If It Jams Home It’s been at least five years since my emergency brake started getting stuck “on” if I left the car parked for a few weeks. Since I have drum brakes on the back, the brake cable is attached to a lever on the hindmost shoe which forces both shoes against the drum at the top, pivoting on the auto-adjuster.

There are a number of standard ways to release a stuck parking brake:

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Trace them onto the cardboard and cut them out. Lay down a piece of foil, matte side down, and spray with glue. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Lay the cardboard shape onto the foil and trace around the shape with the knife, leaving some foil to fold over the edges. Use a bone folder to press the edges down and smooth them out. Repeat on the opposite side.

To give the buckle and hook a tarnished look, apply a bit of dark shoe polish. To finish the hook, choose a plastic cup that fits comfortably over your hand. Cut a slit in the bottom of the cup with the utility knife that’s large enough to hold the base of the hook. Insert the hook through the slit, slide the cup over your hand, and hold the hook from the inside to keep it in place.

You can also use the same technique to fashion a cutlass.