Forums DIY and Mods Cast removal Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)Author Posts February 6, 2014 at 3:13 pm #579634 Matt Wood 328 PostsSomehow I have avoided getting casted for 40 years but I broke my arm and it was unavoidable this time. Now this slightly stinky hot pink cast needs to go. Insurance doesn’t cover shit so the Yankee in me thinks I should save some coin and do it myself.Anyone with experience in DIY cast removal?It’s the fiberglass type with goretex liner. February 6, 2014 at 3:16 pm #675067 powhound84 92 PostsGrab the hack saw and be careful not to cut too deep lol. It’s really not complicated. Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn. Venture Odin Split 164 Spark R&D Arc Spark R&D Ibex CSD Simple SkinsNever Summer Raptor Solid 159 Burton Cartel February 6, 2014 at 3:38 pm #675068 HikeforTurns 1114 PostsDremel? February 6, 2014 at 3:50 pm #675069 Matt Wood 328 Posts^ That’s what I was thinking. Currently in a heated debate with wife about the procedure. February 6, 2014 at 4:14 pm #675070 powhound84 92 PostsI would avoid power tools considering how close you will be getting to your skin. Seriously, I know plenty of people who have cut casts off with a hack saw. Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn. Venture Odin Split 164 Spark R&D Arc Spark R&D Ibex CSD Simple SkinsNever Summer Raptor Solid 159 Burton Cartel February 6, 2014 at 4:37 pm #675071 HansGLudwig 601 Posts @powhound84 wrote:I would avoid power tools considering how close you will be getting to your skin. Seriously, I know plenty of people who have cut casts off with a hack saw. ^ x2The saws doctors have don’t spin like a circular saw or dremel. They rotate back and fourth so as not to tear skin—kind of like a power sander with an edge. . . and round. You see it when the cast-dust spits out both sides of the incision.What’s that joke about the stages of a dremel owners life? 1. Constantly thinks, “If I only had a dremel, I could…” 2. Runs into a task for which a dremel is necessary to completion. 3. Finally buys the tool and gets the job done in like ten minutes. 4. Spends the rest of his life thinking up reasons to break out the dremel. “I could dremel this. I could dremel that.”Be sure to bookmark Splitboard.com's Recent Activity page... http://splitboard.com/activity-2/ February 6, 2014 at 4:54 pm #675072 rughty 620 PostsSlide a sheet of aluminum or better yet stainless steel between your skin and the cast and dremel it. they even have circular saw blades for dremels. The cast the Dr removed from my leg was an oversized dremel. The kind that Hannibal lecter used to saw through that guys skull. February 6, 2014 at 4:58 pm #675073 powhound84 92 Posts @rughty wrote:Slide a sheet of aluminum or better yet stainless steel between your skin and the cast and dremel it. they even have circular saw blades for dremels. The cast the Dr removed from my leg was an oversized dremel. The kind that Hannibal lecter used to saw through that guys skull.Also a solid idea. However, with the time you spend trying to find a thin sheet of metal to fit well inside your cast, you could have just hacked it off carefully with a hand saw. Why do people, myself included, love to over-complicate things? 🙂 Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn. Venture Odin Split 164 Spark R&D Arc Spark R&D Ibex CSD Simple SkinsNever Summer Raptor Solid 159 Burton Cartel February 6, 2014 at 5:21 pm #675074 PedroDelfuego 758 PostsCouldn’t you soak it, get real soggy and pull it apart? This thread is awesome, real man shit here! John Wayne would be proud… February 7, 2014 at 12:42 am #675075 rughty 620 Posts @PedroDelfuego wrote:Couldn’t you soak it, get real soggy and pull it apart? This thread is awesome, real man shit here! John Wayne would be proud…that was my next thought, but I already logged off! :thumpsup: February 7, 2014 at 1:22 am #675076 spicoli11 288 PostsI had a friend cut mine off my arm with tin snips…worked great February 7, 2014 at 2:14 am #675077 Tophervw 203 PostsFien tool….’should do the job, perhaps just swing by the local orange box home imp. store and see if you can “sample” one.. February 7, 2014 at 3:06 am #675078 snowsnowsnow 54 Posts @Tophervw wrote:Fien tool….’should do the job, perhaps just swing by the local orange box home imp. store and see if you can “sample” one..This is spot on, an oscillating tool is exactly what you want. February 7, 2014 at 4:49 am #675079 iriecoyote 291 PostsI used to use Fein oscillating tools with fiberglass boats. You can cut through the glass but it won’t cut your skin. Here’s a cheap version that would work for your application, http://www.harborfreight.com/oscillating-multifunction-power-tool-68861-8493.html along with this blade, http://www.harborfreight.com/3-18-in-multi-tool-half-moon-blade-68914.html. February 7, 2014 at 6:24 am #675080 HansGLudwig 601 Posts^Now we’re talkin’! :thatrocks:Be sure to bookmark Splitboard.com's Recent Activity page... http://splitboard.com/activity-2/ February 8, 2014 at 12:45 pm #675081 Matt Wood 328 PostsDone and done! I slipped an aluminum framing square underneath the cast and had at it with a dremel tool. It was way harder than I had anticipated. I almost had to recruit a neighbor for the assist! had to shovel out my tool trailer to fetch some tin snips to finish it off.Freedom! :bananas:Ace and tape for a while but at least now I can chose appropriate handware! February 11, 2014 at 4:06 pm #675082 rughty 620 PostsGood work! My paramedic wife said a pair of $10 medical shears would’ve done it too and then threatened me if I should get any brilliant ideas if I was in the same situation. 😆 February 11, 2014 at 5:11 pm #675083 wjb 163 PostsChainsaw haha. Glad you got it off without another trip to the hospital. For any future casts. I bought this during a home remodeling project and it is the best tool I have ever bought.http://toolguyd.com/dewalt-oscillating-multi-tool/ Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
