Pre made lever

[prof_ badger]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if there is such a thing as a "pre-made lever".
Obviously there are boat throttle levers, JCB Levers etc but the only problem with things like that are they not cheap.

does anyone know of any cheap levers?

[The14thDr]

You could always buy some toggle clamps (two of which were used on the Eleventh/Twelfth Doctor's TARDIS console.) You can buy the smaller variety pretty cheap on eBay, like I did for my TARDIS:



The only thing that comes to mind are knife switches like the ones below. I know there are a couple of consoles on here with knife switches on them.



I hope this helps.

[hedgehog]

Those old style knife switches are beautiful 

If you keep an eye out on eBay you might be lucky enough to find some cheap lathe reversing switches/levers. Also 'lathe drum switch' (or some other variant) are good search terms. The majority look like this:

[noimg width=460 height=345]https://images11.palcdn.com/hlr-system/Thumbnails/80/807/8078/8078693.jpg[/img]

Lawnmower throttles could be another one to look out for:
[noimg width=640 height=640]https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1O3MKd_wKL1JjSZFgq6z6aVXa3/Mayitr-Universal-65inch-Throttle-Cable-Switch-Lever-Control-Handle-Kit-for-Lawnmower-Lawn-Mower-Parts-Garden.jpg_640x640.jpg[/img]
They might be kinda small though, that's the only danger with those. A few of them might look good lined up in a row on a console together!

[Cardinal Hordriss]

If you mean like the randomizer/door lever on the Baker/Davison console then personally I think your best option is to make them. It really isn't all that difficult, I mean if I can do it with no training in woodwork or other practical workshop experience, no power tools and and no assistance then it can't be that tricky.

Making a lever more like the modern demat is the same in principal, the one Luke Newman had on his console was quite professionally manufactured in appearance but at the end of the day it was just a wooden shape hinged with a dowel and housed in a piece of plastic guttering. Have a go yourself, wander around your local DIY shop or even a big supermarket to see what things you can see that can perhaps be converted to the purpose.

Make a leap of faith and have a go.

[The14thDr]

If you keep an eye out on eBay you might be lucky enough to find some cheap lathe reversing switches/levers. Also 'lathe drum switch' (or some other variant) are good search terms.

Hmm... I think there might be something wrong with your image links, all I'm seeing are the URLs inside [img] tags. If you copy-and-paste the URLs into a new tab, however, they load up just fine.
Links aside, those lathe drum switch look beautiful! I've never heard of them before today, but I can see them making a really nice "time forwards/backwards lever" for a custom console. The lawnmower throttles would make great TARDIS levers as well (like you said, a bank of them along the bottom of one of the panels would look great - a nice nod to the banks of toggle switches on the original console, or the banks of levers on the newer TARDIS...)

If you mean like the randomizer/door lever on the Baker/Davison console then personally I think your best option is to make them. It really isn't all that difficult, I mean if I can do it with no training in woodwork or other practical workshop experience, no power tools and and no assistance then it can't be that tricky.

Making a lever more like the modern demat is the same in principal, the one Luke Newman had on his console was quite professionally manufactured in appearance but at the end of the day it was just a wooden shape hinged with a dowel and housed in a piece of plastic guttering. Have a go yourself, wander around your local DIY shop or even a big supermarket to see what things you can see that can perhaps be converted to the purpose.

Make a leap of faith and have a go.

I think you really hit the nail on the head there Cardinal Hordriss. All of the original levers on my console were made from cardboard because I didn't have any experience with other materials, and even those cheap levers can quickly add up to be pretty pricey once you start buying enough to populate an entire console. You could always upgrade your controls as you gain more skills and experience.

Or, if you really wanted some some custom levers like the ones on the actual props, you could always buy a couple of knife switches/any of the above, and build a casing that fits around it. That way, you only need to build the shell while the lever itself is a pre-made part. Just a thought, anyway.

I hope at least some of my rambling here makes sense. I tend to just think aloud when I'm writing these sorts of posts.

[hedgehog]

Hmm... I think there might be something wrong with your image links, all I'm seeing are the URLs inside [img] tags. If you copy-and-paste the URLs into a new tab, however, they load up just fine.

Oop, my bad. Was rushing to type that out 
Here's the links again without the clumsy [img] tags:

https://images11.palcdn.com/hlr-system/Thumbnails/80/807/8078/8078693.jpg

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1O3MKd_wKL1JjSZFgq6z6aVXa3/Mayitr-Universal-65inch-Throttle-Cable-Switch-Lever-Control-Handle-Kit-for-Lawnmower-Lawn-Mower-Parts-Garden.jpg_640x640.jpg

I'm siding with these guys though, homemade levers are definitely the best option if you're trying to save money!