How do you cut a carbon steerer?

[DRZRM]

OK, I'll likely go to a shop, but just to address my curiosity, for those of you who do this sort of thing in the home shop, what do you need? Not like I'll take my sawzall to it (right?) but what do you need to be careful of? Do you use some sort of brace of ensure it is right (90 deg.). Does Park sell a special jig? Thanks in advance.

Zach

[TimD]

A hacksaw, a cutting guide, maybe some masking tape, a nuisance dust mask, protective eyewear, a vise, a fine file to smooth off the cut edge, a vacuum to clean up the carbon dust, and some care to keep the carbon splinters out of your fingers.

That's what I've used, anyway.

Check the Park Tool website for a tutorial.

[DRZRM]

Oh never mind, googled it, I see that Park sells the tool and a special carbon hacksaw blade and has a nice tutorial. I think I'll just run it out to the shop when I dial in my fit. Seems like a bad time to start pinching pennies on a build this nice.

Edit: thanks Tim. I really do need a good vice in my basement. Many things would seem less scary.

[oldguy00]

I have the park tool, but for some reason it doesn't seem to attach perfectly straight. Any time I've used it, I end up with an angled cut.... :(

[johnnymossville]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MaXsMrSKvAU/S-GHww9-CBI/AAAAAAAAADg/PEkEtpcbMs0/s1600/Hacksaw.jpg

and

http://www.skylighter.com/images/newsletter/107/Stanley-Miter-Box.jpg

and let'er rip.

[rice rocket]

Oh never mind, googled it, I see that Park sells the tool and a special carbon hacksaw blade and has a nice tutorial. I think I'll just run it out to the shop when I dial in my fit. Seems like a bad time to start pinching pennies on a build this nice.

Edit: thanks Time. I really do need a good vice in my basement. Many things would seem less scary.

Park Tool will sell ya just about anything. Like a "headset press" that's 50 cents in parts (8" of threaded rod, 2 washers, and two nuts with a plate welded to it) for $50. Talk about markup!

[Dlevy05]

Carefully.

[old_fat_and_slow]

Ferget the sawsall, those are fer girls,

MEN use one o' these to do all their cuttin' on bike parts.


http://www.husqvarna.com/dimage.axd/productHuge/h110-0031/41eeb2b0.jpg



Pure Swedish muscle.

No need fer a saw guide, those are for pusillaniomous pussyfooters.

Just make sure yah cut the steerer long enough to compensate for the swath of the blade. Clean-up the edge of the cut with a li'l 25 grit sandpaper and yer ready to roll.




..

[AngryScientist]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MaXsMrSKvAU/S-GHww9-CBI/AAAAAAAAADg/PEkEtpcbMs0/s1600/Hacksaw.jpg

and

http://www.skylighter.com/images/newsletter/107/Stanley-Miter-Box.jpg

and let'er rip.

this is correct.

[Nil Else]

How is carbon blade supposed to be different?

[AngryScientist]

How is carbon blade supposed to be different?

park sells a lot of things that are really not specific to the application. any super fine tooth hacksaw blade is fine to cut a carbon steerer, seatpost, whatever.

[rice rocket]

More things to sell you. ;)

[Mike748]

I recently did one with an 8" abrasive blade mounted to my DeWalt mitre saw. Lightly clamped the steerer to keep it from walking and then sawed very slowly. The cut was magnificent and very square.

[chuckroast]

Apparently by squeezing it together between your fingers.... :D

[happycampyer]

Apparently by squeezing it together between your fingers.... :D
...or by using a (pre-Cane Creek patent expiry) Chris King headset...

[ultraman6970]

Dremel...

put some mask tape just over where u are going to cut, drawn a line, start cutting, done.

[scottaharper]

I use a sliding compound miter saw with a regular wood blade. Super clean and square cut.

[rockdude]

I use a sliding compound miter saw with a regular wood blade. Super clean and square cut.

Are you serious? I would think it would splinter the carbon.

[scottaharper]

Are you serious? I would think it would splinter the carbon.

No problem at all. I have cut a number of steerers that way and the cuts have been perfectly clean. The carbon is pretty thin, and the blade is spinning so fast, that there is almost no resistance when the blade is going through the steerer and the cut is absolutely clean.

Scott

[Nil Else]

I ought to try (power) miter saw with some cut off pieces. It would be so much easier... not that I cut tens of steerer tubes everyday however. :rolleyes:

[RPS]

Do you use some sort of brace of ensure it is right (90 deg.). Does Park sell a special jig? Thanks in advance.

Zach
Zach, I've found that a couple of regular hose clamps spaced the width of the blade makes for a simple yet very effective guide. The steel clamp bands keep the blade from walking sidewards and makes for a square cut. It also makes it easy to measure everything precisely before starting the cut.

For what it's worth, I recommend a practice cut if you are going to cut off enough that there is room to make two of them.

On one of my fork's instructions it recommended an abrasive hack saw blade like those used to cut ceramic. It worked quite well.

[Geeeewiz]

Hacksaw with a fine tooth blade for cutting such things as carbon.

I use two old stems from the garage as my guides. Tighten one on either side of the cut mark and leave a blades width between them.

Saw away and you have a perfectly cut tube.