How does a person "properly" cut a CF rod? Rudimentary question to be sure, but up until recently, I have not had the need to trim any that I have. The one time I trimmed a thin one on my old heli, it frayed so bad and made so much funky dust that I tossed it and bought a factory replacement.

THanks!

I don't know how 'properly' this is, but its how I do it.

I score it with a sharp knife, then use a hacksaw to cut it 2-3mm from where I want it, the scoring helps to stop it cracking or fraying, then I just shave of the excess with the knife, I find a knife will cut it quite easily if its close (very) to the end. Once cut I put a bit of CA on the cut face to seal it all up.

As I said maybe not the best, but it works for me.

Grant

For cutting CF rods I use some of my jeweler's gear on my flexible shaft machine. There is a rotary cutting tool called a "separating disk" or sometimes "Cutoff disk" that will also work very will with a dremel tool. The wheel will cut right through the rod with no splintering if it is running fast enough, you move slowly enough and you give the CF rod a full turn while you are cutting it. The heat of the cut also tends to seal over the end but Schoey's idea of the CA is probably a better one now that I think about it. You can buy the mandrel mount for under $5 and you can get a pack of 20 disks for about as much. I use these things for everything. It also helps to wrap the rod in masking tape first and ALWAYS avoid breathing CF particles.

Happy Landings: -LY

I use a dremel with a cutoff disk. Again DON'T breath the dust!!! Wear a respiator if you can get one.