Are you looking for ways to cut through your BX cable, and that too with the help of a hack saw? Well, you have come to the right place!
Here I will be telling you everything that you need to know about BX cables and how you can succeed in cutting them.
I will give you a thorough step-by-step guide along with a small FAQ section and a little background on what BX cable is, in case you have no clue.
So brace yourself for all that is about to come, and let’s go!
What is a BX Cable? (BX Cable Development and History)
BX is one of the earliest types of electrical cable developments that are now being used in both homes and offices.
If you are someone who loves doing electrical projects, then you have probably heard a lot about the BX cables and if not, then let me tell you.
BX cable is a collection of wires that are plastic coated and are insulated; these wires go by a lot of names like metallic sheathed cable, type MC, AC, Greenfield, or armored cable.
Coming in bundled, these wires are protected by a metal sheathing that comes in a ribbon-like shape. The BX sheathing of these wires is twisted all around them.
BX is now contrasted with a newer cable, called NM which is known as nonmetallic. So, in NM, instead of metal sheathing, it is covered with vinyl which is easier to rip and cut or pull through.
There are many types of BX cables that have the ability to be installed outdoors or in other open locations.
Pros and Cons of a BX Cable
Whenever you find yourself buying a tool, especially the kind of tool that will be installed in your home or office and will be running for you for a long time, you should always double-check on the pros and cons, just to make sure it is really beneficial for you.
Another thing is that while going through the pros and cons of a tool or a product, you really start to understand which of the features in a tool are beneficial for you and which features you can compromise on.
So here’s a list of the pros and cons of a BX cable
Pros
- BX Cable is one of the safest cables that you can ever come across.
- It is trusted worldwide.
- It has metal armor that protects it well from accidental penetrations.
- It is accepted by the NEC (national electrical code)
Cons
- BX cable is very difficult to cut or rip through without a special tool (e.g.) a hacksaw.
- It is also very heavy and not easy to pull through at all.
- BX cable is very expensive.
- Not all types of BX cables are for outdoor use.
How to cut BX Cable with a Hacksaw
Just like I already said before, BX cables are heavily protected with a metal sheathing and are very hard to cut through, which is why cutting through a BX cable is not only a very time taking project but it also requires a special tool to do this job.
This special tool is known as a hacksaw. If you own hacksaws, then you just have t learn a few tricks, and then you can easily cut through your BX cable, and if you don’t own a hacksaw, then I’m afraid you have to go out and get yourself one if you want to cut your BX cable.
Once you have a hacksaw in your hands, cutting through a BX cable will be super easy, and you will be done with this job in just a few minutes, but only if you properly follow through with all the steps that I have given below.
So let’s get to work by carefully going through the step-by-step guide!
Step by Step Guide
Prepare your tools
Preparing your tools before you start a project, even if it is as little as cutting a BX cable.
If you plan it all ahead and get your tools ready before starting, you will save a lot of time and get your job done quickly. So make sure you prepare
- A hacksaw
- The BX cable that you will be working on
- Safety gloves
- Safety glasses
(Note: if you can seem to find a hacksaw or if you don’t own one and don’t have the time to go out and buy one, then you can use an armored cable cutter, it won’t work as fine as the hacksaw, but it will get your job done just okay.)
Hold your cable and saw
Once you have all the things that you need ready and laid out in front of you, it’s finally time to start working!
What you have to do is to hold the cable that you will be cutting firmly in your hand and then proceed to hold the hacksaw in your other hand.
Hold your hacksaw and your cable in such a way so the blade of the hacksaw is almost at a 90-degree angle from the cable.
Saw the cable
Before you go all-in with this step, make sure you have your safety glasses and gloves on, better safe than sorry, right!
Once you have your protective gear on, you can now start sawing through your BX cable with the help of your hacksaw.
Note that you have to cut your BX cable in a spiral way and not in a straight cut since you don’t want to damage the wires that are bundled inside your BX cable.
Once you have cut all the way through your armor, you can then stop sawing, and you are all done!