Steerer cutting?

[seanryan]

Is there any special way of cutting a steerer? A guide or something? I need it done! And if anybody has the said tools would I be able to borrow them?

[dannyk]

It'd quite easy to make a jig - get a piece of plank, drill a hole vertically through it to the diameter of the steerer. next cut it in half so each half has half the hole, then use a vice to clamp it around the steerer and set the steerer so the line to cut is flush to the wood, so you can just cut along flat to the wood. I'd say Cormac is the man to ask, he probably has such a jig already..

[seanryan]

Cormac??

[Joejoebeans]

Cormac has an even better toy. It's like a pizza cutter that clamps to the steerer. You just turn it until you've cut through. Makes a much cleaner cut

[nathybren]

That's a pipe cutter. Handy little toy and it means that your cut is always perpendicular. It does however leave a ridge that you'll have to file out. A half round will do that anyway.
Cormac himself will recommend the hacksaw and file method. I prefer the pipe cutter. Either way you're gonna be doing some filing down when you're done.

[seanryan]

Well if there is a guide to do it I'd be comfortable with that but which has the better chance of getting a perfectly perpendicular cut?? Which is the most accurate basically!

[Psycholist]

Both are accurate enough to meet the needs of anyone cutting a steerer. The pipe cutter takes a bit more skill to get started correctly - it sometimes winds itself up or down the steerer, so you have to watch for this on the first couple of turns around the steerer until it's formed a groove for itself. For this reason I would say the saw guide is less likely to give you an unsatisfactory result if you're not careful, but both are very good tools for the job. Also I wouldn't recommend the pipe cutter on steel tubes as these will shorten its blade life significantly.

[neil_]

Well if there is a guide to do it I'd be comfortable with that but which has the better chance of getting a perfectly perpendicular cut?? Which is the most accurate basically!

I'm sure I'll get shit for this but it honestly doesn't need to be perfectly perpendicular. The top cap doesn't actually touch the top of the steerer tube so it's not that important. If you have a steady hand you can get an acceptable cut with just a hacksaw and no guide.

[Psycholist]

You'll only get shit from me for doing that if you do it in my garage where both tools mentioned above are readily available ... This is how I cut steerers for my first decade or so of biking...

[seanryan]

If I call up during the week would (a) there be anyone there? And (b) it be possible for me to do it myself or would it require a knowledgable hand for it?

[Psycholist]

I will not be there ...

[seanryan]

If I called up over the weekend that work!?

[neil_]

Well there's usually someone here, we would tolerate your presence for a limited amount of time

[nathybren]

Yeah, pretty much any day, any time. Just give a shout first and you should be grand.