Bust up a cast iron bathtub

[Pete C.]

This *plus* ear plugs and muffs. Smashing thin cast iron is *loud*.

[Joe]

Use a real right angle grinder with an abrasive metal cutting blade. Did that a while back to remove a bunch of old cast iron sewer pipe with my tool of choice, a Bosch 9" body grinder. The blade went through the cast iron like butter, and after a partial cut half way through, the sledge (5#) did the rest. Rent the better tool if you don't own one. It should be much safer to use.

Joe

[Vic Smith]

the tub, so I guess it's in there permanently...

swing a hammer AT ALL. All you need is a couple half-assed hits, and the tub will shatter like a pickle jar.

Wrong tool. A pry bar splits sill easily. Even a chisel and an itty bitty 2lb hammer will do it. A sledge might not be the best tool for cast iron tubs either. The tub might be worth some money.

[clare]

the tub, so I guess it's in there permanently...

swing a hammer AT ALL. All you need is a couple half-assed hits, and the tub will shatter like a pickle jar.

If it is a claw foot it can be worth a prtetty good amount. MOST cast iron "built in" tubs are worth a couple bucks as scrap.

[DerbyDad03]

ving the tub, so I guess it's in there permanently...

't swing a hammer AT ALL. All you need is a couple half-assed hits, and the= tub will shatter like a pickle jar.

Well, where there was room to swing, the sledge worked with one hit to remove the sill.

The point of my post was that there is not always room to swing a sledge.

Perhaps some cast iron tubs are harder than others, but I recall trying to break up weird cast iron corner shower stall base with a friend. It took considerable effort. On the sides where there was not sufficient room to swing - like on the side facing the toilet - we had a very hard time figuring out an angle that gave us enough force. We bascially had to nipple away at already broken edges.

[Stormin Mormon]

Build up: to make larger, and bigger. Bust down: To make smaller.

If we're busting up a tub, are we making it bigger or smaller?

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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[DerbyDad03]

Before I started, I had 1 piece of cast iron.

Then I hit it with a sledge hammer and the number of pieces went up.

Therefore, I had busted it up.

[Vic Smith]

I never did it. All I can go by is by Youtube vids. Doesn't look as easy as some make it out to be. They all look like a big mess, and more swinging into small pieces as happened to you. Some of those guys in the Youtube vids shouldn't be swinging a sledge. But seems it's the preferred way for contractors who do a lot of them. I think I'd try cutting through most of it down the middle, then see if a pry bar and wedges (notice I like pry bars) could snap it into 2 pieces. Of course if I had any problem making cuts, or snapping it, or got impatient in any way, I'd just pull out the sledge and have it. We do know that works.