Saturday, April 26, 2014

Tap Handle (Brewing)

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When my brother told me to make him a tap handle I was wondering what he needed a tap handle for if he had not any taps?  Unbeknownst to me, the term tap handle also refers to the lever shaped thing you pull to dispense alcohol at a bar.  Since I had some leftover baseball bat from the hammer handle project, I decided to have some fun and try freehand wood turning.

First, I drilled and tapped a 3/8"-16 hole in the end of the wood piece.  I believe this is the standard thread for tap handles.
Tapping a 3/8"-16 hole directly into wood
I used a piece of 3/8"-16 threaded rod to hold it in the lathe.
3/8" threaded rod inserted into wood blank
All set up before turning.
Half of baseball bat set up in lathe
Much time and struggle later, I turned the shape and then sanded it.  This was my first time doing actual wood turning with the tool rest and chisels, and it was much harder than I expected.  I do like the freedom it gives to make any shape, but it is rather dangerous as the piece kept trying to pull the chisel from my hand.
Tap handle form after turning
And then some clear coat for good measure.
Completed tap handle with clear coat

8 comments:

  1. Jeremy CookMay 2, 2014 at 7:06 PM

    Nice work - looks like you're using a converted metalworking lathe? Looks like a homemade tool rest?

    I've used my lathe for woodworking as well, but I just used the standard tooling - haven't gotten around to building a tool rest for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VinnyMay 2, 2014 at 7:29 PM

      The whole story on that build starts here: http://www.greensandmachines.com/2013/11/operation-woody-part-1-drive-center.html

      Delete
  2. wood router centerJune 12, 2015 at 4:13 AM

    Nice your post and both beautiful your wood-works.

    ReplyDelete
  3. DonaldNovember 9, 2015 at 12:36 AM

    Very useful information, Nice job man, I think I'll made something similar. Nice.

    ReplyDelete
  4. G. eliotFebruary 25, 2016 at 8:48 PM

    thank you for this sharing , some poeple dont know About it , i usually make it and join to the Project With a Porter cable biscuit joiner

    ReplyDelete
  5. kamelJune 23, 2016 at 12:02 PM

    Very efficiently written information. It will be beneficial to anybody who utilizes it, including me. Keep up the good work. For sure i will check out more posts. I appreciate your guidelines. It’s nice information for us.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tom BradlyOctober 13, 2016 at 12:37 AM

    Ah, thanks for clearing it out! I never thought anybody would want to make a tap handle - unless you own a pub!

    ReplyDelete
  7. StevenSeptember 25, 2017 at 4:52 AM

    Your tap handles not only tell your friends (or customers) what you’re serving, but they can also add a bit of style to your bar.

    ReplyDelete

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