Miriam, The idea is a good one I think. I would consider a disk instead of an arm. An easy and temporary solution would be a Brody Knob on a spoked handwheel if you could find one that would fit. A Brody Knob is a steering wheel knob that is basically a handle or knob that attaches to a steering wheel. You could also do a more permanent one by drilling, tapping and inserting something on the handwheel. While you are doing this keep your case or cabinet opening clearance in mind.
~G~