DIY ‘Party Cart’ step-by-step

The original cart. The chrome was peeling away in places, and the basket, seat and handlebar had been burned. The front left wheel is worn down.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

After scraping off loose rust and chrome, I sprayed the cart with two coats of rust-resistant primer. Here, the cart is primed and taped off for painting.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

I sprayed the cart with high-heat grill paint and chrome accents. With the paint dry, I began fitting the cart with the griddle.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

For this size cart, a full size (18-by-26-inch) rimmed sheet pan fit perfectly. To hold the pan in place I drilled one end with holes to fit eye screws that I attached to the cart seat.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

For the cooking element, I decided to use chafing fuel. To hold the canisters in place, I took a disposable chafing frame and molded it to fit under the sheet pan.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

The chafing frame bent and fitted, and also attached to the cart. The two chafing fuel canisters are centered under the sheet pan.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

For the draft beer, I ordered a standard beer faucet and beer line.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

To attach the faucet to the cart, I took two curtain rod end holders and drilled 1-inch holes in each one. I then could slide the faucet shank through the holes and tighten the faucet to the side of the cart.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

Attach the curtain rod holders to the side of the cart using two screws.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

Test to make sure the faucet slides through for a snug fit.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

Almost all kegs need to be pressurized externally using a hand pump or CO2 cartridges. Until I can figure out another fix, I’m working with the pressurized mini kegs from Heineken.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

I was inspired by two great workarounds I found online. One shows how to adapt the mini-kegs to work with a beer faucet in your fridge: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tap-a-Draught-Keg-Inside-Your-Fridge/  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

The other workaround is from a comment found towards the bottom of a similar workaround, addressing the changes Heineken has made to its taps: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Your-Draught-Keg-Mobile/  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

To attach the beer line to the mini-keg spigot, I attached a compression adapter to a female pipe elbow and brass hose barb adapter, threading with plumbers’ tape to prevent leaks.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

Here’s a close-up of the top of the Heineken keg.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

First test the line for leaks.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

And ... we have beer. When you first tap the keg, you’ll get a lot of foam from the pressure release. This is normal. Simply keep the tap open until the beer starts to flow.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

The comments from “goaly” in the comments at the bottom of this workaround (http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Your-Draught-Keg-Mobile/) were incredibly helpful in keeping the beer line open and leak-free. First, remove the green toggle.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

Next, seal the long and short portions of the spigot, and seal the vent hole. Per goaly’s comments, I did it easily using a screwdriver heated over a stove-top burner.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

A shot of the sealed plastic spigot.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

To “lock” the spigot in the open position, I used a wood file.   (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

I was able to fit a simple ice chest in the cart, with the keg standing upright. Plastic foam is an excellent insulator, and the keg stayed cold for hours.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

Finally, I decided I wanted a custom beer tap handle. I drilled a half-inch hole in the base of a cool Tiki I’d bought at Oceanic Arts in Whittier, and screwed in a (3/8-inch No. 16) wood insert nut.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

The new handle fit perfectly on the tap.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

A couple of other embellishments include a bicycle bell and cork bicycle tape for a comfortable grip as I wheel the cart around. Also, a pair of black fuzzy dice. Just because.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

I also added an LED battery-powered bicycle lamp. The original lamp was green, so I painted it black to match the cart.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

The completed cart ready to make its debut in the L.A. Times Test Kitchen.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

For the first go, I hooked up the beer tap, and then got the chafer canisters going so I could start cooking.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

The finished party cart up and running in our photo studio.  (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)