Homemade tap handles

I’m looking for new ideas for customized homemade tap handles. I’ve been brewing with a buddy of mine over the past year which motivated me to build my own bar/kegerator. I have a handful of tap handles from the liquor store from kegs I’ve bought but as we’ve been brewing a larger variety of beers I like using my own tap handles for the home brews. I’ve made a few already, first one is a guitar and the other is more basic with the name of my buddies brewery on it.


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I’m trying to get ideas for a tap handle that the name can be changed on it from time to time. I’ve seen some threads where people use labels or even chalk. What materials do I use and where is a good place to get them? Does anyone have pictures they can share? They can be very basic or complex, I’m up for the challenge.

I planning to do these:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/diy-tap-handles-167334/

I also liked these:

http://www.sanction.org/images/handles.jpg

Chris,

Thanks for the links, I really like the second ones. I'll need to find a way to create nice labels like he had but at least its easy enough to chance the labels for the different types of beer we'll have on tap.

camiller said:

I planning to do these:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/diy-tap-handles-167334/

I also liked these:

http://www.sanction.org/images/handles.jpg

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I used the design of the second link as the guy did a really nice job that would go with my black kegerator. I made a few modifications such as cutting out the squared part of the stair spindle so the splinth block would fit flushly and also reduce the thickness of the finished product. I used gloss black then used silver leaf to gild the outside edge of the splinth block so that thin lines of black can be seen through tears in the leaf. I did not put the hardware on top of the tap handles. I finished it with multiple coats of clear laquer to give an extra high gloss finish while maintaining the original design of the mending plates.

Bensiff,

I thought about doing the same, not sure how much I'd like the extra wide handle. Could probably join the two with a piece of threaded rod. What did you use?

Nice, I like the one's OP has already made. The interchangeable are nice too. If you're gonna make the brew, why use a commercial handle? I tend to make one-off weirdo ones. I'll get some pics put on 'puter. I have bought those threaded inserts and made handles out of funky bamboo, hard pine-cones, antlers, some 500year older-growth redwood I have. My buddy has a schlacked bull schlonger he wants me to make one out of for him, might be too heavy though, haha. Didn't mean to thread jack.:cross:

Jughead said:

My buddy has a schlacked bull schlonger he wants me to make one out of for him, might be too heavy though, haha.

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What?! ten chars

TheKern said:

Bensiff,

I thought about doing the same, not sure how much I'd like the extra wide handle. Could probably join the two with a piece of threaded rod. What did you use?

Click to expand...

Are you talking about cutting the square part of the spindle off completely and mounting the splinth directly to the rounded portion with threaded rod? I don't see why not. However, if it were me I would use a dowel to secure the two parts together and then wood glue for extra security.

For some reason rednecks schalac bull wieners. I knew this old guy that used one as a cane! I grew up in a very strange town. It just looks like a piece of funky wood. I don't know why my buddy had one.

Jughead said:

For some reason rednecks schalac bull wieners. I knew this old guy that used one as a cane! I grew up in a very strange town. It just looks like a piece of funky wood. I don't know why my buddy had one.

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Also fairly common among student morticians. "Horses prick walking stick". I've also seen a golf putter made from one.

"Swing Low Calf-Maker Lager"?