The core ice-cutting kit is a saw with large, coarse teeth, a heavy chisel to score and split along cut lines, an axe for notching and clearing, and tongs or hooks to lift blocks that weigh about 27 kg. Score a grid first, saw three sides of each block, and break the fourth side free by levering it. Tie each tool to its user with a cord, because a tool dropped through a cut hole is gone, and wear spiked footwear on slick ice.
Part of Ice Houses and Cold Storage
Ice-cutting tools are the saws, chisels, axes and lifting hooks that divide a frozen sheet into uniform blocks and move them clear of the water.
Coarse Teeth And A Straight Score Do Most Of The Work
Ice is brittle and hard but not abrasive, so the tools that work best are the ones that bite in large pieces and clear the cut quickly. A saw with fine teeth clogs with ice slush and binds. The score line does the rest: it tells the saw where to go and the ice where to break.
What You Need
- Ice saw — a saw with large, coarse teeth. A sharp crosscut saw works if you keep its teeth clear. See Saw Making for making a blade, and use wide, widely set teeth.
- Ice chisel (spud) — a heavy chisel on a long pole, used to score the grid and to break the ice along the cut lines.
- Axe — for scoring and notching. A sharp axe will score a grid by itself. See Axe and Hatchet.
- Tongs or hooks — to grip and lift blocks without bare hands on wet ice.
- A straight board and a marker — to guide the scoring line.
- Cords and lanyards — one for each tool.
- Spiked boot attachments — for footing on slick ice.
Method: Cut A Block
Step 1: Score the grid. Lay the straight board on the cleared ice and chop a line along it with the chisel or axe. Make the lines 30 cm and 40 cm apart to give the standard block, with the ice thickness as the third dimension.
Step 2: Deepen the lines. Go over each line until it is a groove. The groove steers the saw and keeps it from wandering.
Step 3: Saw three sides. Cut along the scored lines. Keep strokes long and even, and clear the slush from the cut frequently. Cutting three sides of each block leaves the fourth to break.
Step 4: Break the fourth side. Push or lever the block with the chisel. It pops free along the scored line.
Step 5: Lift with the tongs. Grip the block at opposite faces and lift to the ramp or sled. A block of 30 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm weighs about 27 kg, which one person lifts with tongs and two can carry easily.
Step 6: Care for the tools. Dry the saw and keep its teeth set and sharp. Rust and ice both dull it. Hang tools indoors after use.
Common Mistakes
- Fine-toothed saws — they clog and bind. Use coarse teeth.
- Skipping the score — the saw wanders and the block breaks off the line.
- Untied tools — a chisel or saw that falls through the hole is lost.
- Bare hands on wet ice — they stick and freeze. Use tongs and gloves.
- Cutting all four sides — the free block drops, and sinks or jams. Leave the fourth to break.
Safety
Sharp tools, slick footing and open water
A saw stroke on slick ice can pull the user off balance, and the open channel you cut is water that can take you with it. Wear spiked footwear, keep a firm stance, saw away from your legs, and never reach into the channel. Tie tools to your belt, not your wrist, so a dropped tool pulls free instead of dragging you. Cold water disables the hands within minutes, so carry ice picks on a cord and follow the rescue plan in Ice Harvesting.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Transport to Ice House — moving the blocks you have cut
- Combine with: Ice Thickness Requirements — where it is safe to cut