My substitute chain whip

[schwa86]

I needed to get a cassette off the other day, and realized my chain whip was on loan. Looking around, I noted my trusty harbor freight $3 ratcheting clamp. (Seen here: http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps/12-in-ratcheting-bar-clampspreader-69221.html)

The pads at the ends of the jaws are a fairly soft material, they grabbed the teeth of the largest cog quite well. The bar provided great leverage. I might use it again!

[AngryScientist]

an old piece of chain with a vise grips to hold it works really well too in the absence of the right tool. good thinking with this one too though.

[Dead Man]

I needed to get a cassette off the other day, and realized my chain whip was on loan. Looking around, I noted my trusty harbor freight $3 ratcheting clamp. (Seen here: http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps/12-in-ratcheting-bar-clampspreader-69221.html)

The pads at the ends of the jaws are a fairly soft material, they grabbed the teeth of the largest cog quite well. The bar provided great leverage. I might use it again!

an old piece of chain with a vise grips to hold it works really well too in the absence of the right tool. good thinking with this one too though.

I use a piece of old chain chucked up in a bench vise

There's a lot of ways to improvise this one, fortunately. Good job finding another one, OP - stored for future potential use

[josephr]

I use a piece of old chain chucked up in a bench vise



pulling apart a wheel not realizing it had a uniglide cassette -- only had one chain whip, so the old-chain-in-the-vise worked out for that too.

quite a creative solution...lots of ways to skin a cat!

[Deucer01]

I use a channel lock type pipe wrench. It has hard rubber jaws so it's easy on the cogs. Don't remember where I got it from, I've had it for years.

[drsmile]

Pedro's vise whip is hard to beat. Fast and easy, and totally worth the $40.

[Tony]

You can make one. I made two, one a 10 sp the other an 11 sp using scrap aluminum and used or discarded chain links from my LBS. Cost less than $5.00 for both.

https://plus.google.com/photos/107709068384636814318/albums/6098280335819395921

[FlashUNC]

Pedro's vise whip is hard to beat. Fast and easy, and totally worth the $40.

Big, big fan of this. Way better than any chain whip I've used.

http://pedros.com/wp-content/uploads/ViseWhip_1.jpg

[SlackMan]

I needed to get a cassette off the other day, and realized my chain whip was on loan. Looking around, I noted my trusty harbor freight $3 ratcheting clamp. (Seen here: http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps/12-in-ratcheting-bar-clampspreader-69221.html)

The pads at the ends of the jaws are a fairly soft material, they grabbed the teeth of the largest cog quite well. The bar provided great leverage. I might use it again!

Has anyone ever tried using two of those as a headset press?

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_20332.jpg

Has anyone ever tried using two of those as a headset press?

[Dead Man]

There might be some designs out there that would allow you to get the kind of clamping force you need to do press fit cups, headset or BB.. but the one pictured would never do it. The clamping force is all hand strength against the lever, no mechanical advantage except the lightly increased power from the lever fulcrum.

These lever/trigger style clamps are the weakest clamps out there. They flex a lot and break easily, even if you do happen too have ham-fists that'll give a good squeeze.

[old fat man]

buy some threaded pipe at home depot, the appropriately sized washers (larger diameter than the outer edges of your headset cups), and nuts for either end. thread the nuts on with the washers against the headset cups until they are snug. then use a wrench to finish tightening, making sure the cups are pressing in uniformly with each small turn. i've used this homemade solution for 6 or 8 years with a few dozen headset presses over that time.

Has anyone ever tried using two of those as a headset press?

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_20332.jpg

Has anyone ever tried using two of those as a headset press?

[Dired]

Big, big fan of this. Way better than any chain whip I've used.

http://pedros.com/wp-content/uploads/ViseWhip_1.jpg

Second this! Makes pulling a cassette from a teeth damaged freehub very easy.

[Hat]

A block of wood and a hammer can also be used to install headseat cups in a pinch.

[SlackMan]

There might be some designs out there that would allow you to get the kind of clamping force you need to do press fit cups, headset or BB.. but the one pictured would never do it. The clamping force is all hand strength against the lever, no mechanical advantage except the lightly increased power from the lever fulcrum.

These lever/trigger style clamps are the weakest clamps out there. They flex a lot and break easily, even if you do happen too have ham-fists that'll give a good squeeze.

My bar clamps actually have threaded knobs you screw down to tighten. I might give them a try.

I've heard of the threaded rod / nuts solution, but if I can use something already in my workshop, that is the preferred solution. Thanks!

[Dead Man]

My bar clamps actually have threaded knobs you screw down to tighten. I might give them a try.

I've heard of the threaded rod / nuts solution, but if I can use something already in my workshop, that is the preferred solution. Thanks!

If your headset/headtube combo is anything like all the headset installs I've done, the screw knob style clamps aren't gonna cut it either. Worth a shot, I suppose. I use the all-thread/nut/washer method also, and it works well... but I've had to apply some serious muscle to the wrenches to get headsets seated- way more torque than you could get with the screws.

[Louis]

buy some threaded pipe at home depot, the appropriately sized washers (larger diameter than the outer edges of your headset cups), and nuts for either end.

This. But I think OFM mean "threaded rod" not threaded pipe.

Google "homemade headset press" and tons of stuff will come up. Use some common sense, don't apply too much force (in case the cups aren't perfectly aligned with the HT) and you'll be good to go. I've found it easier to do one cup at a time.

[Dead Man]

This. But I think OFM mean "threaded rod" not threaded pipe.



In the construction industry, we call it "all-thread." Asking for all-thread at your local building material supplier will net the rite stuff.

[25.4]

Second this! Makes pulling a cassette from a teeth damaged freehub very easy.

Anyone tried the vise whip with a 1/8th inch track cog? Pedros site says multi-speed cassettes only.

[abalone]

http://pedros.com/wp-content/uploads/ViseWhip_1.jpg

VS.

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2012/12/19/1355934943656-12omwyq2zk1zv-700-80.jpg


That's fine and dandy. Which one is better?

Pedros' Vise Whip
- or -
Abbey Crombie Tool

[JWDR]

Unless I'm missing something, those two tools perform different functions. One holds the cassette in place and one removes the lock ring?

http://pedros.com/wp-content/uploads/ViseWhip_1.jpg

VS.

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/news/2012/12/19/1355934943656-12omwyq2zk1zv-700-80.jpg


That's fine and dandy. Which one is better?

Pedros' Vise Whip
- or -
Abbey Crombie Tool

[Louis]

Unless I'm missing something, those two tools perform different functions. One holds the cassette in place and one removes the lock ring?

That's also what I thought.

To remove an installed cassette from a wheel you need one of each.

Edit: or, in place of the AC Tool, a Park lock-ring tool and your own wrench:

http://www.parktool.com/uploads/thumbnails/uploads/products/84d6e8a45c2c79f6ac7ff81bda625118539c2698_800x700.j pg

[abalone]

Oh gosh. You are right JWDR. Oops. My mistake. The Pedro's Vise Whip tool functions as a chain whip, and the Abbey Crombie tool functions to remove the cassette lockring. Both tools Should work well together.

[JWDR]

Oh gosh. You are right JWDR. Oops. My mistake. The Pedro's Vise Whip tool functions as a chain whip, and the Abbey Crombie tool functions to remove the cassette lockring. Both tools Should work well together.

The most inexpensive chain whip I home made consiteded of a 3-4 links of chain and a 20 or so link of 10s chain clamped to both sides of a really cheap seatpost salvaged from a POS bike. Worked well enough to remove any cassette but took up extra room in the tool box so I replaced with a Park chain whip bought at REI.