# Resilion brake cable clone



## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

After years of being a lurking Caber, I  have chosen to share some projects on my 1952 Claud Butler Ladyback Tandem.
It's not in the mainstream of TOC or balloon tire tank bikes, but may be seen as general entertainment and knowledge. 

When I acquired this very complete bike, it was rideable, but the rear brake cable was almost unmoveable, so no rear brakes.

A lot of research into these original equipment brakes turned up nothing available for replacement cables. Resilion cantilever brakes were very effective when first invented around 1928, but since then were outshined by lighter and more powerful caliper brakes.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

So, looking at the cable, I decided to clone the assembly with modern cables and housings, rather than take it apart to harvest the fittings.
I reasoned that since I couldn't find original cloth covered cable housing,  I'd fabricate the assembly adhering to the original sample I had.


Fully equipped with the proper sizes, all I had to do was order a roll of cable housing,  a long tandem sized length of rear brake cable and a couple front cables. Then find some brass, and start machining every piece from scratch.


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## juvela (Jan 9, 2022)

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@dnc1 


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

Here's Claud when I got him.


The rear brake cable is the most complex assembly known to cycling!
As seen here, it threads down round the captain's bb, where there's a take-up assembly, then splits on its way up the curved stoker seatpost, where another take-up assembly fits inside the splitter housing,  then threads into each cantilever post, and terminates at the brake shoe, all sleeved with internal springs.  YEESH!


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

So, the stuff came. Now it was my turn to get busy on the lathe.






Here's what thes brakes look like bolted to the seatstay


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

I started with the hardest component,  the splitter housing. 


My first few attempts were not successful.  I made a forming tool out of aluminum to hold the shape while I pressed it.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

I ordered soft formable



 brass from Mcmaster-Carr .
This shot shows the form tool and various attempts at getting something that looked good and functioned as original.
_Remember each attempt needed a newly machined brass blank._


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

Now on to the rest of the bits. Lunchtime at work is an hour. This gives me time to plan and get little steps done through the week.


The steps made developing the oval shape using the form tool.


The effects of different material hardness


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

I soaked the brakes in evaporust.  They cleaned up nice. The replacement koolstops fit really close.


You can see the unfinised threaded hex stud here. Original thread is something like 3/16-24 british bicycle oddness which no tap can be readily found.  I believe a M5 metric hex nut fit best...


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

Every ferrule was hand turned.
These originally would probably have been made on a multi spindle screw machine.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

The take up adjuster was crafted using S.A.E. threads that look close.



Original on the left.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

This is one side of the part of the cable that terminates at each canteliver.  


The slotted tee mounts on each leg of the canteliver. Then, there is a spring inside hollowed out telescoping sleeves that give the tension when pulling the cable. I got the springs from Mcmaster-Carr, sized from wire dia, spring dia and length of original ones


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## dnc1 (Jan 9, 2022)

'Resilion' brakes have a pretty varied reputation over here. People either really love them, or really hate them, depending on who you talk to.
I don't have any experience of owning or using a bike fitted with them personally. 
Occasionally you see genuine 'Resilion' dealership parts boxes come up for sale (I've seen a couple in the last 6 months on Ebay) but they sell for good money (high prices) usually.
I think what you're attempting is pretty admirable in terms of keeping things as they were were when you acquired the machine. If somewhat difficult/time consuming/frustrating to achieve.
I'm wondering if your tandem is a little earlier in date than you believe it to be.
I think 'Resilion' cantilevers could have been an option in 1952, but hub drum brakes and/or GB calipers may have been more likely by that time..
I'll see what info I can dig up.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

Now that all the machining was done, it was time to assemble it. I made a jig to locate each sub assembly so I could silver solder the splitter junction


I used the original assembly to fit some aluminum angle that I machined, then mounted each piece to a plastic base.
You can see the cable junction that needs to be exposed for soldering 


Original sample. Note steel plate between angles protecting plastic from brazing torch.


Cloned replacement


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

dnc1 said:


> 'Resilion' brakes have a pretty varied reputation over here. People either really love them, or really hate them, depending on who you talk to.
> I don't have any experience of owning or using a bike fitted with them personally.
> Occasionally you see genuine 'Resilion' dealership parts boxes come up for sale (I've seen a couple in the last 6 months on Ebay) but they sell for good money (high prices) usually.
> I think what you're attempting is pretty admirable in terms of keeping things as they were were when you acquired the machine. If somewhat difficult/time consuming/frustrating to achieve.
> ...



I thought this bike was pre-war, but a couple features point to 1952.


Serial number for these years is pretty well documented.



Williams cranks dates to 1950.
Seems old, but not unusual
To have 2 yr old stock for tandem specific items..


Cyclo gears are post-war "C" design


And mid rails between chainstays and seatstays are post-war only.


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## Huguenot (Jan 9, 2022)

Bazil4696 said:


> I started with the hardest component,  the splitter housing. View attachment 1545357
> My first few attempts were not successful.  I made a forming tool out of aluminum to hold the shape while I pressed it.



Looks quite a bit like a 30-06 case with the head cut off, wonder how far off they are size-wise?


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## Huguenot (Jan 9, 2022)

Bazil4696 said:


> Now that all the machining was done, it was time to assemble it. I made a jig to locate each sub assembly so I could silver solder the splitter junctionView attachment 1545404
> I used the original assembly to fit some aluminum angle that I machined, then mounted each piece to a plastic base.
> You can see the cable junction that needs to be exposed for soldering View attachment 1545407
> Original sample. Note steel plate between angles protecting plastic from brazing torch.View attachment 1545408
> Cloned replacement



I really enjoy seeing this type of detail machine/fabrication work. More please.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

Huguenot said:


> Looks quite a bit like a 30-06 case with the head cut off, wonder how far off they are size-wise?



The narrow wall shown in the pictures is only as deep as the flattened crimp feature. The inside dia of the small diameter functions to sleeve the adjuster and is thicker walled, just to provide a sliding fit for the take-up, and support the hex adjusting nut at the face.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

First mid cable take-up at captain's seatpost


The final take-up fits inside the splitter housing, mounted on the stoker's seatpost, then there are two more adjustable sleeves on each canteliver to tune and centre the brake pad on the rim.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

I chose to mount the cable on the mid- cross bar, because of how it fit, but as you can see, it does fit across the boom tube as well. The boom tube fit was how it was purchased  I'm not sure which way is correct yet.
I plan on making brass cable clamps to finish the job, once I've made a new front brake cable and a new cyclo dual cable shifter assembly.





Cable across boom tube as purchased.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

I had to rebuild the headset and all 4 pedals in a hurry, because old Claud got himself a gig on a music video... so, no pictures, but the serial number on the steer tube matched the frame..

Try this link:





The theme is that he misses his girl,  and the visual is the empty tandem seat.
It's wierd to watch your bike get stolen!


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)




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## dnc1 (Jan 9, 2022)

Bazil4696 said:


> I thought this bike was pre-war, but a couple features point to 1952.View attachment 1545409
> Serial number for these years is pretty well documented.
> View attachment 1545410
> Williams cranks dates to 1950.
> ...



Looks like you're right re. the frame number and chainsets.
In the 1940 catalogue it seems you could specify 'Resilion' s' or hub brakes, or any combination of two brakes.
In the 1952 catalogue only alloy calipers or hub brakes were being offered, but considering 'Claud Butler's' reputation for custom building to the buyers specifications it is possible I guess that someone ordered one with 'Resilion's'.
There were also 3 options on frame construction around that pre and immediately post war era but by 1952 it seems that the lugless construction was all that was available except to special order.
These things really are a minefield to determine. 
But they're all at the upper end of bicycle quality.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 9, 2022)

Yes, you nailed it with the quirkiness of the historic components, considering what was available, in England by 1952.
Those days imports were taxed to death, even worse than the staggering tax on English goods, which would encourage buyers to shop at home.
 It's equipped with Airlite hubs and Dunlop 26 x 1 1/4 rims. Seems the the purchaser may have had a "prewar" wish list that got held up for years by world events before he was able to place his order. Hindsight speculation can dream up many scenarios!
The real mystery is how it wound up in Canada, and never got one single upgrade over 70 years. It even has the original "shockstop" grips on both bars, which are getting pretty crumbly.


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## Huguenot (Jan 10, 2022)

Bazil4696 said:


> View attachment 1545438
> First mid cable take-up at captain's seatpostView attachment 1545439
> The final take-up fits inside the splitter housing, mounted on the stoker's seatpost, then there are two more adjustable sleeves on each canteliver to tune and centre the brake pad on the rim.



Very nice machine work, thanks for posting. I realize that you are going to great lengths to keep this bike original, so this is only a comment rather than suggestion. That final pic makes me wonder why the maker did not put a pair bell cranks there instead of those loops of cable. IIRC some bikes then were still being built with rod brakes, so not too much of a stretch.


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## Alan Brase (Jan 10, 2022)

Bazil4696 said:


> View attachment 1545465
> View attachment 1545466



Very nice find and brake repairs. Somewhere I read the comment: Even Jack Taylor rode a Claud Butler... until he built his own. Good stuff.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 11, 2022)

Huguenot said:


> Very nice machine work, thanks for posting. I realize that you are going to great lengths to keep this bike original, so this is only a comment rather than suggestion. That final pic makes me wonder why the maker did not put a pair bell cranks there instead of those loops of cable. IIRC some bikes then were still being built with rod brakes, so not too much of a stretch.



I think most bikes that were optioned with Resilion brakes were men's singles. Then a smattering of men's tandems...then the unicorn ladyback tandem. So in the men's version, it's just a loop down from the cross bar as opposed to the almost 180 degree loop from the seat post where a bell crank would have worked nicely.


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## juvela (Jan 22, 2022)

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catalogue illustrations of 1933 -








spares lists -











[images courtesy of VCC library]

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## dnc1 (Jan 23, 2022)

Interestingly,  a friend currently has this CB tandem project currently for sale on Ebay UK at the moment. 
Also fitted with Resilion's front and rear.....


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## Schwinny (Jan 23, 2022)

Just a note on the age.
If that Cyclo is original, The back of the derailleur arm will have a number at the top. That is the manufacturing date of the derailleur. Im pretty sure the "C" cutout chrome derailleur bracket is post war but check the date.

Im getting ready to re-sheath a set of old WW2 era cables to replace the cloth/lacquer original sheathing.
One question I ask of your job is how the cable end nibs were removed and re-attached?
Are they simply soldered together?
Fabulous work by-the-way.


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## fat tire trader (Jan 23, 2022)

Great Job! I don't remember seeing a lady back Claud SWB Tandem before. I have a prewar Claud SWB Path Tandem.


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## Alan Brase (Jan 23, 2022)

Schwinny said:


> Just a note on the age.
> If that Cyclo is original, The back of the derailleur arm will have a number at the top. That is the manufacturing date of the derailleur. Im pretty sure the "C" cutout chrome derailleur bracket is post war but check the date.
> 
> Im getting ready to re-sheath a set of old WW2 era cables to replace the cloth/lacquer original sheathing.
> ...



I think I remember in some old motorcycle factory manual (likely Triumph) it showed silver soldering them.


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## Andrew Gorman (Jan 23, 2022)

The Resilions I have were put together with ordinary lead based solder and cam apart easily with a propane torch.


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## Schwinny (Jan 23, 2022)

Good. I'll work up my nerve to get that done.
I want to re-sheath my Cyclo cable, ratted up lacquer/cloth sheathing.
I've got two sizes of sheathing and the smallest (1/8") would be best but the cable end will have to come off to use it. I've already re-done some brake cables with 1/4" but it is a bit of a loose fit. It also enlarges over the end of the cable with no disassembly required, whereas the 1/8" won't open that wide.


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 30, 2022)

When I decided to tackle this project, I chose the route of "All New" modern components.  
Because finding the original style sheathing was not panning out. 
So, I chose silver Jagwire housing with a slippery lining, and polished stainless cables. I had to modify the ends to fit the resilion brake levers, as the original cables have a slightly different shape.
If I had to remove the ends,  I would fabricate new blanks from brass and silver solder them to the cable ends.
I believe the ends are just solder, formed in some mould, like pouring bullets, and heating them to remove them would result in a blob of solder on the floor. 
I haven't tackled the cyclo cable yet, but purchased all components to attempt this soon. I'm unsure how the cables run through the shifter and what drives the cables and locates them to the shifter.
I'm also not 100% on the method of attachment at the derailleur for BOTH cables


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## Schwinny (Jan 30, 2022)

Bazil4696 said:


> When I decided to tackle this project, I chose the route of "All New" modern components.
> Because finding the original style sheathing was not panning out.
> So, I chose silver Jagwire housing with a slippery lining, and polished stainless cables. I had to modify the ends to fit the resilion brake levers, as the original cables have a slightly different shape.
> If I had to remove the ends,  I would fabricate new blanks from brass and silver solder them to the cable ends.
> ...



Well if you can make up all the parts needed as you've done with the brakes, you shouldn't have any problem with the Cyclo cable.
It is one cable with a shifter nib soldered to the middle of the length. Sheathing on either side of that nib and then the other end(s) are soldered together to another nib The nibs fit into recess' in the shifter barrel groove on one end, and the  the barrel wheel that is on the derailleur shaft. It creates a push/pull movement. All the derailleur movement comes from inside the derailleur arm mount where there is a helical roller channel that slides the arm back and forth across the shaft as the cable is pulled about 60 degrees either way.
My version uses the shifter tension as the only means to fix the derailleur placement. The next version had a flat helical coil spring along the derailleur shaft that helped keep tension in one direction and the shifter held that spring tension.
My set-up is curious to me in that the shifter had no means of tightening or adjusting the tension at all. Other similar shifter versions Ive seen have a tightening screw in the center but mine was a brass rivet. When I re-did the shifter, I replaced the rivet with a brass post that works to adjust tension. I did have to make a bushing to make the post work, but it now looks and works like it was made that way.
Notice the stamping on the derailleur arm, that number at top is the year of manufacture.
If you haven't settled on a year of manufacture, yours could date your machine.


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## Andrew Gorman (Jan 30, 2022)

Some cable ends and fittings are still available for motorcycles:





						Cable Parts
					

Cable Parts




					www.dimecitycycles.com


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 30, 2022)

Schwinny said:


> Well if you can make up all the parts needed as you've done with the brakes, you shouldn't have any problem with the Cyclo cable.
> It is one cable with a shifter nib soldered to the middle of the length. Sheathing on either side of that nib and then the other end(s) are soldered together to another nib The nibs fit into recess' in the shifter barrel groove on one end, and the  the barrel wheel that is on the derailleur shaft. It creates a push/pull movement. All the derailleur movement comes from inside the derailleur arm mount where there is a helical roller channel that slides the arm back and forth across the shaft as the cable is pulled about 60 degrees either way.
> My version uses the shifter tension as the only means to fix the derailleur placement. The next version had a flat helical coil spring along the derailleur shaft that helped keep tension in one direction and the shifter held that spring tension.
> My set-up is curious to me in that the shifter had no means of tightening or adjusting the tension at all. Other similar shifter versions Ive seen have a tightening screw in the center but mine was a brass rivet. When I re-did the shifter, I replaced the rivet with a brass post that works to adjust tension. I did have to make a bushing to make the post work, but it now looks and works like it was made that way.
> ...



Thank you for that detailed description!
Because the shifter actually still works freely, I've been reluctant to replace it.
I do have two tandem length cables,  cause I wasn't sure how the cable was assembled.
 I thought I might need to splice them at the shifter.
 But I have a better grasp of how it functions now! I'm sure this project will eventually get all new cables, while saving the original ones as sample models.
We intend to ride old Claud when the weather breaks here in Canada.
If I don't have enough gear range, I have a N.O.S. Sturmey Archer 3 speed AM (hub brake model) 40 hole hub that came with a N.O.S. three speed sprocket that I would build to have a hybrid 9 speed.
 All I need is the Dunlop 26 x 1 1/4" 40 hole rim and a handful of spokes.....


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## Bazil4696 (Jan 30, 2022)

I just checked the date code on the cyclo derailleur.  It's 1950, like the cranks.


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## Bazil4696 (Feb 6, 2022)

So, after countless hours researching and fabricating components in the shop, many dollars purchasing parts, not including international shipping and four pages of discussion here, I FOUND MY UNICORN!


Of course I bought it. 
Turns out this looks like the elusive "Ladyback" length, which happens to be longer than the gents/gents version, of which seems common compared to how many ladyback Clauds were built. With Resilion brakes as the option...
Now to find the front one....YEESH.
Welcome to old bikes.


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