DIY Tap Handle?

[NorthRiverS]

Here's my attempt at a homemade tap handle. Nothing special. Cost less than $10. I think it turned out nice....

NRS

 

[ZackN]

Made another tap handle today.
This one is an old weed wacker piston.

Cut and welded the rod to one of those bungs, then grinding, polishing and paint. I am going to keep this one for myself. The piston still rocks back and forth

sorry about the crappy phone pic.

 

[emorris]

Well after much thought here is my first attempt at Tap connecting rod from a 444


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Zibe]

Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[SFGiantsFan925]

Finally got around to making a second handle. I am a Firefighter so I figured I would make a hydrant.

I made this last night using Sculpey Clay and a little paint. Made it in about 2 hours. Turned out pretty good! Finally have another handle instead of the black stock Perlick one. Makes me want to make even more. Just need ideas.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419365837.121607.jpg

 

[wantonsoup]

Very impressive ! You're quite an artist.

 

[masonsjax]

Hope you don't have a dog, he can get sick from the hops and will pee on the hydrant

 

[SFGiantsFan925]

^ Haha, if we had a dog, then yes.

 

[BrooklynTom]

My father carved these many years ago. I am going to make tap handles out of some of them.
Sorry they are sideways.

 

[Artifishal]

Here's how I got rid of a few of my bottles once I started kegging.



Quilyn

How did you attach them?

 

[Artifishal]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421114705.983471.jpg

Sort of lame compared to all yours but the left one is a hammer handle and the right one was part of a railing spindle. Both are carved with a root zip and wood burnt

 

[Brettomomyces]

My father carved these many years ago. I am going to make tap handles out of some of them.
Sorry they are sideways.

Make an American Wheat with cherries and blueberries for a 4th of July party and use big ol Uncle Sam for it

 

[BrooklynTom]

That one will be for the 4th of July, and yes, a Wheat of some type.

 

[wantonsoup]

View attachment 248463

Sort of lame compared to all yours but the left one is a hammer handle and the right one was part of a railing spindle. Both are carved with a root zip and wood burnt

Not lame at all I like them!

 

[soccerguy83]

Here's my attempt at a homemade tap handle. Nothing special. Cost less than $10. I think it turned out nice....

NRS

I like it, how did you do it? And so cheaply?

 

[BKamp1457]

Had a crappy looking Coors Light handle and "re-branded" with my HB logo:

 

[BlackWatchBrewery]

So I have these little guys

I am trying to use them in 2X2X10 oak. I pre-drill with 1/2" drill bit and try to insert them however I am struggling with getting them to go in straight. Additionally, I dont think they are actually screwing in rather they are just boring out the hole. Perhaps oak is to hard for these? Just use a softer wood?

 

[Thetonymartin]

So I have these little guys

I am trying to use them in 2X2X10 oak. I pre-drill with 1/2" drill bit and try to insert them however I am struggling with getting them to go in straight. Additionally, I dont think they are actually screwing in rather they are just boring out the hole. Perhaps oak is to hard for these? Just use a softer wood?

I've used those inserts a couple of times. Oak is hard to get them into. The last tap handle I made split. I glued it back together, drilled the hole oversize and glued the threaded insert in place.
Next time I will drill out to just barely smaller than the insert, and maybe even try beeswax on the threads.

 

[Artifishal]

Yes oak is too hard if you are trying to screw them in with a flat head. Use a bolt that threads into it with two nuts to lock it on. Then use a power drill or impact drill gun to drive it in. I've done it into oak and hickory. It is still hard to get straight though.

 

[Thetonymartin]

Yes oak is too hard if you are trying to screw them in with a flat head. Use a bolt that threads into it with two nuts to lock it on. Then use a power drill or impact drill gun to drive it in. I've done it into oak and hickory. It is still hard to get straight though.

[emoji106]🏼 yep, this helps, too.

 

[BlackWatchBrewery]

Yes oak is too hard if you are trying to screw them in with a flat head. Use a bolt that threads into it with two nuts to lock it on. Then use a power drill or impact drill gun to drive it in. I've done it into oak and hickory. It is still hard to get straight though.

Correct. I am doing the nut and bolt method and still no dice. I thought for sh!ts and grins I would try on pine. No problem. Perfectly straight. Oak it just too hard for these I guess. Ill get by with some epoxy then and try that.

 

[Homercidal]

I've used those inserts a couple of times. Oak is hard to get them into. The last tap handle I made split. I glued it back together, drilled the hole oversize and glued the threaded insert in place.
Next time I will drill out to just barely smaller than the insert, and maybe even try beeswax on the threads.

Maybe try an actual tap rather than rely on cutting threads with them? I would think a tap would be a better tool for hard wood.

 

[BlackWatchBrewery]

Maybe try an actual tap rather than rely on cutting threads with them? I would think a tap would be a better tool for hard wood.

Not a bad idea

 

[jayway]

Super easy copper handles.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Maybe try an actual tap rather than rely on cutting threads with them? I would think a tap would be a better tool for hard wood.

Assuming you meant thread the oak tap handle to screw right onto the faucet, I tried that and it didn't work very well. The handles had too much play and wiggled around. I think there are threaded inserts with male machine threads...it might work on those.

When I made mine I ended up filing the first few coarse threads on the brass inserts. If I remember correctly I used the sanding drum on my Dremel. I only removed a little bit of material but it really helped to get the insert started. Then also use the bolt plus jam nuts method.

 

[Homercidal]

Assuming you meant thread the oak tap handle to screw right onto the faucet, I tried that and it didn't work very well. The handles had too much play and wiggled around. I think there are threaded inserts with male machine threads...it might work on those.

When I made mine I ended up filing the first few coarse threads on the brass inserts. If I remember correctly I used the sanding drum on my Dremel. I only removed a little bit of material but it really helped to get the insert started. Then also use the bolt plus jam nuts method.

No, I mean cut the threads for the insert into the handle with a regular tap, then epoxy the insert into the handle to hold it tight.

 

[CGVT]

Try hanger bolts and ferrules. They are pretty easy to use.

http://www.morebeer.com/products/hanger-bolt-tap-handle-516-ferrule.html


http://www.morebeer.com/products/beer-faucet-tap-ferrule-silver.html

 

[PapaO]

The insert should go in with the slotted end first, the slot is there to help cut the threads clear the chips.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIhEqoKE8Dc&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

[microbusbrewery]

The insert should go in with the slotted end first, the slot is there to help cut the threads clear the chips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIhEqoKE8Dc&feature=player_embedded

That's awesome and makes perfect sense, don't know why that never occurred to me.

 

[Artifishal]

Haha! Me either. Wish I would have known that. Well at least now I'm excited to make another one.

 

[BrewKaiser]

Hey Jayway: GMTA!

I'm thinking of fabricating some out of stainless now, too. Lots of inspiration in this thread...

 

[woodworkingfourdummies]

A buddy of mine brews his own beer (great beer btw) and mentioned that he was looking for some tap handles that he could write on to identify what brews he had on tap. I decided to help him out...I used some of the tips from this forum.

Full details on my blog:

http://www.woodworkingfourdummies.com/blog/keg-tap-handle-diy

 

[Artifishal]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1433117366.321130.jpg

 

[sibort]

Here's my tap handle. Blends in with the black fridge though. Something like desert tan would look good. Damaged 80

 

[TheCondor]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1435105114.964359.jpg
I used some screwdriver handles and pressed in a nut.

 

[bionicbrew]

here are my latest. green skull is a shift lever from Wally World, a spanner wrench(done on this thread already), and a 30mm cannon shell from an AC-130 I got from a member here from a real Mission in Iraq (got the note of authenticity and everything!). I got a polymer fake projectile and painted it to match the HEI round. I punched out the primer and drilled/tapped it. there's plenty of material at the bottom of those things.

I have a shell from an Apache helicopter (from same member) that will get a hand made wood projectile. I'll post it when it's painted.

 

[bionicbrew]

ok, finished the Apache helicopter shell handle. here it is next to the AC-130 shell above. second pic is the drill and tap of the primer pocket.

 

[bionicbrew]

for you penniless DIYer's out there like me, we used a bench grinder to get the wood dowel close to shape and then fashioned up a poor mans lathe with a wood screw in one end and a nail in the vice for the other(2 man operation). with sandpaper, we got the projectile rounded and any bumps and misshapes cleaned up. bottom pic is what I was trying to make it look like.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I hope you meant "sander" and not "grinder" for shaping thad projectile!

If you used a grinding "stone", then you should probably swap it out.

They can "load up " when used on non-ferrous items, and can disintegrate during operation.

Can leave a nasty knot on the head, or face, or teeth, or...........

 

[bionicbrew]

interesting. I did not know that. I knew it loaded up a bit, but not heard of it coming apart as a result. it was a buddy's bench grinder. we'll look it that.