Heatilator tubes?

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Dustin

Dustin

Minister of Fire
Sep 3, 2008
613
Western Oregon
Stove install project coming soon. Lining a masonry chimney with an insulated liner. But, I need to hack the burn tubes and some of the metal firebox out of my late 70's heatliator fireplace to make the liner fit.

At my old house, someone has already done this. So I've never attempted it.

Can this be done with a sawzall? Or should I skip right to the cutting torch?

I'm leery about using the cutting torch inside the house. I would prefer to use the saw, but I'm told by a stove installer friend of mine that a torch is the only way.

Thoughts?
 
I have never seen a heatilator, but I have a hard time imagining part of a metal fireplace that I couldn't cut with my sawzall and a metal blade. :p

Maybe there's some cutting to be done in a very inaccessible area?
 
Dustin said:
I'm leery about using the cutting torch inside the house. I would prefer to use the saw, but I'm told by a stove installer friend of mine that a torch is the only way.
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A sawzall will work just fine. I don't know ehy anyone would ever use a torch you can cut them out in a minute of so each with a sawzall. You may also need to remove some of the box to make room for the liner as well
 
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A cutoff wheel on a grinder worked well for me.
 
Squisher said:
A cutoff wheel on a grinder worked well for me.
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I use a grinder to help cut out the back but for the tubes I found a sawzall with a long blade is quick and easy.
 
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bholler said:
I use a grinder to help cut out the back but for the tubes I found a sawzall with a long blade is quick and easy.
Click to expand...

I know everyone says use good blades for cutting out with the sawzall. Is their a length, brand, or type of blades you've found to be superior?
 
Squisher said:
I know everyone says use good blades for cutting out with the sawzall. Is their a length, brand, or type of blades you've found to be superior?
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Avoid Forney? IDK, but I don't get very good life out of any of there stuff. Dewalt blades seem to work well for me.
 
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Squisher said:
Is their a length, brand, or type of blades you've found to be superior?
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The heavy duty Milwaukee ones work well. But lennox are by far the best I have found. But they coast allot more. As far as length you really need an assortment
 
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rwhite said:
Dewalt blades seem to work well for me.
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Dewalts are ok I will buy them if neither the other 2 I mentioned are not available but I get much more life out of the heavy duty Milwaukee and nothing I have used yet even comes close to lennox.
 
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bholler said:
Dewalts are ok I will buy them if neither the other 2 I mentioned are not available but I get much more life out of the heavy duty Milwaukee and nothing I have used yet even comes close to lennox.
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I probably use my saw 5-10 times a year so I'm not a real good judge. I just know the Forney stuff is almost a one and done crap. I made it 2 ft cutting some expanded metal with their cut off wheels before or chewed it up.
 
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Great info guys. Thanks a lot. I asked because I've used some cheap blades(Canadian tire brand up here) and had come to the conclusion that on metal the sawzall was almost useless.

I'm going to try to source out some Lennox blades.
 
I like Diablos. Just get a fine blade with lots of teeth if you're only cutting metal. Any blade will do more cuts for you if you let it cool down often.

It's also nice to have a long one and a short one onhand. Get a couple extras, especially with long ones.
 
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jetsam said:
I like Diablos. Just get a fine blade with lots of teeth if you're only cutting metal. Any blade will do more cuts for you if you let it cool down often.

It's also nice to have a long one and a short one onhand. Get a couple extras, especially with long ones.
Click to expand...
Yes if we are cutting out a metal firebox we go with about 3 different lengths and about a dozen of each.
 
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