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from the if-you-build-it-they-will-come...and-cut-through-it dept.
Smugglers have found an easy way to get through the vertical steel tube Mexican border wall. From https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/smugglers-are-sawing-through-new-sections-of-trumps-border-wall/2019/11/01/25bf8ce0-fa72-11e9-ac8c-8eced29ca6ef_story.html
The breaches have been made using a popular cordless household tool known as a reciprocating saw that retails at hardware stores for as little as $100. When fitted with specialized blades, the saws can slice through one of the barrier's steel-and-concrete bollards in minutes, according to the agents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the barrier-defeating techniques.
After cutting through the base of a single bollard, smugglers can push the steel out of the way, creating an adult-size gap. Because the bollards are so tall — and are attached only to a panel at the top — their length makes them easier to push aside once they have been cut and are left dangling, according to engineers consulted by The Washington Post.
The taxpayer-funded barrier — so far coming with a $10 billion price tag — was a central theme of Trump's 2016 campaign, and he has made the project a physical symbol of his presidency, touting its construction progress in speeches, ads and tweets. Trump has increasingly boasted to crowds in recent weeks about the superlative properties of the barrier, calling it "virtually impenetrable" and likening the structure to a "Rolls-Royce" that border crossers cannot get over, under or through.
In other words, no one did any serious pen testing on the wall design, or it would have been obvious that with all that leverage, the top tie-in was easy to flex.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday November 04 2019, @08:34PM (6 children)
Yeah, I was getting my sawzall on just this morning in fact (chopping out the old freon lines for scrap since the indoor unit is being relocated) but I know better than to ask it to cut up the concrete and rebar slab where the baptismal used to be. For that we got a good, corded circle saw, some masonry blades, and use the generator. The generator has a huge fucking logging chain tying it to the front porch because them things are damned heavy to be wagging inside and out every day if you want one that can put out a useful amount of power.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 05 2019, @05:03PM (1 child)
Cracks me up how often you bring up your church remodel, virtue signal much?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday November 07 2019, @10:29PM
All I'm doing lately aside from fishing when I can steal the time, so it's kind of on my mind.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday November 05 2019, @08:25PM (3 children)
I assume it is a very old building? You may run into black iron pipe. That shit is tough!
If you find yourself doing any of the 4" to 5" drain plumbing and don't have a ratcheting chain cutter or possibly not the space to use it (a situation I came across a couple of times) I have found these to work very well, they take about an hour and you want to cool the blade but the Milwaukee blades tend to be a bit thicker and less 'jumpy.' Won't work on concrete like some others but are great for that old black pipe when room is at a premium and the chain ratchet won't fit.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-9-in-Diamond-Grit-Torch-Sawzall-Reciprocating-Saw-Blade-48-00-1450/202256180 [homedepot.com]
The last place I did had a 3" root going from a breach in the basement to the second floor where a small tree was growing out of the toilet. Wish I still had the photos. The root did plug up the blade a bit and I ended up using two (I was able to clean them later, but it was quicker to just change at the time) but damn, what a sight to see, roots embedded in the basements dirt floor out of the break and a tree in the loo. From the stub we replaced it with modern ABS pipe. Don't use that 'flexible' ribbed shit, shit tends to collect on the ribs especially at a bend and it clogs up like an artery fed a steady diet of McDonalds......(:
From one handyman to another.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday November 07 2019, @10:35PM (2 children)
S'what we have for sewer lines, yep. Some bits are going away on account of being unnecessary (don't need three toilets and a urinal in the laundry room) and any we have to tear up and replace will be 4" PVC. Not that I'm going to do it. I had quite enough of playing with sewer lines when I was a plumber. I'm going to contribute to the economy for that particular task.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Friday November 08 2019, @01:00AM (1 child)
I'd happily be that contribution, I just don't think you want to pay for my approximately 2300 mile one way trip to assist. :D
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday November 08 2019, @11:36PM
They shouldn't need to go to extreme, tight-quarters measures. It's all in the big middle of what will be a laundry room/bathroom and they can saw up six feet of concrete on either side of the line for all I care.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.