I have a small...very small supply of NOS cotters, and I am sure in a pinch I could find a suitable substitute. The current crop of available cotter pins leave a lot to be desired(they are pressed and stamped rather than machined)
Most people don't know how to remove them properly and therefor botch the job and blame it on the crank. I have been taking them off for years with various methods ranging from a wood block and ballpeen hammer, a c-clamp and socket as well as a proper
cotter press.
Sianlle I envy your machining abilities, it is a skill that I have yet to acquire, I can weld after a fashion and my soldering and brazing skills are adequate.
I think my love of the British bikes stems from their mechanical simplicity and extreme durability. I have seen a 70 year old Raleigh that was rescued from the ashes of a garage fire, I have a 55+ year old Hercules that was rescued from a town dump in New Hampshire. My 1971 Sports Standard has spent it's life as a commuter from 1982 until it's semi retirement in 1997(probably in excess of 32,000 miles). I rode it, my brother rode it, my sister rode it, I got it back and rode it some more. And the stories go on. I have ridden with the
ABCE Tour it is much more than just the bikes, it is the history of the bikes, the sheer enjoyment and appreciation of them and a simpler time when quality really counted.
Aaron