handles. They are at the fire station and I didn't take a picture of the handles.

 

[HiddenRock]

Using the tool to cut square across a fire hose by pinching it together as it is progressively fed into the cutting edges? If the handles are really well insulated, cutting unknown downed electrical cables (and hooking them away from each other or? is my new Guess. Jim

Absolutely not! You guys are nuts that’s how people get killed. You won’t find a “hot stick” in the bottom of a tool box. If they are to be used for live line electrical work they’d be a minimum of 6’ long. Being a journeyman lineman by trade this is one of my worst fears getting a 911 call with a member of the public that’s been burnt. I guess ignorance is bliss. Every time you walk away from a downed “unknown line” after moving it you really should be counting your blessings.

 

[wore out]

Absolutely not! You guys are nuts that’s how people get killed. You won’t find a “hot stick” in the bottom of a tool box. If they are to be used for live line electrical work they’d be a minimum of 6’ long. Being a journeyman lineman by trade this is one of my worst fears getting a 911 call with a member of the public that’s been burnt. I guess ignorance is bliss. Every time you walk away from a downed “unknown line” after moving it you really should be counting your blessings.

QUITE a difference between cutting a 240 Volt service drop to a building or mucking with the 7200 Volts to God knows what on the other side of the transformer, IMHO!

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

They have the fiberglass handles. They are at the fire station and I didn't take a picture of the handles.

I found many listings for non-conductive bolt cutters at firefighter supply stores online. None have these guides.

I suspect the guides are some gimmick somebody came up with to sell another tool. Looks like they were intended to aid in cutting overhead service triplex cable. Not much good for entry cable running into a house.

Like I said, a gimmick. A normal non-conductive cable cutter would do the job and be much more versatile. The guides make these into uni-taskers, tools with only one very specific use.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Maybe to cut fence then stretch it back up some so the wire is not laying on the ground when done. About all I can think of with the short cutting section and the hooks to fasten to . And just a maybe.

 

[HiddenRock]

QUITE a difference between cutting a 240 Volt service drop to a building or mucking with the 7200 Volts to God knows what on the other side of the transformer, IMHO!

You ever cut 240 before from the transformer to a house? Big difference than cutting a simple romex cable with a 20 amp breaker. It'll humble you real quick. IMHO.

 

[DoubleO7]

Maybe to cut fence then stretch it back up some so the wire is not laying on the ground when done. About all I can think of with the short cutting section and the hooks to fasten to . And just a maybe.

How? that "guide slot and hooks" plate is all one piece stamped metal.

 

[Brian G. NY]

QUITE a difference between cutting a 240 Volt service drop to a building or mucking with the 7200 Volts to God knows what on the other side of the transformer, IMHO!

Exactly! My wife's grandad was a lineman starting back in the 30s. He was also a founding member of our volunteer fire dept. Back in the 50s and 60s when I was a member, I remember him putting on his lineman's gloves, grabbing the bolt cutters out of the truck and cutting the entrance cables on a burning house. That was how it was done yesterday.
No doubt there are more modern and safer tools for doing that same job today.
I don't know how old the tool in the picture is but it doesn't look too new!

I just went back and reread the original post by Pitalplace.
"We found this bolt cutter in the bottom of the tool box on one of our old grass rig fire trucks".
Later he said; "The handles are well insulated so this appears to be a good probability".
He also added: "They have the fiberglass handles".

And......Wore out said:
''You ever cut 240 before from the transformer to a house?"
"Yes, I have, thanks for asking! The trick is to cut one wire at a time".

IMHO, All of this kinda lends creedence to the entrance cable cutting theory.

 

[wore out]

You ever cut 240 before from the transformer to a house? Big difference than cutting a simple romex cable with a 20 amp breaker. It'll humble you real quick. IMHO.

''You ever cut 240 before from the transformer to a house?"

Yes, I have, thanks for asking! The trick is to cut one wire at a time.

And I've observed the aluminum wires in a service "riser" to a meter base arc themselves into underground oblivion as the house the meter base was attached to burned down.

And a few other examples of secondary wiring failures.

 

[HiddenRock]

Exactly! My wife's grandad was a lineman starting back in the 30s. He was also a founding member of our volunteer fire dept. Back in the 50s and 60s when I was a member, I remember him putting on his lineman's gloves, grabbing the bolt cutters out of the truck and cutting the entrance cables on a burning house. That was how it was done yesterday.
No doubt there are more modern and safer tools for doing that same job today.
I don't know how old the tool in the picture is but it doesn't look too new!

I just went back and reread the original post by Pitalplace.
"We found this bolt cutter in the bottom of the tool box on one of our old grass rig fire trucks".
Later he said; "The handles are well insulated so this appears to be a good probability".
He also added: "They have the fiberglass handles".

And......Wore out said:
''You ever cut 240 before from the transformer to a house?"
"Yes, I have, thanks for asking! The trick is to cut one wire at a time".

IMHO, All of this kinda lends creedence to the entrance cable cutting theory.

Funny you should re read the post I originally responded to and if you still want to you can turn things around however you guys so desire. There wasn’t no mention of no house burning down. If there was that would be a known wire not an unknown wire that bud is THE BIG DIFFERENCE!
IMHO