Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 64 total)
  • steerer shortening – pipe cutter ?
  • iainc
    Full Member

    does a decent pipe cutter (which I have), do the job as well as the specified tool (which I don’t yet have ) ?

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Hacksaw works for me. An old stem will do as a guide.

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    Pipe cutter works well for me. You have to file the cut ends a bit to make sure there’s no lip.

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    trail_rat
    Free Member

    hacksaw does a better job imho assuming your not a ham fisted oaf who cant cut straight

    The pipe cutter leaves a sharp crimped edge as it cuts which i dislike.

    and doing it right means a good bit of work involved with the file tidying up after to remove the sharps.

    Hacksaw with a square cut just needs the edge dressing lightly with a half round to put a nice guiding chamfer inside and out.

    Minor details but details non the less.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Yes and no.

    Works ok on steel but the blade doesn’t actually cut, it deforms it, so with thicker alu you end up with a lip you have to then file off.

    Nowadays I use the pipe cutter to mark it, then follow round with a hacksaw blade on the surface – i.e. deepening the mark into a groove all the way round, not simply sawing through it from one side. You can either start sawing when the groove is deep enough, or just keep going until the bit falls off, which is what I did with my carbon fork.

    Despite Trail Rat’s mega skillz willy waving, I wouldn’t risk sawing straight through. Very easy to bugger up an expensive component for the sake of 5 mins effort.

    YoKaiser
    Free Member

    It does cut it but will flare the end of the tube over somewhat. Also if it’s a plumbers pipecutter the cutting wheel might not last too long(I use one for cutting stainless). What you can do is run your pipecutter round a few times and then cut with a hacksaw. The cutter will provide a very good cutting guide.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    Carbon steerer?

    iainc
    Full Member

    alloy steerer – liking the idea of pipecutter to get groove and then hacksaw. Will pop in a vice after measuring 3 or 4 times 🙂

    Speshpaul
    Full Member

    what you can get with a pipe cutter is a flairing of the end of the tube. Making it tight to get a stem on.

    I normally tape all the way round the tube. Then use a hack saw, but only cut the edge of the steerer nearest you. Cut a bit then rotate.
    Don’t try and cut the two sides of the steerer at the same time.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    When measuring the length, either use a previous fork or make damn sure that the headset is fully tight and all the bits are on before you mark….

    iainc
    Full Member

    ^^^^ yes, will be using old fork as a guide this time, limiting risk of arsing it up … 🙂

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    “Despite Trail Rat’s mega skillz willy waving, I wouldn’t risk sawing straight through. Very easy to bugger up an expensive component for the sake of 5 mins effort.”

    assuming you have measured and marked – then measured to confirm – then measured a third time . bugger it up how exactly ? if its too short its too short regardless of what its cut with its hard to see how else you can bugger up the component without beating it to death with the hacksaw instead of cutting it .

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    It doesn’t even have to be millimetre precision. The cut edge of the steerer is only used for preloading the headset bearings and unless you are a complete oaf, you should be able to achieve a good result with one cut.

    Stevet1
    Free Member

    Despite Trail Rat’s mega skillz willy waving,

    WTF being able to use a hacksaw is willy-waving now?

    Don’t try and cut the two sides of the steerer at the same time.

    Okay am I missing something here? Maybe this advice is for carbon steerers?
    Just saw through the damn steerer and file it a bit!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    It’s not “mega skillz” to cut straight with a saw, but, it’s a skill/ability not everyone has- it’s really just about hand and eye accuracy but you can’t take it for granted that everyone can do it tbh.

    Pipecutter will put a lovely score on it to follow with a saw/chase down with a file but a wrap of electric or masking tape is even better IMO, more visible.

    callmetc
    Free Member

    I just use a hacksaw.

    easy to do. would have to have mental issues to mess up such a simple task.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    WTF being able to use a hacksaw is willy-waving now?

    Welcome to STW where Presta valves are too fiddly and always breaking and where front mechs are too difficult to set up but bike shop mechanicing is a rip-off if it costs more than a pack of biscuits.

    ransos
    Free Member

    I use two old stems, which means I can keep the hacksaw perfectly straight.

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    It’s not “mega skillz” to cut straight with a saw, but, it’s a skill/ability not everyone has- it’s really just about hand and eye accuracy but you can’t take it for granted that everyone can do it tbh.

    Puts hand up as unable to cut in a straight line with a hacksaw only. Hand-eye co-ordination a bit suspect. I like the idea of marking with a pipe cutter first though.

    iainc
    Full Member

    Sandwich – I’m probably in same category, so will use the pipecutter first to get a nice groove in it.

    Cheers all

    antigee
    Full Member

    Will pop in a vice

    what torque?

    mitre block & wedge – straight cut slot ! / hacksaw

    and I wave my willy at you at an odd angle!!

    does it really matter if the cut is slightly off? – think there was a thread a couple of weeks ago about the “mechanical” need to have a spacer above the stem to ensure the top stem bolt contributes so a slight angle isn’t a disaster?

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Hacksaw.

    Step back and admire straight/almost straight/completely on the piss cut.

    Attempt to file the resulting mess flat, give up after 30 seconds as it’s taking too long.

    Chamfer edges with a file, provides no benefit, but makes you feel better.

    Fit to bike.

    Replace 5mm spacer with 10mm because it’s so far off being straight.

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    If you’re unsure if you can cut straight and you’re right handed, have the fork on the left. If left handed, swap the fork to the right. People tend to curve away. At least if your cut isn’t straight, you can do a bit (lot) of work with the file.

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    The cut edge of the steerer is only used for preloading the headset bearings

    It’s not even used for that. Pulling force from winding on the preload bolt goes through the top cap to the spacers and/or stem, to the bearings.

    The only reason you need a good straight cut is if you’re looking to install a SFN by the tappy hammer on the bolt method. You’ll never get it started straight with a wonky cut. Not a problem with a bung/head doctor or SFN with a guide tool though.

    ransos
    Free Member

    Again, the risk of a wonky cut is eliminated by cutting between two old stems.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    callmetc – Member

    I just use a hacksaw.

    easy to do. would have to have mental issues to mess up such a simple task

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/recommend-me-a-may-my-forefathers-forgive-me-bread-slicer-thing

    Goldigger
    Free Member

    Large zip tie or pipe clamp as a guide round the steerer and hacksaw to cut it..

    Pipe clamp

    al2000
    Full Member

    ransos – Member

    Again, the risk of a wonky cut is eliminated by cutting between two old stems

    He’s right you know.

    Of course, if you’re a complete idiot you may well end up sawing halfway through one of the stems whilst wondering why sawing through a steerer is such hard work.

    Not that I’ve done that you understand, but as you can never be too careful I use an old stem to fix, then old spacers as the cutting guides.

    It gives a much better result than a pipe cutter, largely because it doesn’t flare the steerer.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    WTF being able to use a hacksaw is willy-waving now?

    Boasting about being able to cut straight when it’s not actually that easy is willy waving yes, especially when you imply only the useless can’t do it (which is what you’re doing). Speaking as someone who has cut things wonky in the past. As I suspect most of us have.

    In my opinion, the best methods don’t rely on personal skills, they should be foolproof by design. Or as near as possible. If you use my method you don’t have to worry about whether or not you’re cutting straight.

    dovebiker
    Full Member

    Hold steerer in old stem, clamp stem in vice. Slide old spacer against stem to line-up with the cut-mark. This way you only scuff-up a 50p spacer, not the stem.

    kerley
    Free Member

    I just use a hacksaw by eye. Don’t think I have ever cut a straight steerer in 20 attempts.

    And although I don’t mind a bit of filing I think I need to read what I have just written for next time…

    vincienup
    Free Member

    I tried to cheap out with a cheap pipe cutter and it broke before finishing the cut. It also put a flare in that caused me fitting issues.

    Hacksaw and tape is the way forward, additional cutting guides if desired.

    thestabiliser
    Free Member

    I stick mine on the wall at the bottom of the garden and then use my six shooter from the hip to ping it down to size. To get off any rough edges I just rub it on my stubble.

    As antigee and TINAS above – how straight do you need it? Unless its 45 degrees out the cap will be on the spacer anyway?

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Does no-one else use a cutoff disk?

    Zip, job done. Easier to keep straight than a hacksaw, although that’s not that hard if it’s sharp enough.

    If you grew up with threaded forks, where you had to get it dead level, and make sure the thread started ok, then the modern stuff is a cinch.

    However I agree with this

    molgrips – Member
    …In my opinion, the best methods don’t rely on personal skills, they should be foolproof by design…

    rhayter
    Full Member

    Just fitted a new fork over Easter. If I’d used a hacksaw if would have looked more like I did it with my teeth. So I used an oversized pipe cutter. A tiny amount of flaring which required 2 minutes of file work to clean up.


    Del
    Full Member

    ^ have the same one. don’t try to take too much meat out in one go. quicker and easier for most people. And I can file flat.

    thestabiliser
    Free Member

    BOLLOX!

    iainc
    Full Member

    cheers all, I went and got one of these at lunchtime :

    saw guide

    so all sorted 🙂

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    I’m with trail-rat on this. Unless you’re a spawny-eyed wazzock, it’s perfectly possible to get a reasonably straight cut that requires minor adjustment with a file at the same time as putting on the chamfer.

    The key is to measure, mark and not go at it like you’re doing the 100m sprint

    CalamityJames
    Free Member

    It’s not “mega skillz” to cut straight with a saw, but, it’s a skill/ability not everyone has- it’s really just about hand and eye accuracy but you can’t take it for granted that everyone can do it tbh.

    *Holds hand up*

    While not a steerer, I’ve measured and cut the end off a handlebar, walked around the bike and cut the ‘other’ end of the handlebar, only to realise I’ve made two cuts in the same side. Binned the bars. Not everybody should be trusted with even the most basic tools…

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