MAKING A CLEVIS END FOR FRONT BRAKE CABLE

1

This isn’t a Sunbeam clevis (if I had one I wouldn’t be making one) but it gives you the idea. The raw material I’ll be making it from is this piece of ½in stainless square bar. 2

Using an ‘oddleg’ caliper to score a centre line on the bar, I made initial dots with an automatic centre punch before enlarging them with a hammer and punch. 3

With the bar in a vice on the pillar drill I made a row of holes, slightly smaller than the groove in the clevis and small enough not to run into each other when drilling. 4

Next, join the holes with a hacksaw; cut carefully as the blade may snag, keep slightly inboard of the outer edge of the holes so as not to accidentally enlarge the slot. 5

Filing will most controllably open the slot to size – the secret is not to use battered old files. Properly sharp, they will remove metal quickly and safely. 6

Having said that, if you have access to a milling machine, that can be used for this part of the job to save the effort of hand finishing... 7

The part-made clevis then goes into a four-jaw chuck on the lathe; a three-jaw chuck can’t grip a four-sided bar. First I drilled the hole for the cable attachment... 8

... then turned the round diameter for the wrist of the clevis. While still in the lathe I put a tap in the tailstock drill chuck and started the thread for the cable by hand. 9

After that, all that was left was to cross-drill and tap for the pivot screw (also turned on the lathe) and polish it all up on the buffing wheel.