DIY Branded Wooden Tap Handle

At some point in time, you'll want a branded tap handle for your brews. Today I am making my own tap handle, without using a lathe. Let's see how this thing turns out.

Parts List:
(note: links on this page may lead to products in which a purchase will earn affiliate commission for Greens and Machines. Certain linked items may also be sourced cheaper)

10" x 2"x 2" Wood block
4 x 1 1/4" Wood Screws
1 x 4" Round Wood Plaque
1 x Chalkboard Tag
1 x 3/8"-16 x 15/32 Brass Wood Insert
1 x Greens and Machines Sticker

Tools:

Hacksaw
3/8"-16 Hex Bolt
2 x 3/8"-16 Hex Nuts
9/16" Socket
3/8" Socket to Drill bit adapter
Drill
1/2" Drill Bit
1/8" Drill Bit
Phillips Head Drill Bit
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Sandpaper and/or a File

After gathering all the parts, let's get started. I will be making 2 of these tap handles. From my long piece of 2"x2" wood, I cut 2 x 10" long pieces. Maybe I should look into upgrading my saw...

I don't plan to turn my wood on a lathe, so at this point, I filed down the edges and sanded away any rough spots.

Next, I scored the center of the wood block. After drilling a 1/2" small hole to guide in the brass insert, it was time to insert it.

From a technique shown by George Fotinakes, I used the 3/8" hex bolt + nuts setup to guide in the brass insert. After backing it with the force of the drill, the brass insert went right in! This interesting technique worked well. Much due credit to that man for this. That was the hard part. In the future build video I will show off some of the failures I had with this step.

Next it is time to screw in branded plaque and the chalkboard. Before attaching either the chalkboard or the plaque, sand down any rough edges and remove any stickers. Yes, even the prop 65 warning stickers.

I drilled several guide holes with my 1/8" bit to make the screws go in easier. Two screws into each accessory later and this tap handle is nearly complete. I used the drill and an impact bit to make the screws flush with the wood.

With my sticker now attached, the tap handles are now complete. Aside from the brass insert installation, this wasn't too difficult!

If there is demand for custom tap handles in the future, I now know how to make these simply and cheaply. In the future, I can try using a different type of wood to make these handles. If you're interested in getting your hands on one of these branded tap handles, send me an email.

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