Diverter handle for rare French taps

The cog your refer to is a splined shaft, there are different numbers of splines on different taps and heads.
Try here for a replacement head like the taps you now have to turn on and off the water with the same number of splines as you have.
http://www.shop.lunns.net/tap-spares-8-c.asp

 

For all the messing about trying to find a lever that almost certainly will not match, why not just replace the whole tap, you can pick up a new one these days for less than £50.00

 

Niiiice tap

Easy peasy squeezy.

Chust drill a 3mm hole through the exposed splined diverter spigot - the bit that sticks out of your tap. That's easy as it's prob brass. Then get summat that's 3mm diameter and strong - a masonry nail, the shaft of a drill bit, a screw - and pass it through and cut it so's it's short enough to sit inside your existing handle cover.

You then need to carefully trim away at that broken 'sleeve' inside the handle cover so's it'll fit over the nail thing you have on the spigot, and then you need something to stick it all together by pretty much filling that cover. Like epoxy resin. It'll need to be something thick enough to not slump as it sets. Possibly car body filler? Good dollop inside the cover, press over the spigot, make sure the spigot is in the right position!!!! (find the upright middle) and hold until set.

Of course, you won't be removing it in a hurry...

Or, a set of mini mole-grips

 

To try and find a replacement, you need to count the number of splines in the shaft, and accurately measure the across-tips diameter.

Post results on here.

 

One other thing you could try, if you can get the screw out of the end of the shaft is use Quick Steel, you will have to work quickly though as it sets very fast.

Remove screw, cleaning the threads with a wire brush so it screws back in nice a freely, don't use any WD40 or similar you need the spline and thread dry.
Make a ball of Quick Steel up and work a thin strip around the spines on the end of the shaft, quickly push the handle on so it spreads the Quick Steel around the splines both on the shaft and handle, now screw in the screw to hold it in place, you will only have about a minute to work in as it sets very quickly so it's a one off try, if you get it wrong you will have to buy new taps anyway.

 

Unscrew that screw from the spigot, and find a replacement.

Get an M8 nut - or one that fits neatly over the splined spigot - and epoxy glue it in place there (use a good quality brand - Araldite?) Push it right down so's it's close to that other flange nut you see there - the two will look pretty similar, but obviously mustn't be glued together...

The idea is that it sits far enough down that spigot to allow the handle bowl to still fit over it all as before, the tip of the spigot sitting in the remains of the splined hole where it did before.

Then cover the nut with a couple of layers of clingfilm, pulled tight behind it with a thread around the bottom of the spigot as it comes out the tap body.

Apply a thin smear of Vaseline to the inside of the remains of the splined hole in the handle bowl - use a cotton bud held betwixt thumb and index finger of your handed hand.

Then you need 'resin' as before - an epoxy product, but one more viscous than Araldite. You ideally want to nicely coat that bowl so's the nut leaves an impression when it's pushed on to the spigot. As before, car body filler would probably work quite well (do you have any neighbs with old or classic cars?!)

Push on, squeeze down, fit new screw to centralise it all, make sure it's straight (and pointing the right way...) and leave to set.

Hopefully with this all-new and vastly improved method, you should be able to remove the handle afterwards should you wish.

Did this diverter handle work easily before or was it stiff? If the latter, see that nut that's already there? It'll be tight, but if you remove it anticlockwise you should be able to clean and lube the internals with silicone grease.

I really must get out more.

In fact I'm going out now.

 

Vaseline, silicone, cotton buds, cling film pulled tight around the bottom.............Have you found those books I thought I had hidden

 

You know I have...

 

Darn! Can I have the June issue with the article on 101 ways to use duct tape in the bedroom back please I need to check something

 

Hmm, you can have the duct tape itself back, but it'll smart when I remove it.

And it may possibly have some hairs attached.

 

Is that what goes on in the headmasters office.

 

As well you know.


(I think we may have deviated off topic somewhat... )

 

Pffft - I'll ignore that last misogynistic comment.

(PS - you can PM individuals via the top link...)

Nice job - well done .

Off course, it ain't coming off in a hurry should you require access to the gubbins underneath...

 

I'm well known in the circles of recycling, matter of fact I've recently opened a new greenhouse debating society , but there are limits to whats practical and what's downright mean and pointless, those taps need recycling in a different way, take um to a scrap merchant and let him give them a new identity,