Being a tool guy who often 'rolls his own' (last one was a rivnut set tool make by modifying a poprivet gun), I set out to make a cotter remover today. Took a C clamp, drilled a 10mm hole in the foot for the cotter to pop thru, replace the bar screw with a hardened bolt with a nice concave tip, and put it to the task.

Applied some CRC 5-56 to the cotter and let it work in. Three revolutions against the tip of the cotter and......... the cheap cast steel C clamp opened up into about 10 degrees less than a full C. Oh well. Note to self: skip the cheap tool table at the flee market next summer.

Wonder if I could machine tips for my 24" bolt cutter to emulate the Var tool? Or, Monday, I'll try an autoparts store for the ball joint splitter.

On the DL-1: By this time tomorrow I'll either be doing the happy dance, or just plain accepting it was too good to be true. The owner correctly identified her bike as having brakes actuated by rods and levers. Free to good home....