And if what DoN says does not work for you, there's an ebay seller
tool_magic that makes them and sells them for $35 (handle and crank
assembly).

Usual disclaimer: I have no association with tool_magic, just seen his
auctions.

-Bruno
(DoN. Nichols) wrote:

In article om,
Terry wrote:
I own an older 12" x 30" craftsman lathe model 101.07403. The handle on
my crosslide crank came off the other day. I noticed that I can
purchase just the handle, or the crank and handle assembly, and I'm not
sure what exaclty I need. (Sears has them available for purchase on
their website. $13.00 for the handle and $60.00 for the asssembly).

The handle just slips on and off now. I am not sure how they are
normally attached, and stay on the crank. The crank just has a blind
hole in it.

I believe that they were just a press fit.

What should I look for to know if my handle is broken, or if the crank
is bad.

This is the one with two handles of different length? I would
suggest looking closely at the cross-piece, looking for any cracks
surrounding the blind hole into which it was pressed. If you find
those, you probably should get a new assembly.

However, if there are no cracks, what I would try is using some
bearing-mount Loctite to hold the *original* one in place. Clean it of
any oil first (use acetone or alcohol), and then spray both parts with
Loctite primer, put some Loctite into the blind hole, and a film of it
around the part of the handle which fits into the blind hole, clamp it
in for a few hours, and you should be fine. Only if the handle is
damaged should you consider getting a new one.

Based on your next question, I suspect that your handle was a bit
loose, and you developed the habit of holding it while cranking, so it
rotated in the socket (blind hole) and slowly wore the socket larger and
the projection on the handle smaller.

And how would I remove a handle that is currently installed on
a crank. I have a couple of handles that do not spin anymore that
could use a good cleaning.

The handles on my Clausing do not spin at all. The outside is
smooth, to allow it to slip in your hand as you crank.

If yours are three-piece (handwheel, handle core, and handle
sleeve) and normally should actually turn, but no longer do so, then it
sounds as though something has hit the handle hard enough to bend the
core and thus bind the hollow handle.

I could possible drill a small hole in the back of the crank and drill
and tap the center of the handle and run a screw to hold it in place.

You *could* do that, but it would make a potential sharp point
on the back of the handle which could cut you as you work.

O.K. I just went and took a look at both my 12" Clausing and my
6" Atlas/Craftsman. Both are designed to have rigidly mounted handles,
but there is a difference between them (other than the size).

The Clausing has a handwheel made entirely of steel.

The Atlas/Craftsman has a handwheel made of potmetal (cast zinc
alloy), which has been nickel or chrome plated. As a result, over the
years, the handle has worked loose, and can be removed. I need to
follow my own advice, clean out the socket, and Loctite it back in
place. (I don't really use that lathe often these days, since I have
the larger Clausing, and the smaller Compact-5/CNC, and the bed of the
Atlas/Craftsman is rather badly worn.

But the pot-metal construction of the carriage handwheel does
mean that the handle *will* work loose over the years. If the Loctite
works, fine. Otherwise, I would suggest replacing the handwheel and
handle assembly on your lathe, if it is like my Atlas/Craftsman. Check
with a magnet. If the magnet is attracted to the handle, but not to the
handwheel or crank body, then the handwheel or crank body is made of pot
metal, and is much softer than the handle itself.

But if I can just replace the handle then that's what I would do.

As I said above -- try cleaning it and Loctiting it back in
place That should do the job without needing to purchase anything from
Sears or from Clausing Service Center.

Good Luck,
DoN.