Making A Chest Freezer Bar

[MarkBastard]

Hello all, this is my first time posting though I've lurked for quite a while.

I've got a bit of background in home brewing, but with beer I've only previously done kits and put them in bottles. I used to own a reflux still and make spirits though, back in the day.

I'm going full steam ahead into kegging I've decided.

Today I bought a 220L chest freezer. I want to know first of all if I can replace the lid of this chest freezer with a thick plank of wood, and if I do what do I need? Obviously need to put seals on it and waterproof the underneath.

I imagine a chest freezer running at fridge temperatures would do alright with a 1" thick bit of wood on the top as far as insulation goes? And also maybe the seals wouldn't need to be traditional ones but maybe a few mm high bit of rubber lining?

Reason why I ask is that I'm going to be building a bar around this chest freezer with wood on the top (including overhang) and micro corrugated iron wrapped around the outside. I'll be putting at least one font on top.

I'd rather just put a nice plank of wood on top than have to 'wrap' the existing lid in floorboards or something like that and then drill through the plastic. Know what I mean?

 

[rclemmett]

Why can't you just glue a slab of timber to the top of the lid?

 

[MarkBastard]

Why can't you just glue a slab of timber to the top of the lid?

The lid isn't perfectly flat, and it is over an inch thick, or two inches thick if you include the seals. If I put a slap on top I still have to 'hide' the sides of the lid and probably have to 'raise' the slap a bit because of the lid not being flat.

And after all that there's the complexity of drilling through the lid (and voiding any possible warranty).

I figure because people use collars it should be possible and much easier to just take the original lid off and put it somewhere, then chuck on a nice slab of wood and screw it into the hinges, lacquer the top, waterproof the bottom, and away we go.

 

[clean brewer]

Just do it mate, sounds alright, if it doesnt work for you, what have you lost? Nothing. can always use the wood for something else...

 

[Batz]

Why can't you just glue a slab of timber to the top of the lid?

That's what I do

Batz

 

[yardy]

Mark,

this is how i built mine DRINK HERE

yard

 

[MarkBastard]

Thanks yardy, I've seen yours before. Unfortunately I'm in a townhouse and don't have the luxury of a rural shed! I'm very jealous of your setup.

I will give it a go. I figure heat rises so a wooden top shouldn't be any worse than a collar.

Of course I'll post pics when I'm done!

 

[ian ulrick]

Would look at fixing slab to existing lid (a lot less work than rooting around trying to fabricate new hinges gluing rubber seal etc) and take in mind that the mini orb can cover up where the original lid seals. This way you will have an unspoilt slab for you're bar top. How bad is the lid because if your worried about warranty I would take it back for the uneven lid :lol: But hey only my 2 cents and best of luck.

 

[Gavo]

Just a thought about using the slab of timber for the top and lid. If you replace the lid with the slab of timber, the inside of the timber will be cold while the outside will be warm, (obvious I know) therefore it is highly likely that the timber on the outside will want to expand while the timber on the inside will want to shrink causing your new timber lid to warp. You could add some insulating foam on the inside and this may minimize any warping.

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[MarkBastard]

Good point gavo.

The lid is uneven by design. It roles a bit at the front from memory and has plastic handles and other crap at the front sticking out and up. It's not a perfect squared edge, but a kind of moulded plastic handle thing.

I'm picking it up tomorrow so I'll have a better look at it.

As I'll likely be putting a collar on as well messing around with hinges doesn't phase me too much.

 

[clean brewer]

Good point gavo.

The lid is uneven by design. It roles a bit at the front from memory and has plastic handles and other crap at the front sticking out and up. It's not a perfect squared edge, but a kind of moulded plastic handle thing.

I'm picking it up tomorrow so I'll have a better look at it.

As I'll likely be putting a collar on as well messing around with hinges doesn't phase me too much.

Why, if you are going to have a Font are you putting a collar on? The whole idea of a collar is to put your taps through the collar and raise the height a bit without drilling holes through the freezer walls!! After hearing that, why dont you just put a collar on, put your taps through the collar and just make yourself a nice simple bar that contains your freezer, and have a nice top on your bar with your mini orb etc and then you dont have to worry about altering your freezer or put slabs on it or what not

My latest $0.02.. :icon_cheers:

 

[Gavo]

Or you could always make the collar part of the timber top so the lid is sort of like and upside-down box. That way you have a strong frame that will control the warpage and connect hinges to. You could still insulate the inside of the lid to make it more efficient.

Cheers
Gavo. :icon_cheers:

Edit: Some foam tape will act as a seal.

 

[yardy]

I figure because people use collars it should be possible and much easier to just take the original lid off and put it somewhere, then chuck on a nice slab of wood and screw it into the hinges, lacquer the top, waterproof the bottom, and away we go.

Mark,

that must be a fair sized slab you've got, how about some pics of the frzr and timber.

cheers

 

[MarkBastard]

clean brewer, the freezer is 220L and will fit 3 kegs without a collar but 5 kegs with a collar (placing two kegs on the compressor hump). That's the only reason I want a collar.

I'm going to build into this bar a side cabinet that will house the gas bottle, and I guess the collar will help with that too. It's also one of the reasons I wanted a slab top because obviously it could be big enough to cover the freezer part as well as the cabinet next to the freezer part. I should make some drawings.

Gavo, that's a bloody excellent idea!

yardy, I'm gunna keep my eye out for a nice old kitchen/dining table. Some of them are like 2" thick and just need to be sanded back on top. Should be able to pick one up cheap and then saw it into the size I want and sand the top back until it has no marks.

Either that or my parents are renovating their house and using recycled timber from old bridges and factories. I may be able to get my hands on enough offcuts and this wood would have to be the definition of warp-proof hardwood! Only problem is it weighs about 1kg per square inch haha.