41 replies to this topic

[gc4895]

I'm just wondering what others are using to cut piano wire. I'm currently using my Dremel cut-off wheels since all the pliers distort or ruin the cutting surfaces when I try to cut .062" piano wire. 

 

Any recommendations? 

[Cheater]

I have an old pair of diagonal cutters that has jaws hard enough to cut piano wire. I misplaced them for a while and tried to buy another similar pair and couldn't easily do so.

 

I know they must still make diagonal cutters with hardened jaws, but I can't tell you where to get them.

[Half Fast]

You doing it correctly. Why change?

 

Cheers,

[gc4895]

Why change? I'm actually tired of getting my safety glasses on each and every time I want to cut a piece of wire. Safe, but tedious.

 

What got me thinking about this is watching the Mike Steube video. He uses a pair of cutters with hardened jaws that snips the wire easily and quickly. I thought while seeing that, man, that's for me. Since then I've been looking for a pair of similar cutters to no avail.

 

I've been to Lowes, HD, etc., all the usual suspects and I'm not finding anything with hardened jaws that can handle music wire. Just the same bunch of soft stuff.  Consequently, I thought it's time to go to the experts.     

[olescratch]

I decided to make the purchase of a mini chop saw from Micro-Mark to cut tubing and bar stock. It may be a little pricy at first, but the time and physical stress is no longer an issue. With the help of a few stop blocks, you can make identical cuts over and over again in very little time. This company offers quite a few tools that can be helpful in this hobby!

[Cheater]

I had the same problem when I was looking, Mark. Obviously, the big-box hardware companies don't see a demand for such cutters.

 

Go online and I think you can find what you want, but I don't think they'll be easy to find or be cheap when you do.

[MSwiss]

A friend of mine had a pair of cutters that easily cut .062" piano wire, about 40 years ago.

 

He referred to them as Swedish.

 

I don't recall if they were diagonal cutters or nippers.

[team burrito]

I recommend a compound lineman pliers; it gives you more force to cut piano wire. Just dress the ends with your Dremel tool.  It's also what I use for bending wire (better grip). Check with Lowe's or Home Depot: http://www.homedepot...70276/203040536

[John Streisguth]

I have a pair of linesman pliers, not compound, but they have a titanium carbide coating to the cutting edge.  They cut up to 063 with no problem, then I clean up the end either with a dremel disk or on a small 1" belt sander I have.  I'e been using them about 7 years, still work great

[Half Fast]

If you have to dress the ends with a Dremel after the wire cutter, then you might as well use the Dremel to cut them.

 

Cheers

[James Grandi]

I use a small pair of bolt cutters, but I'll only clip when I don't need an exact length of something. If it's going to be frame rails or hinges, it gets cut with a dremel. The cutting action seems to compress the end of the wire and cause it to bulge out slightly - leading to a poor fitment if accuracy is needed

[Pablo]

This is what works for me:

 

 

Linesman's Pliers for rough cuts. These at least 50 years old and still working fine.

409 Dremel cut-off discs for the final cut and radius.

 

My opinion, the new (thick) cut-off discs are useless. But some guys love them.

[SlotStox#53]

I recommend a compound lineman pliers; it gives you more force to cut piano wire.

Got a pair of those as well, does a perfect job with .062" piano wire with no real force. Doesn't mess up the cutting edge at all.

[MSwiss]

If you have to dress the ends with a Dremel after the wire cutter, then you might as well use the Dremel to cut them.

I had a party coming in, so I didn't have time for a long response, but my sentiments exactly.

You're not left with a usable end, so you might as well fire up the Dremel.

I was just surprised to find out these cheap compound handle Husky's would cut .078" without a problem. They were $8-10 with three interchangeable heads.

[JerseyJohn]

Ive been using this for several years and it still cuts .062" piano wire well.

Hard Wire Cutter
 

[Dominator]

Amazon has a shield you can place over the cut off wheel for $13. I have also seen these at Lowes and Home Depot.

[John Streisguth]

If you have to dress the ends with a Dremel after the wire cutter, then you might as well use the Dremel to cut them.

I only really have to do that with main rails, and even then it's the end that goes into the nosepiece. For most of the braces, I don't bother until I clean things up at the end of the build. And I have a bad habit of shattering the un-reinforced cut off disks...  
 
I don't build them to be pretty, especially since I tend to have to rebuild them. The F1 I ran on Saturday is about four years old, and has been rebuilt at least two times after nearly being destroyed.  

Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.  

[Rick Moore]

Holy mackerel! Do I ever feel like an idiot… not the first time…

 

I do a lot of wire cutting… A LOT… and that’s putting it mildly. Most of what I cut now is 0.039” or 0.032” wire, but still I’ve been using the same set of Craftsman needle-nosed pliers (45102) to cut all my wire from 0.078” and smaller for the last twenty years… The same pliers I’ve used to bend all that wire too… Sure, I use the Dremel reinforced cut-off disc to cut 0.094” and larger, and I use the abrasive side of the cut-off disc to quickly dress/round-off the sharp edge of the wire (saved immensely on band-aids and blood over the years), even making nice "bologna-cuts" to fit, but for me it is pretty much second nature at this point.

 

I finally bought another set of the same pliers about six years ago, but that was mostly so I could more easily find one pair or the other while I was working… organized chaos, and all that…

 

Admittedly, when it comes to scratchbuilding I’m pretty much some knuckle-draggin’ cretin…   

 

Rick / CMF3

[Booger]

If you want GOOD pliers... Knipex... Cuts wire, fingers, coins, whatever you put in the jaws... $40...

[Tim Neja]

Klein tools makes very nice cutters and pliers that will handle all you need.

[Bill from NH]

I use a pair of Belzer Vanadium Extra diagonal cutters I bought years ago at the Brookstone Company. Unfortunately, they're no longer on the company website.

[Pappy]

I just keep bending the wire until it breaks. 

[Bill from NH]

I just keep bending the wire until it breaks. 

 

Pappy, want to cut some 1/8" piano wire in 2" lengths for me?

 

Sorry, it's drill rod, not piano wire.

[Pablo]

There goes Bill again, "off the top rope."

[DPmax]

If you don't mind spending some $$$ to cut piano wire like a pro... get what professional piano builders use...

Starrett Wire Cutters