Homemade headset press

Hi Folks

Was just wondering has anyone made their own press similar to the one in this video?

My main question is where to get the parts for it, without having to buy 10s/50s/100s 😀

I’m in N.I but just some general pointers would be good

Local, old fashioned hardware store. Should have draws of nuts and washers for a few pence each. They’ll have the studding too. Does the job nicely enough.

Ok I’ll have to wait till the weekend then :|, old fashioned hardware stores have old fashioned opening times 😀

I bought the bits at homebase iirc, I found packs of ten were ok as you needed a few washers either end so they didn’t flex when you applied pressure

How little threaded rod can you buy?

Done it before using threaded rod, big washers and wing nuts. Carefully tap in a bit before pressing. It’s not brilliant though so got a Cyclus Headset Press. At the time it was £30. Seems to have gone up in price a bit now though.

Yea they are very expensive for a seemingly simple piece of kit

Yep, I’ve made one too.
Went to B&Q for the bits here, threaded rod was the most annoying bit IIRC as I had to buy far more than I was ever going to need! Just hacksawed it to the right length and put the rest in the back of the shed.
Worked quite well with just the washers, but I did modify it a bit to use some bits of wood (ply) rather than metal washers on my new shiny hope headset as I was slightly paranoid about marking it.
That said I didn’t mark any of the headsets before the hope with just the washers!
Crack on, you’ll save a fortune!

Yes, then i bought a cheap proper one. But when everything started going to tapered the cups were too bikg so I had to bodge a bit again. I found a flat piece of wood with a big hole drilled through was good for pressing in the bearings when I couldn’t find washers.

years ago i faffed around with all sorts of internet wisdom diy headset presses, but when i bought a proper one, not an expensive one either, i kicked myself i hadnt done so before.

Ebay for a bit of threaded rod? Bound to find someone who sell it in a 30/50cm length.

Though to echo Gav above, my old bodged rod/washers/randon cup things I found in the old mans tool box was okay but a proper tool was so much better. Depends how many headsets you want to change.

Or for washers go to sxrewfix and buy the big box of a thousand and all shapes and sizes for a tenner, and never run out of washers or use the wrong size again!

I needed a headset press about a month ago, couldn’t find anywhere selling washers big enough to do 56mm cups so I ended up buying a Park Tool press.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/park-tool-headset-bmx-bb-bearing-cup-press-hhp3/rp-prod12326

Tried it, pain in the arse and nearly junked a frame. If your going to do it, go big gauge 1″. Don’t fanny about with m8 kinda stuff.

Block of wood. A hammer, and not being ham fisted does the job fine. Little taps with a big hammer.

go down to any big commercial/ industrial jobs in your area. or if you know a plumber/ sparkie / hvac mate. there will be heaps of rod, washers and nuts lying about.

i made one a few years ago for a dreaded press fit bb. but to be honest it can be tricky to get it square and to flush even. i wouldn’t faff about if i had to do it again to be honest.

Similar to the above experiences, used mainly for 1 1/8 not the greatest if you ask me. When tried on the 1.5 I almost made a complete mess of it and had to resort to a piece of wood and a lump hammer. Invest in in a proper tool or just get the local LBS to do it save yourself some grief.

Ok well I’ll try B&Q tomorrow, should I go for M10 then?

Unfortunately no LBS in my town, nearest one about 15 miles.

It’s only one headset (cheapo halfrauds bike) bought a nice FSA one to replace the rubbish they put in, only really bothering because I like to muck around with stuff.

Another question; if I buy an actual press, does it do all sizes of headsets/cups?

http://www.swiftscrewproducts.co.uk

You near Belfast?

Try these guys.

I made one, and a “proper” one, but I use a rubber mallet and a bit of wood most of the time. Sometimes the other ones twist the headset and screw up the logo alignment (or the angleset alignment, if you’re doing that). Hammering isn’t foolproof but that’s OK- if you’re enough of a fool you can destroy anything after all

I’m not unfortunately Simon_Semtex, cheers though

I’m a disaster, I’ll just end up hammering the bearing cages into ovals

Dougie.. where are you in Norn Iron?

Banbridge

For me, it’s all about keeping it centred. Especially when the cups are tight.
So a cyclus style stepped press makes life much much much easier.
And then you need a different one because your tool isn’t wide enough for tapered headtubes.

Dougie….. Best place for you is Dunn and Co in Downpatrick. They will have all that stuff on the shelf. Bit of a trek though… 28miles.

Or give these guys a call: http://www.roscoeng.co.uk/
They’re in Richhill. (14 miles) They won’t have anything on the shelf but will know someone who has.

Thanks for all the replies folks.

PS. there should be a like button

Its much easier to pull the cups in straight if you lock the bottom washer in place with a nut either side, then tighten using a 3rd nut on top of the top washer. I used M16 screwed rod from a local tool shop.

OP,For the sake of convenience I bought one from Ebay a few years ago,you can still get them on there for less than a tenner,have a look.
Mine’s done at least 3 headsets & I’ve used it for fitting frame bearings,great value for money.

I just use anti seize paste a rubber mallet. Don’t even bother with the wood.
I’ve once used a massive bench vice with wooden plates as jaws. The mallet was less of a faff though.

Yes didnt work, still pulled them in on the skew. I was so careful too. I really don’t understand why it didn’t work as expected.
Beat them in with a rubber hammer since.

So it seems rubber mallet is coming out on top, I have one too. They are the integrated type bearings, so no worries about logos or anything.

I am great at destroying things though. 😥

Bustaspoke- I see the one you are talking about, looks good I like the bearings.

I did exactly this using pilfered threaded bar and nuts from on of our sites, works a treat. Press fit BB’s also

Well I got the parts, cost me all of 4 quid and the bearings have been pressed. It was a faff, requiring the odd hammer tap, but it worked. 😀

Doesn’t anyone just use a vice? Couple of bits of pine to cushion.
Just me?

Sometimes when it’s just bearings in the frame you can slot then on with your fingers.

I generally just use a rubber mallet. But do have a home made press I made for a press fit bb. I’m sure a proper one works nicer but I just wanted to make one.

I’ve used a black and decker workmate in the past but have made a headset/BB press like the OP pictured but found some metal plates at work that should be a lot stronger than washers

I couple of years ago I couldn’t find my press so in frustration used similar to theses http://www.screwfix.com/p/maypole-ladder-clamps-2-pack/8808r off of the van using big penny washers. Worked a treat. Still haven’t found that bloody press!

oldtalent – Member
Yes didnt work, still pulled them in on the skew

IME you can’t pull a headset in, in one hit generally. You start it, then slacken the tool and move it inline with any high spots, pull them in a little before re-centreing and pulling the whole shebang in plumb.

Trouble with threaded bar generally is the finer thread pitch means it takes ages to screw on and off. Proper tools have a steeper thread so it’s nice and quick.

IME you can’t pull a headset in, in one hit generally. You start it, then slacken the tool and move it inline with any high spots, pull them in a little before re-centreing and pulling the whole shebang in plumb.

This is why stepped inserts win.

they pull it in central.

Also good headset presses have a fine thread for pulling them in controlled on one end – and they have a course thread on the other for setting the tool up quickly.

for the 30 quid they cost for a cyclus one i wouldnt be **** about trying to make one out of bar/nuts and washers……. if i had my lathe i might have turned one as a project but not thinking i was saving money.

Yea the thread pitch is a PITA, I think my press would work great if I got some of the washers tack welded to the nuts.