rebar cutting?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folks....I've been several weeks trying to get bids for a 4' X 24' poured concrete pad across the front of my new shop. Until this is poured and the gravel driveway is in....I can't finalize the landscaping and get grass down. SWMBO is putting a lot of pressure to get something done before our families get here to celebrate our grandaughters graduating from HS. One contractor wanted $1000 and the other wanted $2000.......I know I can pour that pad myself for a lot less than that. I haven't priced concrete lately but I'm betting locally it's less than $90/cu yd. I'll get prices today. Question....what do most people use for cutting 1/2" rebar? I want to reinforce the concrete and will need something to cut it to length...........hand grinder? ........do I see a new power tool in this?

[James Mudler]

I always used a torch. You may want to reconsider letting the pros lay your slab. It is a lot of work and expensive if a mistake is made. Just my 2 cents

[Nick Adams]

abrasive cut off saw...can find them for under 100 bucks. Torch works too.

[Mike Leonard]

Ken,

A gas axe is the best method I know of.

[Boyd Gathwright]

Ken,

.... Wait until you find out the price of concrete these days!! And as far as cutting the rebar, the afore mentioned is what I would have suggested also . Check this out for cutting Ref: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=11444

Boyd
.

Folks....I've been several weeks trying to get bids for a 4' X 24' poured concrete pad across the front of my new shop. Until this is poured and the gravel driveway is in....I can't finalize the landscaping and get grass down. SWMBO is putting a lot of pressure to get something done before our families get here to celebrate our grandaughters graduating from HS. One contractor wanted $1000 and the other wanted $2000.......I know I can pour that pad myself for a lot less than that. I haven't priced concrete lately but I'm betting locally it's less than $90/cu yd. I'll get prices today. Question....what do most people use for cutting 1/2" rebar? I want to reinforce the concrete and will need something to cut it to length...........hand grinder? ........do I see a new power tool in this?

[Tim Sproul]

Get a 7 inch abrasive wheel for your hand held circular saw. I wouldn't go using a Festool for this application ....a saw more dedicated for construction work is called for.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I have always used a Big bolt cutter. It really does work great. It is about the biggest bolt cutter I have seen, but it works great. Once we were at menard's buying rebar and we were going to get 10 foot peices (as long as we could haul). They were like 75% of the price of 20 foot peices. So we went and found the biggest bolt cutter there we could find and bought 1/2 as many 20 foot peices. Came out ahead by about 20 bucks

Good luck!

[Mac McAtee]

My father built houses for 50 years and never cut re-bar with anything but a hacksaw.

The metal is rather soft and cuts very easy. To cut re-bar with a hack saw there is a special technique or trick. If you look a a piece, you will see there is two ribs that run length ways on the stick of re-bar.

Turn one of those ribs up, start your cut with the hacksaw on the rib and cut about 2/3rds of the way through. Then bend the bar at that cut and it will break right off. It takes about 15 seconds to make a cut and break it off.

It would take longer to make a cut with any power tool you have named so far. The other option is a good pair of bolt cutters, for 1/2" bar you want a minimum of 3' handles. But a hacksaw is about as fast and way cheaper. Just have a half dozen blades and change blades when you see the teeth starting to get shinny.

Tink would lay the re-bar in the foundation, go to where a cut was needed, pick it up, hold it on his knee, saw and snap it off. No measuring needed, cut it in place and move on to the next piece.

[Mac McAtee]

And by the way. For a 4' X 24' pad you wouldn't use re-bar anyway, unless you are pouring a footer around the perimeter. Get a length of 6" square reinforcing mesh. It comes 4' wide, for a 4' pad you would want to cut one row of squares off so the wire isn't exposed along the edge of the pad. You'll find that in the same area that you'll find the re-bar in the store and it is made for pads or floors. Re-bar is only needed in a footer.

[Alan Mikkelsen]

Ditto what Mac says about the mesh. Pouring concrete is not rocket science, but I think your estimate of price is a bit low, at least around here. BTW, Ken, I might be getting to know the Lewiston area a bit better this year. Our son-in-law just accepted a job in Lewiston and will be moving there mid summer. I hope to get to know the Clearwater and do some fishing!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Alan....if you're a flyfisherman and can handle catch and release....try fishing the Lochsa River starting at the base of Lolo Pass. The native western cutthroat can be a lot of fun on that river......Single barbless hook, catch and release only. A couple of retired marine friends of mine often have 50 fish days and most are over 16".

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mac.......yes I'll use the 6" mesh in the body. I am also going to put some crubs/edging along the driveway and want to reinforce it with rebar.


I just priced concrete.....6 sack mix....$85.60/cu yd...delivered....3 yd minimum or $65 short load fee.

[Steve Stube]

Ken you may want some rebar to hold/tie the new pour to your garage floor but no more than that on only a 4' wide pour with compacted sand below. Drill and insert the rebar horizontal between the new and not so new pours at maybe 4' centers. 1 cu. yd. = 81 sq. ft. @ 4" thickness so you don't need a lot. There is a premium for less than 4 yds. here, last I knew it was $30.00 per yd. extra on top of $95. per yd. If you insist on reinforcing the 6" X 6" mesh would be the ticket and you may be able to get 24' piece form your ready-mix co., otherwise it comes in 4' X 50' rolls. The advice to keep it back from the edge is correct. I bend the first row over but not tight so that it provides a foot to insure the wire is up in the concrete. Use a hook or hoe to pull the wire up on the rest. Screeting to an already existing wall is extra work (young mans work) and taping some poly up to protect your new shop from any splashing might be worthwhile also. Have fun.

[Scott Banbury]

Ken,

If you already have an angle grinder, Harbor Freight has an inexpensive jig that converts it to a mini chopsaw. They were on sale last week so I got one and it works alright on small angle. I believe it would be perfect for rebar.

Scott

[John Shuk]

Hacksaw 3/4 through and bend. You will then have 2 pieces. You could get a cheapie grinder if you like but the hacksaw is quik and cheap.