cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

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weeksy
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cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by weeksy »

So for a long confusing reason, i need to make this 6mm shorter.

Image2022-06-23_06-20-26 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

It's M10 internal and 12.7 external dia, made of stainless.

it's currently 60mm in length and needs to be 54mm (54.15 at a max), but ideally not shorter than 54mm.

@crust has kindly offered to assist but his lathe may be having a few technical issues. So i was thinking 'hacksaw' or 'pipe cutter'... but what works, what works well... what doesn't.

Over to you.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by slowsider »

Angle grinder?
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by weeksy »

slowsider wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:32 am Angle grinder?
Don't have one... (i'm sure Crust does though)
But also, i wonder on the levels of precision on it.
I'd get away with 54.2mm maybe... but of course could file it a little bit if needed..but if we go below 54mm we start getting to complications.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by Count Steer »

I don't think I've ever got a square cut with a hacksaw. :( How square does the end need to be? Could make a jig?(slot in a piece of wood type thing to keep the cut square).

If I had a spare I might try a pipe cutter but I'd be surprised if it worked tbh.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by weeksy »

Count Steer wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:38 am I don't think I've ever got a square cut with a hacksaw. :( How square does the end need to be? Could make a jig?(slot in a piece of wood type thing to keep the cut square).

If I had a spare I might try a pipe cutter but I'd be surprised if it worked tbh.
how square, pretty square in honesty.

I mean i know i'm being a little impatient in my thoughts, because in a couple of days i should get the other shock back from Fox/Silverfish anyway. But it's also a bit of a learning/knowledge curve.

Odds are, i won't touch it anyway as Crust will shout at me so i'll be over at his place tomorrow...
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by Silly Car »

Without a lathe, donkey saw or mill, I’d consider marking the piece up with a scriber / wrap it in tape at the 6mm line and carefully using a hacksaw to cut 5mm off by making a series of cuts around the circumference (less risk of straying off line) then slowly file back to the line holding the file flat across the end of the piece.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by weeksy »

There's a company called 'Bounce Suspension' who also make the spacers... He's not due to do a tooling run on these until the end of next week but tells me a company called Basecamp Suspension may have a 54mm set in stock.... so awaiting them to wake up and get into work to see.

https://www.basecampbikes.co.uk/pages/s ... servicing/
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by Count Steer »

Always good to have a friend with a lathe. :thumbup:

The other option is rough cut with hacksaw and square with a bench grinder but tbh patience is a good plan :thumbup:
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by DefTrap »

Stainless can be tricky with a hacksaw as it tends to slip and slide, especially on a tube.
I'd angle grind it and file to suit.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I'd take it to a local machine shop and get them to do it, hack sawing stainless steel is hard work, if you angle grind it will no longer be stainless thanks to the heat.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by weeksy »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:55 am I'd take it to a local machine shop and get them to do it, hack sawing stainless steel is hard work, if you angle grind it will no longer be stainless thanks to the heat.
TBH i wouldn't even know where to begin looking.

Structural integrity isn't paramount on these, sure it's got to be a certain level of strong, but i don't think it's that important.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Go and see Crust or Tricky, both will probably know people who can help, I'm assuming you need it done today.
If you're in a real hurry for it, file 6mm off the end, it'll take ages but be less hassle than trying to hack saw it.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by weeksy »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:09 am Go and see Crust or Tricky, both will probably know people who can help, I'm assuming you need it done today.
If you're in a real hurry for it, file 6mm off the end, it'll take ages but be less hassle than trying to hack saw it.
Doesn't need to be today, doesn't even need to be this week lol.. i've got other bicycles i can ride/use this weekend. But Crust seems happy he can sort anyway. Was just bouncing ideas about really.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by MingtheMerciless »

My old mechanical instructor would've hack sawed it and then filed it to what you needed. He was amazing, he used to work on Typhoon's in WW2 and then got involved in a firm making microwave wave guides in the late 40's and 50's. When he was getting us to make test pieces as apprentices he had this magical ability to file something square and to the centre of the tolerance band with seemingly a few strokes, it was so infuriating watching him achieve something in a few minutes that you'd failed to do all morning.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by DefTrap »

MingtheMerciless wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:18 am My old mechanical instructor would've hack sawed it and then filed it to what you needed. He was amazing, he used to work on Typhoon's in WW2 and then got involved in a firm making microwave wave guides in the late 40's and 50's. When he was getting us to make test pieces as apprentices he had this magical ability to file something square and to the centre of the tolerance band with seemingly a few strokes, it was so infuriating watching him achieve something in a few minutes that you'd failed to do all morning.
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Some of the hacksaw blades I bought recently have been terrible. Saws seem to be something you need to really spend out on.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by Count Steer »

MingtheMerciless wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 9:18 am My old mechanical instructor would've hack sawed it and then filed it to what you needed. He was amazing, he used to work on Typhoon's in WW2 and then got involved in a firm making microwave wave guides in the late 40's and 50's. When he was getting us to make test pieces as apprentices he had this magical ability to file something square and to the centre of the tolerance band with seemingly a few strokes, it was so infuriating watching him achieve something in a few minutes that you'd failed to do all morning.
My bro was a Precision Engineer and as part of his apprenticeship had to make a perfect cube, to size, without using any machines. (He also had to make a micrometer - but was allowed to use machines for that. :lol: ).

Funnily enough, he never, ever had any tools at home, apart from the usual stuff like a hand drill. Even after he retired and couldn't use work stuff. Come to think of it, the only tools I ever saw him use were for gardening.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by Mr Moofo »

@weeksy
Don't do it!
Unless you are skilled or have the right tools, it will never be square.
As a spacer it needs to be square

( BTW, I I neither the skills, nor the skills how to use the correct tools)
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by weeksy »

https://www.basecampbikes.co.uk/pages/s ... servicing/

I've been chatting with these guys who may have a solution for me which is slightly complex, but would work if i'm interpreting their words correctly.

So essentially the Trek has a Trunnion mount, which means instead of spacers it uses threaded bolts into a thread on top of shock.
Image

A 'standard' shock runs this type instead.
Image

The kit from the guys i think allows you to run an eyelet shock, but mounted into a trunnion style bolt setup. So i'd still use the standard Trek mounting hardware, but with an eyelet type shock (which is the one i have here).

Waiting for pics to confirm we're talking the same language.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by mangocrazy »

Angle grinder with thin (0.8mm) slitting disk to slightly oversize, then finish off with flap wheel, checking length at regular intervals.

This assumes no mates with a lathe available. Shortening it in a lathe is always the preferred option.
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Re: cutting stainless... go on.. clue me up.

Post by mangocrazy »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:55 am I'd take it to a local machine shop and get them to do it, hack sawing stainless steel is hard work, if you angle grind it will no longer be stainless thanks to the heat.
Angle grinding will not heat the material sufficiently to change its molecular structure. You're not heating it to cherry red, you're only heating it to the point that you'd find it uncomfortable to touch. It will still be stainless and will perform in exactly the same way. But shorter.
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