So, last time I talked about getting the handbrake working, I think I mentioned that I had lost the handbrake lever and despite looking everywhere for it the sodding thing was nowhere to be seen. I found another one on a well known auction site, bought it and then found the other one 2 days later. It was somewhere that I had looked at least a dozen times so clearly the workshop pixies have been messing with my head again.
The second cable arrived, I modified it the same as the first cable and set about fitting them, it was then the next show stopper put in an appearance. I could not for the life of me understand how the hand brake set up could work - there was nothing to stop the brake shoes from spinning other than the cable - well that's no good. I decided some research was in order so went indoors to have a look on youtube. The first video gave me my answer - my axle was missing two critical pieces. A bit of research on google and I found out that the cable anchorage devices were missing. Bugger. They haven't been made for 40 years, most have been scrapped, nobody has one for sale except a company in the USofA that wants 70 bucks each plus post, plus import duties.
My only real option is to make a couple, they don't need to be quite as complicated as they look, the most important bit is the spacing of the two fixing holes and the size of that stickey up bit -- that's the bit the ends of the brake shoes contact. It stops the shoes from rotating and gives a pivot point so it needs to be dimensioned and positioned very accurately. It would be so much easier if I had one to copy but I don't so I will have to do it by a bit of trial and error - it's very hard to get reference points but I reckon I can get it close enough so that a bit of fettling will see the job done.
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