DIY Tap Handle?

[mattd2]

Knowing the proper order definitely qualifies you as a game-nerd

Really only a Nintendo nerd... and only up to SNES

 

[MMBB]

What is a good source for pre-made blanks? I am brewing a beer for a wedding and I am going to keg it. Unfortunately, I only came up with the idea to get a blank and have someone local engrave it today. The wedding is in two weeks and I don't have access to woodworking stuff.

 

[rcook73]

What is a good source for pre-made blanks? I am brewing a beer for a wedding and I am going to keg it. Unfortunately, I only came up with the idea to get a blank and have someone local engrave it today. The wedding is in two weeks and I don't have access to woodworking stuff.

What exactly are you looking for? You can take ALMOST anything, tap a hole into it, and make it a handle. If you're looking for blanks, try EBay, or sometimes Craigslist.
I'd suggest finding out what the theme of the wedding is (maybe use one of their candle holders or something) and match what they're using

good luck

 

[user 110438]

Here are mine... made from things I had laying around.

The one on the left is a spring from a sanke spear, galvanized rod and a handle knob is from a picnic tap pump

The one in the middle is a broken gauge from when my CO2 tank fell over in my fridge. I removed the dial and dial face & then drilled a hole in a cheap plastic tap handle and screwed it in.

The one on the right is a ball bearing from a sanke valve soldered to a 1/2 coupling I had laying around. Quick shot of silver paint on the black tap handle that I JB welded the coupling to.

 

[MMBB]

What exactly are you looking for? You can take ALMOST anything, tap a hole into it, and make it a handle. If you're looking for blanks, try EBay, or sometimes Craigslist.
I'd suggest finding out what the theme of the wedding is (maybe use one of their candle holders or something) and match what they're using

good luck

I ended up ordering a paddle shaped one from northern brewer. However, I may still try and do something on my own provided I can find someone local who can do decent wood engraving.

I don't know that they have a theme per se. It is an outdoor wedding that will be non-traditional. i.e. I am in the wedding party but there is technically no best man or groomsmen, there is no maid of honor, etc.

 

[rcook73]

I ended up ordering a paddle shaped one from northern brewer. However, I may still try and do something on my own provided I can find someone local who can do decent wood engraving.

I don't know that they have a theme per se. It is an outdoor wedding that will be non-traditional. i.e. I am in the wedding party but there is technically no best man or groomsmen, there is no maid of honor, etc.

The paddles are pretty good. You can do a lot of things with those. Not sure if it already has it, but maybe spray paint some of that chalk board paint on one side, and have an artistic person do something on the other (that makes a "2 in 1" handle).

 

[beercity23]

Well, I finally figured it out, mainly did it by hand. Here's kinda how it went. And the finished product

 

[AnimalDoc]

Well...here's my latest. It's mad out if leather (hand carved and painted) and attached to a aluminum tap handle. I also added a steer concho to the top.

 

[Revvy]

Nice job!

 

[L0F]

I made the one on the right.

 

[Punx Clever]

I made these with some red oak, clear shellac, a wood burner, and at whole lot of elbow grease:

 

[Rbeckett]

I have a 9X20 lathe, so I can whip up a custom handle in no time at all, and change them whenever I want something different. I do all kinds of metal work like casting, forging and turning so the sky's the limit for me.

Wheelchair Bob

 

[volks_r_us]

I just finished my second tap handle.

First one, the GF diamond is made with a fancy wine reusable bottle cap. I had to cut drill thread into a cut Standard threaded plastic handle.

Second one is the grenade, Again it's the same method although I had to refinish the grenade. This one has a welded nut in the bottom and a stud has been threaded into the cut plastic handle. Some trimming, grinding and drilling was require for this tap handle.

Now I need to work on the Keezer and get everything flowing...

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Don't believe that I ever shared my DIY tap handles on this thread. Here they are......made from small red cedar logs/sticks to match the whole rustic decor thing that I have going.

 

[ShepFL]

Could not find this thread yesterday, here is link to my ballistic tap handles.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/tap-handles-413252/

 

[byfbo2000]

I made these two tap handles last week. They are for a winery that has taken to kegging their wine. 11 gauge stainless, purple heart wood, and solid copper rivets

 

[slakwhere]

not to get too far off topic, but they keg wine? i assume they use something like nitrogen to push and keep the kegs at very low pressure to limit/eliminate carbonation? that's awesome!

 

[byfbo2000]

I guess so I havent asked lol! They are expanding and added a tasting room else where, and I guess for all the effort it takes to bottle something and then use many bottles to dispense tastings its just as easy to keg their main stays and go that route. Now it only I could get something for my self done so that I can make my self a tap handle.....

 

[sasky7777]

I made these two tap handles last week. They are for a winery that has taken to kegging their wine. 11 gauge stainless, purple heart wood, and solid copper rivets

Awesome work

 

[byfbo2000]

Awesome work

Hey thanks! That was the first tap handle I have ever made, gave me lots of ideas for handles for when ever I get around to doing one for me.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Where did you source your solid copper rivets?

 

[byfbo2000]

Where did you source your solid copper rivets?

McMaster-Carr my friend
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rivets/=noi9jc

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Nice!
I looked through there..........Did you use a standard AN 470 rivet set to buck the rivets?

 

[byfbo2000]

Naw. I have too many hobbies and leatherworking is one. I took a tandy craft tool used for setting their rapid rivets and used that. If I rivet more perhaps I will get an appropriate tool setter for the rivets.

 

[SevenFields]

Does anyone know where you can buy some decent priced Ferrule's?

 

[CGVT]

http://morebeer.com/search?search=tap+handles

3.95 each. Bolts are 1.25

 

[wreckinball9]

Recently had a hankering to make some custom handles, and this thread gave me the extra inspiration...

The first one is a piece of cocobolo that was being sold as a duck call blank. I don’t have a lathe so i used a large round over bit on my router and finished with 3 or 4 coats of clear shellac.

The other is an oak replacement table leg from Lowes, and an aqua globe. I cut the leg down to size, stained it, and drilled out the top. i used a glass bottle cutter to score and break the aqua globe about .5" down the tube part. clear countertop epoxy was used to secure the two pieces together, and then as a pour over to give it a uniform glossy and protective finish.

 

[GnatMan]

OK. Which of you game-nerds made this? http://failblog.cheezburger.com/page/2

I made that. I was just looking for the failblog post and found this post here on homebrew talk. Those taps are still up and working just fine.

 

[microbusbrewery]

I finally have a contribution to this thread. I got to visit Crooked Stave's new tap room when we were in Denver for GABF and I was inspired by their simplistic handles made from barrel staves.

I made these when I got home. I cut them down to about 12" and sanded them a bit. I wanted to retain some of the original character so I didn't sand them too much. They have stains from the hoops, where the whiskey leaked out, and some of the char on the backside. I'm going to seal them with some matte poly to protect them from stains. I also plan to add a chalkboard that will list what's on each tap.

 

[Kaanan]

Motorcycle grip tap handle.