So you guys know that I have been playing with tap handles. My original design did not work as well as I’d hoped and I think “tap handle life span” was the biggest issue. Since then, I have picked up a very cheap jigsaw (maybe $30) and also a good palm sander (maybe $25). I picked up some 3.5" stock (this can be pine, oak, whatever) that was 6’ long and ¾" thick. I found shapes that I wanted by searching Google Images. If a design looked good to me but appeared to be too complex for me to make, I forgot it. You can see that I settled on things like glassware-shapes, surfboards, oars, paddles, etc. I printed them out so that they were 3.5" wide, cut them out and then traced the design right onto the wood plank & cut them out. These were easy to cut with the saw and then I sanded the bejesus out of them. For the tap handle adapter, this time I picked up some ‘threaded rod’ that is 15/16"-18. This rod was 3’ long and I cut it down with a hacksaw. The rod will accept a ferrule that can be picked up from various suppliers including Kegworks for $2 to $3 each. Drill a hole in the bottom of the handle, insert the threaded rod with some wood glue and make sure it’s straight or the handle will lean. Then I primed them and painted them whatever color I wanted. I designed the labels and printed them on photo paper with the proper dimensions. Then fastened the labels to the tap with spray adhesive (3M Super 77) and when all of that was set, I hit the handle with a coating of clear spray gloss to keep everything protected from fading or getting wet. These are one-piece, durable handles that will last a long time. Cheers Beerheads!
