I need to re-pack a sillcock, and the interior shutoff valve for it is
missing its handle. I took a look at the shaft, and instead of being
square, it's round with two flats at 90 degrees forming a corner. The
cross-section looks a bit like a squashed ice cream cone.

I've spent a lot of time rummaging around on-line, and all I can find
are various sized square shank handles. At one time, somebody made a
"universal" valve handle that used a disk with a variety of holes that
you could rotate to the center. I don't recall if it had an appropraite
shaped hole, but I can't seem to find one of those anywhere either.

I found one "universal" handle that is just three large setscrews
("Mandle") that might work, but I suspect it will mostly just bugger up
the shaft. I could make a round socket with a pair of set screws at
right angles that would work better than that.

Does that sort of valve stem ring a bell with anyone, or does anyone
have a link/source for one of the rotating disk universal handles?

Thanks!

Doug White

On Sunday, June 21, 2015 at 6:38:57 PM UTC-7, Doug White wrote:
I need to re-pack a sillcock, and the interior shutoff valve for it is
missing its handle. I took a look at the shaft, and instead of being
square, it's round with two flats at 90 degrees forming a corner. The
cross-section looks a bit like a squashed ice cream cone.

We've all been there. A replacement valve is $4 or so, and you'll want the
house water shut off (remember to turn the electric water heater off if
you need to drain water from the pipes). Finding a fairy handle will only
get you a functional fairy cutoff valve.

Personally, I like the rotating-ball valves.

Doug White wrote:
I need to re-pack a sillcock, and the interior shutoff valve for it is
missing its handle. I took a look at the shaft, and instead of being
square, it's round with two flats at 90 degrees forming a corner. The
cross-section looks a bit like a squashed ice cream cone.

I've spent a lot of time rummaging around on-line, and all I can find
are various sized square shank handles. At one time, somebody made a
"universal" valve handle that used a disk with a variety of holes that
you could rotate to the center. I don't recall if it had an appropraite
shaped hole, but I can't seem to find one of those anywhere either.

I found one "universal" handle that is just three large setscrews
("Mandle") that might work, but I suspect it will mostly just bugger up
the shaft. I could make a round socket with a pair of set screws at
right angles that would work better than that.

Does that sort of valve stem ring a bell with anyone, or does anyone
have a link/source for one of the rotating disk universal handles?

Thanks!

Doug White

How about taking a square hole handle and seeing if it will fit. Clean
any paint or crud out of the square hole, mix a small chunk of metal
filled epoxy or JB Weld. coat the stem with some oil and pack the epoxy
in. Run the screw down tight, remove extra epoxy and call it done.

--
Steve W.

"Doug White" wrote in message
...
I need to re-pack a sillcock, and the interior shutoff valve for it
is
missing its handle. I took a look at the shaft, and instead of
being
square, it's round with two flats at 90 degrees forming a corner.
The
cross-section looks a bit like a squashed ice cream cone.

I've spent a lot of time rummaging around on-line, and all I can
find
are various sized square shank handles. At one time, somebody made
a
"universal" valve handle that used a disk with a variety of holes
that
you could rotate to the center. I don't recall if it had an
appropraite
shaped hole, but I can't seem to find one of those anywhere either.

I found one "universal" handle that is just three large setscrews
("Mandle") that might work, but I suspect it will mostly just bugger
up
the shaft. I could make a round socket with a pair of set screws at
right angles that would work better than that.

Does that sort of valve stem ring a bell with anyone, or does anyone
have a link/source for one of the rotating disk universal handles?

Thanks!

Doug White

I have a freezeproof outdoor faucet with a nonstandard stem that I had
to make a handle for when the original zinc one stripped.

It's an aluminum tube with an elongated slot to fit the double-flatted
stem, with a brass cross shaft to turn it. I filed the corners to
better fit the half-round from the end mill to the chord on the stem.
The aluminum corrodes where it rubs on the valve stem but not at the
brass handle, despite grease.

Perhaps you could machine a tube in two halves, one with a round bore
and the other with a vee, and press a sleeve over them to hold them
together, then cross-drill for the pressed-in handle shaft that keeps
it all together.
http://brassandtool.com/

-jsw

On Mon, 22 Jun 2015 06:56:01 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Doug White" wrote in message
2...
I need to re-pack a sillcock, and the interior shutoff valve for it
is
missing its handle. I took a look at the shaft, and instead of
being
square, it's round with two flats at 90 degrees forming a corner.
The
cross-section looks a bit like a squashed ice cream cone.

I've spent a lot of time rummaging around on-line, and all I can
find
are various sized square shank handles. At one time, somebody made
a
"universal" valve handle that used a disk with a variety of holes
that
you could rotate to the center. I don't recall if it had an
appropraite
shaped hole, but I can't seem to find one of those anywhere either.

I found one "universal" handle that is just three large setscrews
("Mandle") that might work, but I suspect it will mostly just bugger
up
the shaft.

Adjust the universal handle to a slip tight fit and use some JB weld
in the bond. Iffen it works, it works. Iffen it don't the hard JB weld
should be easy to clean off the valve stem.

On Mon, 22 Jun 2015 01:38:55 GMT
Doug White wrote:

I need to re-pack a sillcock, and the interior shutoff valve for it is
missing its handle. I took a look at the shaft, and instead of being
square, it's round with two flats at 90 degrees forming a corner. The
cross-section looks a bit like a squashed ice cream cone.
snip

Drill a hole that matches the round area through something (metal,
aluminum...) that looks like a handle and then use a file to make the
flats.

Or buy a pair of Vise-Grip type pliers, clamp on and forget. Tacky, but
I've noticed them doing that job in other peoples basements ;-)

My Dad would probably know the brand if they were ever sold in my area
but alas, lost him several years ago...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On Monday, June 22, 2015 at 3:01:15 PM UTC-4, Leon Fisk wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2015 01:38:55 GMT
Doug White wrote:

I need to re-pack a sillcock, and the interior shutoff valve for it is
missing its handle. I took a look at the shaft, and instead of being
square, it's round with two flats at 90 degrees forming a corner. The
cross-section looks a bit like a squashed ice cream cone.
snip

Drill a hole that matches the round area through something (metal,
aluminum...) that looks like a handle and then use a file to make the
flats.

Or buy a pair of Vise-Grip type pliers, clamp on and forget. Tacky, but
I've noticed them doing that job in other peoples basements ;-)

My Dad would probably know the brand if they were ever sold in my area
but alas, lost him several years ago...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

+1 for a buck's worth of Vise-Grip clone from harbor freight. It'll work great and we've already spent more than a buck's worth of time thinking about it.