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| Cutting the coils into loose links |
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| The picture below shows the tool I use for coil-cutting. A Dremel moto-tool, with a cut-off disc, mounts on the wooden portion of the tool. The pair of wooden blocks held by wing screws clamp the Dremel from the sides and the cable ties secure it to the mount. The coil itself lays in the tray and is fed by gravity into the cut-off wheel. Note the adjustable length support for the nose of the coil, to stop it being pulled under the wheel. |
| The Dremel cuts on the upper half of the coil, so that the coil is pushed down onto its support. Cut links are pulled down and flung clear by the wheel without 'bumping' it. The side channels are adjustable for different coil diameters. |
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| The crude tilting arrangement shown at left allow the cutting wheel to contact the coil at the proper angle in order to minimise vibration. Wheel life decreases exponentially with feed-in force, so vibration that hammers the wheel, or coil pull-in which highly loads the wheel, should be avoided. A lot of dust and noise is made during this process. Goggles (not safety glasses), a dust mask and earmuffs should be worn. A wheel typically lasts 200 18ga links. |
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