Crank Handle Extension

[mduren]

I am doing some re-arranging in the shop and decided it was finally time to relocate the radial arm saw. When I built my shop I had the bright idea of running the foundation blocks two courses higher so I could get a 10 foot ceiling height with standard 8 ft 2X's. The only drawback is the block intrudes into the room about 4". I push the saw up against the wall and I have a 4" gap behind it. So I thinks to myself just move the saw back on it's base and gain extra room. I inserted a 3/4" plywood spacer / adapter between the saw and base and bolted them together. So far so good. Now however, the crank handle that raises the saw up and down hits the base. I need to extend it out so it clears the base. Back in the machine shop days I would have grabbed a chunk of steel, drilled and reamed a half inch hole in one end and turned the other end to half inch. Drill and tap for a set screw and done. Now, I don't have a chunk of steel, a lathe or a reamer so time for plan B. I went to the big box store looking for 1/2" round rod and a coupling. The shortest rod they sell is 3 ft long. No adapter. Maybe I can drill out an extension nut but there isn't much wall for a set screw. While looking at all the drawers with the specialty hardware I found a 1/2" X 5/8" steel spacer. Still not enough wall for a set screw. Keep looking. Find a 5/8" X 1" steel spacer. Put the two together, drill and tap for two set screws and I have my coupling. While looking the hardware I noticed a long 1/2" bolt. Hmmm...find a half inch bolt with 6" of unthreaded shank and I don't need to buy a 3ft long rod. I just cut the threads and head off leaving the length of rod I need.

Here is how it turned out

[dcarter636]

That looks positively civilized, as if rockwell included it in the original saw kit.

I too sorely miss the ability to walk out to the machine shop and knock out a widget when needed. However it is amazing what a fellow can accomplish with imagination and a decent hardware store.

[admin]

Very ingenious solution to a tricky problem!

It is annoying that the big box stores don't deal in shorter length of common stuff. Many is the time I've need 3" instead of 3'!

[Ruffnek]

Nice fix. It looks factory.

[TDHofstetter]

Excellent cobblin'!

You may want to build a small wooden bearing block around that extended crank so it won't loosen & start wallowing on ya, though. Wouldn't take much.