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Ben25 · 12-02-2008, 11:43 PM

To anyone who knows about coolant lines-
Would heating the lines with a small torch help with the bending, or would it just blow up?

xumbi · 12-02-2008, 11:50 PM

Right now I'm weighing the pros and cons of attempting to bend, or putting it back on CL.

Part of me wants to take this on just to see if it's possible, as a reference for others. I love everything else about the freezer, so I'd really like to make this work.

MoRoToRiUm · 12-03-2008, 08:48 AM

Double check your measurements, make sure it will hold what you want it to hold; price out temp controller. Look for a better alternative for your total with controller or less, see if it's worth it...

xumbi · 12-03-2008, 01:59 PM

The more I think about this, the more I think it will work. Honestly, the time and effort it would take for me to sell the freezer, buy and transport another, is worth $100 to me.

However, what is the worst case scenario? What happens if I do accidentally break a coolant line? Are there health risks? Is there pressurized liquid in there that will spray all over the place?

I need to work out the geometry to know exactly how much space I will have, but right now I think the best thing to do is leave the bottom shelf as it is, and push the top two shelves up, securing them somehow to the top of the freezer.

Due to the direction of the bends, the top shelf would be bent greater than 90 degrees (but not by much), while the middle shelf would be bending under 90 degrees. This would make the top shelf the most dangerous I imagine, while the middle shelf should be easier.

I would lose some space in the top rear, but I could make up for it by removing the door shelves and building a platform for the bottom.

MoRoToRiUm · 12-03-2008, 08:37 PM

Do it! Health-smealth... I imagine someone would be willing to buy/take it for scrap if you kill it. I would think having the heavy kegs on the bottom would be better then on the lower shelf (not sure what you have in mind when you say platform), but I'm not the one doing the bending. It looks like there is one pivot point on the corner, so you can bend them along the one side or the back side... I'd be weary of the 90, if it doesn't break, pinching so it doesn't circulate right... Worth a try it sounds like. Measuring and debating time...

Good luck!

Oh, and worst case, have the room to use it as a fermentation chamber?

juvinious · 12-03-2008, 08:41 PM

Instead of risking breaking the lines, you could build a huge box, attach the freezer, add a temp controller and throw in some blowers to circulate your air and use it as a nice cold storage, lagerator, fermentation chamber... etc.

xumbi · 12-03-2008, 09:04 PM

Thanks to everyone for all of the ideas and suggestions, I really appreciate it.

My latest idea is to take the top shelf and bend it down and back, and the middle shelf left and up.

If you can see, I would be bending under 90 degrees in both cases, and it would give me a lot more room.

I saw Bobby_M's upright freezer, and it looks like he bent his coils quite a bit than I would need to, so that's encouraging.

Does anyone know what I could use to secure the shelves in place to the walls if I am successful?

McKBrew · 12-03-2008, 09:14 PM

Honestly instead of trying to attach shelves to the walls, I'd consider just building a free standing shelf inside. Not sure how high this thing is inside, but you could build a shelf on the bottom big enough to stand bottles and put the kegs on top of it. (I did that with my kegerator).

xumbi · 12-04-2008, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McKBrew

Honestly instead of trying to attach shelves to the walls, I'd consider just building a free standing shelf inside. Not sure how high this thing is inside, but you could build a shelf on the bottom big enough to stand bottles and put the kegs on top of it. (I did that with my kegerator).

Maybe I wasn't being descriptive enough. Yes, I do plan on building a shelf for kegs/bottles at the bottom, but I was asking how to secure the shelves after I have bent them to the sides.

McKBrew · 12-04-2008, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xumbi

Maybe I wasn't being descriptive enough. Yes, I do plan on building a shelf for kegs/bottles at the bottom, but I was asking how to secure the shelves after I have bent them to the sides.

Aha. I'd recommend a product called liquid nails. I used this stuff to glue a locking hasp to the side of my kegerator. It doesn't budge.