What do I cut piano wire with?

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kruland

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Hi all,

Hopefully somebody can point me to the right tool. Even the thin piano wire is really hard and repeated cutting has ruined three of my cutters. What do you use to cut thin piano wire?
 
kruland said:
Hi all,

Hopefully somebody can point me to the right tool. Even the thin piano wire is really hard and repeated cutting has ruined three of my cutters. What do you use to cut thin piano wire?
Click to expand...

A dremel cutoff wheel or die grinder works wonders...

Music wire is hardened steel, so it's about the same toughness as the tool steel your cutters are made from. Friction cutting (or flame cutting if you have a cutting torch LOL:)) is about the best way of doing it without abusing your cutting tools... hence the cutoff wheel in a dremel or die grinder...

Later and good luck!
OL JR :)
 
And be very sure to wear those saftey glasses or better still a face sheild. The cheap disks fly apart without warning. Using a little thin CA makes them a little tougher but if you can find them they make fiber reinforced cut off wheels. I know they put one in the Harbor Freight accessory kits but I think you can find packs of them out there...somewhere.
 
kruland said:
Hi all,

Hopefully somebody can point me to the right tool. Even the thin piano wire is really hard and repeated cutting has ruined three of my cutters. What do you use to cut thin piano wire?
Click to expand...
If you don't have a Dremel, a carbide grit hacksaw blade will cut it.
 
In a pinch, I've used a triangular hobby file. I file into the wire enough that I can bend it back and forth several times until it breaks.
 
They make music wire cutters. Much easier than a Dremel, and it's made to handle wire that hard.
 
I have a mini-bolt cutter that I bought years ago from Micro Mark.

It's your standard compound leverage device and it cuts very well. I've cut a lot of music wire with it and the blades are still like new.

Micro Mark no longer carries the product but I see that a similar tool can be purchased from Ace Hardware for $9. Google "Mini-Bolt Cutter".
 
o1d_dude said:
I have a mini-bolt cutter that I bought years ago from Micro Mark.

It's your standard compound leverage device and it cuts very well. I've cut a lot of music wire with it and the blades are still like new.

Micro Mark no longer carries the product but I see that a similar tool can be purchased from Ace Hardware for $9. Google "Mini-Bolt Cutter".
Click to expand...

I wonder how well these would hold up. Sure a good price.

https://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-bolt-cutters-41146.html
 
It takes a little practice to get it exact (if you need a specific length) but you can grab both sides of the planed break point and bend the wire back and forth until it fails. You are basically creating a fatigue fracture. The ends can be a might bit pointy with this method and it gets more difficult as the diameter goes up. But if you need to do it quickly and precision isn't super important it works and is cheaper than new tools.
 
qquake2k said:
I wonder how well these would hold up. Sure a good price.

https://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-bolt-cutters-41146.html
Click to expand...

I've got some like that almost identical from TSC-- they're for cutting hi-tensile smooth fence wire. Not sure of the hardness of the high-tensile wire but the cutters themselves are pretty good.

Knowing Harbor Freight stuff, the Chinese steel would probably be a LOT softer than music wire and I bet the jaws would be shot after a cut or two... That crappy Chinese 'tool steel' is something else... I call it "soft cheese" because I've had cheapy tools bought for the farm wring out (socket extensions) twist off, or wallow out (sockets) until they were practically useless after a few uses... and forget the Chinese twist drills for anything but 1) a single use or 2) wood only. I've got a Chinese socket that's wallowed out to a bell shape at the end-- the only reason it's still usable is because it's a six-point "impact" socket... Still it's nearly the next size up because it's stretched so much.

Later and good luck! OL JR :)
 
I've been using the Xuron hard wire cutter for years on piano wire and hardware cloth--works great.
 
get a pair of channel lock cutting pliers. i've cut through 8 penny nails with mine, and they still have a solid edge.
 
For music wire pushrods, just clamp in a vise then bend back and forth til they snap. Nicking them first with a file helps, if you need them to snap at a precise location.
 
kruland said:
Hi all,

Hopefully somebody can point me to the right tool. Even the thin piano wire is really hard and repeated cutting has ruined three of my cutters. What do you use to cut thin piano wire?
Click to expand...

Not to be sarcastic, but a cutting torch does it. Even one of those pocket-size butane/oxygen torches sold in hobby shops will do it. (Make it oxygen rich and the steel burns.)

Luck and Regards,
-LarryC
 
r1dermon said:
get a pair of channel lock cutting pliers. i've cut through 8 penny nails with mine, and they still have a solid edge.
Click to expand...

I'll second that one. An eight inch pair will turn a Cylone fence section into a makeshift campfire cook top in seconds... Hmmm...Now that I thinks about it...Maybe that's what the guy with the UZI was all about...

This thread does make one wonder what Slashes guitar tech used back in the day...
 
dhurstell said:
Cutco Super Shears
Click to expand...

I have a pair of Cutco Super Shears that I've used for about 15 years. they are Super for cutting all kinds of material...but NOT Hardened Music wire.

There are Hard-Wire Cutters & Nipper Pliers one with replacable jaws specifically designed for cutting Hardened steel and Stainless. A good pair of Fence wire Nippers may work as well.
I found the compact Cutter Shown above with .060" wire cap. 5-1/2" long #59445A44 currently sell for $36.11 at McMaster-Carr.

6-1/4" and 8" Hard-wire end nippers (What I call Fence cutters) both .091" cap. #3738A1 and #3738A3 are $19.43 and $21.94 at the moment.

The one's I inherited from my Dad are the adjustable jaw Hard-wire end Nippers with a .080" cap. 7" long. Available from McMaster as #3730A6 for a meer OMG!.....$269.01...Holly crap! They do cut through just about any music wire or hardened stainless wire like butter LOL!!!

Haven't used the 8" HF bolt cutters on Piano wire yet, but have been cutting 304 and 316 Stainless 1/8, 3/16 and 1/4" rod and hardware for years with 12, 18 & 36 inch HF purchased bolt cutters without any problem at all. Apparently not all HF Chinese Steel tools are Cheesy LOL!!
I do have to agree you really must pay attention to what your buying through Harbor Freight... Most of the Chinese Twist Drills for metal are pretty bad, I'd generally not buy Sockets from them, but the HD Impact hammer 1/2 & 3/4" drive sockets I got as a gift have held up well in pretty heavy shop use, at least as well as my Sears Craftsman impact sockets anyway.
 
Last edited:
r1dermon said:
get a pair of channel lock cutting pliers. i've cut through 8 penny nails with mine, and they still have a solid edge.
Click to expand...

Nails aren't hardened steel... they're regular mild steel...

Even cheap Chinese snips can cut through mild steel... ;)

Later! OL JR :)
 
I score it with my heavy dykes then snap it at the score line.
 
Question for those using snips/cutters of some sort-- what does the cut end look like??

I cut a lot of fence wire (farmer-- ya think? :wink:) and the "mini-bolt cutters" that I use tend to leave a "V" shaped end that is usually razor sharp. Not exactly what you want to have on a launch rod you'll have to handle frequently and that is sticking up in the air... Does music wire cut with snips make the same end?? I know I cut gaucho barb wire and it does it, and it's "spring" steel-- (hardened to SOME degree). Regular 12.5 guage mild steel barb wire cuts much easier despite being significantly thicker, because it's simply galvanized and not as hard as gaucho (not "springy")

The reason I ask is, it sorta goes back to the cutting it with a friction wheel, IE a dremel and cutting wheel. Either that, or filing the end down smooth after cutting with snips...

Makes it safer to handle that way, IMHO...

later! OL JR :)
 

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