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Technical & Reference Section => Tech and Restoration => Topic started by: Gary72 on November 24, 2009, 08:52 PM

Title: Cutting bars down?
Post by: Gary72 on November 24, 2009, 08:52 PM: Whats the best and neatest way. Was thinking of using a plumbers pipe cutter?
Anyone got any tips.
Thanks
Gary
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: Bigfrawg on November 24, 2009, 08:53 PM: that will only fook the cutter up as they are only designed to cut copper. grinder or hacksaw followed by a file :daumenhoch:
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: neiljonarcus on November 24, 2009, 09:42 PM: why why why why cut bars down buy smaller ones ............ please tell me they arn,t old school bars :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: Daletsunami on November 24, 2009, 09:56 PM: I agree with neil, see if anybody fancies swapping you for some smaller ones ;)
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: Bettyswallocks on November 24, 2009, 10:00 PM: Big hacksaw... easy... :daumenhoch:
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: fugazi on November 24, 2009, 10:00 PM: Might want a cutting disc in a grinder if they're newskool heat treated bars, I tried cutting some the other week & a hacksaw wouldn't touch them :shocked:
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: Gary72 on November 24, 2009, 11:00 PM: They are United Grande bars and are 29 inches wide only want to take 1/2 inch of either side. Cant swap for smaller as I've had my forks powdered to match. Think I will give the pipe cutter ago. Only problem is in the past on copper pipe I have managed to wander along the pipe :LolLolLolLol:.
So I think I'm going to try and put some locking grip collars on to stop this. If not the cutting disc at work and the grind wheel will be seeing some action. >:D
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: evamedia on November 25, 2009, 10:37 AM: Hacksaw, if you've got the right blades

and even Mr Williams cuts his own bars down
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: moley on November 25, 2009, 10:41 AM: I used a pipe cutter on a seat post.

It took ages but it did give a good cut!! :daumenhoch:
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: lodge on November 25, 2009, 11:12 AM: I struggled with a hacksaw on my slam xlt's, pipe cutter wouldnt look at them.
Depends if been heat treated as to how hard to cut also quality of hacksaw blade makes a big difference.
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: Dr.Robotnik on November 25, 2009, 03:48 PM: Pipe cutter blades come in different types for cutting different materials of pipe. Basically they come stock ready for a soft copper pipe. If you have a heat treated (read hardened) steel bar you will have to change the cutting blade.

Best bet is to pop down to your local bike shop and ask to borrow their Park hacksaw guide. This clamps onto the bar/steerer tube and has a slot to position the blade. Nice straight, perpendicular cuts every time.
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: matt on November 25, 2009, 06:06 PM: Quote from: n2cus on November 24, 2009, 09:42 PM
why why why why cut bars down buy smaller ones ............ please tell me they arn,t old school bars :'( :'( :'( :'(
i couldnt agree more, cutting your bars is like painting tuffs..... you just dont do it, sorry neil i couldnt resist :daumenhoch:
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: Gary72 on November 25, 2009, 07:22 PM: To answer the question WHY?
As Mick Jagger once sang "You cant always get what you want"
If they were old school I wouldn't do it. But I wanted some bigger bars so I bought these ones knowing that if they were too high I could drop the stem or if they were too wide I could narrow them slightly :)
Gary
Title: Re: Cutting bars down?
Post by: spleen1970 on November 25, 2009, 07:37 PM: Dude use a disc cutter with a slitting disc on it's a very thin cutting disc easy to get hold of will cut through Yer bars like hot knife through butter :daumenhoch: