Cutting alu steerer tube

[Mortiroloboy]

I have just won a spangly new pair of Alpina Carbon forks/Alu steerer. I will have to lop off a few millimeter of steerer, I was planning on measuring the length and just using a standard junior hack-saw with metal cutting blade and filing the burr off, will this do the job, or do I need something like a plumbers tube/pipe cutting tool?

 

[Riding in Circles]

I have a big ass tube cutter but you can use a hacksaw, junior or otherwise.

 

[robbarker]

You get a much nicer cut using a proper saw guide - LBS job or find an anorak like me who has one.

 

[Aperitif]

Just a tip but if you wrap a regular piece of paper - say an A4 piece around a regular tube, matching the edge as it 'winds' around the tube, a straight cutting line will 'happen'. I Always use this for big pipes et but any tube will do...

 

[briank]

Just a tip but if you wrap a regular piece of paper - say an A4 piece around a regular tube, matching the edge as it 'winds' around the tube, a straight cutting line will 'happen'. I Always use this for big pipes et but any tube will do...

... and if the steerer's not big enough to accommodate an A4 piece, tear a strip off - just make sure it's the machine-cut edge that you use to create your cutting line round the tube.

 

[mickle]

A pipe cutter will cut it straight but as they roll material away rather than remove it they leave the cut end flanged over. Since this flange needs to be filed off before you can assemble the headset components it's undoubtably quicker to use a hack-saw. The cut doesn't need to be perfectly square actually as there needs to be a few mm clearance between the top of the steerer and the top cap to allow for headset adjustment. If you are fussy about cutting it straight and don't have a blade guide you can use a surplus stem spacer as a guide. Clamp your stem onto the steerer to prevent the spacer from moving.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

Anyone got a spare 1/18th steerer tube star washer kicking about? don't seem able to source just the washer, everywhere wants to sell me the top cap as well, I have the exisiting top cap already, just need a new star washer.