Tap Handle

Darren Wright

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Springfield, Missouri
Got my shop picked up tonight and decided I'd play around with making a tap handle for my kegerator. I did a rough cut out on the bandsaw before rounding things over on the lathe. I picked up some of the chalkboard labels at the craft store yesterday.

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Did a 3 coats of rattle can lacquer, then put on the label. Unfortunately, though it looks nice, I'm going to have to re-think the sizes and shapes of the handles as three this size will be on top of one another on my tower.
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Looks good! Looks like maybe Alder?

I can see where it will get a bit crowded all right... You could alternatively do a 1, 2, 3 tap and a board listing the beverages like they do at a lot of bars.

If you end up doing a lot of chalkboard stuff, its not to hard to make your own paint, unlikely to be worth it for one tap handle though :D
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-to-make-awesome-chalkboard-paint.html

My long term plan was to make a bunch of tap handles from differently colored woods and then match the handle to the beer (generally keep a mix on tap), but well.. its been just about 7 years so maybe I need to move on from that idea (or get cracking! one of the two!)
 
I think you're on the right track. I like the chalkboard label. Any way the handles can be rotated to provide clearance, or maybe vary the throat/stem length?
 
Thanks guys.

Looks good! Looks like maybe Alder?
It's cherry actually, but freshly sanded, so can see the resemblance. I've actually got a can of the chalkboard paint I forgot I had in my office, but the stickers work well.

I think you're on the right track. I like the chalkboard label. Any way the handles can be rotated to provide clearance, or maybe vary the throat/stem length?
Thinking I'll splay the other two outward, which would avoid collisions.
 
Cool idea to put a chalk label on.
What about taking a single wide board and designing all three taps from it and put the label area at a different height on the two outer ones.
Then turn the taps like a spindle apart from the label area. This way the top element could be turned to match.
Need to sketch what i am thinking to explain myself. Best of luck with whatever u do.

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Very nice. That may be the same kegerator as my son has. Chalkboard labels? Nebber heerd of sech things. :thumb: I'll check them out. Was going to use chalk/blackboard paint. But, you have added an option. Thanks. Neat handles. :thumb:
 
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