In order to ride the Cannonball 14 safely I felt I needed a second brake and preferably a front brake. I spent a considerable amount of time talking with people and measuring every front brake I saw at Rhinebeck. I did not see anything that would fit and look good on a Henderson. I spoke with Kent Thompson and he said his plan for his bike is to use the internal brake with a hand brake lever versus the right heel brake pedal. This made a great deal of sense. I would have a second brake operated with the hand brake lever to make starts on an incline manageable.
- Here is a Rolls motor ready to be line bored
- Here is the Vintage garage
- The Vintage Garage, several Rolls motors in the background ready to be line bored
- I showed up with my parts. The goal is to make the parts for the internal expanding brake. This was an option and impossible to find parts.
- here is the brake plate after we honed it for a new brake cam bushing
- Here is the brake cam bushing being machined
- We put a shoulder on the bushing
- The bushing in place
- Next is the outer contracting band
- I used new outer band material. My original band was beyond shot. So all these pieces came off the original and riveted on the new band
- Rivet this piece on. All these pieces are different than the standard external brake band.
- Next is the outer band. I had already cleaned up all the parts and riveted the top piece on. At his shop we then drilled and riveted the two bottom brackets that hold it all together
- Now the internal expanding band. I had bored the hole in the band and made the post. Pierce showed me how to adjust and fit it better. It is seated, peened and silver soldered
- Next we fit and riveted the two feet on the end of the bands. Once they were in we milled the two faces parallel
- Milling the faces of the feet
- Then we fit the two eye bolts to the band, drilled peened and silver soldered
- the brake cam being machined
- here it is
- Man, that looks so COOL
- here it is in place.
- This sure looks great
- Here it is with the outer band on it.
- And, here it is with the brake drum in place. The next step is to temporarily attach the brake band material and fit it on the bike.
Really enjoying watching your progress ! Email me if you have a chance please. Thanks, Dan