[AT] Cutting Tractor Tires

[Indiana Robinson]

On 10 Jun 2006 at 19:06, charlie hill wrote:

> A guy I work with used to do rubber lining work in big tanks, etc.
> He is the one that told me about wetting rubber to cut it.  Of course the 
> rubber they cut doesn't have steel in it but they cut it with a knife that 
> looks like a butcher knife.   Without the water the knife will drag so bad a 
> man can't pull it.  Pour on a little water and it will  zip right through 
> the rubber.
> 
> In the case of tires, you still have to deal with the cord and maybe some 
> steel so the power saws are needed but the water (or some other fluid) 
> should speed things up a bit.  I've tried water while cutting heavy conveyor 
> belts and it helps with that.
> 




	As a long time rubber cutter (shoe cobbler) the water approach is correct.
I used to cut big sheets using what was sold as a "rubber knife". It was just a 
long knife maybe 16" which I sharpened with a rather course wire edge. It had a 
slightly back curved blade and a good sized handle (wicked looking sucker). There 
is no reason to be cutting any metal on most tractor rears just to remove the side wall, 
ignore the bead and cut it out as a donut.
	A utility knife with a good blade will also do nicely with water.
	The last tractor tires I cut the sidewall out of (strawberry beds) I cut extremely
 easily using my "Roto-Zip"... It cut fast like a hot knife through butter and no water mess.
	It does make a little smoke.


--
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Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net