I know this isn't a new idea, but I tried it last night and it worked like a charm! I've been debating buying one of the bikesmith cotter presses for some time, but I've been discouraged by the $59 price +$7 S&H. I've set various alerts for cotter presses, but people rarely seem to sell used cotter presses. In the meantime, I've used Sheldon's method of supporting the crank arm and whacking with a hammer--with less than adequate success, especially when installing a new cotter pin. I've also tried the VAR cotter press at my LBS, which is awesome but even more pricey than the bikesmith tool, if you can even find one.

So, there I was late last night, struggling to knock out a cotter pin with a hammer, and thinking about making plans to go to Harbor Freight this weekend to give Amesja's ingenious idea for modified cotter press a try. Then I said, why not just put this thing in my bench vise? So, I taped an empty socket to the crank arm as a receptacle for the cotter pin, took off the wheels, and put the frame/crank in my bench vise. (The tape was just to hold the socket in place while I lifted the bike.) I added some scrap wood between my workbench and the frame so it wasn't just held by the clamped cotter pin/socket. This also helps support the frame once the pin releases. Then I tightened the vise on the socket/cotter pin, and...voila!...out came the cotter pin. (Alternatively, I suppose you could also remove your vice from your bench, and bring it to your bike.)

I'll still keep an eye out for a VAR cotter press (I'm a sucker for tools as much as vintage bikes) but I'm in no hurry to buy a cotter press now that I know my vice and socket are up to the task.

Thought this tip might be useful to other cheapskates with cottered cranks.

I've used that technique in the past, and it does work. I only used it to remove the cotter, but bought a press by the time I was ready to install the cotters. Since the vast majority of my bikes have cottered cranks, it is really a necessity to have a cotter tool, because if a cotter is loose on a fully assembled bike, I don't want to have to try lifting it up to the vise. If I only had one or two bikes that were cottered, I'd probably not have opted for the tool.

That's the method I've been using too, and it's never failed me! The only hassle is clearing off enough space on the workbench to lay the frame up there horizontally

I've never had much luck with the jumbo c-clamp method, but the vise always works.

Agreed. In this instance, the bike was stripped except for the cranks.

Yes, this is a problem. In fact, I nearly knocked over my beer!

I saw video on Youtube Where a 6" bench vise was wheeled up to the cottered crank on top of a Skate board. It was at the perfect height and allowed for removing or installing the cotters without either stripping the bike or needing to support the sideways mounted frame. I acquired a cheap indian-made bench vise for just such occassions. In the past, I have also used a "heavy-duty" 'C' clamp (the kind that require a wrench to tighten), with great results. Of course, in both cases, a socket is needed to complete the arrangement.

I've been working around a partially disassembled espresso machine for a few months now. I have to get around to brazing some new water lines before I forget how to put it back together...

The bench vise sounds like a good idea and was probably quicker than my approach.

I used a socket and c-clamp to remove one of the cotters on my old Raleigh but sprung the c-clamp on the second. So I just took a break from the bike work and made myself a cotter press. It's only been used a couple of times but has performed flawlessly on two different early 70's Raleighs so far and cost me nothing but a little time and scrap material.

I've used a 4" MACHINIST (fine threads) C clamp. (and a few hours pre soak with penetrating oil)
I'm 4 for 4 cotters so far.

What's a thread without pictures? Here's the victim (with my first oxalic acid bath in the background).

If you need to borrow my cotter press to re install let me know.

I did that in some cases of particulary stubborn cotters and it worked OK.

Many thanks for the offer. I'm encouraged by the preliminary results with the vice, but I've been working on low-end bikes. If I get my hands in a nice bike with cottered cranks, I may just take you up on that.

I guess that must be a universal experience when using a vise to remove cotters! I like beer enough that between knocking over a beer and dropping a frame, I'm not sure which would win out in that circumstance!

16 dollar cotter press that someone here showed us how to make. Works everytime for me.

3SS