Maybe this belongs in “equipment” but I think it is royally “pimping”… ;D
OK, I can’t hold this to myself anymore. Bought a barrel from Weyerbacher here in Easton, with the intention of making a beer cart for mobile distribution purposes. I can’t tell you what I paid for the wheels, I’d have to kill you. They are wood, have bearings in them, a steel band and then a solid rubber tire, and there is a one inch axle. They are rated to several hundred pounds each, plenty in other words. Will put handles on there so you drive it like an appliance dolly. I “modified” a trash can to fit inside and hold the two cornies and ice. There is plenty of room for a 5 pound CO2 bottle. Debating whether to put a tower on it or just have picnic taps coming out the side…
Still under construction, but here’s a sneak preview.
The problem with the tower is that this thing is also used in the SCA environment, and thus has to look plausibly medieval. The tower would definitely not look that part. Right now I’m leaning towards a couple of inconspicuous taps, on the drivers side. Allows me to be the “bartender” and keep control of things from the drivers position.
I wonder if you could have a couple Perlicks coming out the side and somehow clad them in wood or bronze or something more period-appropriate? Just thinking out loud…
I like the perlicks idea, the handpump idea is good too. The perlicks works especially well if you mount them at the bottom so it appears to be gravity fed. That would be a lot of stooping to pour though, so I wouldn’t do it.
No problem with the rubber tires at the SCA event?
Rule enforcement is “positive”. Those that do it all period, with the research to show, get the awards. Others, like me, just make things that don’t clash. I am not a period fanatic and I have no historical evidence for anything that looks even remotely like this. And no, the rubber is not period, but it’s close enough. I figured steel would make the beer even dizzier than it already will be. The whole thing will blend in nicely. Bronze Perlicks…hmmmm hadn’t thought about those yet. Very cool. Who’s got the best deal on those right now?