When I made my keezer I made my tap handles using grain and I really like the look of them but they aren't good for telling what beer is on tap. I decided that I wanted a chalkboard sign that I could use to write what was on tap.
I checked a couple different online stores and ebay and couldn't find anything I liked that wasn't in the $80-$100 range, so I decided it was DIY time :rockin:
I bought a small tin beer sign off ebay for under $10 and picked up a can of chalkboard spray paint at Michael's for around $7. All the other supplies I had left over from my keezer build, a rectangle of plywood left from my keezer lid, a few feet of pine trim and adhesive and screws.
I started by filling in the divots and scratches on the plywood with wood filler and then sanded the entire surface really well until it was completely smooth. This step is important to make the chalkboard surface as smooth and writable as possible.
Next I spray painted the bottom 2/3 of the plywood with the chalkboard paint (it took me about 4 coats).
I then attached the tin sign to the top 1/3 of the board that wasn't painted with adhesive.
After that I cut my trim pieces and attached them with a small bead of wood glue and screwed them in from the back (through the plywood and into the back of the trim pieces) so that I wouldn't have to fill any holes on the boards front faces.
After that it was just a matter of staining (with the leftover stain from my keezer) and a few coats of poly.
I screwed two eye hooks into the top of the plywood back and hung it from a rafter using a decorative chain I found lying around my basement.
Voila! A completely customized beer sign that matches my keezer for under $20
Sorry I didn't take pics throughout the process but I didn't think about it...
Here it is hanging next to my keezer:
I checked a couple different online stores and ebay and couldn't find anything I liked that wasn't in the $80-$100 range, so I decided it was DIY time :rockin:
I bought a small tin beer sign off ebay for under $10 and picked up a can of chalkboard spray paint at Michael's for around $7. All the other supplies I had left over from my keezer build, a rectangle of plywood left from my keezer lid, a few feet of pine trim and adhesive and screws.
I started by filling in the divots and scratches on the plywood with wood filler and then sanded the entire surface really well until it was completely smooth. This step is important to make the chalkboard surface as smooth and writable as possible.
Next I spray painted the bottom 2/3 of the plywood with the chalkboard paint (it took me about 4 coats).
I then attached the tin sign to the top 1/3 of the board that wasn't painted with adhesive.
After that I cut my trim pieces and attached them with a small bead of wood glue and screwed them in from the back (through the plywood and into the back of the trim pieces) so that I wouldn't have to fill any holes on the boards front faces.
After that it was just a matter of staining (with the leftover stain from my keezer) and a few coats of poly.
I screwed two eye hooks into the top of the plywood back and hung it from a rafter using a decorative chain I found lying around my basement.
Voila! A completely customized beer sign that matches my keezer for under $20
Sorry I didn't take pics throughout the process but I didn't think about it...
Here it is hanging next to my keezer:
