Acrylic Draft Tower Idea

[twst1up]

Have been brainstorming different ideas for my keezer in progress. While thinking of cooling fans I thought of the ones that change colours and how cool it would be utilizing the lights along with maybe some fiberoptics or leds. Started thinking of a transparent coffin or 2 pedestal tower with inline fans drawing cool air up from the freezer and back down Plexiglass is seemingly easy to work with...you can cut it, drill it...and of course beside the light show you'd be looking at all the inner workings: tubing et al.

Anyone else thought of this? Any ideas?

 

[bad coffee]

I've done a bit of acrylic work. It's easy if you use the right tools.

If you're going with clear acrylic, you might want to jacket all your tubing in either white tubing/heatshrink, or maybe just paint the tubes. You're correct in thinking the tubing will be seen, and if it's not spectacularly clean looking it could bother you.

IF I were going to make a clear tower, I'd have to build in a couple of LED matrix panels so I could title the taps that way. And I'd make/buy clear acrylic tap handles.

B

 

[twst1up]

Bad Coffee: i know i've seen red tubing in some folks keezers, that could be an option. Using clear tubing would expose at least a little bit to light although maybe the affect would be negligible.
Is this stuff available as piping? A transparent double pedestal tower akin to the PVC ones that some have DIYd would be pretty cool...I'd assume mitering something like that would be pretty challenging to say the least

 

[tipicreeper]

One can get clear PVC at McMaster Carr & US Plastics.
This would be alot less brittle then acrylics & glues together with PVC cement.
Although it tends to be a bit pricy.
-Cheers

 

[JKoravos]

Clear PVC also isn't really clear. The stuff I've used has a bluish tint. Cast acrylic tubing is pretty expensive, I bought a 6 foot long piece of 9" diameter acrylic tube for a display a few years ago, it was $1,000.

 

[bendavanza]

The red tubing you've seen is most likely for gas. I know beer line is available in 3/16" ID black, however.

 

[twst1up]

black beer line...problem solved!

 

[Bobby_M]

What you want is cast acrylic.

1/8" wall, 3" diameter, 30" long, $48. http://freckleface.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/product623.html

It could look cool if you put surface mount LEDs on the end of the tubing wall.

 

[twst1up]

good catch...altho looks like you wouldn't save alot of bread going this route. What would be really cool is having one U-shaped piece, that way you wouldn't have to worry about it getting all F-dupped trying to cut/mitre it. however working it pieces would make accomodating fans/lights easier
Don't follow you regarding the LEDs tho...some kind of custom led signage designating whats on tap would be preety sweet too

 

[CuddlyBurrito]

well why don't you get a sheet of acrylic cut and assemble using acrylic glue in a rectangular prism. or make another cool shape. such as a letter, or logo. working with acrylic isn't too hard just cover with masking tape cut and sand the fuzzies. you can also bend acrylic with a heat gun over a edge or like sheet steel, also you could use a high grit paper like 1000 and give it a frosted look where you wouldn't be able to see the beer lines or leds that you stick in it.

Edit: i think that the plexiglass tower would be kick ass, but if you want to save money, just use pvc.. its cheap and can be manipulated easily. and you can paint it whatever color you would like

 

[JKoravos]

Personally, I like the look of drilled and tapped acrylic, rather than glued. It has a cool industrial look.

 

[CuddlyBurrito]

yeah, so do i and i never really use a tap usually just drill then heat up said threaded item with blow torch and then screw said item in hole producing perfect threads.

 

[JKoravos]

yeah, so do i and i never really use a tap usually just drill then heat up said threaded item with blow torch and then screw said item in hole producing perfect threads.

Hmmm, good idea. Never tried that. Tapping it is kind of a PITA. You have to go really slow and clean out the tap frequently.

 

[CuddlyBurrito]

Hmmm, good idea. Never tried that. Tapping it is kind of a PITA. You have to go really slow and clean out the tap frequently.

yeah just one of those things i picked up. doesn't work so well with lexan but unless your trying to make something bullet proof i think your good

 

[bad coffee]

I just cut the 6" cast acrylic on my chop saw. A nice sharp blade and go slow. Touched up with a bit of wet sandpaper and glued.

I used self taping screws, less chance of crazing the acrylic from the stress.

B

 

[Parker36]

I just cut the 6" cast acrylic on my chop saw. A nice sharp blade and go slow. Touched up with a bit of wet sandpaper and glued.

I used self taping screws, less chance of crazing the acrylic from the stress.

B

Are you making a tower? This could either turn out really cool or really awful (I'm hoping cool). Either way, I want pictures.

 

[twst1up]

i'm really hoping takes this idea and runs with it...but don't be shy with pics

 

[pjj2ba]

I would be way cool if the lights went from the bar surface to the taps, and you had a switch so when a tap was pulled the light would "chase" as if they were what was flowing into the tap.

 

[JKoravos]

I would be way cool if the lights went from the bar surface to the taps, and you had a switch so when a tap was pulled the light would "chase" as if they were what was flowing into the tap.

LOL, that would be sick.

 

[Hang Glider]

Just an FYI - I've been doing a bit of work with sheet plexiglas ----
Acrylic, plexi, and Lexan can all be solvent-glued with methylene chloride. Join the pieces, clamp them together, and drip the the methylene chloride into the joint carefully. It will seep in with capillary action, solvent-welding them for a reasonably clean look. Available at hobby shops as an all purpose cement (look at the ingredients) or pick up a can of the liquid Paint Remover - same stuff.

 

[bad coffee]

I didn't build a tower, I built a kalk stirrer for my aquarium.

Chasing LEDs would be pretty cool. You could rig up a static capacitor (like a touch lamp) to the tap handles. Pretty easy, if you could hide the electronics box somewhere. Hmmmmm too bad I don't have some 3" acrylic tube.

B