Removing a Bathtub

[JB412]

I'm not sure this is the right forum to ask this question, but I'll give it a shot and see. I am removing a steel bathtub. To do this, I'm cutting the tub in half so that it's manageable. I've used my sawzall to cut it on the front side and the back side and am left with a cut to be made across the bottom of the tub. My issue is that the subfloor is under the entire tub except for the front where there it is cutout for the drain plumbing. Is it ok to use an angle grinder to make my last cut across the tub bottom or would it cause too high of a risk for fire with all the hot metal sparks flying?

 

[Jimbo]

Although messy, the risk of fire from an angle grinder is low. There will be some nasty chips from the enamel, so wear very good eye protection.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Seaofnames]

Keep a bucket of water or an ABC fire extinguisher around. Wear DOUBLE eye protection(safety glasses and a face shield). Wear long sleeve shirt and button up your neck/wrists as much as possible.

If that zip disk(3/64" thick) is a shitty one(walters are what we use boilermaking....awesome stuff), the shitty ones tend to break easily sending parts of the disk everywhere at 10,000RPM or so. That is why you wear the face shield so your face/neck isnt cut to shreds.

 

[NHmaster]

I can give a mosquito a vasectomy with a sawzall. The subfloor should be no problem.

 

[hj]

tub

I can usually remove a steek tub in a lot less time than it would take to cut it in two. You DO NOT know what is under the tub, so sparks could cause a fire. If you intend to persist in cutting it in two use a sawzall, or buy the "Dual Saw" advertised on TV which is like a grinder but cuts metal without sparks

 

[JB412]

Thanks for all of the advice. I ended up cutting across the bottom with an abrasive blade on my my circ saw and finishing the last couple of inches with the sawzall. I need more practice with the angle grinder before feeling comfortable with it.

 

[hj]

house

I assume the house is still standing, so you must not have set fire to it.