Time has come to down the hammer and screwdriver and try something a bit kinder to the headset cups. Thinking about getting some plastic or copper pipe and splitting the end, anybody tried this or have any other recommendations? Cheers.

Usually use an old steel steerer tube at an angle, if you see the mushrooming on it after prolonged use, you may consider plastic or copper as not being up to the job.

Hi I made the tools very easily -loads of instructions on the net
Got a length of copper pipe off a plumbing mate cross cut about 6cm down bent the bits out abut and filed any ruff bits of the ends
Then a length of threaded rod and 2 bolts with 3 metal washers each side of headtube
Put a wood or plastic washer against the actual face of the head tube to protect it when presing in
Remember to put a bit of copper grease on the head tube faces to make future removal even easier
When you press the new cups in do 1 at a time as its very hard to keep them straight doing both at once

Old seat post cut off the clamp area, two cuts at the other end split open a bit and job done. Pull through headset and smack with big hammer.

I use a LONG bit of steel tube. Flare it at one end with a couple of slots as above.

Instead of hitting the tube with a hammer with the frame braced, lift and hold the frame with the tube butted against the headset cup and bang the other end of it on the floor or something else solid (that won’t mark or won’t matter). That way there’s no real forces going through the fraem other than at the headtube so you don’t risk denting it where it rests on something solid

I had a homemade headset removal tool made from 28mm copper pipe. It only lasted 2 headsets before it mangled and was completely unusable.

If you can get steel pipe then it would work better the copper just wasn’t strong enough.

In the end as i was ordering stuff from rose i added one of these to my basket and for £15 it was a lot less hassle then making a new one.

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/xtreme-ejector-drift-for-headset-shells-1-18/aid:180264

I bought a superstar removal tool. Not that expensive really and as you’d expect for a tool made for the job – its a hell of a lot easier than an old seatpost! Next purchase will be a crown race remover.

A piece of steel frame tube works well as a cup remover

I use an old motorbike wheel spindle- pretty much ideal.