Custom Tap Handles

[Tbagger]

Anybody else make their own tap handles out of random stuff? I just finished these two. Buddy Christ for is for my Dogmatic IPA and the Knight’s arm/sword for my Heironeous’ (he is my D&D paladin's deity) Kolsch. I have a few more planned in the near future. I think each solid recipe I come up with will get its own handle.

 

[Tbagger]

Also made a WoW handle for my Goldshire Cream Ale.

 

[BrewingAroundtheRrealm]

Very cool!

 

[Tbagger]

Very cool!

Thank you. I need to get a 3D printer to make them from scratch instead of sacrificing items from my nerd shelf. lol

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Love the buddy christ. I want a mooby cow now.

 

[Jtk78]

20180406_051424

• Jtk78
• Apr 6, 2018

Added 2 more faucets and tap handles.

Those look great.

Here are the handles I made so far. "2" is a 1972 Illinois license plate. The plan is to have them numbered up to 8 or 9.

 

[rice13]

Buddy Christ and the license plate ideas are great. I may be borrowing them.

 

[Jtk78]

Buddy Christ and the license plate ideas are great. I may be borrowing them.

Feel free.

I cut a piece of wood and bent the license plate around it. Screwed it to the wood with two screws in the back. I thought about doing all the numbers in different color and different state plates, but really wanted the #1 driver because I've never seen it.

 

[rice13]

Feel free.

I cut a piece of wood and bent the license plate around it. Screwed it to the wood with two screws in the back. I thought about doing all the numbers in different color and different state plates, but really wanted the #1 driver because I've never seen it.

I’ve already ordered a lot of plates off eBay to number my taps 1-4. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[helterscelter]

Love the buddy christ. I want a mooby cow now.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Jay-and-Sile...gure-Bank-Statue-Award-11inch-2014/2061642521

 

[BrooklynTom]

I use some carvings that my father made years ago.

 

[SEndorf]

Fantastic ideas.
Can someone post a noob primer on tap handle connectors and where to get them? Also would be helpful if someone would share instructions on how to attach to whatever zany item your imagination comes up with.

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

thanks for the idea! I just ordered buddy Christ off ebay to make my own!!

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Fantastic ideas.
Can someone post a noob primer on tap handle connectors and where to get them? Also would be helpful if someone would share instructions on how to attach to whatever zany item your imagination comes up with.

Ferrule and hanger bolt
This is what you want if you want a ferrule on the bottom of the tap handle. The pilot hole size will depend on the material you are putting the hanger bolt into. As a general rule, the harder the material, the bigger the pilot hole. I have drilled material all the way out then back filled with structural epoxy to set the bolt. Don't forget to put some thread lock on the threads before attaching the ferrule

Threaded insert
Another threaded insert
These will allow the handle to thread directly on without a ferrule. Same rule applies - the harder the material, the wider the pilot hole. Threaded inserts will need a larger drilled hole than the above. You may want to apply adhesive to the insert before sending it home so it does not unthread from the hole.

 

[SEndorf]

Thanks Floppy!
Just what I need to get started.
There's always another element to add to the hobby......

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Thanks Floppy!
Just what I need to get started.
There's always another element to add to the hobby......

Careful. No one knows how deep this rabbit hole is

 

[Br3w4u]

I have made some from images that I burned into wood plaques. Unfortunately I gave them away and didn’t take pictures... I have a friend with a 3D printer that made me a hop cone tap handle but after a while the threads wore out so it doesn’t work as a tap handle anymore. I love that sword handle! Nice work!

 

[Brewers Hardware]

20180406_051424

• Jtk78
• Apr 6, 2018

Added 2 more faucets and tap handles.

Those look great.

Here are the handles I made so far. "2" is a 1972 Illinois license plate. The plan is to have them numbered up to 8 or 9.

I love the pool ball handle. One day I'll get around to making some...

 

[Jtk78]

I love the pool ball handle. One day I'll get around to making some...

Thank you. There's a member on here with an upright freezer converted to a kegerator that has pool balls 1-8. He was the inspiration for that one. I thought about steeling that idea entirely, but again, I liked the idea of all different objects, and really wanted the #1 driver, which happens to be my favorite.

 

[Tbagger]

I have a friend with a 3D printer that made me a hop cone tap handle but after a while the threads wore out so it doesn’t work as a tap handle anymore.

Next time have him make it with a thick solid bottom and attach a ferrule instead of 3d printing the threads. I have a friend printing me a Death Star and Totoro.

 

[Tbagger]

I love that sword handle! Nice work!

Thanks. It was a letter opener. I glued the sword to the hand and attached a ferrule. I have a few more nerdy knick-knacks I'm going to be turning into tap handles in the next couple weeks when I find time.

 

[Br3w4u]

Aha! I didn’t take a picture of it but the guy that I sent it to did! I made the dragon one.

 

[Tbagger]

Couple more I made last night. A Cylon raider for my Fracked Up Lemonade and dice for my Dungeon Crawler Marzen.

 

[Br3w4u]

Couple more I made last night. A Cylon raider for my Fracked Up Lemonade and dice for my Dungeon Crawler Marzen. View attachment 580981

I was just rolling those dice last night

 

[Tbagger]

I was just rolling those dice last night

It’s been a couple years since I rolled but I still have my favorite pally, my good dice, and all the manuals in my desk drawer.

 

[Transamguy77]

Couple more I made last night. A Cylon raider for my Fracked Up Lemonade and dice for my Dungeon Crawler Marzen. View attachment 580981

My boys play every Friday night love the dice handle.

 

[Tbagger]

And here is the Jayne Cobb handle I just made for my Mudders Milk Stout.

 

[MajorJC]

And here is the Jayne Cobb handle I just made for my Mudders Milk Stout.View attachment 585542View attachment 585543

Is that 3D printed?

I have a 3D printer that I bought a couple of years ago but I was so busy with other things that I never put it together. It is still in the box on top of the cabinets in my laundry room.
If that is the quality of what I could make with it though, I may be putting it together and learning to use it this weekend!

 

[Tbagger]

Is that 3D printed?

No, It's a figurine I bought, reinforced, and mounted to a Serenity keychain that I attached to a ferrule bolt.

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

No, It's a figurine I bought, reinforced, and mounted to a Serenity keychain that I attached to a ferrule bolt.

That!!.... is fecking awesome!!

 

[Jtk78]

I’ve already ordered a lot of plates off eBay to number my taps 1-4. Thanks for the inspiration.

Did you ever get around to making these? Interested to see how they turned out.

 

[MajorJC]

No, It's a figurine I bought, reinforced, and mounted to a Serenity keychain that I attached to a ferrule bolt.

I had to go back and watch Firefly again after seeing your post.

 

[Tbagger]

Made a fractal burned shelf for my diy handles. Has spots for 17 but I only currently have 8. But I have 5 more in the works.

 

[Br3w4u]

Made a fractal burned shelf for my diy handles. Has spots for 17 but I only currently have 8. But I have 5 more in the works.

View attachment 586132

Ok that does it! Now I’m jealous!

 

[Tbagger]

Finished my handle for my Belgian Dubbel named Books Abbey Ale.

 

[rice13]

Did you ever get around to making these? Interested to see how they turned out.

I did. It was fairly easy to do and they turned out good. I was even able to find a lot of 10 plates with the numbers I needed for 4 taps.

 

[Tidwellc]

And here is the Jayne Cobb handle I just made for my Mudders Milk Stout.View attachment 585542View attachment 585543

No words.. That is freakin awesome

 

[Tbagger]

No words.. That is freakin awesome

Thank you!

 

[Tbagger]

Here is another one for my Shire Harvest Wheat.

 

[Tbagger]

Here is a couple more I recently made.
Imperial Stout

SMaSH Bros Pilsner

Audrey II Amber

Super Saison