Thanks to Otis for the nudge. I decided to crank up the metal lathe and make some head set installation tools. I initially thought the idea a bit silly since I'm not likely to use such tools very often but figured I didn't want to take a chance on a set of wooden blocks and a mallet. Out in the garage I found a chunk of naval bronze about four inches long with a 1 inch bore through it, and a length of heavy wall, one inch aluminum pipe, so ...why not? I also had a huge, one inch diameter threaded "bolt", a piece of utility pole hardware, with big nuts and washers. These fittings are designed to use on that. I'd like to have thrust bearings in between the big galvanized washers and these bronze tools but I didn't have any. I may still turn some big PTFE washers to act as bearings. These were turned to fit Campagnolo Record head set cups.

And here's the crown race installation tool. The yellow brass striking head is a bit overkill, but that piece of 1 1/4 inch hex stock is all I could find handy. I made the brass pieces a press fit on the aluminum pipe and pressed them on using my hydraulic press.




The crown race removal tool will be a bit more involved. Have to hook up the little bench top milling machine.

Wow. Glad I clicked on this thread. I love when the machining threads pop up on this forum. Nice looking tools!

Thanks Orrery. Hope they work!

Damn. That's fancy!

A bit too fancy, Colonel. Just can't help myself. I was putting the finish on them and stopped myself. We're not making jewelry here, I told myself. Still, it's fun to try to turn out a nice tool. These are overkill to be sure.

I've got at least one more piece to turn. When pulling in the bottom cup, I'll use a 1/2 thick bushing of PTFE teflon cut to exactly register on the top head lug to keep the back end of the rod centered. The fit between the threaded rod and the bronze dies is a nice slide fit so though there is a bit of play between the rod and the head tube, it ought to center well. When pulling in the top cup the bottom cup die will register the rod. The die are machined to fit the flats in the cups precisely so I'm hoping there's very little slop. We'll see.

Beautiful work! I'm jealous, I want a lathe now!

So, you just happen to have a big chunk of bronze in your garage,who has that just laying around?

Very nice work!

Wow!!! Just wow....(freaking beautiful!)

Cheers,
Chris

That's not a crown race installer, that's jewelery. Beyond beautiful.

-Kurt

Brass silly, Brass.

Ok, naval bronze=brass, yep I should've known that.

I really like metal turning. That is some nice work.

Nice work. Needs drillium.

Call the Styleman.

-Kurt

We need a "show me your lathe/bridgeport" thread

Awesome parts! It's good to hear that some chips hitting the garage floor again!

Why did you not make it in the method of pulling them in rather then beating them in?
far more refined.
Bronze...I got scraps of that are too good to use for things like that!

Its a shame, basement is full of valuable scraps !

Thanks everyone. A couple of comments. "Pulling them in", Puch? I'm not sure I follow you. I guess I'll need to post a pic of those fittings mounted on the threaded bar. My basement is full of valuable scraps too. I figured, why not use some of them. That crown race installer will probably fit under the anvil of my hydraulic press with the fork straddling a chunk of wood. I can just press it down as opposed to whack it. The thought may occur to some....if you have a hydraulic press, why not just use that? Occurred to me too but the fixtures that would have been needed for that to work would be many times more involved than these.

"naval bronze=brass" Actually, bronze, not brass, which is a different alloy. Bronze is slightly easier machining due to its tin content. Brass is copper and zinc. This piece was 1 3/4 diameter with a one inch bore through it. I've got odd chunks of stuff like that around. I got most of it when I was into making high end custom hardwood and metal lamps. I also have pieces of nickel silver around, another copper alloy. The head of that crown race installer is brass, however.

In short, if I hadn't had that piece of bronze pipe and that section of aluminum around, I never would have started this project. The bore in the bronze pipe fit the 15/16 threaded rod with a nice slide fit. As anyone knows who has thought about it...which I was forced to do... the critical aspect of pressing in any race or bearing is keeping the tool in exact alignment with the axis of the head tube. There is a bit of play between the threaded rod and the head tube so I'll need a "locating fixture" on the back end of the rod as I pull in the opposite cup. To keep the rod centered in the head tube. As I said, I machined these fittings so that their drive surfaces register very precisely against the flats on the cups, with no side to side play. They sit just outside of and register against the races, but not on them. I'll machine the piece of Teflon or maybe Delrin today and post a pic of the whole tool when I get it done. The big, galvanized threaded rod is a bit crude but I had it so figured I'd try to use it.

Thanks all.

I want to be a machinist when I grow up.

Me too Noglider. I'm purely amateur. WAY amateur. One reason I resisted trying this is that it takes me a long time and I make lots of mistakes. A real machinist could have whipped these parts out in a couple of hours. Probably less. This took me nearly two days. But it is fun.
Nothing like turning copper alloys on a metal lathe. Steel? that's another story.

A materials hoarder, that's who. I've got lots of weird materials laying around, Sloar. From brass and bronze to ebony and Brazilian rosewood, old bits of ivory, sterling silver, phenolics and plastics ....even a full turtle shell, painted with brown enamel, I picked up at a yard sale 35 years ago,...quite a sad artifact.... as well as all manner of strange tools...you name it. All fodder for tinkering with the hands.

Hmmm, just remember, I inhereted a sweet lathe last year- thing is its stateside and inches(yuk)!
I have not seen it for 30 years.
I think I got a small milling machine also waiting!
more reason to move back.

rootboy-I did not see the threaded rod to pull in the races.
but that is the way they should be.

mike

I'll post a pic of the whole contraption, Mike.

Inherited a lathe and mill? Great. What kind are they, do you know?