Dual hinge keezer latch

[mcwilcr]

For those of you who have decided to go with a dual hinge collar style keezer, have you used any type of latch to secure the top lid down to the collar when lifting the top two sections for keg/CO2 loading and unloading?

I've got my design figured out and most everything ready for final assembly (hopefully this weekend...) but I haven't quite figured out the best way to handle the problem of the top lid flying open when lifting the collar.

I would appreciate some insight from past experiences, or for that matter any old idea that might come to mind.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I've built two with dual hinges. No, I haven't put any latches on the top lid. When lifting the collar and lid, I just keep my hand on both so the lid doesn't get away from me. I don't think a latch is really necessary.

 

[mcwilcr]

I've built two with dual hinges. No, I haven't put any latches on the top lid. When lifting the collar and lid, I just keep my hand on both so the lid doesn't get away from me. I don't think a latch is really necessary.

So, do you just rest the lids on the wall while working inside then? I understand that this would work just fine but I'm hoping to do something maybe a little more elegant. I will be installing block style hinge stops to support the sections at a position slightly past 90 deg. and so I would like to be able to secure the top lid.

maybe something like this could work. I'm not sure if it's strong enough though.

 

[LandoLincoln]

So, do you just rest the lids on the wall while working inside then? I understand that this would work just fine but I'm hoping to do something maybe a little more elegant. I will be installing block style hinge stops to support the sections at a position slightly past 90 deg. and so I would like to be able to secure the top lid.

One I rest against a wall, but the other one does not.

The one I rest against the wall has a very thick/heavy collar and I tried putting blocks on there to stop the lid from going past a certain point, but it was too heavy, so I just positioned it away from the wall so it rests against the wall. The original freezer hinges are used for the lid, some regular gate hinges are used for the collar.

The other one has a relatively thin/light collar and I used the original freezer hinges on the collar and some gate hinges on the lid. The collar is light enough that the original freezer hinges are able to lift both the collar and lid. I was able to successfully attach stop blocks onto the back of the collar so that when I just open the lid, the stop blocks stop the lid from opening too far (a little past 90°). When I open the collar and lid, the freezer hinges stop the collar/lid from going too far. The freezer hinges open up probably around 70°, so I don't have to worry about the lid getting away from me, and 70° still allows me plenty of access to working inside.

So I guess it depends on if your original hinges can support the weight of both your collar and lid.

 

[mcwilcr]

One I rest against a wall, but the other one does not.



The one I rest against the wall has a very thick/heavy collar and I tried putting blocks on there to stop the lid from going past a certain point, but it was too heavy, so I just positioned it away from the wall so it rests against the wall. The original freezer hinges are used for the lid, some regular gate hinges are used for the collar.



The other one has a relatively thin/light collar and I used the original freezer hinges on the collar and some gate hinges on the lid. The collar is light enough that the original freezer hinges are able to lift both the collar and lid. I was able to successfully attach stop blocks onto the back of the collar so that when I just open the lid, the stop blocks stop the lid from opening too far (a little past 90°). When I open the collar and lid, the freezer hinges stop the collar/lid from going too far. The freezer hinges open up probably around 70°, so I don't have to worry about the lid getting away from me, and 70° still allows me plenty of access to working inside.



So I guess it depends on if your original hinges can support the weight of both your collar and lid.

Okay, that makes sense.

I'm doing my build with one of the magic chef 7cf freezers which has cheesy plastic hinges so I'm actually not using them at all and instead am going with some heavy duty continuous hinges for both the collar and lid that will be mounted into the cabinet body and the top frame. So, because of that, I need to support the sections from the outside and would prefer to not rest against the wall.

 

[mcwilcr]

**crickets**... Anyone do something like this before?

 

[LandoLincoln]

The latch you posted looks like it would work fine. It really isn't going to take a lot to keep the lid and collar together.

 

[Cottonmouth]

I have dual hinges on my collar. I've never had any problems with the lid wanting to open when I open the collar.
To make sure, I just checked. When I open the collar it stops about 2 degrees short of vertical. With the collar open I tried to open the lid and the springs in the lid's hinges keep it from opening until it goes about 5 degrees past vertical.
I used the original hinges for the lid and ordered heavier hinges from an appliance parts store for the collar.

 

[mcwilcr]

Thanks, I'll give it a try and see what happens.

 

[mcwilcr]

UPDATE: I finally finished my keezer build! A couple things I did differently than I initially intended are that I did not use a latch for the top at all, and I did not support the collar or lid from the outside. Instead, I used a table leg support to hold the lid at a 90 deg. angle and some stainless steel sash chains to support the collar and lid together which fall down into the space around the chest freezer when everything is closed. By doing it this way I was able to support the collar at a point past its center of gravity on the hinge so it stays open while the top lid still wants to remain closed. Here is a link to the build thread with pictures. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/magic-chef-6-8cf-dual-hinge-keezer-build-457824/