My Oil Filter cutter

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Dec 16, 2012
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Fort Worth, TX
Decided I want to start cutting open my oil filters to examine the trappings. The commercial ones didn't cover the range I needed: from Infiniti FX45 (tiny) to Ford F-250 (giant) so i designed and built my own. A little quality time in my home shop produced this result. There are many good designs out there, what makes mine useful is that it accommodates a wide range of filter diameters. See attached/below.


Assembly of parts:
20140903_220531.jpg


Assembled:
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Another View:
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My smallest filter (for Infiniti FX45)
20140903_222217.jpg


My largest filter (for 2001 Ford F-250 7.3l Diesel)
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It works!

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Works well! now I just have to wait for the next oil change.....
 
If you ever decide to make and sell them in batches can you make a post?

It looks really good and you can replace the circular cutter with a pipe cutter blade, I really like that.
 
This is what happens when ingenious folks with time on their hands and access to premium machine tooling set out on a task.

Oh, to have such fun!!!

Color me jelly.
 
Nice ingenuity! Well done. I consider the Longacre to be the creme dela creme of filter cutters, and according to members here it accommodates 3" and less diameter filters to larger diameter filters (up to 4"). It goes for ~$56 on Amazon. Could this one be made for that or less?

The HF exhaust cutter for ~$15 works adequately for my applications, but certainly not the class of this diy.

Thanks for the pics. Happy cutting!
 
Haha! I didn't know about the JEG's version! I built mine with bits I had laying around the shop. Really, the JEG's pictured above looks like a better design...the bearings are attached in double shear, and the sliding block runs in a dual track (more stable). I thought about doing that, but it was going to take even more time.

Thanks for all the compliments, and I agree, if I had to make many of these, it would be painful. Too many parts. Nobody wants a handmade, $150 oil filter cutter.

One day, when I get a CNC mill.....
 
Originally Posted By: bigt61
Leave the poor guy alone, doubtful he could make any money selling those - it looks expensive to me.

Just buy a Jegs.

http://www.amazon.com/JEGS-Performance-Products-Filter-Cutting/dp/B007VR8C0U

31xvog-zQDL.jpg


The Jegs 'appears' identical to the cutter sold at Summit Racing linked below. It too says filters up to 5.5" diameter. However owning the Summit cutter, 3" and less dia. filters hit the cross bar and not the guide wheels, as shown here. So unless Jegs has moved the guide wheels closer it doesn't work well (smoothly) for 3" or less diameter filters. The tell tale sign is paint gone from cross bar between the guide wheels on the cutter.

One member retro fit the Summit with bigger wheels to make it work for smaller filters.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900510/overview/
 
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Originally Posted By: bigt61
Leave the poor guy alone, doubtful he could make any money selling those - it looks expensive to me.

Just buy a Jegs.

http://www.amazon.com/JEGS-Performance-Products-Filter-Cutting/dp/B007VR8C0U

31xvog-zQDL.jpg


The Jegs 'appears' identical to the cutter sold at Summit Racing linked below. It too says filters up to 5.5" diameter. However owning the Summit cutter, 3" and less dia. filters hit the cross bar and not the guide wheels, as shown here. So unless Jegs has moved the guide wheels closer it doesn't work well (smoothly) for 3" or less diameter filters. The tell tale sign is paint gone from cross bar between the guide wheels on the cutter.

One member retro fit the Summit with bigger wheels to make it work for smaller filters.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900510/overview/


I have the same and works very well
wink.gif
 
Interesting....the clearance issue identified on the Summit cutter is using a 7317 filter, which is the same filter I use. Works like a champ with mine....

Are there smaller diameter filters than the 7317? Approx 2.7" dia
 
That looks very nice, and appears sturdy enough that it would last quite a few filters.

For those that just want to pop open a couple of filters here and there, go down to the dollar store and pick up a cheap soup can opener. Pull the gasket out of the base of the filter and go at it. Sure, it will take a few revolutions to make it through the can but for $3 who cares? Plus, it will open any size filter you throw at it. On the filter for the Ody, I think I counted about 12-15 revolutions before the base plate separated from the rest of the can.

If you really want to be fancy, go by the local thrift shop and see if they have any old plug-in electric openers. Now you're living the good life!
 
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