Lathe Levers Launch Labor

 The pre-existing condition 👉

1. There was a glamour cover on the shifters, which I had to pry off because it concealed a set-screw, which needed tightening.

 The set screw adjusts force on a ball detent, which keeps the levers from wandering away from the gear you've selected.  It's kind of important, and apparently, they failed to put a second set screw in the hole to jam the first, which would have obviated ever removing the glamor cover.  So that's why that bit is fugly.

2. I don't like the baton handles.  One was broken/missing when I got the lathe, so I made a quick and dirty handle of brass, but I didn't have large enough stock.  And I still don't like baton handles.  So some time ago, I decided to change the handles to ball knobs.  Without having any money to spend on the effort.

3. The length of the longer lever (Hi-Lo Range) is too short, with the result my knuckles sometimes interfere with the headstock case.  The length of the short shifter (speed select) seems okay, it just wants a ball knob instead of a baton.

 I think the direction shift lever (at lower left) has no room for a ball, plus I don't use it that often anyway, so it will remain unchanged.  And that hub really needs its cover replaced, that's as ugly as a bowling shoe.

 Step one was to discover that I already had a new knob and lever to replace the short lever, courtesy of a Box O' Knobs I once won as a door-prize from a radio collector's club, which I only attended once.  LOL.  The lever had the right thread to fit, it was just a bit longer than the original, and the knob was just the right size.  What luck!  

  That lever was black oxide, so to make it match the others (which are either blasted steel or blasted chrome or blasted-some-other-non-corrosion-plating; they don't rust anyway), I blasted off the black oxide.  Now before you wince too hard, my research suggests that an abrasive (not bead!) blasted surface holds oil almost as well as Parkerizing, which is why it fights corrosion nearly as well, so there.

old lever, new lever
oily lever, dry lever

Sue me for having a sense of livery; I think it looks perfectly fine now and I don't think any great harm is done.  I mean, it's on a lathe; it's not as if the surface will ever lack for oil.

 

Step The Next was to make a longer lever for the gear selector.

This turned out to be harder than it should have been, in part because my threading dies are Craftsman-branded flaming dog shit, and in part because I put too much english on one end, bending the stud.  That's the long thread end, where the knob goes, so I'm hoping it won't make any difference - won't be detectable - once installed.

 Now I have to buy a knob, since I don't have A) a ball turning fixture or B) any large chunks of black phenolic on hand.  Since I'm on a zero-budget footing, I'll just to wait until a good deal falls into my lap.

 I suppose Step Three Point One Four is to make a new glamour cover for the front lever hub.  It remains to be seen whether this must be glued on again (as the factory did) or if I can leverage (hah!) the center drill hole and make something that pushes into that.  It seems to be nothing but a center hole, which is weird, given the work was fat and short when they made it... but of course: China. 
Naturally, I'd prefer it to be removable.  Gluing it on seems pretty ghetto.  I'm looking at you, SIEG.