I was very disappointed many years ago when I first used my new Campy crown race remover, as it left marks on the race and the underside of the fork crown. Also, I tipped the end of a reinforcement tang with the hammer and took off a chip of paint. I learned to pad those areas with plastic or HB tape, but I always check first to see if my low-tech method will work first. Back in the days of Esge kickstands, we used to save the broken ones to make soft punches. (Typically, this was because some fat kid sat on a bike on the showroom floor with the kickstand down. We'd then sell the twerp's mother a Schwinn with a welded on steel kickstand.) Old crankarms can make decent punches as well.
Anyway, many crown races will come off with some gentle tapping with an aluminum or brass punch, switching from side-to-side. Most of us who no longer (or never) work(ed) in shops are not likely to be springing $180 - $250 for a special puller-type crown race remover. However, a dandy puller could be made cheaply from a small $25 bearing separator from Harbor Freight. Just get suitable long blots to thread into it and a suitable two-jaw puller. Many three-jaw pullers can be made to work, as well. You'll find that these are very versatile tools than can find lots of other uses if you like to fix things (or at least take them apart).
Steve Barner, who probably spent at least that much on his Snap-On two-jaw puller set so many years ago, Bolton, Vermont
> Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 15:09:49 EDT
> From: CYCLESTORE@aol.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Cc: CYCLESTORE@aol.com
> Subject: [CR]Re: Classicrendezvous Digest, Crown race Removal Vrs 107
>
>
> In a message dated 9/10/04 11:42:55 AM,=20
> classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
>
> << MIME-Version: 1.0
>
> Precedence: list
>
> Message: 12
>
>
> I bought all the necessary HS removal and installation tools after a
teenage=
> =20
> employee of an LBS removed my crown race with a center punch. That sort
of=20
> thing doesn't happen at shops whose owners at on this list, but most of us
a=
> re=20
> not fortunate enough to live near those shops.
>
> Jerry Moos
>
> Houston, TX >>
>
> Jerry,
>
> White Industries (or was it Stein?) had a nifty crown race removal tool
the=20
> clamps the circumference of the crown race and uses a slide hammer. Park
mak=
> es=20
> a similar cheaper more widely available unit now but both can slip off
and=20
> they can damage some crown races especially ones with grooves.
>
> Amazingly nowadays the fork crowns are often bigger than the crown races
and=
> =20
> cannot be persuaded off without one of these slide hammer tools. Now
that's=
> =20
> progress.
>
> Around here we have tool museum on the wall and in cabinets and it
sometimes=
> =20
> seems the best tool for the job is not the best tool for the job.
>
> Yours in Cycling,
>
>
> Gilbert Anderson
>
>
> North Road Bicycle Company