Any Ideas For Building Your Own "drip Tray"

[user 1153]

Howdy guys,

I searched around for a fair while, but if I missed any posts that cover this I am sorry (and would appreciate the link of course )

In my new house I have space to move the brew fridge indoors (yee-har) where it is nearer to the pool table (double yee-har). Of course wifey now requires that I do not spill the golden syrup onto the floor, so I am in the market for drip trays.

Now... my setup makes this a daunting and expensive looking task. I have three swing taps on the front of a fridge with a width of 68cm and I will need a tray of a minimum of about 65cm.

Looking around all the usual sites I see that this length is pretty much a no go for a fridge mounted tray (as in they don't exist). Also the price of buying single small ones per tap is just way too much money to part with.

Has anyone tried making their own or have any other suggestions. I'd happily buy one pre made if it was the right length. I could probably get away with up to $200 for it. Other than that I need to make one.

Looking forward to some ideas.

Cheers
Troy

 

[tangent]

i found a piece of stainless bling from Ikea that has holes in it. Supposed to be for keeping food warm with candles underneath. I'm thinking of adapting a few of these to hang off the fridge door. In the meanwhile, I've got it on top of the fridge with a plastic container in it to catch the drips and put the pint glass on this if there's a bit of extra head pouring down the side of the glass.

 

[Doogiechap]

i found a piece of stainless bling from Ikea that has holes in it. Supposed to be for keeping food warm with candles underneath. I'm thinking of adapting a few of these to hang off the fridge door. In the meanwhile, I've got it on top of the fridge with a plastic container in it to catch the drips and put the pint glass on this if there's a bit of extra head pouring down the side of the glass.

Sounds good bloke ! Can you recall the name of said item so we can all flock to Ikea's website.

 

[simonl75]

Sounds good bloke ! Can you recall the name of said item so we can all flock to Ikea's website.

Curiosity got me searching, i think this might be it... here!

 

[KoNG]

That looks quite useful.... ive never been to ikea, but that could get me there when i get my fridge sorted.

 

[browndog]

Without access to the basic sheet metal equipment such as a guillotine and a folder, I reckon the best you can do is make one up out of some aluminium sheet and some 25mm*25mm aluminium angle. If your interested, PM me and I can go into the details.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Ansellsmild]

You could always screw a shelf (bit of wood) on the door with a couple of brackets. Throw a bar towel or two on top and then a drip tray on that. That's what I have done and it works fine, although mines no where near 68cm.

Ex pub counter top drip trays can be fairly long, check Ebay. There is a 80 something cm ss tray on there at the moment.

Here is a couple of pics of mine before I purchased my drip tray.

 

[benhobbs]

I had a similar problem, and my cheap and nasty solution was to use a planter box tray. I just lay it on the floor in front of the fridge.

The long rectangular planter boxes designed for a balcony, the water tray that goes underneath that. I think it only cost me a few dollars at the local nursery.

Cheers
Ben

 

[tangent]

that's the one. I always go into a store looking for brewbling.
a rectangular takeaway container sit in it almost perfectly.
I was thinking about pop-riveting a piece of angle to it to attach to the fridge.
Then just empty the takeaway containers every now and again.

i currently have one of the crisper drawers on the floor as mentioned but right under the taps would be nice.

 

[Wortgames]

Ikea has heaps of good swag - check out some of the kitchen storage stuff that hangs on rails, there are all sorts of cute little perforated shelves and the like.

One tip that I would offer though, is don't be too caught up in having a 'real' drip tray if you are only using the thing yourself and your budget is tight. The only time I actually use mine as a drip tray is when I'm having a party and the beers are flowing fast enough that there are lots of spills.

The rest of the time I have a bar towel on top of it to catch the drips - it's so much easier to bung a bit of rag in the wash and grab a clean one, than to keep detaching the tray every day or two and washing it out. Any more than a couple of days and they really start to stink and attract the flies.

So if you want to do it on the cheap Ansellsmild's suggestion of a bit of wood is perfectly appropriate. Paint it silver if you want, and stick a bar towel on top - it'll be just fine.

:beer:

 

[Doogiechap]

I keep on gazing into the SS drums of dead washing machines and looking at all of those purty perforations. Then I think about the hassle of straightening/ cutting /folding without Guilottines and folders etc..
Hmmmm Ikea sounds good .

 

[user 1153]

some great ideas coming out guys.

Thanks for the feedback. now to work out which way to head. I like Ansellsmild and even benhobbs ideas. Very simplistic.

 

[Guest Lurker]

I guess bamboo doesnt have enough bling? It works pretty well, drains to a sump buried in the garden. A wallpaper wetting box with some kind of cake grid on top would do the same thing.

 

[tangent]

coolest set up ever, hands down, no challenge! :beer:

 

[KoNG]

whooaa.!!! looks the goods GL...!


i bought this for $750 a coupla years ago, probably paid too much when i think about it.

 

[FazerPete]

i bought this for $750 a coupla years ago, probably paid too much when i think about it.

$750! :blink: I hope that's a typo?!

 

[warrenlw63]

I guess bamboo doesnt have enough bling? It works pretty well, drains to a sump buried in the garden. A wallpaper wetting box with some kind of cake grid on top would do the same thing.

:lol: Very handy when Gilligan and the Skipper drop over for a beer too. :beerbang:

Warren -

 

[warrenlw63]

$750! :blink: I hope that's a typo?!

No, not a typo. I paid $750 for mine too. Useless for beer so I stuck it on my espresso machine instead.

Warren -

 

[KoNG]

definately paid $750....
it came with this useless hunk-a-metal though...

 

[oldbugman]

My drip tray

suddenly appeared in my tool bag.