Hi all, I'm new here and looking for some help. I just inherited my dad's old Peugeot from the 70's and I'm trying to fix it up and turn it into a fixed gear. Before I even attempt to describe the problem let me tell you that I am completely 100% new to trying to fix bikes. I got pretty much everything off the bike and got to the crank. With no idea about how to take off normal cranks or how cranks work, i just started unscrewing stuff (good idea right?). Well I started by unscrewing the part that is right up against the frame (I don't know what it's called). This eventually came undone to expose the ball bearings. As I started pulling and moving stuff around the ball bearings started coming out and falling down into the tubes. I got all of them out (you can see them in the picture on that piece of paper towel).

I have three questions.

1. How do I remove these cranks? I have found that these are cottered cranks (right??) and looked up the common ways of getting them out. I have smacked away at the screw trying to get it loose and it has done nothing but mushroom the screw head making it impossible to put the nut back on. Any other ideas? Also, the other side doesn't even have a screw coming out, it looks like someone tried to drill it out or something (see picture).

2. How do I put the ball bearings back? Do I just put them back where they belong? It seems like they would just fall right out, there is nothing on the other side keeping it in? I should probably wash them off to get the dirt and stuff off right?

3. This seemed to be working just fine before I decided to mess with it. Should I just put it back together? Do I just put the ball bearings back in and screw it back and try to put the cap back on the screw I smacked away at?

Advice please!

Thanks,
Matt