I need my steer cut

[Panter]

Ermmmm

I think I'll just ring my LBS

:-)

S'what I did, think I paid a fiver or thereabouts.

 

[mickle]

An LBS is more likely to do it for nowt if you do most of the work. Don't take the whole bike in and get them to measure it - take just the fork, clearly marked where you want it chopped.

 

[mickle]

Do you know about cnczone.com? http://cnczone.com/

A fantastic website populated, as far as I can tell, by semi-retired aerospace engineers and other brilliant people, each with a lifetime of engineering experience. They know about everything. Log on and read the stuff that they have posted about the safety aspects of cutting carbon fibre.

The chances of coming to any harm by cutting a single CF steerer look as good as me winning the Lottery after failing to buy a ticket .

They said that about asbestos. My Dad had a lifetime of engineering experience, it didn't stop him being an arrogant buffoon and a dangerous idiot on a regular basis - including actually setting himself on fire on one occasion.

You have to ask yourself - are you happy to breathe carbon saw-dust? Would you allow your children to breathe it in? If yes, how much? At what point does it go from acceptable levels to not acceptable levels?

Maybe I'm being over cautious but zero sounds like a good level to me, and zero is the level of exposure I will continue to recommend - you roll around in it if you wish.

 

[Dan B]

DO NOT USE a star fangled nut in a carbon steerer tube. Use a carbon steerer expander plug.

I use an expander plug even in metal steerers: it's bad enough being expected to take a hacksaw to parts of my bike, but socking it with a hammer? Perhaps I have an overdeveloped sense of mechanical sympathy, or perhaps I'm just a coward...

 

[yello]

Perhaps I have an overdeveloped sense of mechanical sympathy, or perhaps I'm just a coward...

An engineer friend once told me that the art of the engineer is knowing how hard to hit something and just where.

Me, I suspect I'm like you. Brute force is for brutes... I'd try and persuade the steerer that it wants to be cut.

 

[Globalti]

An engineer friend once told me that the art of the engineer is knowing how hard to hit something and just where.

Me, I suspect I'm like you. Brute force is for brutes... I'd try and persuade the steerer that it wants to be cut.

The art of the engineer is in knowing what to use to hit the work piece. Precision components can be extremely robust but have precision surfaces, which you will damage if you use a hammer. That's why plastic, copper, lead and hide mallets exist.

 

[Globalti]

Do you know about cnczone.com? http://cnczone.com/

A fantastic website populated, as far as I can tell, by semi-retired aerospace engineers and other brilliant people, each with a lifetime of engineering experience. They know about everything. Log on and read the stuff that they have posted about the safety aspects of cutting carbon fibre.

Just rushed to look at that because it sounded like an interesting site. Unfortunately it's a nightmare of adverts and stuff, which take ages to load up and keep reshaping the page. On top of that I looked at several posts and nobody seemed to have answered the questions. Or is that because I didn't join?

 

[Red Light]

An engineer friend once told me that the art of the engineer is knowing how hard to hit something and just where.

Yes it's all about using the right tool for the job. So if it doesn't fit, hit it with a hammer. If it still doesn't fit find a bigger hammer. I just love hydraulic presses - they can make virtually anything fit

 

[Yellow Fang]

I use an expander plug even in metal steerers: it's bad enough being expected to take a hacksaw to parts of my bike, but socking it with a hammer? Perhaps I have an overdeveloped sense of mechanical sympathy, or perhaps I'm just a coward...

I think I tried using an expander plug once, but it wasn't very satisfactory. I took the bike into the LBS who banged in a star fangled nut.

 

[slowmotion]

Just rushed to look at that because it sounded like an interesting site. Unfortunately it's a nightmare of adverts and stuff, which take ages to load up and keep reshaping the page. On top of that I looked at several posts and nobody seemed to have answered the questions. Or is that because I didn't join?

Like any forum, it takes a bit of getting used to but it really is worth persevering. There are many thousands of really clued-up people who will help with pretty much any query. I've found them incredibly helpful on a whole range of problems ranging from electronics to hydraulics.

 

[fossyant]

It's an alloy steerer - seen the bike. Don't have time to go and chop it for him at the mo - ill in-laws and crap. Sorry gaz.

Bike shop will do it for peanuts.

I've chopped a carbon seat post with a quality hack saw blade, no mask but a well vented area like you would cutting any material. MDF is the worse stuff ever.