bulgie 

Ha, and here I was thinking you were on Orcas Island! I was going to offer my cotterpin services in Seattle. Even from Orcas that's a bit of a slog, but Orcas and other San Juan Islands dwellers sometimes have some other reason to come to the mainland, so a meetup in Seattle wouldn't be too far-fetched especially if you're not in a hurry, can wait until there was some other reason to come here. But NorCal is a whole 'nother story!

I did my first overhauls on cottered cranks in the late '60s. The shop I worked at starting in '71 had a half-price Winter Overhaul deal, and I probably did a hundred of them. I don't think I was ever stumped by a stuck cotter. (Of course just cuz you don't remember something doesn't mean it didn't happen, but I think I would remember that.)

I have a VAR No.7 cotter press (the BIG one)*, but honestly I still prefer a hammer. It's just faster, and always works for me (when combined with heat and a couple other tricks). No, I'm not recommending the hammer for average mechanics, but after a hundred or so, and having been taught by really old-school guys, I deserve to have my quirks and crochets. I'll use the VAR if someone can't bear to watch me hit their bike with a hammer, it'll just take a few seconds longer. Or you can just look the other way... (* A Bikesmith/Stonich press is probably better than a VAR, but the VAR is pretty good, and very impressive due to it's being so ridiculously large.)

It's true, back in the '70s we didn't have to be so careful to preserve the old pins, because we had an endless supply of good replacements. But I still don't shy away from the "impactful" method because (1) I don't ruin cotters, and (2) even if I do, I still have a decent stash of old high-quality ones in all the common sizes.

If you haven't been trained in cotters by someone experienced, then I don't recommend learning on such a nice bike as this Follis. Of course you can do as you please, but my recommendation is to find someone experienced to take it to.

MarkB in Seattle