Instead of spending the $70.00 (or more) for a commercial headset press, you can make a very effective one using parts readily available at any hardware store for less than $5.00.
What is a headset, let alone a headset press?
A headset is a set a bearings and cups that hold a fork/steerer into a bicycle frame. If you are ever in the situation where you need to connect a fork to a bicycle frame, you may encounter the problem of having to press in the upper and lower cups of the headset into the bicycle's main frame. This can be tricky since it requires a lot of force to do so and the cups tend to wobble around in a way that makes it difficult to get them mounted properly. A headset press is a tool that allows one to properly mount the cups with a minimum of frustration and effort.
Why is this article posted here?
Well I'll bet someone at DKos is bound to run into this problem at some point, and if just one person is helped with this article, then it's worth it. Also, I'll bet google might pick up some of the key words in this article, so maybe non-DKos web surfers might be able to pick it up and be helped by it.
The main ingredients
A tie-rod (I got 3/8", though it should work just as well with other sizes, so long as it's strong enough to withstand a lot of stretching force).
Several washers that vary in size from 1/2" to about 2" (I used 4 on each end, so a total of 8).
2 nuts.
The procedure:
Cut the tie rod with a hack saw so that it's about a few inches longer than the bike frame's head tube. (note: leave a nut near the location of the cut, and then screw it off after you made the cut. This will clean up the frayed end and allow for smooth operation of the nut/tie-rod complex)
Put some grease around the edge of one of the cups (note: it's easiest to put only one cup on at a time with this tool) and place it on the edge of the head tube. On one end of the tie rod, screw in a nut (leaving an inch or so of tie rod on one end of the nut) and then on the long end put in the succession of washers from small to large. Insert the tie rod into the head tube and thru the positioned cup and then on the other end put in a succession of washers in the reverse order followed by the other nut.
Now the tricky part
Slowly turn the nuts so that the cup is firmly pressed against the headtube and make sure the tie rod is as centered and paralell to the head tube as possible. As you turn the nuts, more likely than not, the cup will start to go in crooked! So what do you do? Instead of loosening the nuts, simply tap on the large washer that is over whichever edge of the cup is furthest away from the head tube. Don't worry about damaging the frame Obviously don't bang away like a crazy loon but several small taps should not be a problem. Also, most headset cups are some sort of aluminum/alloy, whereas most frames are made of a harder metal such as Cro-Moly or steel. So the frame should be able to withstand the pressures of a cup going in wrong and then being adjusted with taps.
So turn gently, inspect for straightness, tap tap tap, turn gently, inspect for straightness, tap tap tap, turn, etc etc until the friggin cup is finally fully set into the friggin frame!
Repeat the process for the other cup.
Voila. And you only spent $5.00 instead of >$70.00 for a tool you may only use once, or worse go grovelling to a bike repair professional who might lecture you on how much you suck at bike repairing.
It's important to have people be able to do things themselves, rather than have to rely on experts or companies that make things like expensive tools. That's another reason for posting this here. It's a paralell to the people-powered political process that is taking away decision-making authority from the powerful lobbies and high-powered consultants that is a hallmark of the DKos experience. So there you have it.