# Chest Freezer Collar.... How Do I Make One?



## pokolbinguy (6/3/07)

Hi all,

I have just purchased a nice new centrex 200 ltr chest freezer (more money than i was willing at the start but I figure it will deffinately pay off in the future) that I'm going to use for my kegs. No what I want to do is build a collar for it so I can put my current door taps through it without having to modify the freezer at all (thus losing my warranty).


How did you build yours?

What material should i use? I was thinking kitchen grade (Waterproof) chipboard or similar with a white laminate to match the freezer.


How do I seal the collar to keep the cold air in but also be able to remove it with ease if I need to have a fridgie look at it during warranty period?


Do I need a to install a computer fan? if so what is the best way to install this?


Thanks heaps to all, I have searched the forum and only come up with pictures so far... and only a few at that.


Cheers, Pok :chug:


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## Lukes (6/3/07)

Pok,
I used quality plywood and filled it with a can of expandable foam.
It has 2 computer fans mounted to the underside of the lid and recently moved into the digital age with the replacement of the old Tobins controller.
I made the collar high so i could fill it with kegs and bottles and just gave the outside a coat of paint.
It was a second hand freezer and it's been going for almost 3 years without missing a beat.





In the pic it has cling wrap underneath ready to fill it with foam to create the seal.

hope this helps


- Luke


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## bindi (6/3/07)

OK <_< with the Centrex 200 :
1 Use 3" x 1.5" timber for the collar, hardwood if you can get it.
2 If using pine seal it very well, I did and it works a treat, BUT must be sealed.
3 With a 3" collar the hinge moves up to upper holes just in the perfect position to drill the holes in the collar.
4 Glue it on [can't remember the brand or type  ] marine grade it was, and let it cure, don't keep lifting the lid and looking at your good work [like I did].
5 It now has a computer fan.
6 A pump has been in from the first day for the flooded font.
7 The Centrix has been going for over a year now and not missed a beat.


And bugger I can't seem to be able to post any photos at the moment.


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## Tony (6/3/07)

any pictures of the finished product

Im looking at doing this to a 320 liter freezer myself

cheers


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## razz (6/3/07)

I got most of my inspiration from this guys collar. http://new.photos.yahoo.com/brewer007/albums
I didn't build mine the same as his but you will get the general feel for it, I used F17 hardwood, this gave me enough extra height to sit 2 kegs over the compressor hump.


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## yardy (6/3/07)

Pok,
Here's a couple of links i've had bookmarked for awhile, you might have already seen them but some good tips in there.

LINK 1

LINK 2

cheers

yard


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## bindi (6/3/07)

yardy said:


> Pok,
> Here's a couple of links i've had bookmarked for awhile, you might have already seen them but some good tips in there.
> 
> LINK 1
> ...


 

Link 2 is the one I used over a year ago for ideas.


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## Darren (6/3/07)

Hey Pok,

Just run the lines under the freezer seal at the back and mount the taps to a wall or similar. No modification required at all.
Simple and cheap and effective.

I can post a pic tomorrow if you want.

cheers

Darren


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## Tony (6/3/07)

here is another one i just found

cheers

http://www.jcommercesql.com/beer/


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## pokolbinguy (6/3/07)

Hey darren,

Those pics would be great. The less modification the better.

Cheers, Pok


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## coolum brewer (6/3/07)

Doesn't really answer the original question, because you've already bought a freezer. 

But if you can get hold of one of these it solves a lot of hassle. These have sliding lids which allow a narrow piece of ply to be fitted at one end to allow a hole to be drilled (and sealed) to bring out your lines.

Obviously doesn't give you any extra height (although 6 cornies are no problem), but is a good option. The other advantage is that these are commercial type freezers and should run for ever.

Bought this one for around $400 on ebay.




Cheers
Peter


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## Doc (6/3/07)

Here is a picture version of how how I built mine in the gallery starting here.
Still going strong.

Beers,
Doc


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## bindi (6/3/07)

ImageStation photos Here of the freezer taken a year ago.

No glycol [green crap] now.


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## Darren (13/3/07)

Hey Pok,

A bit longer than tomorrow but here it is. Sorry for the crappy drawing but I cant find the old photos and the camera batteries are flat :angry: 

You will get the general idea though. I have attached mine to the original hinges on the freezer.

No drilling required for this set-up. Lid opens perfectly to allow you to put in/take out kegs. Lines go under the seal at the back.

cheers

Darren


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## pokolbinguy (20/3/07)

Hi All,

After much anticipation I took delivery of my NEW, yep thats right I'm a splurger.... My assumption was new will use less electricity and should last longer. anyway to the point.

Freezer arrived so first thing i did was remove the lid by detaching the hinges.


Collar now built but needs to be sealed and painted. here is a few photos of the current setup.


Thanks to all who helped with photos, plans, linkys etc... greatly appreciated by myself and also anyone else looking for the same info.

 

Just a view withe the collar in place and taps. 





Inside view. 



View from the back where the collar is attached to the original bolt holes for the hinges and the hinges are screwed to the collar. This means no modification to the freezer itself which was my One cruicial point.




This is the rubber seal that i'm going to use on the underneath of the collar. 9mm rubber seal available from Clark rubber, was about $4/m I think, I wanted a wider strip but they didn't have any so I will put two rows. The seal has an adhesive back so no glue or anything needed


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## yardy (20/3/07)

Nice job Pok, should have mine done by tomorrow.

Cheers


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## pokolbinguy (12/4/07)

Well there has been more work going on with my freezer collar... I got drowned under uni work etc so the collar didn't get touched till the last week or two.

Since the last pics I have:

- removed the collar and painted it with high gloss white paint. 
- added two more taps
- moved the gas bottle outside of the freezer
- Replaced the alluminium bracket with timber to make the collar much more sturdy
- Attached the rubber seal underneath the collar so there is no need to glue or seal the collar to the freezer. 



Rubber seal - Purchased from clark rubber, comes with a sticky backing.... just peel off and stick down.




I made a small bracket to attach the collar to the original mounting holes. This was made from an old 'P' plate bracket




The hinge then locked over this and was anchored into the collar




With the plastic covers put back on it looks neat and tidy once again




Its now time to add the taps





Four taps now installed and ready to go... well nearly..... Just waiting on a gas manifold, once that is hooked up it shall be time for a test run.

I'll post a picy or two of the gas setup aswell.

Pok :beer:


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## bonj (12/4/07)

Looks awesome. I just bought a centrex 200L, so I'll be doing something similar. I like the idea of not doing any permanent modifications during the warranty period.


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## Franko (12/4/07)

Well I just picked up my huge freezer I got off ebay for $66 works a treat and is fully stainless steel lined
Im going to add a collar and 6 taps if all goes well
Heres what she looks like before I start modding


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## pokolbinguy (12/4/07)

Hope it turns out a treat just like mine Franko.


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## Franko (12/4/07)

pokolbinguy said:


> Hope it turns out a treat just like mine Franko.



thanks mate

what type of taps are those you have there how much did they set you back

Franko


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## pokolbinguy (12/4/07)

2 (the inner two) of them are self closing micromatics (i think thats what they are called).... bought them from this guy (Ebay Member michael050663) .... came with shank, hose, disconnect etc. Was easy to deal with. Cheeper than local HBS

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Home-Brew-Fridge-Do...1QQcmdZViewItem

and the outer 2 are similar, but the shank is brass and did not come with a handle or the black back plate, I got these from Ross at craftbrewer though (Thanks again Ross). Bought them from.... (Ebay member: 8451deborah)

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Brand-new-chrome-pl...1QQcmdZViewItem

If I was to buy more, I would buy the original two (inner taps) from the 1st ebay seller. They seem a better tap.

There is alot of posts on here saying how they are not all that great because the seal at the back.... but I find them fine.

Cheers, Pok


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## Doc (12/4/07)

Franko said:


> Well I just picked up my huge freezer I got off ebay for $66 works a treat and is fully stainless steel lined
> Im going to add a collar and 6 taps if all goes well
> Heres what she looks like before I start modding



That would make a great fermentation freezer Franko.

Doc


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## Franko (12/4/07)

Doc said:


> That would make a great fermentation freezer Franko.
> 
> Doc



Thats what I originally was going to use it for but thought Id use it as a serving fridge till I have my bar built inside the house.


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## turto77 (23/6/07)

Hi guys,
I am looking at building a collar for my freezer, what materials do you suggest to make it from? Looks like a lot of people are using timber, i was thinking of getting some of the insulated stuff that is used for coolrooms etc.

I am fairly new to this so any help would be great.

Turto


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## bonj (23/6/07)

Turto said:


> Hi guys,
> I am looking at building a collar for my freezer, what materials do you suggest to make it from? Looks like a lot of people are using timber, i was thinking of getting some of the insulated stuff that is used for coolrooms etc.
> 
> I am fairly new to this so any help would be great.
> ...



Hi Turto. I don't know anything about the coolroom insulated stuff. I used timber for mine. Timber is a good choice because it is something firm for the lid to rest against. It also weighs a bit too, so if you put rubber sealing strip under it, the weight will help it seal. You can see how I built mine in this thread: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=15543


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## v8r (23/6/07)

coolum brewer said:


> Bought this one for around $400 on ebay.
> 
> View attachment 11670
> 
> ...



nice it even has your name on it


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## boingk (24/6/07)

Turto, I'd go with timber as the only other option that I can think of would be to get square section steel lengths and then weld them up into your desired collar. After this, you'd need to drill a few holes and then inject expanding foam into the middle of the frame so it would act as insulation. Seems like an almighty hassle.

Also, a chest freezer is very efficient anyway because the door is at the top, and cold air is heavier than warm air - so it sinks. A timber collar shouldn't be a big hassle - just make sure its softwood and not hardwood, as softwood [eg maple, pine, balsa] is porous and will be a better insulator. Also a lot cheaper 

Come to think of it, balsa wood would kick ass because of its low density! Viva la balsa!

EDIT: On second thought, it may not stand up to the weight of the fridge lid too well...


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## turto77 (24/6/07)

Thanks guys,
what is the minimum height you suggest i should make the collar?


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## yardy (24/6/07)

Turto said:


> Hi guys,
> I am looking at building a collar for my freezer, what materials do you suggest to make it from? Looks like a lot of people are using timber, i was thinking of getting some of the insulated stuff that is used for coolrooms etc.
> 
> I am fairly new to this so any help would be great.
> ...



Turto,

I think the coldroom panelling would be ok if you could get some, riveted together with ali angle and sikaflex (or similar).
It would have to be fairly heavy though, ie: 50mm section at least, I have some sheets of 100mm section laying about that I don't know what to do with yet.
Post some pics which ever way you go.

Cheers


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## ant (25/6/07)

Turto,

I made a collar last weekend, used pine at 140mm high (height chosen to allow keg #6 to fit on the compressor), double width with expanding foam in the middle, used a third piece at 200mm high on the inside to "sit" the collar in comfortably. Gave it 3 coats of exterior weatherproof paint and a bead of kitchen grade silicon down the seams. Ran a 40mm wide strip of weatherproofing for the lid to seal on - seems to work OK.a

Not all hooked up yet, but that's OK - only one beer in keg at the moment, so only one set of lines required! Just tapped my first draught in the US; a 7.2% IPA. Feeling very pleased with life.


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## turto77 (25/6/07)

Thanks Ant, looks great, hope to have something in the next month or so.

Will post pics when i am done.


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## danman (25/6/07)

wowguys this post is awsome,exactly what ive been thinkin of for a few weeks now. great pics too.

just gotta convince the boss we need a new freezer!


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## lucas (25/6/07)

a question for the guys with fans, where did you get the power supplies? 

I've heard a few people talk about taking old mobile phone chargers, etc, to run them but all the old ones I have are like 5.1V, 450mA and it doesnt seem to be enough to turn the fan i salvaged from an old pc (which says 12V, 1.4W). do I need to keep looking for something with a suitable power pack or does my fan draw more current than most?


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## paul (25/6/07)

I dont understand why you would want to put a fan into a chest freezer. Can someone please explain the use of a fan and the benefits?

Ive been using a chest freezer for a few years for my kegs and havent the need for a fan in it. If you look at how a chest freezer works you will notice than all of the sides have the refridgerant running through them. In other words all four sides of the freezer are cold so you wont get a spot in the freezer that'll be warm.

A fridge works by just having the refridgerant going through the small plate at the top on the back wall. I can understand the use of a fan in this because of the small surface area thats doing the cooling.


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## danman (25/6/07)

a question for the guys with fans,


why do you need them???


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## danman (25/6/07)

:unsure: sorry was typing while paul was aking the same question!


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## oldbugman (25/6/07)

paul said:


> I dont understand why you would want to put a fan into a chest freezer. Can someone please explain the use of a fan and the benefits?
> 
> Ive been using a chest freezer for a few years for my kegs and havent the need for a fan in it. If you look at how a chest freezer works you will notice than all of the sides have the refridgerant running through them. In other words all four sides of the freezer are cold so you wont get a spot in the freezer that'll be warm.
> 
> A fridge works by just having the refridgerant going through the small plate at the top on the back wall. I can understand the use of a fan in this because of the small surface area thats doing the cooling.



They work by convection( :chug: ) 

So they would normally freeze product in conduct with the sides.

The fan helps circulate air and produce a more stable temperature inside the (now) fridge. It also helps with the ice build up you get on the walls of the fridge.


I don't have one inside my chest fridge/freezer but that's more because I haven't put one in than the fact that they wont help.


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## lucas (25/6/07)

cold air sinks. if you've got your probe in a bottle of water at the bottom of the freezer, it's not going to reach the trigger point for the freezer to come on until all the air above it is warmer than that temp.

additionally, there's no refridgerant running through the collar. without airflow you're gonna have a warm patch up there, which is right where the back of your taps will be. warm lines = gas coming out of solution = foamy pour.

I'm sure you can probably get away without a fan, but i doubt your temps will be as stable as if you had one


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## bugwan (25/6/07)

Lucas, there's no need to run your fan at a full 12V. That's probably overkill. Find a power supply that is rated for between 7 and 9 and you'll be fine. Since everything else in the freezer is stationary, even a slight draught will distribute the cool air into the collar space.


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## lucas (25/6/07)

well dont i feel silly. worked out that the fan should only be drawing ~300mA so the phone charger I have should be plenty powerful enough. plugged it in again and held the fan wires to the terminals and it worked. unplugged it, cut the end off and made a more permanent connection, plugged it in again and it didn't work. it seems that the socket i plugged it into on the powerboard the first and third time to test it is faulty or something; works fine in any other one. it's now whirring away happily at the bottom of the freezer


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## bonj (26/6/07)

Overkill? Probably... I'm running my 12V fan at 13.5V. h34r: I have been thinking of adding a resistor to slow it down a bit... :lol:

edit.. I's stupid.


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## Darren (4/7/07)

sorry for double post, but I originally put this in the wrong thread :blink: 

The simplest freezer conversion ever. No drilling, no holes. Takes 5 minutes to build and cost $5. Works a charm.

cheers

Darren


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## etbandit (6/8/07)

Bonj said:


> Overkill? Probably... I'm running my 12V fan at 13.5V. h34r: I have been thinking of adding a resistor to slow it down a bit... :lol:
> 
> edit.. I's stupid.




A question for you guys with chest freezer fans,

Where can I get a small fan or parts and how can I build a circuit etc. for it? Im not electronically minded.

Can parts be purchased from DickSmith Electronics?


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## frogman (6/8/07)

etbandit said:


> A question for you guys with chest freezer fans,
> 
> Where can I get a small fan or parts and how can I build a circuit etc. for it? Im not electronically minded.
> 
> Can parts be purchased from DickSmith Electronics?



Any computer repair place should be able to help you out. If you have an old mobile phone charger take that with you and tell the guy what its for.

FROGMAN


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## etbandit (6/8/07)

frogman said:


> Any computer repair place should be able to help you out. If you have an old mobile phone charger take that with you and tell the guy what its for.
> 
> FROGMAN



Frogman,

Are you saying that its possible to hookup a computer fan to a phone charger and get it working?


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## frogman (6/8/07)

etbandit said:


> Frogman,
> 
> Are you saying that its possible to hookup a computer fan to a phone charger and get it working?



Exactly that. I got the electronic techs at my work to knock one up for me with a two speed switch for the grand total of three bottles of brew.

FROGMAN.


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## etbandit (6/8/07)

frogman said:


> Exactly that. I got the electronic techs at my work to knock one up for me with a two speed switch for the grand total of three bottles of brew.
> 
> FROGMAN.



Sweet,

Do you know what wires attaches where on the fan? Do you have a photo you can post?

Cheers.


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## Henno (6/8/07)

I'm interested in seeing a pic of a fitted fan in place. 

Where do they go? Somebody said they had one whirring away in the bottom. Wouldn't moisture be a problem if you actually put it inside?

Cheers


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## sanders4_ (8/10/07)

Hey Ebandit,

Computer fans are great for freezers, helps keep temp even, and circulates the air past temp probes of temp controllers, and up into the collar as Lucas said. 

I sourced my computer fans from a computer fair in ACT, its one of those fairs that travel all over the place so finding one shouldn't be hard, 
try here http://www.computermarkets.com/ 
or here http://www.computerfairs.com.au/index.php?...t&Itemid=38

I picked up my fans for $3 each, cheapest i could find by far. Make sure the fans have the connection like the one in picture below, four pin to suit a power supply.



As for powering them, find an old obsolete computer (shouldn't be too hard to find), and take the whole power supply out of it (DO NOT TAKE IT APART, very dangerous inside)
The only electrical work you need to do is run a wire between black and green ports in the P1 connector.
Get some wire, and run it between the green wire port and one of the black wire ports (can be any of the black wire ports), as shown by the red line in the picture. We need to do this so the power supply will turn on, (usually the motherboard does this with the power button).


Here a pic to show you what it should look like (don't use a paper clip, use an insulated wire)


Now, plug your fan(s) into the matching connector and your set. Add more if you need to, power supply should be able to handle more than a few. 

Try to mount the fans clear of obvious condensation/water, i've had no troubles with mine.

If you feel like messing around, you can get different voltages out of the power supply just by connecting to different ports on the P1 connector. 


for instance, by default, the 12 volt fan is connected between the yellow wire (+12v) and the black wire (0v), so 12 volts. 
You could make it run faster by connecting it between the blue wire (-12v) and the yellow wire (12v), so 24 volts, so on and so forth.

Good luck with it.


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## FNQ Bunyip (9/10/07)

sanders4_ said:


> Hey Ebandit,
> 
> Computer fans are great for freezers, helps keep temp even, and circulates the air past temp probes of temp controllers, and up into the collar as Lucas said.
> 
> ...






Good Post Sanders, But a lot of overkill for most , and anybody not confident with electricery ..

A lot of computer fans have 3 wires Black , red and yellow. most phone chargers only have 2 red/black or white/black, chop the plug off the fan and the charger, join the black wires together . Then the red to red or white to red , insulate your conection and switch on , in Most cases the third wire is for a temp monitor/rpm monitor...

My fan once fell off the shelf and landed in half an inch of water next time I opened the door i got a shower of fine mist sprayed out at me , it must of been sitting in the water for 3 days or more and was still going and whats more its still going about 12 month on. Not recomending that you put one in water but they are preety tough..

With a fan in my serving fridge it pulls a hot keg down in under 24 hours , without the fan running it can take 3 days to get down to drinking temps..


Cheers


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## yardy (9/10/07)

Brewers,

still debating wether to go with a collar or font, i've got a few sheets of this and want to know if you guys have any experience using it, if i cut the corners @ 45* will normal silastic or no nails be sufficient to hold it together ?

i suppose i could cut extra length on the front and back sections of the collar, scrape away the polystyrene and fold the tabs around and pop rivet them for extra strength, thoughts ? ? ?

also any ideas how to finish off the top of the collar where the polystyrene is showing ?






Cheers


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## Ross (9/10/07)

Hi Yard,

I think that might be more trouble than it's worth. A timber frame is easy to construct, cheap, strong & looks good.
I think fixing those panels to the freezer would be a pita.

cheers ross


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## oldbugman (9/10/07)

Yeah a trip to bunnings, with them cuttnig the timber to size) and a bit of glue and a few screws is all thats needed. Took longer to give it a few coats of paint than it did to build it.


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## bonj (9/10/07)

OldBugman said:


> Yeah a trip to bunnings, with them cuttnig the timber to size) and a bit of glue and a few screws is all thats needed. Took longer to give it a few coats of paint than it did to build it.


Yep, what he said.

Watch them though, they only guarantee their cuts accurate to within a certain margin of error, so if you can trim it at home (I used a compound mitre saw), give them a bit extra, so you don't get a length that's too short.


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## oldbugman (9/10/07)

Or just have a chat with the guy and ask him to be close :icon_chickcheers: 

Worked for me.


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## spog (9/10/07)

yardy said:


> Brewers,
> 
> still debating wether to go with a collar or font, i've got a few sheets of this and want to know if you guys have any experience using it, if i cut the corners @ 45* will normal silastic or no nails be sufficient to hold it together ?
> 
> ...


yardy,as far as glueing the panels goes you would best use sikaflex, it is used in marine applications and sticks like you know what to a picnic blanket.
silastic just does not have the guts in this case,and no nails will melt the polystyrene inside the panels
with the panels in your pics it would be best to use internal and external ally angles on all corners to hold/finish the job.
and the cost add,s up very quickly,as for capping you can buy ally caps to suit the panel you have,or make some from timber to suit. oh and sikaflex is about 20/30.00 dollars a tube.so sorry mate seems too expensive, but you could make a good fermenting cupboard with what you have.?...cheers...spog..


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## yardy (10/10/07)

yeah bugger it, i'll go the timber.

thanks for the replies

Yard


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## pokolbinguy (10/10/07)

sanders4_ said:


> Hey Ebandit,
> 
> Computer fans are great for freezers, helps keep temp even, and circulates the air past temp probes of temp controllers, and up into the collar as Lucas said.
> 
> ...




Is this the sought of power supply needed??? 

Linky



Cheers, Pok


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## bonj (10/10/07)

Any power supply around 12V DC will work. I have a 13.5V one scavanged from an old dead printer. just make sure it's DC, check the polarity (which wires go where ie. black to black, red to red etc) when you wire it up to make sure it spins the right direction and make sure it supplies enough juice to spin the fan (they don't need much).


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## pokolbinguy (10/10/07)

Bonj said:


> Any power supply around 12V DC will work. I have a 13.5V one scavanged from an old dead printer. just make sure it's DC, check the polarity (which wires go where ie. black to black, red to red etc) when you wire it up to make sure it spins the right direction and make sure it supplies enough juice to spin the fan (they don't need much).



dead printer hey.... hmmmm I may just have the thing....


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## sanders4_ (16/10/07)

pokolbinguy said:


> Is this the sought of power supply needed???
> 
> Linky
> Cheers, Pok



Your link to ebay didn't work for me, but if you decide to go the computer supply route, your after an ATX power supply, wattage doesn't matter. Any one will be awesome for fans.

They look like this when out of the computer case.




but like bonj said, you could use any 12 V power supply


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## pokolbinguy (14/12/07)

Finally attached my Drip tray after seeing this method used by another AHB Member. Looks a little silly but does the job, and could look worse. As intended at the start I did not want to drill into the freezer itself.




Cheers, Pok


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## cliffo (14/12/07)

pokolbinguy said:


> Finally attached my Drip tray after seeing this method used by another AHB Member. Looks a little silly but does the job, and could look worse. As intended at the start I did not want to drill into the freezer itself.
> 
> View attachment 16586
> 
> ...



Looks the goods Pok.

How wide is that your drip tray?

cliffo


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## KGB (14/12/07)

Looks fine to me Pok, nice setup.


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## yardy (14/12/07)

pokolbinguy said:


> Finally attached my Drip tray after seeing this method used by another AHB Member. Looks a little silly but does the job, and could look worse. As intended at the start I did not want to drill into the freezer itself.
> 
> View attachment 16586
> 
> ...



looks good from where i sit Pok, nice job.

cheers
yard


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## pokolbinguy (14/12/07)

The tray is 560mm x 230mm


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## cliffo (15/12/07)

pokolbinguy said:


> The tray is 560mm x 230mm



Thats about the perfect size for my needs.

Where did you get it and how much did it set you back?

cheers,
cliffo


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## pokolbinguy (15/12/07)

cliffo said:


> Thats about the perfect size for my needs.
> 
> Where did you get it and how much did it set you back?
> 
> ...



Bought it off a fellow AHB member for around $60 from memory. I think I bought it off Frogman. That was ages ago. Not sure where you could get one at a reasonable price.

Pok


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## cliffo (15/12/07)

pokolbinguy said:


> Bought it off a fellow AHB member for around $60 from memory. I think I bought it off Frogman. That was ages ago. Not sure where you could get one at a reasonable price.
> 
> Pok



Always the dilema - SS & reasonable price generally aren't mentioned in the same sentence.  

Will have to keep an eye out around the place.

cheers Pok,
cliffo


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## uncyp (15/7/10)

I have just bought a 2nd hand chest freezer and can't get 1 corny in next to the hump. :angry: Does anyone know if adding a 20 cm collar would be too high? If I can add a collar that high I will fit 4 kegs in OK.


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## razz (15/7/10)

I added a 245 mm collar to mine uncyp. I think the kegs are about 610mm high from memory.


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## uncyp (15/7/10)

Thanks Razz - its only a 60 x 60 freezer - the Minister for War and Finance will kill me if I tell her that the $80 2nd hand freezer is not fit for purpose.


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## VonFehringer (15/7/10)

I'll be scouring the forums aswell for tips & tricks - i am particulary hazy on the connection of the collar to the freezer and to get a proper seal between the 2. I think there are a few posts around but I'd like to find a recent one which has the latest & greatest ideas etc.


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## VonFehringer (15/7/10)

Couldn't see it for all the obvious Kegging setups thread 

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...p?showtopic=235


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## mccuaigm (15/7/10)

There's an article here about it

Cheers
Goldy


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## VonFehringer (15/7/10)

thanks Goldy I think that will come in real handy!!


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## pokolbinguy (27/9/12)

Looks like all good things come to an end  

Seems my chesty may have gone to kegerator heaven. Freezer is still getting 'cold' but only to about 6-8deg and seems to be running non-stop. No wonder my power bill went up so much. The high bill was what made me pay attention. 

I will get someone to have a look at it before I bin it, but if it does get its final reading then I guess this thread will be relevant again...well sort of. 

Pok


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## bonj (27/9/12)

I had the same freezer I believe, and copied your collar on mine... it died a horrible death a few years ago... didn't last very long actually, but since the manufacturer (Centrex) went out of business shortly be fore it died, that was it.

I ended up replacing it with a Kegmate from Craftbrewer. Half the number of kegs (3), but I would rarely have the 3 taps pouring anyway.


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## pokolbinguy (27/9/12)

The weird thing is it will freeze in the top right hand side of the freezer, only thing I can think is that is where the 'coldest' spot of the coils run. Will have to get it checked tho. But research on a new setup has started. Might be a good excuse to build a bar to put my font on.


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## WitWonder (27/9/12)

pokolbinguy said:


> The weird thing is it will freeze in the top right hand side of the freezer, only thing I can think is that is where the 'coldest' spot of the coils run. Will have to get it checked tho. But research on a new setup has started. Might be a good excuse to build a bar to put my font on.


Not trying to state the obvious but - I think it's stuffed mate  Don't waste your time getting it checked. If it needs to be re-gassed, thanks to the Labor govt, the price of re-gassing fridges/freezers is more expensive than what they are worth. My old man had an old freezer he took fishing every year and the re-gas this year was going to cost ~$900 as opposed to the usual ~200. Thanks Julia!


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## pokolbinguy (27/9/12)

WitWonder said:


> My old man had an old freezer he took fishing every year and the re-gas this year was going to cost ~$900 as opposed to the usual ~200. Thanks Julia!



Ouch!!


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## kegs23 (27/9/12)

VonFehringer said:


> I'll be scouring the forums aswell for tips & tricks - i am particulary hazy on the connection of the collar to the freezer and to get a proper seal between the 2. I think there are a few posts around but I'd like to find a recent one which has the latest & greatest ideas etc.



i just sit my lid on top most days (i do have a pull down bungy strap on each side like on a ute tray cover) as i took of the hinges so i could push it right back on the wall(sits 2cm of wall for ventalation),i have a pc fan in there which run though some pvc pipe to bring cold air from the bottom to the top,,,,,,,,,,,,,remember cold air falls ,i can take the top of for 10-15 min and the temp in the bottom of the freezer will only rise by about 1 deg and that just air temp,


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## kegs23 (27/9/12)

kegs23 said:


> i just sit my lid on top most days (i do have a pull down bungy strap on each side like on a ute tray cover) as i took of the hinges so i could push it right back on the wall(sits 2cm of wall for ventalation),i have a pc fan in there which run though some pvc pipe to bring cold air from the bottom to the top,,,,,,,,,,,,,remember cold air falls ,i can take the top of for 10-15 min and the temp in the bottom of the freezer will only rise by about 1 deg and that just air temp,



i just use no more gaps between the two as it was whight( but white barthroom silicon might be better as you should get no mould growing in it)


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## kegs23 (27/9/12)

kegs23 said:


> i just sit my lid on top most days (i do have a pull down bungy strap on each side like on a ute tray cover) as i took of the hinges so i could push it right back on the wall(sits 2cm of wall for ventalation),i have a pc fan in there which run though some pvc pipe to bring cold air from the bottom to the top,,,,,,,,,,,,,remember cold air falls ,i can take the top of for 10-15 min and the temp in the bottom of the freezer will only rise by about 1 deg and that just air temp,



i just use no more gaps between the two as it was whight( but white barthroom silicon might be better as you should get no mould growing in it)


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## pokolbinguy (28/7/13)

Finally after months and months of searching I acquired a new freezer to replace my centrex that is at the start of this thread, it died  and I have been procrastinating over this for a long time and it put my brewing on hold as I had no way to dispense my beer....so finally I can get some ferments happening againg.

The freezer is a kelvinator H210H. Cost me about $140 second hand but it was local so saved me spending any more time and money mucking around trying to find a replacement.

It will fit 4 kegs with gas bottle inside, could do 5 kegs but would have to put the gas bottle outside and I want everything 'enclosed' this time around. Might even go to the effort to mount the temp controller in the body of the freezer somewhere but that can wait .

The one thing that I am questioning is how to mount my drip tray this time though, I didn't like the look of the brackets last time around. Any tips would be great. Maybe I 'glue' some brakets to the front of the freezer so you can't really see the mounting hardware...

Here is some photos of the collar constuction for the new baby.

A front shot. I have not yet sealed the timber or drilled the mounting holes for the taps. I am going to reuse the taps I already have. I would love to replace with some sexier taps but at this stage the budge doesn't allow it.




Front shot before lid mounted



Rear shot showing lid attached to collar and collar attached to orignal lid mounting hole.



The collar is two layers. The inner layer is pine that I ripped down to approx 170mm and it sits on top of the freezer. The outerlayer is maple and looks pretty sexy. Should look schmick with a new clear coat on it to give it a little shine.

This photo shows the mitre joint, photo was taken with just the clamps holding things in place to see how it fits. The two collars are now flush to each other.




Inner collar is just butt jointed and screwed together, also has 'angle' brackets to help support it. Outer collar is mitred and glued and screwed to the inner collar. The outer collar is only fitted to the front and sides, not rear.




See the keg fits 





I have re-used the rubber seal from my old kegerator between the collar and the top of the freezer to keep it nice and air/moisture tight.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask or if you would like a photo of something in particular let me know.I thought I would put these up in the hope that maybe one photo will help someone else wanting to do the same thing. I know my previous build was well received so here we are.


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## pokolbinguy (4/8/13)

A few photos with a clear coat on the timber and taps in place.

Taps In



In pride of place.


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