[Closed] Cutting a fork steerer

Old stem as a guide,if it's carbon keep it wet.

If you don't have a saw, do you have a pipe cutter to fit? If not wait until you have one of the above!

If carbon, DO NOT use the pipe cutter!!! use a saw blade suited to carbon.

#measuretwicecutonce

Hacksaw.

I can cut straight with a hacksaw* so don't use a guide but the edge of a bit of paper wrapped around will give you something to follow if you don't have an old stem to scuff up.

*Its really no hard and genuinely worth learning, i only learned from youtube.

BBasically.

Cut slowly one hand on the handle the other at the other end, one second a stroke, use the full length of the blade. Cut all the way through. Very brief denib with a file.

Also... Pipe cutters are shit you have to file away a horrible bulge to make them fit.

Don't stress too much. It's an easy job. Measure twice. Cut once. Old stem as a guide. Hacksaw with a decent blade. You can tidy it with a file if you are fussy but nobody is going to be inspecting the top of your steerer tube.

I've got a pipe cutter coming today as I don't have a proper vice for holding the steerer. First steerer I'll have had to cut.

Tallpaul, where did you get the pipe cutter from?

I've no suitable worksurface to cut with a saw, or place to fix the fork.

Tighten a jubilee clip round the steerer tube and cut with a hacksaw, works for me

I'd invest in [url= https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/lifeline-saw-guide/rp-prod10222 ]one of these[/url], £15 over the years of use you'll get out of it is well worth it. It makes the job so much easier (even for a ham fisted muppet like myself) and can also be used on handlebars.

I did use a pipe cutter once but they mushroom the cut and I really had issues getting the spacers and stem over it.

What PJ said. I’ve always cut freehand with a sharp hacksaw and it’s been fine - if not totally straight a cut. That doesn’t really matter as the top has to sit a bit below the top of the stem / top cap - but for neatness PJ’s linked solution is decent. Bought one recently as I was putting together a bike for a mate and didn’t want to give him a wonky steerer tube - plus I have a new bike of my own to put together. Works perfectly - also good for cutting down seat posts etc.

Pipe cutter then quick spin on upturned belt sander to give a slight champher (removes buldge but also easier sliding on headset/stem) quickest neatest easiest way I've found.

If your sawing experience is not good I'd 2nd getting the saw guide Pjay mentions. You also want a long blade hack saw 12" which you can get for around £12-15 at Screwfix etc. Not a junior hack saw.
Measure twice twice!

Hacksaw.

I can cut straight with a hacksaw* so don’t use a guide but the edge of a bit of paper wrapped around will give you something to follow if you don’t have an old stem to scuff up.

^^^ same as joshvegas for me using a bit of paper taped around the steer & then hacksaw, quick file to finish. No issues having cut many steerers

Bought a pipe cutter years ago. Used it on bars and steerer loads of times. Always double check. Was well worth the purchase along with the star nut installer.

As for measuring...

Stuff that.

Put it all together including all the slacers you want minus the thinnest one. Pull it all together and clamp the stem.

Draw a line ALL THE wAY round. Add arrows pointing at this line. Add text "cut only this line"

Old stem as the guide point & an angle grinder.

This one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004EK0OUS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wanted it for tomorrow as that's my only day off now until xmas.

Cut it a little longer than you think. That way you will have the option to run a spacer above or below to fiddle with height. Also it gives you more leeway if you cock it up (definitely not talking from experience), there have been too many post on here over the years about people who’s steeper’s are too short and they need the lowest stack headset/stem to compensate.

Yep, my forks that I'm swapping to my new build came as standard cut pretty short, means with the same length steerer, but an external cup on the new frame, I have 39mm of steerer showing with no spacers, that's a normal stem slammed. Hence needing to go with a DMR Defy which has a stack height of 27mm or 31mm on the 35mm or 50mm version (not sure which to go with yet...) and either a 10 or 15mm spacer.

I've cut a steerer with a junior hacksaw, sat down with forks on my lap, stem clamped to steerer with an old headset spacer above that I didnt mind scuffing up, keep blade against the spacer, you can even flip forks over and cut from different sides, then file after cutting or use some wet n dry.
Pipe cutter is good for thin wall alloy like handlebars but bulges out the steerer around the cut and you'll spend more time filing, I did it once then returned to the hacksaw method.

That pipe cutter worked fine, just needed a few minutes going over with a big metal file to take off the edge/add a chamfer to the top. Job done!

I’m guessing you don’t have a star nut installer

Great improv here

Pipe cutter as per ta11pau1
Don't rush and tighten too quickly and you get hardly any bulge.
Stick a chamfer on anyway and its sorted.

A pipe cutter is clearly, by far the best tool for the job. Factory finish every time.

Not sure what people mean by bulging or mushrooming. Just buy a decent tool and take your time.

The concept of millimeters seems to be lost on the guy in the above video.

I enjoy doing them freehand with a hacksaw.

Rarely get them dead straight but that doesn't matter.

As above, buy a hacksaw and have a go at it.

If you haven't got a star fangled nut installer a piece of m6 threaded rod and nuts is good for getting it straight and central, a stem cap at the bottom of the steerer and a couple of spanners pulls the SFN down without whacking it with a hammer, protect stanchions just to be on the safe side in case you slip with the spanner.

Solid tip, but I'd recommend buying one of these - sooo satisfying to use...
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-star-nut-installer

Yeah all methods for setting a SFN seem like a good idea until you have the correct tool.

Then you realise you've been a fool all these years.

1 minute from tool coming out the draw to being put back in with a perfectly set sfn to show for it.

If you use a pipe cutter to cut the steerer (metal only) make sure you have some good sharp files to dress out the huge burrs from the internal diameter and the bulge it throws up on the outside diameter. I find the hacksaw does a cleaner and quicker job in the long run and the cut only has to be square to within a millimetre or 2.

Agreed.

I'm going to repectfully suggest that sharkattack doesn't know what a factory finish looks like 😀

I've got the tools and can do it for you in Surrey Hills

Good sfn tip if he's impatient and days away from getting his hands on the right tool.

Its a great tip.

It was really just a comment on how amazing the setting tool is if you jave one to hand.

My previous version was a screwdriver that fitted snugly into the sthreads and the handle was pretty close to the ID of the steerer.

the cut only has to be square to within a millimetre or 2.

Hold my beer.