Grant Erwin wrote:

Recently on an extended car trip, I spent a couple of days in the home of a
couple who have owned a sailboat for many years. On their bookshelf was a good
book on knots. I spent a couple of hours enjoyably tying knots, learned a thing
or two.

Back home, today I had to cut some 10-SO4 cable a couple of times. This cable is
maybe 7/8" OD, shielded by heavy black rubber, surrounding 4 10 gauge wires. I
am not an electrician and don't own a cable cutting tool. I had up until now
done the first hack with my bolt cutters and then nipped off the cut bit by bit
with dykes, laboriously. Today I decided to try the method the knot book
suggested to cut heavy rope: I caught my hatchet in the bench vise solidly, edge
straight up, laid the cable over the edge, and whacked with a 1.5 lb. soft faced
hammer. About 3 blows and the cable parted cleanly. Works great!

GWE

Never tried that one, but I've cut 2-4SO with a hacksaw before. Works
pretty well.

As for your method, it sounds like a sacrificial piece of wood on top of
the cable might be a good idea to keep from damaging the soft hammer.

Pete C.