I wanted to see if I could make a cutting torch gear shift.  Making one on a standard tranny wouldn't be much of a challenge but on an automatic, it took a heck of a long time - but I think I did it.

For me, the trick was to be able to hide the mechanism and still make it reliable.  I worked a lot of hours trying to make the mechanism in the torch head but eventually decided I don't have the miniature hardware to do it.

So I eventually decided to move the same basic idea to the handle with the trigger still on top of the torch.  It works fine.  It looks messy inside but all the clearances necessary are maintained.

I took a washer and cut it in half and drilled 3 holes in it.  Then I did considerable drilling, welding and filing to fit everything in and connected the moving parts with electric fence wire because it is strong and hard to bend so it will hold its shape.

I drilled a hole directly over the center of the front tube in the torch and inserted a rod with the top end threaded.  Lower down, I drilled a hole through the rod. Next, I used a cutting disc to slice a gash into the sides of the rear torch tube. After filing everything smooth, I inserted a cotter pin through the slice and through the hole in the rod and bent the ends.  Then I bent the top of the cotter pin so it will allow the fencing wire to pass though to connect with one side of the cut washer.

The washer is mounted to the smaller center tube of the torch through a hole in the center of the washer. The remaining washer hole is for another piece of fence wire to connect with the spring mechanism in the existing transmission shift.  It took me all winter and then some but I think it will work fine once I get a day warm enough to mount it.  

As I push down on the button at the top of the torch, the washer pivots and lifts the spring loaded cable in the existing shift handle which fit inside the torch after I drilled a hole through the bottom of the torch. When I release the button, it rises back up as the spring retracts.

Once mounted, there is only one loose fence wire that is long enough to act as a weight to ensure it hangs as it should.  I used a long twist tie to mock up the bends required for the fence wire. 

It was a nice winter project I could do mostly inside.  Glad it's over though. It was a challenge but I thought of it myself.  Rather pleased actually.