LED Lit Beer Tap Handle

Darren Wright

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Springfield, Missouri
I've been throwing around the idea of making some beer tap handles on the cnc. I'd like to make them where I can update the labels easily, so decided to go with a little frame in the handle to hold the label. Well got to thinking it would be nice if they could be lit up as well.

I ordered 10 of these waterproof RGB LED lights from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010CHLS6U


Did some quick mockups in sketchup, then imported it to vcarve Desktop to add some pocket and profile operations.
Lit beer tap.jpg Lit beer tap vcarve.png

I output all the operations to one file since I was using a 1/8" endmill, however I need to get a longer bit since the ones I have taper to a 1/4" shaft, so I got some tapering of the cuts of the profile.
2015-09-13 15.47.20.jpg

Here are some test of the LED with a piece of plexi glass, the led changes colors slowly.
2015-09-13 16.14.35.jpg2015-09-13 16.14.45.jpg2015-09-13 16.14.50.jpg2015-09-13 16.14.57.jpg2015-09-13 16.15.23.jpg

I'll be redoing the recess on the back so the back plate is in a recess rather than covering the entire back. I'll also work the recess and hole for the light into the final design. I did a quick turn of the handle on the lathe to round out the base for the ferrule and found I had the width a little narrow, so will also widen that.

I'm also thinking I can cut different shapes in the front frame rather than it just being a rectangle, so will be playing around with that also.
 
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