Tips for cutting carbon bars?

Looking to cut down my bars. Will do outside with face mask but need a hack saw and blade.

Any recommendations to what type of blade I would need? Something like this be ok?

https://amzn.eu/d/a4GKgKH

Any other tips? Do I need to sand down the edges after?

https://vimeo.com/99650310 This has a section on cutting tubes and what should be considered. They suggest using a metal cutting blade in a hacksaw but make a shallow cut all the way around before going through the rest.

I’ve always used a run of the mill hacksaw blade and a guide. I’ve seen special carbon cutting blades but not noticed any reason to buy one

High TPI is best, 32 will be fine. 1 wrap of electrical tape (remove very carefully) should stop splinters. Old grips make good cutting guides.

Park carbon blade is only a tenner, but it’s thicker than regular blades so might not fir some guides

TBH, just avoid breathing in the dust, don’t use an axe, measure twice, will be good

TBH, just avoid breathing in the dust, don’t use an axe, measure twice, will be good

But if you do, please video it.

32 TPI blade for me and make sure it’s in good condition before I start – I keep a blade separate from normal household DIY stash purely for carbon bar cutting.

I spray plenty of water cutting mine – get a dirty bucket or sink of water after but very little to no dust that way. TBH I expect the dust is only bad for you in ‘industrial’ quantities (ie if you’re cutting all day every day) but no harm being safe rather than sorry.

For goodness sake. Just get a hacksaw, mark a roughly straight line in some way and chop it off.

Standard hacksaw blade works fine, it’s feels much like cutting wood tbh. And yep don’t breathe the dust! A little water will help keep it down but also, do it outside.

If you have any old lockon grips then the locking end things make a perfect guide. I sand them down a wee bit just to smooth it and round the edges.

I’ve cut a few using a normal hacksaw with no issues (and no mask),  as already mentioned a couple of old lock on grip collars can help but I’ve never used a guide as the bars were marked for cutting. Cutting it carefully by hand with a decent blade and soft jawed vice should not cause dust that you will inhale unless you are trying to, I suppose safety must come first in all things these days but do you also wear goggles when doing a brake bleed as I’ve seen recommended on a few videos over the years

Measure thrice, cut once…wet the bar to help reduce volume of dust, wear a mask. Suspect I’m paranoid, but I reckon it would sensible as there is no real benefit to getting carbon fibre dust in your lungs.

Wrap tape around the cut area to hold the inevitable splinters. Lacquer any stray splinters into place afterwards. Wet sand.

Tape will stop any chipping out of the resin.

(Ancient Chinese proverb)

I’ve always just used masking tape to stop it fraying, and a regular hacksaw blade. Usually end up with wonky ends but grips mostly cover that.

Couple of years ago I went crazy and bought a carbon cutting blade and a fancy cutting guide (both Park). Made me feel very professional and cut ends were nice and straight, otherwise no discernable difference to previous method.

Never occurred to me to wear a mask.

I don’t think a mask is necessary  especially if your using a hacksaw.

Cutting through carbon bars doesn’t create airborne dust like say, MDF would. It’s just tiny little chips of carbon that fall on the floor.

I guess if you were to take a grinder to it or something then they’re might be a lot of stuff kicked into the air but for regular sawing, you’ll be fine with a fine toothed blade.

I didn’t tape mine, just slipped an old grip locking collar on there for a guide. If you’re slightly off on the angle though, the hacksaw will cut through the lockring… Just saying…

I used a carbon-specific blade and a Park guide. I didn’t wear a mask but I did have an unglamorous assist holding a vacuum cleaner next to it.

Cutting through carbon bars doesn’t create airborne dust like say, MDF would. It’s just tiny little chips of carbon that fall on the floor.

Whilst I agree that there’s probably little risk in the dust from a one-off cut, I’m not so sure that there’s little dust – I use water to rinse as I cut which goes very black with a fine sediment.