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The shower tap I’m looking at is a two control one: one for hot/cold and one for pressure/tub/shower.

The hot/cold works fine, but the other one is not gripping correctly. The only way the current handle hub sticks to the shaft is via the pointed end of the handle as it’s screwed into the hub.

This used to work, except now the pointed end of the handle has scored the brass of the shaft all the way around and so it can’t grip any more.

Shaft and handle

The picture shows the removed silver colored cover and the hole where the handle goes in. Below that is the brass on the shaft where the cover is supposed to go.

The brass fitting in the shaft has a tongue on it which I think should slot into the handle somewhere, but there is no place on the handle I have where it could fit.

End on view of shaft.

End on view of hub.

What am I missing?

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  • So you are saying that the screw in handle acts as both the handle and the set screw?
    – Michael Karas ♦
    Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 17:07
  • @MichaelKaras Yes, at least from the pieces that are there. It seems to me that the handle screwing in should just stop the hub coming off, not help to turn the tap.
    – Peter K.
    Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 17:10
  • Could you file a groove into the end of the brass shaft that is in line with the axis of the shaft (at right angles to the scoring) that is say three times deeper than the scoring? Using a small triangular profile file. Then line up the cover so that the pointy end of the handle engages this new groove when it is tightened into place?
    – Michael Karas ♦
    Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 17:13
  • Could you add a photo looking straight on to the end of the shaft and looking straight into the back side of the hub?
    – Michael Karas ♦
    Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 17:14
  • @MichaelKaras Will do, when I get to a computer. Mobile upload is not working for me.
    – Peter K.
    Commented Jul 5, 2018 at 17:38

1 Answer 1

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Based upon the discussion in comments and the recently added pictures I see no provision to index the handle cap to the brass shaft by any means other than the set screw action of the screw in handle. For this reason I think there may be value to consider adding a deeper V groove to the end of the shaft to better capture the set screw action of the handle.

I see two possible problems with the handle. One is the tendancy for it to work loose when grasping it to change the valve position. The other possibility is that the design of the handle may put a limit on how far it can be screwed into the cap piece. That could be due to a shouldered step or a length of the threaded section of the handle. Either of these could limit the ability of the V groove ide to work very well. You could work around this by finding a separate Allen head set screw that you would install first into the threaded hole and then install the handle on top in the same threaded hole. It may be necessary to cut off part of the threaded end of the handle as long as too much is not removed.

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  • OK, back and I used a variation of your suggestion. I found that the brass hub did actually have a little index hole, but it was hard to see due to the scoring damage. I made that a little bigger / deeper. And then found that the handle screw came all the way out of the handle. I had thought it was one piece with the handle, but had just been gummed up with bathroom grime. The screw has a screwdriver head, so I could put it in tighter than with just the handle, and then put the rest of the handle on just finger tight (it doesn't need to be tighter). I put locktite on the screw too. Thanks!
    – Peter K.
    Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 11:26

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