Over the years, I've also considered doing this mod to add a crank to the end of the leadscrew, even though I've rarely had the "need" for this feature. But, in a recent hack, I did add a crank, but on the left-hand end of the lead-screw. (see photo). Just a thin metal arm secured underneath the cap screw that holds the plastic gear. Not sure if this arrangement is any better or worse than attaching a crank on the right-hand end of the leadscrew, but my hack did not require any permanent mods to the lathe, and can be quickly installed and removed if needed.
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