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Unread 12/30/2009, 11:57 PM   #1
salt lick
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Help do I saw giant Hammer coral

I have a mixed reef with a huge hammer that is now about 16 x 16 x 16 inches
Its stinging everything else and needs to be fragged

what do I cut it with?


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Unread 12/31/2009, 12:06 AM   #2
egos4life
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id say use a diamond band or a dremel anyhow your in tehachapi id love a nice sized mini colony if you give me a good price I am in bakersfield and my aunt lives in tehachapi lmk


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Unread 12/31/2009, 03:27 AM   #3
Catastrophi
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Diamond bandsaw would be ideal, but a lot of people may not have a bandsaw.

A dremel is a cheaper alternative. Just be quick and carefule with it.


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Unread 12/31/2009, 05:45 AM   #4
paullisa51708
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a little hobby band saw from harbour freight


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Unread 12/31/2009, 05:54 AM   #5
bekindtoyurbuds
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most corals like hammers or torch corals and frogspawn can be cut with a dremmel, but if you don't have the option of taking it out of the tank, just use some needle nose plyers, or if cutting a wider branch, use sheet metal sheers. It cuts through the stalk of the coral like nothing, (the stalks remind me of candy canes (the way it breaks), they break into shards when pressure from all sides is applied, leaving a clean but broken cut)


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Unread 12/31/2009, 08:17 AM   #6
BigandUgly
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I use a hammer and chisel or a large pair of side cutters. Many times you can split them with your hands alone.


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Unread 12/31/2009, 05:07 PM   #7
salt lick
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Thanks for all the responses. But except for the hammer and chisel suggestion from BigandUgly; the other suggestions wont work. The coral is bigger than the throat of most full size bandsaws. Most of the skeleton is thicker than my fist. Its a meandroid not a branching hammer. the coral probably weighs 30+ lbs. and wont fit in a cooler, probably will fit in 44 gal trash can. I like the band saw idea, but don't like the idea of dry cutting. I have access to large industrial bandsaw at work, some with diamond blades for cutting carbon. I'm concerned about infection and tearing. I guess a chisel first and then perhaps a wet saw (what about tile saws?).


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Unread 12/31/2009, 05:09 PM   #8
salt lick
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Egos4life; Of course if I frag it, I would like to find good foster parents locally


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Unread 12/31/2009, 07:51 PM   #9
bekindtoyurbuds
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lol, "The coral is bigger than the throat of most full size bandsaws. Most of the skeleton is thicker than my fist. Its a meandroid not a branching hammer"

This info may have been helpful at the begining of the post

goodluck finding something that will work


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Unread 01/01/2010, 01:57 PM   #10
1DeR9_3Hy
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I say break off as many 1-4 head frags as you can until you get to a point where its manageable again. Use bone shears as far down the skeleton as possible, and snip....


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Unread 01/01/2010, 02:04 PM   #11
robvdv
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I've used side cutters to bite through wide corals before. The branch typically splinters off at some point. It's messy, but easier/cheaper than a bandsaw or other options. You can also do it in situ. Use silicone spray for rust prevention.


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Unread 01/02/2010, 01:16 PM   #12
salt lick
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pictures of big hammer



night shot (2 years ago)





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Unread 01/02/2010, 01:36 PM   #13
robvdv
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Great looking hammer! I see what you mean, it's a flabello-meandroid form, so that makes things a lot more tricky. You'll likely have to cut through some of the flesh to separate the colony into small enough pieces. This can leave the the frags open to difficult to treat infections (I really struggled to treat mine, anyway). Ideally try and cut it only when it's very healthy and then leave it in the tank for a good while after until it's properly healed.

At that size, maybe garden shears or loppers would work inside the tank. If you can get it out, an angle grinder, ideally with a smooth diamond blade would make short work of it.


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Unread 01/03/2010, 05:44 PM   #14
whatcaneyedo
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Cut the living tissue with a scalpel or razor blade where you want to break the skeleton so that you minimize the amount of damage/tearing you do to the living tissue. Then wedge a sharp chisel into the cut and give it a couple whacks with a mallet. The skeleton is probably relatively porous so the chisel should cut/separate it relatively easy. You could bust large sections apart like that and then use a wet tile saw or diamond bandsaw for finer more controlled cuts. If you dont own a diamond bandsaw you should be able to easily afford one with the money you could make off of selling colony size 'frags' of that beautiful hammer.


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Unread 01/04/2010, 08:13 PM   #15
salt lick
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Thanks for the advice and support
Sorry, I should have provided more info up front.


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Unread 01/05/2010, 02:26 AM   #16
richpoolboy
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wow that thing is amazing!!


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Unread 01/08/2010, 05:24 PM   #17
Daemonfly
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I've found round diamond-coated "blades" that fit into hacksaws and have used them just fine when cutting large corals and rock. Pretty sure I picked it up at Home Depot or Lowes. From the look of your coral closed up, it should be able to fit in and be able to cut many sections.



Example I found from a quick search http://www.garrettwade.com/product.a...cd2=1262993128


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Unread 01/10/2010, 08:43 AM   #18
salt lick
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thanks all for the suggestions


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Unread 01/10/2010, 09:42 AM   #19
Snafu-2112
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I had gone to a meeting and Borneman suggested that when fragging wall-type hammers that you first use one of those thick (broad) rubber bands over the the part you want to frag off first. He said to leave it in place over the area you are going to cut for about a week. This will kill the coral tissue there, and reduces the risk of infection of this more delicate form of hammer. It then starts to heal along the margin of the rubber band. You then cut the skeleton right where the rubber band was.

Awesome specimen, by the way.


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Unread 01/10/2010, 11:55 PM   #20
Mikey912
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if you do frag it, i would be interested in a piece.


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Unread 01/11/2010, 07:33 AM   #21
Pinkskunk
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that is one of the best method suggested thus far.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snafu-2112 View Post
I had gone to a meeting and Borneman suggested that when fragging wall-type hammers that you first use one of those thick (broad) rubber bands over the the part you want to frag off first. He said to leave it in place over the area you are going to cut for about a week. This will kill the coral tissue there, and reduces the risk of infection of this more delicate form of hammer. It then starts to heal along the margin of the rubber band. You then cut the skeleton right where the rubber band was.

Awesome specimen, by the way.



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Unread 01/11/2010, 04:37 PM   #22
Butterz
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Fragging hammers like removing pig tails.... What ever works in this hobby.


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Unread 01/11/2010, 05:08 PM   #23
jvalentine
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thats an amazing hammer


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Unread 01/12/2010, 02:16 PM   #24
chefmike
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The rubber band idea makes the most sense to me...euphyllia are especially prone to infections and just cutting the live tissue seems really risky to me.


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Unread 01/14/2010, 10:52 PM   #25
whatcaneyedo
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I havent had any problems with corals becoming infected from cutting. I have lost a coral or two plus some frags to smothering though. Let us know what you try and how it works out.


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Current Tank Info: 225gal mixed predatory reef
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