Is it safe to hack it off?
 

ok, i got an American Classic Seatpost along with my buildkit. however, the length is way too long and they dont' have anything around 280-300mm lenght for me to trade with.

so now i have this 350mm alu. seatpost that i know for sure will be too long for me to use. so would it be safe to hack of what i don't need, as long as i keep the same lenght for the min. insertion mark?

I've done it with much less expensive posts, usually to replace a post on a child's bike.

Hack away

i know if today if it was a carbon seatpost then i probably wouldn't hack it.. but given that it's alu. i don't see any integratity problems. so yup.. unless if that buyer comes through with the dough.. otherwise.. time to meet my SAW!

use a pipe/hose clamp for a guide to get a nice square cut, then sand the edges a little and you're good to go.

suferbruce is right, used to be common to chop posts down using the pipe cutter. just keep in mind the minimum insertion point and deburr that bad boy when you are done

Bob Vila says, "measure twice, cut once."

ok.. not i just gotta find me a pipe cutter... probably my local home depot will have it right?

i need something like these right: PIPE CUTTER

If you have a hacksaw, why buy a pipe cutter?

the key is not really the minumum insertion mark. Many seatposts are marked for old style frames where the top of the seat tube lug is right next to the top of the top tube. But I have a compact style frame that has a significant length of seat tube protruding above the top of the top tube, maybe 3 inches or so.

What you want to do is make sure that the bottom of the cut seatpost protrudes below the bottom of the top tube inside the seat tube when clamped at the correct height for you.

This ensures that you get the structural benefit of the top tube and seat stay cluster in resisting the bending imposed by your body weight.

Don't breathe the aluminum dust. It's toxic.

Explosive, too (really!).

yeah i got a hacksaw... but using a pipe cutter will be easier. perhaps my neighbor has it.. since he's in construction field.

i use the hacksaw for my alu. fork steerer.

i have a traditional frame, where there isn't a lot of seat tube protruding.. so i think it should be ok.

dude,

just so you know, it would take about 3 minutes with a fresh hacksaw blade to cut it. Forget the pipe cutter, and use what you have. throw it in a vice, mark your line all the way around it, and cut away. touch up with a file when completed. You could have done it in the amount of time that it took me to type this reply!!!

lol.. thanks mike.. i'll keep that in mind. damn that's a nasty cut u got there... hope ur fine now..

actually i was refering to using a cheap hose type clamp just to keep the hacksaw blade straight. i don't even bother with that, just hack away, but it always comes out a little crooked without a guide.
a pipe cutter would be the primo way but it's overkill to buy one. you could always have em do it at the hardware store. they'd prob. do it for free.

surferbruce... yea, actually my neighbor has a pipe cutter.. he'll bring one home from work one of these days, then i'll get to use it.. hehe ;)