Cutting ferro rods

L

Loosearrow

Joined
Apr 14, 2008
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Have any of you cut down a ferro rod or drilled holes in them. If so, how did you do it. I didn't know if you just snap it like a file in a vise and then shape to fit a project with a file. Maybe slow and easy with a hacksaw. Going Gear sent me 4 3/8 rods and one was longer so I am going to play with it. Thanks. Ever try and throw one into a fire?
 
I once tried drilling a hole through one for a lanyard - lots and I mean LOTS of sparks!
I got through in the end without an indoor firework display by using a hand drill - VERY slow & steady.

I've never known of one snapping, either by accident or design.

One of mine spent the night in a campfire oce when it was dropped in there accidentally. Discovered it in the morning when i was spreading the ashes out. No ill effects other than the plastic handle having melted away.
:)
J
 
I cut one in two once,very slowly with a hacksaw. Too fast and you get a rather startling burst of sparks and smoke.
 
I've cut them with a hacksaw. Really not that bad. If you go too fast you might get a bit of a spark up but no big deal.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy. LOL

Charles
 
I've drilled dozens of them.

Just go slow. I use a spray bottle and hit the rod and drill bit every few seconds with a squirt just to keep sparking to a minimum and to cool down the drill bit.

If I'm doing several at one time I'll drill them under water. Fill a pie pan or other "dish" with enough water to cover them, put a piece of wood in the bottom so you don't drill through your pan, and go to work.

It'll still spark but the sparks won't fly all over and there'll be fewer of them.

B
 
Loosearrow said:
Have any of you cut down a ferro rod or drilled holes in them. If so, how did you do it. I didn't know if you just snap it like a file in a vise and then shape to fit a project with a file. Maybe slow and easy with a hacksaw. Going Gear sent me 4 3/8 rods and one was longer so I am going to play with it. Thanks. Ever try and throw one into a fire?
Click to expand...

I have cut dozens and dozens of these down and you want to think safety from the git-go. Normally I use an old water-cooled cut-off saw, but usually you will only find one of these in your local machine shop. Other than that, I have cut several down in a 5-gallon water can with a simple hacksaw. These need to be cut *under water* (or close to), BTW. I clean them up on an old belt on my belt sander and it doesn't seem to spark any more than grinding off any other chunk of metal. Plenty of tapping fluid keeps the sparks away on my drill press. :)
 
rocketbomb said:
I've heard ether is an excellent lubricant for cutting ferro rods.
Click to expand...

Great advice, except for the poor fellow who takes it and ends up in the hospital. And don't think for a second that nobody could be that gullible. The legal profession is alive and thriving.
 
I put a flat side on one with a belt sander...neat spark show but I was outside. I had one sort of shatter while drilling a hole.
 
I used a hacksaw slowly and kept the shavings- they worked much better than mag shavings did. I threaded it to put into my Survival staff- too bad I did it crooked and it cracked off the first time I tried to scrape sparks.
 
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