Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi! I have very little knowledge about metal cutting and would like to throw out a question for the experts... I need to determine the most effective way to cut eight 5/8" diameter bolts from the base of a fire hydrant body where it meets the breakaway flange. I will need to repeat this hundreds of times. I've used thin 5.25" cutting discs with success in the past however I'm looking for other/quicker alternatives. I have the option to cut bolt heads off, cut the nut off or in between the flanges. I will attempt to attach a couple pics of the typical scenarios. I'm curious about whether plasma cutting would work well in this case. Thanks for your input!

mdlak wrote:Hi! I have very little knowledge about metal cutting and would like to throw out a question for the experts... I need to determine the most effective way to cut eight 5/8" diameter bolts from the base of a fire hydrant body where it meets the breakaway flange. I will need to repeat this hundreds of times. I've used thin 5.25" cutting discs with success in the past however I'm looking for other/quicker alternatives. I have the option to cut bolt heads off, cut the nut off or in between the flanges. I will attempt to attach a couple pics of the typical scenarios. I'm curious about whether plasma cutting would work well in this case. Thanks for your input!

I typically use a power wrench note 1" will brake the bolt if rusted in place

Dave

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mdlak wrote:Hi! I have very little knowledge about metal cutting and would like to throw out a question for the experts... I need to determine the most effective way to cut eight 5/8" diameter bolts from the base of a fire hydrant body where it meets the breakaway flange. I will need to repeat this hundreds of times. I've used thin 5.25" cutting discs with success in the past however I'm looking for other/quicker alternatives. I have the option to cut bolt heads off, cut the nut off or in between the flanges. I will attempt to attach a couple pics of the typical scenarios. I'm curious about whether plasma cutting would work well in this case. Thanks for your input!

I typically use a power wrench note 1" will brake the bolt if rusted in place

Dave

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have you tried heating them up with a torch?
then cool them down and use a rattle gun to undo them.

Just blow the heads off with an oxy acetylene setup.

Poland308 wrote:Just blow the heads off with an oxy acetylene setup.

I agree blue tip wrench !

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Poland308 wrote:Just blow the heads off with an oxy acetylene setup.

I agree blue tip wrench !

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I agree, Oxy fuel would be fastest, maybe 10 seconds per bolt tops. Plasma cutter isn’t as easily portable in my opinion, and for 5/8 thick steel it might struggle whereas the oxy fuel wouldn’t hesitate. I’d chose oxy hands down.

Heating them up and unbolting them would work but you would use a lot of gas. I would go with as already suggested cutting with the gas axe. I can offer one more suggestion get yourself a rivet cutting tip for your torch, it will allow you the get more of a flush cut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5O8KA9YnRM

Don't you think someone will notice if all the fire hydrants in town are suddenly gone? I'm sure the fire department would have a thing or two to say about it.

Nothing from the OP in nearly a week. What's the reason for removing fire hydrants, i wonder?

Artie F. Emm wrote:Don't you think someone will notice if all the fire hydrants in town are suddenly gone? I'm sure the fire department would have a thing or two to say about it.

Nothing from the OP in nearly a week. What's the reason for removing fire hydrants, i wonder?

it will be an upgrade of some kind. possible putting them underground. not sure why they are above ground like that, they are exposed to being hit.
its not like they can steal the fire hydrants with out turning off the water first.

tweake wrote:

Artie F. Emm wrote:Don't you think someone will notice if all the fire hydrants in town are suddenly gone? I'm sure the fire department would have a thing or two to say about it.

Nothing from the OP in nearly a week. What's the reason for removing fire hydrants, i wonder?

it will be an upgrade of some kind. possible putting them underground. not sure why they are above ground like that, they are exposed to being hit.
its not like they can steal the fire hydrants with out turning off the water first.

I’m no plumber but I’m pretty sure you can take them off without turning off the water main. The water valve is actually underground I’ve heard, with a shaft running up to turn it on. Otherwise they’d freeze and bust in the winter. So hitting them with ur truck above ground won’t give you a fountain of water like in the movies. That’s just what I heard and it makes sense I’d say.. how they’d drain them after use so they don’t freeze I don’t know..

They do have shut offs. But the internal valve is usually close enough to ground level that they don’t freeze.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts!
The idea for these hydrants is to remove older fire hydrant bodies that have only 2 side ports and replace them with 3 port hydrant bodies. The third port is larger and has a quick connection fitting called a Storz port. Local fire department has requested that we attempt to transition to 3 port hydrants. Our plan is to reuse/recycle 3 port hydrant bodies whenever possible and when the 2 port hydrants are otherwise in good condition underground.