Donnie Barnes wrote:
So, not to bore with the details of why, but I need to take the guts out of
a set of struts from a car. The struts have a minimal amount of cylinder
that extend above the spring perch, but that's where I need to cut the top
of the strut off and remove the original shock "guts." One method I've
seen used is one of those pipe cutters that you turn by hand. That may
work, but it's pretty tedious.

I used my 10" lathe for a couple last week. I just chucked up the body
kind litely and hit it with a threading cutter (because that's what was
in the toolpost). cut it right open, sprayed oil in a nice 360 pattern.
2nd one I stopped as soon as it broke through, turned the opening down
into the chip pan. Then completed taking it off.

My thought was to use my small Jet metal cutting bandsaw (assuming I can
get the thing clamped in there somewhat straight with the spring perch in
the way. But that would mean I'm not only cutting through the strut body
(which is mild steel), but I'm going to be cutting through the shock piston
along the way. Anyone know if shock pistons are hardened or some hard
alloy or something? I know they're coated (obviously), but is the thing
something that might eat my bandsaw blade?

All is soft stuff except for the shaft itself. Bandsaw won't have any
problem with anything except the hardened shaft surface.

Oh, and the strut will be depressurized first by piercing it with a hole in
the bottom of the body. Most of the oil will drain, but there may still be
some in there. I could also torch cut it and then clean up the cut, I
suppose, but I fear doing that with all that oil that could still be in
there.

It's messy, but I've cut them with a chopsaw, sparks and all, and
nothing caught fire. My purpose is usually to salvage the shafts, so I
don't mind trashing the rest of it.