Just want to hear Opinions on forcing entry on roll down gates. More specifically, roll down gates with hockey puck style locks encased with steel.......
They suck.....plain and simple....ram tools will work but I find great satisfaction in using a K-12 type of saw.....a heck of a lot quicker...Stay safe........Paul
OOPS.....sorry.....guess explosives are out of the question then.....??? LOL On a serious notes...I find that a haligan bar and a good 8 lb sledge hammer with 2 people that know how to handle them will break it.....or a small cutting torch...they make a very nice, small portible unit now.....Paul
For entry use the following:
Cut the American Series 2000 lock (hockey puck) with a K12 abbrasive blade right on the 2000. Once you get through the outer shell you should see sparks when cutting the locking pins. If you don't see sparks your in the wrong place.
Triangle cuts or door style cuts also work well for entry
It it is a door that has slats simply cut a stright line close to the side of the door then use your halligan's pick end slam it in to the metal and pull the slats out. Once you do this the rest fall out.
For hose lines:
Inverted triangle or the slat method. Both give you a good opening for you portable master stream or 2 1/2.
And another question is there ever a time where a triangle cut can be to wide where it would not be safe structurally?
The beauty of a triangle cut is that it does equal the forces and is structurally safe. This is why you see triangles used in all types of construction today. With a inverted "V" cut, you shouldn't have to worry about the door falling down or anything like that.
The "West Coast" cut, also called the "Inverted L" cut is a better cut than the triangle/inverted V cut if you need to actually enter the occupancy. Essentially, you're cutting a hinged door in the roll-down door.
We use a New York roof hook instead of a Halligan to open the inverted L - it gives you more reach and better control of the flap.