Reclaim Lumber Keezer Top

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kuips

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Location
Portland, OR
So I got sick of looking at this dumb white box in my apartment and was tired needing to lift the lid everytime I wanted some homebrew. I always had the intention of adding a collar and taps... but I wanted so something a little different. So I decided to build a whole new top out of old reclaimed CVG lumber. So I had my idea... not I just needed to build it.

Here is the before shot of my keezer and the wood.

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Wood Before.

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Once I started cutting the wood up I was able to see the beautiful old grain within!

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So Unfortunately after that first day I forgot to take photos... I wanted to get done and have a real usable keezer.

Please see next post....
 
so, like I said before... I never remember to actually take a photo while I was building. Now I have the top assembled and I am working on 'finishing' it.

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I was also sick of the white box. So I primed it and cover with Chalkboard paint.

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Insulated it.

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Finished, with a tap handle my buddy made me from a old shovel handle and some rope... pretty badass.

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Bourbon Vanilla Porter, Maple Rye PA, and a Rye IPA on tap!

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one more!

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Hope you all like it!
 
oops, how to I change the title of the thread?

I would like it to say:

Reclaimed Lumber Keezer Top and Keezer Build - PICS!
 
Very nice design and also excellent woodwork! Did you use a plane on the boards or what? Proof that there are alternatives to mitered joints that can look as good or even better as you have shown.
 
Very nice design and also excellent woodwork! Did you use a plane on the boards or what? Proof that there are alternatives to mitered joints that can look as good or even better as you have shown.

Thanks. I cut everything down with a table saw, then glued all the strips together, then ran the top through a planner. I originally planned to miter the joints but then decided against it... I am glad I did because I love the look of the side.
 
Love it, the wood looks really classy. What did you do before, just use hoses inside the keezer? I need to move in this direction but don't want to go all the way at first .... need an intermediate step.
 
very nice, right now i am doing the same as you, that is I just open up the top to get to the kegs. I am planning a collar of 2x6 or maybe 2x8. I need to raise the top enough to put a keg on the hump. I really like the looks of this. Nice job. does the whole top open?
 
LOVE it.... I might have to rethink my build when I get around to the keezer. Right now, I am trying to figure out what kind of brew structure i want to build... Very nice build.
 
Nice build. I am looking at doing the same thing as I just got a chest freezer where the lid us dented beyond use. Quick question... how did you do the joinery on the top?
 
Nice build. I am looking at doing the same thing as I just got a chest freezer where the lid us dented beyond use. Quick question... how did you do the joinery on the top?


A healthy amount of wood glue and two clamps (3 would have been better). Be sure to let dry and cure fully. This thing is VERY solid!

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I was thinking of usingsome lumber with a bit not width for the top and doing a couple pocket screws per board for the top. Yours looks wonderful.... I hope mine comes out half as nice.

Looking at that picture, I just know I would have glued that right to me floor haha
 
Looking at that picture, I just know I would have glued that right to me floor haha

I thought about using screws but then ultimate decided I didn't need to/want to go that route.

That picture shows the second time I put it together... the first time it fell apart when I was trying to adjust the wood and got glue everywhere - screws would have prevented that!
 
Very nice looking, love how the top looks. Makes me want to do something similar with mine.

Where'd you find the lumber? Did you use a planer to finish it or sand the heck out of the top?
 
Wow that looks really sweet. I'd better be careful or SWMBO will expect that top to actually replace her counters in the kitchen. I'd love to do that, but I don't know poop about woodwork. Those of you that do, well I'm just jealous!
I have a lot of ideas, but my end-results would look like it was made by someone who didn't know what they were doing. AND they'd be RIGHT!
 
Where'd you find the lumber? Did you use a planer to finish it or sand the heck out of the top?

I got the lumber at a local rebuild/reuse center where people can donate old building materials.

I had access to an industrial size planer so I was able to run the whole thing though after it was built. If I did not have access to that I would have planed each strip to be even, glued into two sections (most planers are 10-13" or so), planed, glued the two sections, then evened out by hand if need be.
 
nice.

the first pics make it look like fir, and hte finished pics make it look like cypress.
what kind of wood is it?
 
Great job & looks gorgeous. I love old lumber.

Thanks. Me too!

Wow that looks really sweet. I'd better be careful or SWMBO will expect that top to actually replace her counters in the kitchen. I'd love to do that, but I don't know poop about woodwork. Those of you that do, well I'm just jealous!
I have a lot of ideas, but my end-results would look like it was made by someone who didn't know what they were doing. AND they'd be RIGHT!

To be honest, I do not know much about woodwork either... but I am handy and good with my hands. So I just planned it and build it -- I am more then happy about how it turned out!
 
Sorry to keep asking questions but I have a couple more.

I assume you used the hinges off of the original freezer, did you paint those too? If so does opening and closing rub the paint off? Do they hold the lid open?

Thanks in advance.
 
Sorry to keep asking questions but I have a couple more.

I assume you used the hinges off of the original freezer, did you paint those too? If so does opening and closing rub the paint off? Do they hold the lid open?

Thanks in advance.

Questions are good! I did use the hinges from the freezer. All I did was removed the plastic covers so its steel showing, which I think looks good (but I do have it up against the wall). They do hold the lid open but I still always just prop it open with a left over strip of wood from the top.
 
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