Keezer collar build - Attach to lid or attach to body?

I finally got my chest freezer, and I'm planning to build the collar this next week. I've watched Bobby_M's video several times and I really like the idea of having the collar attached to the lid... but I'm really not as adept with woodworking and DIY projects as he clearly is. I don't own a miter saw, so I will probably have the wood pieces cut at Home Depot. Part of me also doesn't want to drill into the lid, remove the seal, or figure out how to securely attach the collar to the lid.

If I were to put the collar on the lid, could I just attach the hinges using the top holes of where the hinges were originally? In other words, I'll drill two more holes into the collar, attach the top of the hinges, and attach the bottom part of the hinges to the top holes of where the hinges used to be. If I was going to attach the collar to the base, I'm assuming I would have to drill 4 new holes into the collar.

I'm still confused on how to securely attach the collar to the lid though... Opinions welcomed.

Sure sucks to have to lift the kegs over the collar, but it's sure nice to have the intended weight on the lid and hinges.

Attach to the lid. It is far easier to load and unload the keezer.

check out my build: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keezer-build-76879/

Those hinges are stronger than you think. They can hold alot. The lids on those freezers are nothing anyway. The strong hinges are to ensure a good seal not necessarily to support the weight of the original lid.

I attached to the lid so I had better access to inside of the freezer and lifting kegs over the edge. Moisture CAN be a problem, but there are many posts discussing how to deal with it from compact dehumidifiers to Damp-Rid, but you will more than likely want to wipe it out every so often anyway. Like when you change kegs.

For these reasons, I like the collar on the lid so it gets out of the way. I'd hate to lift a keg over the edge and hit one of the shanks and damage it.

How is moisture a problem in these situations? Does it damage the collar, or any of the equipment, or the lid? I do have to manually defrost my freezer every once in a while, but I was unaware of any additional equipment I would have to buy to keep it from not having moisture in there.

Tankard said:

How is moisture a problem in these situations? Does it damage the collar, or any of the equipment, or the lid? I do have to manually defrost my freezer every once in a while, but I was unaware of any additional equipment I would have to buy to keep it from not having moisture in there.

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Pick up one of these and you will be fine

BigKahuna said:

Sure sucks to have to lift the kegs over the collar, but it's sure nice to have the intended weight on the lid and hinges.

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What do you mean by "intended weight" ?

billtzk said:

What do you mean by "intended weight" ?

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he means the weight that the manufacturer intended to have supported by the hinges, i.e. just the weight of the lid.
My hinges are supporting the weight of the lid, plus 15 feet of 2x6s, 4 shanks, 4 perlick taps, a gas manifold and ~15 feet of beer line. not exactly what Kenmoore had in mind. However, they hold up just fine. Once I life the lid assembly past ~60 degrees, the hinges hold all the weight no problem.

Quick question, somewhat related to the topic. When you drill holes through the collar for the gas lines, temperature controller probe, etc, how do you weather seal these without gluing the tubes in there permanently? Do you make the holes JUST small enough so that the tubes go through?

i drilled as tight a hole as possible and then put a thick bead of caulk around the tube/probe/etc. on the inside and outside. It seals well, but if you ever needed to remove it, it wouldn't be an issue.

I put mine on the body of the box with a large enough fascia that it locks itself in place and holds even with the lid up.

As for the passage of gas through the collar. I used a jockey box pass through shank assembly with stems and beer nuts on both sides. But that was just my way.

BerserkerBrew said:

Attach to the lid. It is far easier to load and unload the keezer.

check out my build: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/keezer-build-76879/

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It looks like you had to put lag screws through the top of the lid around the perimeter to attach the collar. Are there other options?

billtzk said:

It looks like you had to put lag screws through the top of the lid around the perimeter to attach the collar. Are there other options?

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i just used standard decking screws with some washers. the reason i used washers was cause the screws that I had on me were countersunk, so I needed some countersunk washers to make it even.

Tankard said:

I finally got my chest freezer, and I'm planning to build the collar this next week. I've watched Bobby_M's video several times and I really like the idea of having the collar attached to the lid... but I'm really not as adept with woodworking and DIY projects as he clearly is...Part of me also doesn't want to drill into the lid, remove the seal, or figure out how to securely attach the collar to the lid...

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Yeah, I hear you brother. I'm doing (with luck) the collar for mine this weekend as well, and though I know it'd be better attached to the lid, it adds a layer of complexity that I'm not sure I want to undertake. While I suppose it's "easy" for some folks, I'm someone who uses a hammer about once every two years and a saw about once every five. A craftsman I'm not. I'm a measure twice, cut once...and then swear loudly sort of guy.

StunnedMonkey said:

Yeah, I hear you brother. I'm doing (with luck) the collar for mine this weekend as well, and though I know it'd be better attached to the lid, it adds a layer of complexity that I'm not sure I want to undertake. While I suppose it's "easy" for some folks, I'm someone who uses a hammer about once every two years and a saw about once every five. A craftsman I'm not. I'm a measure twice, cut once...and then swear loudly sort of guy.

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know anyone handy?

if you lived in the Bay Area, I'd help you out.

One more question guys... I'd post another thread but I think the mods are getting tired of me, lol.

I went to The Depot tonight and looked at the available lumber. I came across a real nice 10 foot 2x4 Redwood. Beautiful wood, and I found out that I would only need one 10 footer to build the entire collar and still have some left over.

Even though it's a "2x4", I measured the width of it and it was just a hair under 1.5 inches, which is just a hair larger than the rim of the chest freezer. Does it have to be completely flush? It would hang over just a fraction of an inch. I suppose I could try to get the piece cut or sanded down, but it sounds like kind of a hassle.

You'll be fine with the slight hang. On mine, the front and back overlap the top. The sides are flush. The hinge is on the side and I used the top holes on the freezer & drilled new holes to attach the hinges to the collar.

My arrangement probably wouldn't work for anything bigger than a 7 cu ft.