Kneebones coffin keezer build

[Kneebone]

So after trawling through ahb for a long time, getting information and ideas for my keezer build, i thought id sign up to say hi and share my build with you all.

I picked up a cheap 164L fisher & paykel from Gumtree for $100 to kickstart the project.


It's big enough to fit x2 20l cornies, a 9l cornie and a co2 tank. It's not huge but it's gonna get the job done!

So after a trip to bunnings i had what i needed to start building the cabinet.



I am making a pine frame with ply paneling and some nice decorative chair rail.



I've raised the freezer since i took this photo so it sits 10mm above the frame.

All the panels are done, trimmings are on and the benchtop is nearly there.

I still need a 25mm timber railing to go under the counter so it will hide the mdf and the top edge of the cabinet.

I'm pretty happy with my progress so far, still a lot of work to go though.

Plans are:
Stc-1000
Eva-dry 500
12v fan
Dark stain with a gloss varnish on the sides and a 2 part epoxy for the counter trim.
Tiles for the counter and the front of the coffin
3 tap coffin with a 12v fan
Led lights behind the taps
Ss drip tray

I shall keep taking photos and posting updates as the build continues!
Looking forward to hearing some feedback and getting some tips!

- kneebone

 

[MastersBrewery]

Love the timber skillz.
Can't wait to see this one done!

 

[TheWiggman]

Looks good man, will be watching progress. Are you keeping the back open so the heat generated by the freezer is able to escape?

 

[Kneebone]

Thanks guys! Yeah i'm leaving the back open. I'm going to make an access panel in the back of the coffin too so the whole setup will be easily serviced from the back! As you can see there is 100mm clearance either side of the freezer so the heat can dissipate alot easier without the need for side vents

 

[Tahoose]

Looks good so far..

 

[JDW81]

Keep us updated with pics. I love a good coffin keezer.

I'm thinking of building something similar myself. I've got the go OK from the minister for home affairs to set up a keg system as a present to myself for finishing medical school at the end of the year.

JD

 

[slcmorro]

Forgive my ignorance. What makes it a 'coffin' keezer?

 

[Blind Dog]

The box on top with the taps is called an Irish coffin

 

[Kneebone]

Correct!
I'm using this as a bit of a reference for my build

I'm doing x3 perlick 525ss taps with a tile splash back recessed with a led strip downlight .

 

[TheWiggman]

That looks stellar. I just showed that pic to my wife and said "what would you think about having something like this in the house? I could match it to the [$4000] buffet".
"No. Isn't that something for the shed?"
Hell no. Long road ahead for me.

 

[Kneebone]

Haha persistance pays off! Keep at it...
I saw a pic of a similar setup but without the tiles, they put a door over the taps so you could basically call it a buffet table with hiden taps... Could be an option for you

i hope i can get mine looking that tidy! I cant see why not... Although i've never tiled before, i'm interested to see how that goes...
When i showed the mrs. I was careful to select a stunning example and it worked, she was impressed!
I'm just sitting down now infront of the cabinet trying to nut out a good plan for the coffin...

I'm thinking i'll build it out of 20mm pine and have a hinged door on the back for servicing... I just saw a great idea, having a partition in the coffin to conceil all the electrical to keep it dry, so thats now apart of the plan!

 

[dave81]

What sort of cooling do you have in between the chest freezer and the taps? Insulated lines? Some sort of chilling?

 

[Kneebone]

i'm not 100% sure on insulation for the coffin but it will have 3 holes drilled through the lid...

1 hole in the middle will accomodate all 3 beer lines, then I will have 1 hole to the left with a fan attached to it blowing cold air from the freezer into the coffin, and the third hole to the right will be the return hole for the air... if that makes sense...

I think I will use a combination of foam & silicone sealant for the insulation... to be honest, with all the reading I've done insulating the coffin isn't a huge issue....

 

[Kneebone]

So i've come across my first error due to poor planning
I should have designed the cabinet and top around standard tile dimensions...
I've purchased my 200x200 tiles and unfortunately am going to end up with some cut tiles around the edges.... It will be done nicely, but it will be something that will bug me for a while...


The tiles will look quite good once i stain the pine a dark walnut colour...

I'm going for this splashback (the top rectangular cut)


The dimensions of the coffin will be 400mm x 250mm...

I'm still searching for a nice flush mount drip tray at 400mm x 120mmish

I've decided on x3 perlick 650ss taps instead of the 525ss so i can keep the inside of the chest a bit tidyer with shorter lines...



I've been a bit held up in the last week with relatives visiting from overseas but i will be back in action for some serious progress next week!

Stay tuned

- Kneebone

 

[stux]

Good idea going with the 650ss, it's not just about the length of line. It's much easier to work out the correct balance on flow controllers rather than cutting lines and hoping

Have you got a plan for the drip tray?

 

[spog]

Kneebone,to get around the tiles not covering the top why not try to find a smaller matching tile to use as a boarder first.
I see the mosaic tiles you plan to use for the coffin are thicker than the 200 x200 tiles ,but there are mosaic tiles to be found of the same thickness.
I recently saw similar tiles to yours that had mosaic features with them, they were glazed,some were different shades of glass and some were a dark grey similar to your tiles.
Maybe move the tiles around in different positions with the mosaics to make an alternative feature.
200 x 200's around the edge then an inner row of 2 or 3 glazed mosaics then fill in with 200 x 200's.
Just suggesting as a strip or 2 of mosaics may help "fill" in the gaps and make an eye grabbing feature of the top and the tiles you are using for the coffin will make a nice contrast.
Cheers....spog....

 

[gap]

Another alternative is to centre your tiles so you have a unform gap at each end and then cut tiles to fit the gap.
Much nicer and neater finish then just cutting tiles at one end.

 

[BottloBill]

Another suggestion is to centre the tiles and continue with adding more timber around the the outside tapering down to tiles

 

[Kneebone]

Stux - i'm looking for a flush mount 400mm drip tray... I'm actually going to be raising the tiles so they're flush with the wood trim so i should have enough space to flush mount.

Spog - i like the idea of the matching mosaic tile, i may have to return to the ceramic shops this weekend! I could actually get x3 300x300 tiles accross the length as its 910mm.. I just prefer my current configuration because it matches the size of the coffin...

Gap - i have pretty much centered them, it leaves 50mm on both sides and back..

Bottleobill- i did think of adding more timber, i even thought of scrapping the whole top and making it larger to suit, but i think i like the current size of the top in comparassin to the cabinet size...

I ordered my stc-1000 last night, along with an led strip for the coffin and a couple of 12v toggle switches so i can have all my electrical stuff, like led's and fans on a switch at the back.

I still need to find a nice silent computer fan with good airflow for the coffin air ciculation...

- kneebone

 

[spog]

Computer or Jaycar if their in your area,it would depend on what size fan would fit the build.
I imagine a small fan would do the trick as it doesn't have to ventilate a large area.