Bicycle Mechanics - headset install

I have a 90`s giant rincon that i received for free and i am planning to re paint the frame and re grease/replace the bearings and what not. then sell it. I live in a bicycle/college town so theres a market, anyway i took apart the headset and the crown race with a dull chisel and hammer and the head tube races pretty much just came out by hand with a twist, i was wondering if i need a headset press or if its adequate to put a piece of wood and give em a wack with a mallet when putting the new ones in? Im gonna improvise with the crown race install.... any suggestions would be much appretiated. I also have a 70`s american road bike i rebuilt and it has a bad headset i just regreased but it has indexed steering and i have had enough of it so i bought a new headset...1in, i wanted to wait to get some advice before replacing that one too.there the regular cheap steel variety. Id imagine the story would be different with a threadless headset with "sealed" bearings?

i took apart the headset and the crown race with a dull chisel and hammer and the head tube races pretty much just came out by hand with a twist, i was wondering if i need a headset press or if its adequate to put a piece of wood and give em a wack with a mallet when putting the new ones in?
I've done it that way but I would not recommend it to anyone else. If it's a tight fit and your hammering isn't nearly perfectly straight you can split the head tube.

Regarding inexpensive headsets for 1" forks, try Niagara Cycle Works. Here's a link to a decent threaded headset: http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=5238

Find a local flipper in your area and you can probably get it reinstalled for $5.

thanks, i forgot to mention i already have the new headset, tange passage, i think i might just use a piece of threaded rod and washers with some nuts to make my own "headset press"

thanks again im trying to flip the bike myself so paying someone to do some of the work isnt really appealing, thank you for the suggestion though

You probably already resolved this but I wanted to mention, if you twisted the headset off, a block and hammer is probably all you need to put it back. Start with little raps until you see it going in straight and then gently hammer the rest of thw way. I do this on my older bikes where the headsets seem to fit looser.

i think i might just use a piece of threaded rod and washers with some nuts to make my own "headset press"

I did the same thing last summer when I rebuilt my Raleigh Sports. That simple tool worked like a charm,and only cost a few bucks.