[Bah] Oh, what a surprise ...

[dancefloorlandmine]

Shock and wonder - the cistern for my loo requires a non-standard flush handle. Neither of the two local 'sell-everything' hardware shops stock one which would work, and neither does the bathroom shop within walking distance - although he suggested that it might need a handle from the specific manufacturer.

Of course, the cistern states "British Made", but not the manufacturer. The bowl? Completely blank. It's of a set with the basin and bath ... but they also don't say. [sigh]

In the meantime, I might be able to bodge a stand-in, using the remaining ¾ of the broken shaft.

And so the search begins.

[sigh]

This post brought to you by the "pointless minutiae" school of LJ posting.

EDIT: Have achieved a bodge solution, so it now works again, although I may be looking for a replacement in a bigger shop for when it fails again.

Comments

[rich-r.livejournal.com]

Is it possible to rejoin the ends with epoxy putty? If you're not familiar with the stuff, it's like a stick of plasticine with a layer of different coloured plasticine wrapped round it. You cut off a section and squidge it in your hands until it's mixed up. Then you use it to fix whatever's broken - in 15 minutes it sets rock hard, like metal. I've heard stories of it being used to fix cylinder heads in cars, it's that strong - and you can even drill it and fix bolts into it. It's also used (and I have used it in this capacity) to fix pipes that you might have accidentally put a nail through for example...

You should be able to rejoin the bits with a decent blob, and it'll last years. Halfords and B&Q type places sell it.

Failing that, I'm sure it can be welded or drilled so it can be bolted through a plate on either side.

Might be easier and cheaper that searching for some weird unusual part that probably isn't made any more. But try a big Plumb Centre anyway...

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

It's also used (and I have used it in this capacity) to fix pipes that you might have accidentally put a nail through for example...
[grin]

They're a bit buggered for putty - it's a messy shear through what looks like a cheap alloy. However, as it was only the final half-inch or so which had fallen off, relocating the arm further down the bar did the trick. Although I did have to take a hammer and chisel to the arm mounting to remove the broken end of the bar¹ - the grub screw unscrewed fine, but enough scale had built up around the bar to weld it into the brass slot.

¹ As an interestingly shaped bit of brass, I might have taken some macro photos before it went back into the cistern.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

(I will be looking in a Plumb Centre for a spare, though - I'm not sure how long the bodge will last.)