Metal ones, and I don’t want to take them off the bike do it. Tried a hacksaw but it’s a PITA.

Ideas?

Bolt croppers

+1 bolt croppers

Edit, either have a friend hold the waste end tight with pliers, or clamp a mole grip to it, they fly fast and go anywhere they want.

Decent pair of pliers or wire cutters should do it. Dremel is probably the STW answer

What the cable cutters I have for, er, cables? I thought about trying them, but didn’t want to knacker them…

Try em, probably won’t do them any good. Think about adding some lengths of pipe to the handles to give you more leverage.

Knipex CoBolt bolt cutters. Product code 71 02 200

Park Tools cable cutters make a neat job.

ANGLE GRINDER….

globalti – Member
Park Tools cable cutters make a neat job.

But it ruins them rather quickly…..

Cut halfway through using manky old blunt wire cutters. Finish off with junior hacksaw. About 60 seconds a stay?

Less of a PIA than going out to buy a posh tool (but not very STW).

Hacksaw, but you will need to hold them still.

Other than that, bolt croppers will do the job but not neatly, cable cutters may struggle through but you’ll wear them/have a hard time.

A good squeeze with some decent side cutters, then snap the end off with some pliers. Leaves a bit of a sharp end but not an issue if you’ve got plastic caps to go on after. Glue them on if you have, they go walkies pretty quickly otherwise.

small grinder with a cutting disc here.

Always use a dremel and cutting disc, cos its what I have

3mm stainless mudguard stay. These cutters have done literally hundreds of them.

[video]http://youtu.be/DdrJkanMcDc[/video]

I use these, but the end still needs a bit of smoothing with a file.

I’ve used a hacksaw or a dremel. If you do use bolt croppers or similar you may want to wear some eye protection. Probably grip it with molgrips too as mentioned above.

Assemble finger tight so it holds, mark with marker pen. Remove stays, hold in vice (you do have a vice, don’t you?), hacksaw to length, round off with a file.
Reassemble.

End cutters.

There’s a tool for every job etc.

Also good for cutting gear cables as they’re so over-engineered for that job they go through them like butter.

Bolt croppers, but wear safety specs as the ends can fly off.