Any tips on how to make one of these that actually works?

Read some where once about some plastic piping of a specific diameter that does the job.

Ta

I use a block of softwood with a 32mm hole drilled through it.

I use a paint roller.

i've got a bit of white pvc pipe (that'll slip over steerer) cut it slightly longer than the steerer. invert forks and whack on ground holding brace, ideally an old crown race placed over the new crown race keeps everything nice and square- i've set every race this way and never had any issues, if you look at the posh ones they're really only expensive bits of pipe witha cap on and you whack them with a hammer instead of the floor.

Plastic waste pipe, either 32 or 40mm for 1 1/8 or 1 1/2" steerers.

Got an old 31.8mm seat clamp does the trick.

plastic pipe here too 🙂

as Lummox says, whack the pipe on the patio, holding the forks.
check every couple of whacks that its going on straight, and as long as its butted up to the crown of the fork it will straighten itself up as it reaches the crown

What about spilt crown races – they gone out of fashion?

I just put the crown race on as low as it can go on the steerer and then put the fork on the bike, pop on the top cap plus screw and tighten…the crown race moves nicely down and I add spacers as I go. Obviously no doubt some of you will claim this is heresy but I've never damaged any bearings this way.

plastic pipe & a wooden mallet

same as nuke…………..simple

issis bb cup and a 32mm slide hammer

Metal pipe from the vacuum cleaner worked a treat last night (as I was cursing the fact that split races do seem to have gone out of fashion).

hoover extension pipe

edit – beat me to it john!

Cheers lads

Park crown race setter kit + CK tool if required ;0)

If you do do it with the star nut and top cap you risk pulling it out and damaging the inside of your steerer thus possibly making installation of another one difficult. You probably won't but you could.

I've successfully used 1 1/4" waste pipe before but it's not very satisfying hence the proper tool.