Tap Handle for Homebrew

thingiverse

I designed this handle in Solidworks 2014. The font used is called "Brothers," which Ballast Point Brewery uses. This font is undeniably attractive, in my opinion. The handle has a 3/8"-16 brass threaded insert where it attaches to the tap. However, the insert was initially intended for use with wood and struggles to thread properly into plastic. I attempted heating it up, but that did not improve its functionality. As a result, I carefully enlarged the hole through which it threads by just .010" to match the major diameter of the threads exactly. This reduces thread engagement somewhat, but the application is hardly high-risk. This handle is printed in black PLA with 0.2mm layer thickness and 30% infill using my Printrbot Simple Metal 3D printer. The print process took approximately three hours to complete. The specific threaded inserts utilized can be found on mcmaster.com, a retailer that carries nearly every component imaginable.