Can anyone recommend me a decent not expensive pipe cutter for using to cut a steerer tube as opposed to a hacksaw as I always end up cutting squint and need to sort it out with a file afterwards.

Cheers

Stick with a hacksaw but get a guide. You can make one or buy a bike specific one.

eg

I just bolt on an old stem and use that as a guide.

This one’s £15 from on-one;

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/TOJWSTSG/jobsworth-steerer-tube-saw-guide

you’ll need to add a fiver of other stuff for free postage…

I’ve cut two steerers in the last week with an £8.99 one from Homebase.

I bought a Rothenberger one quite a few years ago which has served me well on steerers and bars. Not used it on carbon yet

Plumber’s pipe cutter has always done the job really neatly for me.

I just bolt on an old stem and use that as a guide.

Good idea – I’ll have that

+1 for plumbers pipe cutter. I just have a cheap one from a discount store (£5) and it’s since done many bars and steerers with no problem at all, each cut being clean and straight.

I’ve got lots of tube cutters, but use a saw guide for steerers – steerers are thinker than tube cutters are designed for, and you end up with a burr on the outside that you have to file off anyway.

Tried pipe cutter, but found a decent hacksaw is far better. Just put some masking tape round the cut line and do it in parts, cut a bit into one side, then the other, etc. I just kneeled on the fork to support it as I cut. Done in a minute.

Pipe cutter was taking ages and kept corkscrewing the line. They’re great for soft plumbing pipes, but more of a faff with a steerer.

And remember… measure twice, cut once.

I’ve got lots of tube cutters, but use a saw guide for steerers – steerers are thinker than tube cutters are designed for, and you end up with a burr on the outside that you have to file off anyway.

Yep – hacksaw and a guide much better for this reason.

Picked up a pipe cutter for a tenner so will see how I get on with it. But the idea of using an old stem is something I hadn’t thought of so if the cutter doesn’t do the job as suggested above then I’ll give it a try.

Thanks for the suggestions

I used the old stem method and i might as well done it by eye for how accurate it was. Go with a pipe cutter or a hacksaw guide.

stem method works for me, but on the last occasion i combined this with a dremell. it turned out to be a very neat and level cut.

“I used the old stem method and i might as well done it by eye for how accurate it was. Go with a pipe cutter or a hacksaw guide”

but some people will insist on screwing it up even with the right tools.

dont like pipe cutters for the job on account of the burr it leaves.

Masking tape and a biro.

Cutting guide and new 24 tpi hacksaw blade (32tpi for carbon, not carbon specific blade as I always assumed until put right by largest bike manufacturer in world).

Pipe cutters designed for softer metal used in plumbing, not aluminium alloys or cromoly steel used in metal steerer tubes 😉

Trick is to twist the saw frame clockwise into the cutting guide whilst cutting to run the blade hard against the guide plate, angle the tool at 45 degrees and soft pressure whilst cutting, should ensure a clean, square cut.

Finish outside and inside diameter with semi-round file for steel/aluminium or wet grit paper for carbon