I keep thinking about playing ping-pong in the Jersey trees last year - wanna cut down the bars.
Sawzall? Torch? Pipe cutter?
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Cutting Handlebars
Cutting Handlebars
What is the best way to cut down handlebars? And what is the optimal width?
I keep thinking about playing ping-pong in the Jersey trees last year - wanna cut down the bars.
Sawzall? Torch? Pipe cutter?
I keep thinking about playing ping-pong in the Jersey trees last year - wanna cut down the bars.
Sawzall? Torch? Pipe cutter?
Ken
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
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the dude himself
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Re: Cutting Handlebars
Size is personal, but mock-up first to make sure the controls still fit. Pipe cutter with heavy duty metal blade is the best - but takes a while. Pipe cutters are typically bladed for a soft metal like copper. Sawzall, metal rasp, then sandpaper is a decent alternative. A torch will only cut steel, I thought bars were an aluminum/Ti alloy. Too much heat can also damage the metal.
Re: Cutting Handlebars
perhaps a dremel type tool with a fiberglass cutting disc or maybe a rotozip tool?!?!?!
Keep thine eye on the tach and thine ears on the engine lest thy whirlybits seek communion with the sun.
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the dude himself
- DAMN Expert
- Posts: 415
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Re: Cutting Handlebars
Get two samari to stand really close together, swords drawn. Then have Bucho push the Wasp up to speed, aiming for the point directly between the blades. Make sure your pinky's are up, fancy style, or else you'll look like a Simpsons Character.
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Roadracer_Al
Re: Cutting Handlebars
Kyler, being a woodworker, you have all the necessary tools for cutting aluminum. I've cut aluminum with a carbide circular saw blade - works great, no drama, just don't feed too fast. A fine-tooth wood bandsaw (14 or more teeth per inch) will work well, also.
If it's steel, an "armstrong" hack saw (i.e. manual, it makes your arms strong hahahaha) will do the cutting adequately. Your chassis-builder buddy will have a power bandsaw that will do a fine job if you're too grumpy/lazy/old to cut manually.
The importance of "dressing" the ends of the bars can't be overlooked. You probably have a belt sander -- slip a fine-grit or old belt on it, and put a nice chamfer on the outside - you want it to have a nice even bevel all the way around, maybe 1/16" wide. A sharp bar will take your skin off like a one-tooth rasp right through clothing. Ask me how I know. The inside of the bar doesn't *need* to be chamfered (it's nicer) but does need to be de-burred, which can be accomplished with a round file, some 180 grit sandpaper on a dowel, or the above-mentioned Dremmel tool.
Regarding the optimal length, you might check different bar bends as far as getting a bend that can be cut narrower.
Don't forget that narrow bars require more effort to ride.
If it's steel, an "armstrong" hack saw (i.e. manual, it makes your arms strong hahahaha) will do the cutting adequately. Your chassis-builder buddy will have a power bandsaw that will do a fine job if you're too grumpy/lazy/old to cut manually.
The importance of "dressing" the ends of the bars can't be overlooked. You probably have a belt sander -- slip a fine-grit or old belt on it, and put a nice chamfer on the outside - you want it to have a nice even bevel all the way around, maybe 1/16" wide. A sharp bar will take your skin off like a one-tooth rasp right through clothing. Ask me how I know. The inside of the bar doesn't *need* to be chamfered (it's nicer) but does need to be de-burred, which can be accomplished with a round file, some 180 grit sandpaper on a dowel, or the above-mentioned Dremmel tool.
Regarding the optimal length, you might check different bar bends as far as getting a bend that can be cut narrower.
Don't forget that narrow bars require more effort to ride.
Re: Cutting Handlebars
yabut - they may avoid this! and dood, I was booking! I was finally in the groove and WHAM!Roadracer_Al wrote:Don't forget that narrow bars require more effort to ride.
Ken
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
Re: Cutting Handlebars
The tree fell on you!?
That could be taken as a sign that forest has issues with you...
Seiously, a good quality 32T blade on your hacksaw will go right thru alloy. Use a strip of tape as a guide and a half round file to clean it up when you're done.
That could be taken as a sign that forest has issues with you...
Seiously, a good quality 32T blade on your hacksaw will go right thru alloy. Use a strip of tape as a guide and a half round file to clean it up when you're done.
Kyler wrote:yabut - they may avoid this! and dood, I was booking! I was finally in the groove and WHAM!Roadracer_Al wrote:Don't forget that narrow bars require more effort to ride.
Re: Cutting Handlebars
Off topic:
Ken, Are you wearing a Leatt Brace in the picture? How did you get it to fit your armor if so?
Ken, Are you wearing a Leatt Brace in the picture? How did you get it to fit your armor if so?
Re: Cutting Handlebars
yes, I put the back tab under the armor and the front tab over it - works real well. I'll be wearing it at Dabbers if you want a closer look -restukey wrote:Off topic:
Ken, Are you wearing a Leatt Brace in the picture? How did you get it to fit your armor if so?
Ken
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris