I am looking for a budget head tube reamer/facer shipped within the USA. Preferably with 34mm cutting tools but I will also need 44 in the future…
Nearby framebuilder + 6pack.
There’s no such thing as an affordable head tube ream/face tool, really. The IceToolz stuff used to be pretty cheap but you get what you pay for and I’m not sure they still exist.
-Walt
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I think that is the truth. I want the Cyclus tools reamer but I cannot find reliable distribution in the US and do not want to pay shipping over seas.
Shipping from the UK from Ceeway is pretty cheap, FWIW. Royal post and USPS have a relationship going back 200+ years and it’s very inexpensive for most things.
-Walt
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Also, check with the german online for Cyclus. I bought a whole bunch of frame tools a while back and it was cheaper including the shipping than I could get from the local distributor. The quality is good enough for production. Getting the cutters resharpened locally is not cheap though.
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Remember that the reamers only cut at the shoulder, the rest is just there to clear chips. You can sharpen them yourself really easily with a dremel or even just a bench grinder/some moderate care. I’ve done something like 500 frames on my King reamer (yes, they made a few sets when Sean and I talked them into doing 44mm headsets way back in the day of the dinosaurs) and never paid a dime to have them sharpened. I’m sure I’ve sharpened it 10 times on the bench grinder.
-Walt
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For what it’s worth, if there are any folks out there without a Q/Park account, I could, cough end up needing a new set of tools and they could, ahem, fall off the truck at your shop for wholesale price, plus a reasonable markup of ahem around zero.
Officially that would be MAP, of course. If you tell anyone otherwise I send Guido to break your kneecaps.
Ahem.
-Walt
12 Likes
Yeah, I had a crack at sharpening one and it turned out ok. Definitely cut really well again after. I’m at a point where they all need a touch up and am probably confident enough to do it myself. So might just put an afternoon aside and get it done. There is a dude in Melbourne who specialises in sharpening bike specific tools but it’s pricey getting them down and back and the sharpening fee.
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I bought this Unior HT reamer and facer thinking it would work for 44mm HT but it’s for smaller diameters.
The diameter of the reamer is 33mm which appears to be an older standard for an ID headset. The diameter of the facer is 44mm. Both of these are too small for a 44mm headset, however the facer is large enough to work as a facer for BSA bottom brackets.
So I did have to buy a Park Tool 44mm Reamer
I also got the Park Tool XXL (65mm) HT facer, but I noticed this Park Tool XL (57mm) HT facer recently on sale.
https://mybikeshop.com/products/park-tool-57mm-oversized-facer.html
I was able to do some modifications to the Unior handle along with buying some longer threaded rod because the Unior rod is too short for an HT longer than maybe 150-160mm. There system is designed to be used for both BB and HT, but in reality it only works for BBs due to the length of the rod.
I also had to machine some end cup bearings (silver) because the Unior end bearing (black) diameter is too small.
Unfortunately it looks like the Park Tool HT Reamer and Facer set comes with a 30mm reamer and 45mm facer so you would have to buy the extra reamer and facer anyway. Also it appears that Unior is sold out of the “frames” you also need to make my set up work.
I think my set up with HT reamer and facer and BB BSA taps and reamer, and everything else ended up being about $600-$700 along with maybe 8-12 hours worth of “figuring out” and machining to get it all to work with various length HTs.
For Park Tool HT Reamer/Facer Handle (Only) - $300
Park Tool 57mm facer - $120
Park Tool 44mm reamer - $200
Total - $620
For about the same cost I also have BB thread cutting ability but needed to do a lot to get it to work. If you are already set up with BB threading and facing, then you probably just want to buy the Park Tool HT reamer/facer setup.
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I sharpened a few seat post reamers from Cyclus recently on a belt grinder and had good results with a 3M Trizact belt on an angled table.
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If you ever watch the knife sharpening people at the farmer’s market, they’re just going at it with a big belt sander. Not rocket science. You should be a little more careful with expensive bike tools but you don’t need anything but a reasonably steady hand and something abrasive when it comes right down to it.
-Walt
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