Fork Installation

[Gravity Aided]

A plumbers' pipe cutter may do a good job of getting the cut square.

 

[Tin Pot]

I have a Mac allister circular saw, not a plumbers whatever - I'll guess randomly the right length and cut wildly.

 

[fossyant]

I have a Mac allister circular saw, not a plumbers whatever - I'll guess randomly the right length and cut wildly.

Thats a little like hitting a peanut with a hammer.

 

[Tin Pot]

Thats a little like hitting a peanut with a hammer.

What, enjoyable?

It's only rated for very thin steel - I need to check the rating. Any idea how thick the aluminium will be on a fork steerer?

 

[Tim Hall]

What, enjoyable?

It's only rated for very thin steel - I need to check the rating. Any idea how thick the aluminium will be on a fork steerer?

You've got it in front of you. Why not measure it?

Meanwhile, a plumber's whatever is available from Screwfix for £2.99. Linky, although a junior hacksaw and a steady hand will do the job.

 

[winjim]

The stem and spacers have to be slightly longer than the visible stem so that when you tighten the top cap down, it presses down and pre-load the whole thing.

To get the length right, assemble the fork in the headset, put stem on and then stack up with spacers to the height you want, finishing with a 3mm spacer. Remove this spacer and scribe a line around the steerer tube using the next spacer down as a guide. This is the line you want to cut round.

 

[Tin Pot]

You've got it in front of you. Why not measure it?

Meanwhile, a plumber's whatever is available from Screwfix for £2.99. Linky, although a junior hacksaw and a steady hand will do the job.

I did have a look at screwfix actually - is that linked one the right tool for the job? Seems to be ones for different types of metal and either thickness or depth.

That one day 3-28mm - is that thickness or diameter..?

 

[Tin Pot]

To get the length right, assemble the fork in the headset, put stem on and then stack up with spacers to the height you want, finishing with a 3mm spacer. Remove this spacer and scribe a line around the steerer tube using the next spacer down as a guide. This is the line you want to cut round.

I'm setting this up in a TT configuration, but it's going to take some time and fiddling - I'll go with the height in the roadie I already have, so I can adjust upwards.

 

[Tim Hall]

I did have a look at screwfix actually - is that linked one the right tool for the job? Seems to be ones for different types of metal and either thickness or depth.

That one day 3-28mm - is that thickness or diameter..?

3-28mm is the diameter.

 

[Tin Pot]

3-28mm is the diameter.

I'm not near the fork, but 28mm seems a bit thin, no?

 

[Tin Pot]

I'm not near the fork, but 28mm seems a bit thin, no?

Ok I haven't measured but according to the spec the "head tube" is 1 1/8" which is 28mm so I'll order that one linked now.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Did mine with an angle grinder..then a few strokes of the file..
i used a stem spacer and a jubilee clip to give me a square cut line..
you could use a hack saw and a file to clean the burs too..

 

[Ajax Bay]

Meanwhile, a plumber's whatever is available from Screwfix for £2.99. Linky, although a junior hacksaw and a steady hand will do the job.

"This product will not cut mild steel as it is designed for copper. The majority of our lower price bracket cutters will only cut plastic and copper, please see the more expensive ranges for other materials."

I'll order that one linked now.

Hope you haven't bought the cutter to which @Tim Hall linked - he did say a junior hacksaw would do the job (and that's the advice from others). Rather doubt it'd do aluminium alloy steerer. Due diligence!

 

[Tin Pot]

"This product will not cut mild steel as it is designed for copper. The majority of our lower price bracket cutters will only cut plastic and copper, please see the more expensive ranges for other materials."

Hope you haven't bought the cutter to which @Tim Hall linked - he did say a junior hacksaw would do the job (and that's the advice from others). Rather doubt it'd do aluminium alloy steerer. Due diligence!

Yes, I did.

 

[Tin Pot]

It seems to be working @Tim Hall @Ajax Bay

Test cut:

I gradually increased the tension twisting the knob with pliers (which trashes it), by half a turn.
Twisted it round once or twice, using a cloth for grip as it got harder.
Eventually you see the metal start to fail on the inside, one more tighten and twist and plonk plink it's off.