Cutting Carbon

[Billy Wizz]

I while back I posted a thread about cutting my handlebars back to 550mm so I could get through them steel hoops on the cycle tracks,got some great advice the best was you should have used pipe cutters,simple but brilliant.
Anyway I have a carbon pair of handlebars but the smallest I could order was 600 mm, just too wide to get through them hoops it's Saturday afternoon had a great morning out trying to better my garmin lap looking at cutting 50mm off the carbon, anyone see any problems affecting the compound strength..??

 

[fossyant]

No issues cutting it ! Just ensure the cut end is smoothed off after the cut.

 

[Hacienda71]

Use a fine bladed hacksaw. Wrap some tape adjacent to where you are cutting.

 

[cosmicbike]

And avoid breathing in the dust, nasty stuff

 

[sight-pin]

I wouldn't use a pipe cutter, It could leave splinters and if you use an automatic pipe slice it could crack the bars,
Best way is to use a cutting disc on a 4" grinder or similar set up.

Edit, Be careful and heed the already given advice. Better still....How about popping them into a LBS

 

[Billy Wizz]

Sorted I feel an evening spin coming on, thanks for the advice this is a great place

 

[youngoldbloke]

I use a Tungsten Carbide hacksaw blade, less likely to snag and pull the fibres than a standard blade.

 

[hurri]

Been shortening my carbon fork steerer today while building up my new toy. Tried a hacksaw and it was just too uncontrollable. So used a Japanese pull saw instead and it went through it beautifully and fast leaving a clean finish and not too much dust. The pull saw is a really useful tool because it cuts when you pull towards you, unlike a normal saw which cuts on the push stroke. So you are much less likely to slip while making a cut. It is normally used for intricate and super accurate woodwork cutting, but I find it a really useful general purpose saw. Mine is a katana saw, which looks like a flat blade with no reinforcement on the back. Worth getting your hands on one! The only thing to watch is that the width of the cut will be wider than a fine hacksaw but not much...

 

[Hacienda71]

Been shortening my carbon fork steerer today while building up my new toy. Tried a hacksaw and it was just too uncontrollable. So used a Japanese pull saw instead and it went through it beautifully and fast leaving a clean finish and not too much dust. The pull saw is a really useful tool because it cuts when you pull towards you, unlike a normal saw which cuts on the push stroke. So you are much less likely to slip while making a cut. It is normally used for intricate and super accurate woodwork cutting, but I find it a really useful general purpose saw. Mine is a katana saw, which looks like a flat blade with no reinforcement on the back. Worth getting your hands on one! The only thing to watch is that the width of the cut will be wider than a fine hacksaw but not much...

Couldn't you reverse your hacksaw blade to give you the same effect?

 

[hurri]

Possibly, though most hacksaw blades are push/pull saws I think so you lose the precision, Pull saws aren't easy to find but worth getting from a specialist if you're a DIY nut..

 

[Billy Wizz]

I used a junior hacksaw the cut was straight but there were fibres sticking out of the cut which I rubbed off with some 120 sand paper.

 

[hurri]

I think part of the reason the pullsaw is so good is because of the way they make the blade so it is incredibly sharp and straight, on a hacksaw the teeth stick out in either direction because it is cheaply pressed... the pullsaw blade has the teeth only aligned in the steel of the blade. So you get zero splinters and no sanding required with a pullsaw, BUT you have to pay 20 quid for one versus a hacksaw for 3 quid so not worth it unless you either have one already or you're cutting carbon all day ....

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I use a Tungsten Carbide hacksaw blade, less likely to snag and pull the fibres than a standard blade.

The material of the blade would not make much difference. The TPI (teeth per inch) are the main thing to would stop it snagging. Basically you want more TPI for cutting something like carbon fibre. Most saw blades are made from high speed steel (junior hack saw blades are generally carbon steel) a tungsten carbide blade is just a harder material, although it is more brittle. I would imagine it is a HSS blade with tungsten carbide teeth.

 

[youngoldbloke]

The material of the blade would not make much difference. The TPI (teeth per inch) are the main thing to would stop it snagging. Basically you want more TPI for cutting something like carbon fibre. Most saw blades are made from high speed steel (junior hack saw blades are generally carbon steel) a tungsten carbide blade is just a harder material, although it is more brittle. I would imagine it is a HSS blade with tungsten carbide teeth.

Doesn't really have any teeth, just a coating of tungsten carbide particles. Meant for cutting materials you don't want to chip like plastics, tiles, marble, fibreglass - and carbon fibre.

 

[raleighnut]

+1 for the Japanese pull saw, a good one is excellent once you get used to it.