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Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:00 pm

ok, so i swear somewhere on here i saw someone talking about using one of the harbor freight mini chop saws to cut pushrods.. i looked but cant find the post though.
anyhoo, i bought one and gave it a go and here's the results i got.

1st the saw blade sucks, im not sure itd cut a tic tac in half but im betting itd do a good job of laying your finger wide open though. so i took it off and replaced it with a 1/32" thick cut off wheel i had. this cut off wheel was originally 3" diameter but it was used so it was the perfect size diameter and was a 3/8" arbor just like the tool.
2nd the tool doesn't have much ass at all, more pressure than you can exert with one finger will stall it. but maybe that's a good thing so u take ur time and cut nice and slow without generating a bunch of heat and slag, burs, etc.
other than that i was pretty happy with it, didn't take long at all to buz through 8 chromoly pushrods and didn't make much of a mess. once cut i took a mini file to dress the ends and edges and a deburring tool to the center so if u look close you can see a couple file marked edges and compare fitment to the " factory" edge. i think it held a true 90 and fitment is pretty good.
pretty good option for a do it yourselfer guy without a lathe or such type equipment.

Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:24 am

I have one of those that I use for building slot cars. It runs at a high speed, so a toothed blade is not the way to go when cutting steel; as you found out, an abrasive blade works much better. The standard blade would probably work perfectly on aluminum pushrods, I use it on brass all the time.

Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:00 am

Ah, a fellow slot racer. My slot days are over, soldered together too many controllers. Now have to run away from flux fumes. Dan

Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:20 am

The recent issue of Hot VWs magazine has an article about cutting pushrods. I read that, and was wondering why one couldn't use a tubing cutter???? We used a tubing cutter to cut stainless steel tubing at work, did fine.

Tue Apr 06, 2021 5:36 pm

I used one for alum pushrods. Used lots of lube and it cut fine. Same saw and I used the crappy blade it came with. Wouldn’t cut without cutting oil..

Tue Apr 06, 2021 6:19 pm

I use a tubing cutter all the time, just have to make sure you have a sharp wheel.

Tue Apr 06, 2021 6:56 pm

I used a small tubing cutter this week to cut my Manton chrome moly pushrods. I cut them a little long with it, then made a pvc pipe guide to finish them on my bench grinder.

Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:54 am

I've used a tubing cutter, it works well on aluminum. Not sure how it would do on chromoly rods though.

I think Jake Raby once mentioned he used an arrow cutter from an archery place?

Wed Apr 07, 2021 7:26 am

First set of chromoly pushrods I ever cut was with a hand held tubing cutter. It will wear your hands out and you would be lucky to get through two sets with one blade. It does produce a nice straight cut though. I have obviously since moved on to cutting them in the lathe. Much faster too!