Router Lift Hand Crank

Thanks for your suggestion. Unfortunately, I did not give you all the constraints. The original equipment Porter Cable adjusting rod is 3/8" OD and has to fit through a hole (only slightly larger than 3/8") in the router plate.

Option 2:

Grab a 3/16 socket (from a cheap set, or individually from the web). Epoxy it to the stub on the router base. Grab a window crank like the one below and you're good to go.

OR

Grab a piece of 1/4 inch square stock for a couple of bucks at Lowes. Get a cheap plastic crank handle from Amazon. Epoxy one end of the square stock into the handle, and epoxy a wood donut on the square stock to act as a bearing on the router plate.

Thanks for all the good suggestions. The attached photo shows what I implemented. The body of the crank was made from a piece of scrap oak. I initially tried Poplar and then Cherry but they were too soft. The Porter Cable metal rod is 3/8" OD but there were two opposing flats. The silver headed wood screw mates with the flat; there is a 2nd similar screw on the opposite side of the rod. The torque required to clamp the router at the desired depth was substantial. I cut a slot with the bandsaw and this is shown in the lower right hand corner of the picture; the black screw closes this gap. Due to an improper adjustment of the torque required to close the clamp, the hex hole on the clamp got stripped and am waiting on a replacement clamp. The black handle was purchased from Amazon. Once the router clamp arrives, I think I will be in business.