The way I cut ½” flexible steel conduit is I first crack it like a
crab at the point I want to cut and when it separates I cut it with
side cutters. A while back I had taken out about ten feet of it from
an old house for some reason I don’t remember now. It was in real good
shape so I saved it in case I needed it some day. So a few days ago I
needed a short enough piece and I remembered that old conduit I had
saved. I measured it and grasped it with both hands and tried to crack
it at the point I wanted to cut. Either they have different grades of
flexible steel conduit and nobody told me or they must have made those
extra strong in the old days because there was no way I could crack
it. It was like trying to bend EMT with my bare hands. I finally had
to cut it with a hacksaw.

"Molly Brown" wrote in message
...
The way I cut ½” flexible steel conduit is I first crack it like a
crab at the point I want to cut and when it separates I cut it with
side cutters. A while back I had taken out about ten feet of it from
an old house for some reason I don’t remember now. It was in real good
shape so I saved it in case I needed it some day. So a few days ago I
needed a short enough piece and I remembered that old conduit I had
saved. I measured it and grasped it with both hands and tried to crack
it at the point I wanted to cut. Either they have different grades of
flexible steel conduit and nobody told me or they must have made those
extra strong in the old days because there was no way I could crack
it. It was like trying to bend EMT with my bare hands. I finally had
to cut it with a hacksaw.

There were a number of types of flexible steel conduit, some way stronger
than others, such as Sprague. Using a hacksaw at a diagonal was always the
proper way to cut them

The way I cut ½” flexible steel conduit is I first crack it like a
crab at the point I want to cut and when it separates I cut it with
side cutters. A while back I had taken out about ten feet of it from
an old house for some reason I don’t remember now. It was in real good
shape so I saved it in case I needed it some day. So a few days ago I
needed a short enough piece and I remembered that old conduit I had
saved. I measured it and grasped it with both hands and tried to crack
it at the point I wanted to cut. Either they have different grades of
flexible steel conduit and nobody told me or they must have made those
extra strong in the old days because there was no way I could crack
it. It was like trying to bend EMT with my bare hands. I finally had
to cut it with a hacksaw.


*Yep. There are different thicknesses or were. I bought some Greenfield
last week and noticed on the receipt that it said "Reduced wall". I still
cut it diagonally with a hacksaw like RBM said and then trim it with my BX
cutters. The easiest to cut is the aluminum Greenfield.

On Jan 24, 12:42*am, Molly Brown wrote:
The way I cut ½” flexible steel conduit is I first crack it like a
crab at the point I want to cut and when it separates I cut it with
side cutters. A while back I had taken out about ten feet of it from
an old house for some reason I don’t remember now. It was in real good
shape so I saved it in case I needed it some day. So a few days ago I
needed a short enough piece and I remembered that old conduit I had
saved. I measured it and grasped it with both hands and tried to crack
it at the point I wanted to cut. Either they have different grades of
flexible steel conduit and nobody told me or they must have made those
extra strong in the old days because there was no way I could crack
it. It was like trying to bend EMT with my bare hands. *I finally had
to cut it with a hacksaw.

Doesn't everybody have one of these?

http://www.seatekco.com/images/rs-101-1c2.jpg

"Limp Arbor" wrote in message
...
On Jan 24, 12:42 am, Molly Brown wrote:
The way I cut ½” flexible steel conduit is I first crack it like a
crab at the point I want to cut and when it separates I cut it with
side cutters. A while back I had taken out about ten feet of it from
an old house for some reason I don’t remember now. It was in real good
shape so I saved it in case I needed it some day. So a few days ago I
needed a short enough piece and I remembered that old conduit I had
saved. I measured it and grasped it with both hands and tried to crack
it at the point I wanted to cut. Either they have different grades of
flexible steel conduit and nobody told me or they must have made those
extra strong in the old days because there was no way I could crack
it. It was like trying to bend EMT with my bare hands. I finally had
to cut it with a hacksaw.

Doesn't everybody have one of these?

http://www.seatekco.com/images/rs-101-1c2.jpg


After years of using the hacksaw, I did buy one for a job where there was no
margin for error. The hacksaw is faster!


--
Colbyt
Please come visit http://www.househomerepair.com

On 1/24/2011 8:09 AM, Limp Arbor wrote:
On Jan 24, 12:42 am, Molly wrote:
The way I cut ½” flexible steel conduit is I first crack it like a
crab at the point I want to cut and when it separates I cut it with
side cutters. A while back I had taken out about ten feet of it from
an old house for some reason I don’t remember now. It was in real good
shape so I saved it in case I needed it some day. So a few days ago I
needed a short enough piece and I remembered that old conduit I had
saved. I measured it and grasped it with both hands and tried to crack
it at the point I wanted to cut. Either they have different grades of
flexible steel conduit and nobody told me or they must have made those
extra strong in the old days because there was no way I could crack
it. It was like trying to bend EMT with my bare hands. I finally had
to cut it with a hacksaw.

Doesn't everybody have one of these?

http://www.seatekco.com/images/rs-101-1c2.jpg


I have several, I even have one that cuts 3/4" flex. I use it in
conjunction with a razor knife to cut metallic Sealtite. :-)

TDD