Thinking of making one of these as about the same as getting the LBS to fit one.

Is it a good idea?

I bought the cheap one on wiggle after deliberating over home made or using a hammer. probably 2 or 3 times the prices of a home made one, but it made a risky difficult job the easiest thing in the world!

yes – I built two for a tenner using threaded bar, bolts and washers from B&Q. Have fitted several headsets without problems. I would adivse you fit one cup at a time and just keep checking for alignment as it goes in.

I picked up a cheap Cyclus one for something like £30-£35 after my LBS quoted around £20 to press the cups (if I remember rightly). I've only used it once to date but it was really easy. It's not a top quality tool but seems rather better than the Park one for a similar price.

Got a homemade one off Ebay as the guy was selling them for less than I could actually get the bits for. Only used it once, but it worked very well. Made sure the threaded rod was central in the head tube and the washers covered the headset cups evenly. Gentle turns with a spanner and the headset pulled in easily. Certainly better than the wood and hammer route.

Still had to pay the LBS for facing the head tube, but that was only a fiver.

Yeh do it, mine's just the job though as my last 2 frames have been from on one i've been able to press the cups in by hand!

So its just a threaded rod (10mm?), two nuts, two big metal washers and 2 nylon washers to make it easier to turn?

I bought that cyclus one, was less than £30 with a voucher at wiggle I think. Just fitted my first headset successfully with it, was dead easy. Another one at some point and it will have paid for itself.

Yup – easy to make and simple to use (pretty much as you describe bitswise)

I used these bits from wickes threaded bar, stud connector (bit more to get hold of), and washers. Works really well. I also do one cup at a time.It only costs a fiver with spares left over to give to a mate.

I use all six washers as they are pretty thin.

You can also get Park adaptors seperately to go with the studding if you want to go that bit further.

I use a weight training bar with threaded ends. The end nuts are just the right size to fit inside the headset cups and it's burly enough that I can maul a headset in very quickly.

Yep I did my pitch with a DIY threaded bar one cup at a time – dead easy.

same as nbt for me, cost me a few quid, I've fitted loads of headsets great with it. One cup at a time. But not two girls.

I use a Cyclus press too. I used to have homemade job many years ago..the Cyclus is much much better

So its just a threaded rod (10mm?), two nuts, two big metal washers and 2 nylon washers to make it easier to turn?
Thats about it really, spot on. that's what I use. Just make sure that the cups are going into the headtube dead square before you start giving it some welly, common sense really.
Or you could t*at them in with a lump of wood & a mash hammer instead, like some people.

I just use a bench vice and 2 bits of laminate flooring. Ok when bike is stripped down to frame.

Yes they work fine. I built one with a lenght of M8 screwed rod, 2 M8 bolt and 2 M8 penny washers but I added 2 bits of wood with a bit drilled out just bigger than the headset diameter wise and about 1/2-1 inch deep. thought it might cause less damage to teh headset and make sure it goes in straight. I'll try and remember to put some pics up later.

i used a 10mm bar/washers etc and it was rubbish, proper press for me everytime for easy installation.

I have used a lump of wood and a hammer (twice), I have pulled em in using the forks and SFN & the stem with spacers (once), but maybe next time I remember I will buy some stud bar from B&Q. 🙂