Bicycle Mechanics - Crown race installation- Freezer method?

Has anyone tried freezing their fork and heating the crown race prior to installation? I saw this idea here:
http://www.ehow.com/tips_14185.html

I was thinking it may help a little, but was just curious if anyone had tried it before.

I've put a ring gear onto a flywheel using that method . It worked just fine.

I just use a large crescent-wrench. Drop crown-race onto fork. Place adjustable-wrench jaws around steerer-tube. Tighten it up so that it is tight on the steerer. Slide wrench down steerer until it's resting on the race. Make sure jaws of wrench is at right-angle to steerer. Then slide hammer down next to steerer-tube and hit the wrench right in between the two jaws to push on them evenly. Usually takes 1-2 blows with the hammer and that's it! :)

Haven't tried the freezer method. But as many have recommended, I took my fork to the local big box and found a piece of PVC pipe into which the steerer tube just fit. A five-foot piece was the smallest you could get, and it was $3.24. Cut off a one-foot piece, put the race on the tube, put the PVC on the tube, and hammered the race home. Very easy.

Haven't tried the freezer method. But as many have recommended, I took my fork to the local big box and found a piece of PVC pipe into which the steerer tube just fit. A five-foot piece was the smallest you could get, and it was $3.24. Cut off a one-foot piece, put the race on the tube, put the PVC on the tube, and hammered the race home. Very easy.

Tip: Place the PVC pipe on the floor and hammer the fork against the tube. Nothing like damaging your nice carbon fork to make DIY'ing more like DOA'ing.

The crown on my Colnago Starr fork had to be faced with a special tool before the race could be hammered on.

Al

Do not hold the fork with dropouts resting on the floor. They may bend while pounding the race. I've always simply wedged the fork between my hand and body and pounded the pipe with the other hand using a mallet......even on carbon fork/steerer...:)

1¼" galvinized pipe is $1.88 for a 12" peice, although threaded on each end, at ACE Hardware. I hold the fork in my left, and hammer with my right onto the pipe. I've never done this with an expensive carbon fiber fork.

The crown on my Colnago Starr fork had to be faced with a special tool before the race could be hammered on.

Al
Newbie question, what does it mean when it has to be faced?

I almost tried this today but it had CF blades so I wasnt sure..but that thing was just a ***** to get on...damn you chris king and your tight ****ing tolerances

1¼" galvinized pipe is $1.88 for a 12" peice, although threaded on each end, at ACE Hardware. I hold the fork in my left, and hammer with my right onto the pipe. I've never done this with an expensive carbon fiber fork.

A piece of copper drain tube (1.5" I think) works too. It a better than steel pipe since it's softer material and has more heft than the PVC pipe suggested above. I sweated a cap onto the end of it so that I have something to tap on if I have to use a hammer but, really, you should be able to get the race on by picking the pipe (or crownsetter) up and dropping it on the race several times. I seldom have to use a hammer at all.

Newbie question, what does it mean when it has to be faced?

Facing is where you use a cutting tool to take a little material off to make sure that everything is smooth and parallel. It's common to face a head tube or a bottom bracket. Facing a crown on a fork is less common.