Beer Taps - measurements needed...

**maxwell_smart007** · 07-07-2009, 11:25 PM

Does anyone have any beer taps that they could look at for me?

I would like to make my best man something special for my wedding. He's going to be building his own keg system at his house, and I was going to make him beer taps for that system...

I've never been close enough to one to measure it, hwoever, so I have no idea how large to make them...eight inches sound right? twelve?

Looking for a big of creative guidance here...

**TDHofstetter** · 07-07-2009, 11:52 PM

There's a LOT of room there for playin' 'round. I've seen 'em from about six inches to something like eighteen, all dolled up any sort of way.

-- Tim --

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**maxwell_smart007** · 07-14-2009, 01:05 PM

Thanks for the inspiration, Doug - I'm almost done mine! The hardest part will be finding the inserts...

Andrew

**brent** · 07-14-2009, 04:17 PM

Off topic, but still amusing: http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/20...red-keg-fridge

**Triple Freak** · 07-14-2009, 04:33 PM

>Thanks for the inspiration, Doug - I'm almost done mine!
>The hardest part will be finding the inserts...
>
>Andrew

This is what you need. Since I'm a homebrewer, I have all kinds of links for these parts. Hope it helps.
http://morebeer.com/view_product/162...den_Taphandles

**DougB** · 07-15-2009, 09:17 AM

Yep, 3/8" X 16 - that's exactly the ones that I use. I get them at Lowes, but they might be available at your local hardware store Andrew. I've got lots of them and would send you some but you know how slow the mail is between here and there. Good luck.

**maxwell_smart007** · 07-15-2009, 09:29 AM

Slow, and sometimes non-existent...:)

I found those hammer-in nuts at Home Hardware for attaching chair legs to furniture, so I assume that'll work, eh? :)

Andrew

P.S. Taps are done - just need to finish 'em, put the nuts on, and I'll post 'em

Andrew

**DougB** · 07-15-2009, 09:40 AM

Yes they work, but I don't like them nearly as well as the threaded nuts. The material can be pretty thin at the end of the tap, and it will tend to split if you pound something in too hard. Even the threaded nuts will split the wood if it is brittle and thin (DAMHIKT). And, the pound in type will show - I really don't like that.

My first attempt, long ago, was to expoxy in two hex nuts and that might actually work as a last resort for you to try.

<edited for typing errors>

**DougB** · 06-02-2010, 09:33 AM

I've made lots of tap handles Andrew. The bigger they are, the easier it is to draw a beer. My kegerator came with little ones, but I soon made my own, and a few for my son's kegerator too.

Are you wanting to turn a tap handle?

You will need a 3/8 - 16 brass insert nut so that the tap handle will attach to the tap - I got them from Lowes, but I bet a hardware store would have them too.

Here's a few pics. Most of them I made before I got a lathe or I probably would have turned them, but the segmented ones are really nice looking.