best way to cut an Al steertube?
 

Getting a new fork and wondering if there is a special tool to use, plumbers pipe cutters, hack saw?
Thanks

You can use plumbers pipe cutters. In the shop we just use a hacksaw with a park tool saw guide and cutting oil. Use a sharp blade.

Measure once, cut twice

Thanks.

Wrapping a piece of masking, duct or other less flexible tape around the tube so the end matches the first part will also provide a nice square cut line. Or wrap a 4 inch piece of printer paper around the tube so the edge lines up and mark the cut with a pencil line.

Any of these will give you a nice square end. After sawing with a hacksaw file or sand off the burrs to give a smooth end.

Good idea. It's funny. I have built probably 30 bikes and have only cut a steertube myself once, like 10 years ago. I also screwed up putting the expansion nut in the tube because I didn't have the special tool.

Some thoughts:

Cut the steerer long enough the first time to require a couple of spacers, say 15 or 20 mm worth, ABOVE the stem. That will give you some room to adjust the height after you've ridden the bike a bit. As they say, "you can't cut it longer".

Also, when you do make your final cut, leave the steerer long enough to require a 5 mm spacer above the stem to get the needed adjustment gap. That serves two purposes:

1. It assures the stem is fully supported by the steerer. That's more important with a carbon steerer but useful with Al or Cr-Mo steerers too.

2. It makes cutting the steerer exactly square less critical since the top of the spacer is the surface the top cap presses against.

One can also use a metal hose clamp as a saw guide.

http://www.vernk.com/images/Angelfir...gHoseClamp.jpg

Not a fork in the picture, but you get the idea.

I used a tubing cutter on a friend's bike. Worked fine.

"Measure once, cut twice"

I'm not sure I'd follow that part....