Charlie's Shed - clutch holding tool

 One of the problems that you can have when you're working on a bike is trying to undo nuts from components that spin around such as the clutch or the engine sprocket. 

Today I'm going to show you how I make a tool out of two clutch plates to hold the clutch in place while we undo the centre nut or conversely do it up again. 

Regular readers will know that I've built several clutches over the last few years and have a number of old clutch plates knocking about. To start with I've taken a friction plate and removed all the old worn cork inserts. Then I've added a plain plate and placed the two over the top of each other in the way they would appear in the clutch using the TIG welder to fasten them together.

Once you've got your two clutch plates together you'll need a handle - there's no point having the clutch basket and centre fixed together if it's still going to spin. In my case the handle is made from a piece of old door threshold - effectively a rough piece of 20 mm by 5 mm flat bar. I've used the TIG to place a fillet weld around the base of the flat bar and attach it to the clutch plate assembly.

I used the TIG torch to heat the handle and form a local bend as an experiment. The problem I have with forming hot bends by my usual approach - a MAPP torch - is that the heated area is so big, the bend is anything but sharp; OK if you want it like that, but this one needs to be in just the right place.

It's worked rather well I think. Here you can see it in action, helping put the FH clutch together.