Keezer Collar Choices

[Ces]

Hey Guys,


Got a question for those of you with converted chest freezers... Some models are squared off at the panel joins others have rounded corners. The one I'm about to work on is rounded and so my question is, how have people with rounded corner models added timber collars to their freezer?

If possible I'd love to see pictures so I can look at the difference between say, setting the collar back from the lip of the freezer and having one that fits over the freezer's lip.

I have looked at heaps of pictures via google-isation but would like to hear what people have to say.


Cheers,


Ces.

 

[kegs23]

my freezer had rounded corners and i made a rectangle collar with square corners,just made sure the freezer lid fit on top and just used a small amount of no more gaps to glue it to the freezer ,i just sit the lid on top with out the hingers as they where taking up to much room and i just pushed the freezer right back against the wall,,,,,the collar sticks out about 1 1/2 cm over the freezer so when pushed right back the is still some air flow around the back,

 

[Ces]

my freezer had rounded corners and i made a rectangle collar with square corners,just made sure the freezer lid fit on top and just used a small amount of no more gaps to glue it to the freezer ,i just sit the lid on top with out the hingers as they where taking up to much room and i just pushed the freezer right back against the wall,,,,,the collar sticks out about 1 1/2 cm over the freezer so when pushed right back the is still some air flow around the back,

Nice conversion mate. Thanks for the pics.

I'm leaning towards this type of arrangement because i'm worried about tap handle clearance with a collar that will be set back from the edge of the freezer.

anyone gone the other way?

 

[Amber Fluid]

With regards to possible problems with tap handle clearance if the collar is set back from the lip of the freezer.... I don't have any problems whatsoever.

 

[seemax]

my collar is basically flush with the outside of the freezer and i've got enough clearance on my basic plastic handled perlick's...

 

[Ces]

With regards to possible problems with tap handle clearance if the collar is set back from the lip of the freezer.... I don't have any problems whatsoever.

Love the obelix paint job on this rig. Something like i'd like to do but SWMBO wants it to be as inconspicuous as possible <_<

Thanks again for the pics and info guys. Something about this method looks cleaner to me.

Amber fluid- I have perlick flow controls, on which the handles have a slight angle back towards the freezer lid in the off position. It appears your celli's (I think they're celli's???) have vertical handle positions when off. looks like you got plenty of clearance but if I go this path the collar will be set back 20 mm (which looks like more than yours but pics can lie) and I would like to turn some custom, more robust (probably) handles in the future.

Reckon I'll get away with it?

 

[krausenhaus]

I have perlick flow controls, on which the handles have a slight angle back towards the freezer lid in the off position. It appears your celli's (I think they're celli's???) have vertical handle positions when off. looks like you got plenty of clearance but if I go this path the collar will be set back 20 mm (which looks like more than yours but pics can lie) and I would like to turn some custom, more robust (probably) handles in the future.

Reckon I'll get away with it?

Yep!

 

[Malted]

:icon_offtopic:
I see a few of you guys have put your STC's into the collar. What measures have you taken to isolate moisture from the wiring or is it a non issue?

 

[Amber Fluid]

Love the obelix paint job on this rig. Something like i'd like to do but SWMBO wants it to be as inconspicuous as possible <_<

Thanks again for the pics and info guys. Something about this method looks cleaner to me.

Amber fluid- I have perlick flow controls, on which the handles have a slight angle back towards the freezer lid in the off position. It appears your celli's (I think they're celli's???) have vertical handle positions when off. looks like you got plenty of clearance but if I go this path the collar will be set back 20 mm (which looks like more than yours but pics can lie) and I would like to turn some custom, more robust (probably) handles in the future.

Reckon I'll get away with it?

Yeah you shouldn't have any problems. The Celli tap handles are verticle but do push back for the "creamer" head application and still plenty of clearence. 20mm is buggar all so unless you are going to make some weird huge custom handles then you should be fine.

 

[brettprevans]

No issues at all. Check out my sig.
I've done collars on 2 freezers now.

 

[Josh]

With regards to possible problems with tap handle clearance if the collar is set back from the lip of the freezer.... I don't have any problems whatsoever.

Outstanding paintwork. I'll be following this thread and others for ideas.

I have a 6 tap font, but dunno if I can be arsed building a bar set up to go with my chest freezer, or just go the collar.

 

[Ces]

Thanks again guys. I'm going to go the set back collar. I think it'll be an easier build and I'm no chippy.

put some photos up when I'm done (dont hold yer breath, took me a year to put together my brew sculpture/stand)

 

[krausenhaus]

:icon_offtopic:
I see a few of you guys have put your STC's into the collar. What measures have you taken to isolate moisture from the wiring or is it a non issue?

My collar is made up of two frames with the gap filled by that foam-in-a-can **** (that stuff is satan's snot though, avoid it). The STC-1000 is pretty much the same length as the width of the collar, so the body of it sits all insulated-like inside there. There is an opening on the inside frame for the back of the controller and the wiring, and I just covered all that up with a small "jiffy-style" box from an electronics store.

The keezer has only been running for about six weeks now so whether or not it does a good job of keeping moisture out I can't yet say, but at least it keeps all the live wires covered.

 

[Phoney]

My collar is made up of two frames with the gap filled by that foam-in-a-can **** (that stuff is satan's snot though, avoid it). The STC-1000 is pretty much the same length as the width of the collar, so the body of it sits all insulated-like inside there. There is an opening on the inside frame for the back of the controller and the wiring, and I just covered all that up with a small "jiffy-style" box from an electronics store.

The keezer has only been running for about six weeks now so whether or not it does a good job of keeping moisture out I can't yet say, but at least it keeps all the live wires covered.

View attachment 57729

Your fan wont be moving much air around if its pointing directly at or from the wall of your collar! See if you can mount it horizontally in that corner, with the fan blowing downward. A little corner bracket and a hot glue gun or silicon does the trick.

 

[krausenhaus]

Your fan wont be moving much air around if its pointing directly at or from the wall of your collar! See if you can mount it horizontally in that corner, with the fan blowing downward. A little corner bracket and a hot glue gun or silicon does the trick.

There are actually three of them in there (could be overkill, but I have a tall collar to get a couple of kegs on the hump so I wanted good circulation). That one faces the back of the shanks and the other two are angled downwards, though not as much as I would like.

I'm thinking of putting them all on stiff hinges so I can adjust the angle freely and swing them out the way when I'm moving stuff around.

I really like kegs23's idea of pulling cold air up from the bottom through tubing.

 

[kegs23]

yeah i just put no more gaps around the back of the fan to make it air tight so all the air has to come from the bottom,all the fittings are just pushed together not even glued and its just velcroed to the collar so it can be moved or cleaned, works good as,i have my freezer set at 1deg and no condesation build up on the inside at all,

 

[BPH87]

yeah i just put no more gaps around the back of the fan to make it air tight so all the air has to come from the bottom,all the fittings are just pushed together not even glued and its just velcroed to the collar so it can be moved or cleaned, works good as,i have my freezer set at 1deg and no condesation build up on the inside at all,

Can you post a pic please mate?