More efficient bolt croppers?

[chunkolini]

I make a lot of sculptures out of chopped off bars, and confess to thinking that there has to be a better way of cutting the bars, I have a good pair of bolt croppers that manage 10mm bright mild steel and claim to do 13mm but I am not fat enough to hang off the end of them.
Here is a recent ongoing project.

I agree I must be mad.

is there a better tool for the job?
I have tried using the bar cutter on my bench shears but it is hard to get the length exact, I am making dozens of pieces and they have to fit closely together, with my croppers mounted in a vice I just measure it using my thumb nail as the mark to cut to.

I need something with blades that I can access easily and have mounted easily to hand. The way I am doing it is very quick but is doing my arm in.
Any ideas? I have looked at hydraulic rebar cutters and they might do the job but look a bit pricy. Like these? http://www.metal-cutters.co.uk/bar-cutters.html
Are there any bench mounted tools with a compound lever action?

 

[mike 109444]

As I think some bolt croppers have replacable/removable jaws and see you have a fly press could you make up a tool holder for the jaws from your cropper? and maybe a basic end stop for the lengths.

 

[bigegg]

I've seen a picture of a pair of sheetmetal crops which are mounted to a table - perhaps it would be possible to adapt a pair of bolt croppers to mount to a bench?

 

[bigegg]

US supplier

Google search for "bench mounted bolt cutters" throws up a few, quick glance doesn't give a UK supplier unfortunately

 

[the snooper]

now you will have him drooling

 

[bigegg]

howzabout this:

bay of E linkie

original manufacturer page here

 

[sean greenan]

Hi. Felco do a large set of wire rope cutters. A swiss co. Specialist in secateurs. Can cut up to 16mm through spring steel like a hot knife ...butter. a bit pricey. Try ebay. Sean

 

[mike 109444]

howzabout this:

bay of E linkie

How much pumping would that take to crop one bar? 5, 10? He will need to attach it to his bike!
Convert to compressed air maybe as some have shown with car jacks?

 

[the snooper]

he could do with a round bar guillotine, a hydraulic one if he could afford it and it would be a good piece of kit for him with the amount he cuts

 

[mike 109444]

Perhaps a search for used fire service equipment?
Think they have to renew kit on regular basis.

 

[bigegg]

Perhaps a search for used fire service equipment?
Think they have to renew kit on regular basis.

You sussed my secret google search

 

[graffian]

You need the diesel things the scrap yards use;-)

 

[brightspark]

You need the diesel things the scrap yards use;-)

would be quite simple to make an electric one with motor and crank using a 40 to one reduction gear

 

[sardine]

the ones the ***** used to bust the D lock on my pushbike were good !

 

[KemppiFrog]

Building sites use manual and powered cutters for rebar. I saw a manual one down at the scrappy, too far gone to save, but would have cut up to 25mm.

 

[chunkolini]

I use my big bolt croppers mounted in a vice, great for 8mm but after a few dozen cuts it becomes quite painful.
On a plus side if I ever have to punch anybody I think I could now do a good job of it, I have never had muscles before.
Big egg, that looks just the ticket.
Then I had another ebay browse and found these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130868023977?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 which look like what I was thinking of
or these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140942343340?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 linked together http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140941375483?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I am wary of buying hard working gear secondhand as it usually up for sale due to age issues. What do you guys think of the last two options.
Either of those could be vice mounted, I like this kind of thign to be fixed as it saves wrestling with materials.

 

[pedrobedro]

You could look for a second hand Peddinghaus. Mobile farriers use them for cutting horseshoe steel they are about £500 new.

 

[madkayaker]

Look like copy enerpac stuff to me. Will be a bit slow for lots of little stuff perhaps and seals might be hard to come by but there cheap

 

[wheresmejumper]

like this
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/tools/4797435

 

[chunkolini]

That would be nice but three phase and too big.