Fix a Drink Dispenser

We used this beverage dispenser filled with a yummy alcoholic beverage for our wedding and wanted to pass it on to our friends for theirs. Enter the problem: the plastic handle on the spigot was broken.
Now how to save this wonderful treasure while adding a whimsical timeless touch?

Step 1: Solution: Add a Hardwood Carved Handle

Step 2: Making the Handle

First I drilled out the hole where the old handle had broke off. I used a piece of scrap hardwood that I got for free from a cabinet shop to make the handle. I whittled down the piece of wood with my home made utility knife and filed it to the right thickness and diameter to fit into the hole. Once I got it to fit, I cut it to the length I wanted.

Then I made the pin holding the handle in the spigot. I cut a triangle off the scrap stock and filed it down to a tiny golf tee. I drilled a drilled a hole the size of the pin in the narrow side of the handle and squished it in tight.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

Once the pieces were all made, I tried a dry fit. Then I took it all apart and applied a coat of olive oil with my fingers and put it back together.

The pin holding the handle in place has a red top from a past experiment coloring wood using a red Sharpie and coating it in super glue.

In the end it was a hit. Our friends loved the custom handle!


Let me know what you think. Did this help you resurrect that old drink dispenser from the garage or save the day when someone broke the handle to the lemonade on one of these hot summer days?
hope you get inspired to use this idea in other ways for broken contraptions or new creations.