Homemade headset press
 

I've seen the how-to for this but what I have not seen is the general parts list used.

What I've gathered:

Threaded bolt (looks like most are old axles)
Larger then 1 1/8 washer x2
Bolts x2

Is this what most get what sizes does everyone usually buy? I'm guess Home Depot will have all I need for this.

Also what do most do for the star flanged nut for homemade use?

You also need a stepped 'press' piece. I used the largest brass fittings I could find from home depot, which fit 1" perfectly.
you also want more than 2x washers, because they're not thick enough and will bend.

there is a threaded rod you can buy from home depot along with nuts. epoxy one end, which will make it easier.

Is the fitting to press the start nut in?

So you're saying glue one end and just screw down the other?

Ok, I'll probably go for four washers a side.

Thanks!

the star nut you hammer in.
headset press is to press fit the headset bearing cups into the head tube of the frame.

they require two different tools entirely.

What I was saying was I assume you used the brass fitting to to hammer the star nut in with a mallet?

Just strew a bolt into the star nut and hit it with your mallet until the star nut is 15 MM from the top .

I just used a scrap of plywood to make contact. I do one cup at a time and also use a bar clamp the keep things even whenever the cups start to skew.

It doesn't need to be this complex, but it's best if you can guide it in straight, as this will save you a lot of headache later.

you need the "stepped press" to use with the cups. if you look closely at a Park press you will see the 1" tall 'spacers' are stepped on the end. this is so they contact the correct portion of the headset.

if you just use a huge screw with washers the size of the cups you can damage the HS

http://www.parktool.com/uploads/thum...4d_430x390.jpg

I just dropped off a frame to have a HS installed. though I have done hundreds I lack the tools and $30 is an OK price for not have to mess with a mickey mouse arrangement and the frustration that goes with it

All-thread rod, 4 nuts and some fender washers works for me.

My loaded touring bike has a extended threaded steerer tube.

After a field welding repair, mid tour, in Ireland,
I pressed the headset cups back into the frame
with the threads on the fork, itself.

I find if you use smaller washer to fit inside the cups to press primarily on the part that goes into the head-tube, you have less chance of distorting the cups and causing problems.

Then again, for 6-years as a kid, I'd hammer in the headset-cups on my BMX bikes with a block of wood and a hammer and they worked OK.

I did make it over complicated and I am confident I can do this myself. I already picked up most of the pieces tonight minus the brass fitting and I hear nylon washers are also a good option.

Homemade headset presses are great. If you take your time, only do one cup at a time and make sure it goes in straight you will not hurt anything. You will see the headset being pressed in crooked well before permenant damage is created. just take your time.

I just did this last weekend. A couple of times the cups started going crooked, I stopped, tapped them back out with a mallet and started over. On both sides, 3rd time was charm. Two aborted efforts, then 3rd time cups went in straight. Truth be told, on the bottom cup, its was just slightly crooked at one point but I took a chance, gave the bolt a couple of turns and the thing sort of popped straight and in it went. I used a long bolt, two warshers on each side. I had brass fittings handy but turned out my bolt was too short to accomodate the fittings so I ended up just using washers.I read that as long as the washers contact only the flat bottom of the inside of the cup without contacting the beveled part, no worries.

For me, I've found the tool jack sweeney describes on that page is what I've made and it works well for all the uses he mentions in the article.

The easiest thing to buy is a length of "all-thread" rod in 3/8" or 1/2" diameter. It's available at any hardware or home store in lengths from 1' to 3' so buy a length you need or cut down one that's longer than necessary. Also buy two nuts and a stack of large diameter (fender) washers for use at each end. I size mine to bear on the outside edges of the cups and use a disk of leather under the washers to protect the cup edges.

I find if you make one end of the homemade tool fixed and square, it installs the cups straight the 1st time without any problems. Do this by getting a long bolt and brazing/welding the washer to the hex-end. This makes sure the washer is always 90-degrees to the head-tube axis. Use this end to press on the cup and thread the nut on the other end.

The problem with long bolts is that they generally aren't threaded full length so you need a variety of lengths to cover various headtube lengths. All-thread rod, as the name implies, are indeed threaded full length so one tool can be used for any size frame.