*Keezer Collar Questions*

[Zion_Zack]

Hey HBT!

I'm almost done building my 8.8 cu ft keezer but want to ask a couple questions before I push forward. The 2x6 pine collar (polyurethane coat) is held together with gorilla glue and corner brackets. However it doesn't sit flush on the keezer- it's off by about half an inch. I plan on using an adhesive to bond the collar to the body. Do you recommend liquid nails or silicone? (I have this at home http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Silicone-II-10-1-oz-Clear-Kitchen-and-Bath-Caulk-HD5040-24C/100663319). We also thought a shim could help.

I want to stick the collar to the body of the keezer, and weigh it down for a day or two with the lid on and placing a few filled cornies and a 20lb co2 tank on the corners of the lid.

Also what is the best way to cut that 1" pink foam board for insulation? Dremel or box cutter? Thanks for the feedback!

 

[BrooklynTom]

I think you should try to get the collar to fit flush before anything else. If it is off that much, you may have a hard time getting the lid to seal to it. I used liquid nails ( it is never coming off ) If I were to do another one, I would use silicone. As far as the foam board, an old electric carving knife works well. If you don't have one I would go with the box cutter. Good Luck with the build.

 

[TheCADJockey]

@Zion_Zack - I'd definitely suggest rebuilding the collar, even if you have to buy a new collar. Not sitting flush to the keezer by half an inch is quite a bit. You will likely regret it in the future if you don't do it right the first time. It's worth the trouble. Measure twice. Do it right the first time. There is also no reason to get fancy with 1" foam board. Just use a utility knife or box cutter. Good luck. Post a pic when you're done.

 

[agrazela]

What do you think it was that caused your collar to be so out of whack? Warped wood? Less than great measuring or construction? If you were to do over, what would you do differently to make sure it was better?

How did you cut your wood? If you have power tools like a table saw and/or a chopsaw / mitresaw, those work great on pink XPS foamboard.

 

[Zion_Zack]

What do you think it was that caused your collar to be so out of whack? Warped wood? Less than great measuring or construction? If you were to do over, what would you do differently to make sure it was better?

How did you cut your wood? If you have power tools like a table saw and/or a chopsaw / mitresaw, those work great on pink XPS foamboard.

I scoped out many pieces of wood, and the 2x6's at Lowes were the best looking. After going through a good portion of the pile, I found 2 pieces that seemed pretty straight with no scoring or defects. My friend from the brew club made all the cuts with his miter saw and punched a few holes with his drill press for the tap handles and hole for the computer fan and johnson temp control.

My half inch estimation was a little much. When 3 corners are flush, there is about 1/4" lift on the remaining corner.

 

[Zion_Zack]

I think you should try to get the collar to fit flush before anything else. If it is off that much, you may have a hard time getting the lid to seal to it. I used liquid nails ( it is never coming off ) If I were to do another one, I would use silicone. As far as the foam board, an old electric carving knife works well. If you don't have one I would go with the box cutter. Good Luck with the build.

thanks for chiming in. What do you prefer about silicone?

 

[Zion_Zack]

What do you think it was that caused your collar to be so out of whack? Warped wood? Less than great measuring or construction? If you were to do over, what would you do differently to make sure it was better?

How did you cut your wood? If you have power tools like a table saw and/or a chopsaw / mitresaw, those work great on pink XPS foamboard.

The measurements were spot on. My friend is like a real life Mr. Geppetto with his makeshift wood working studio. If i were to take a mulligan, I would mock fit the collar several times with painters tape on top of the freezer although it's still going to shift a bit when you glue/screw it. I think the wood was more warped than I initially thought.

 

[TheCADJockey]

If your buddy is in fact that adept with woodworking, maybe he can plane it level for you real quick.

 

[BrooklynTom]

thanks for chiming in. What do you prefer about silicone?

If the freezer craps out, it can be removed easier and cleaner. less likely to void any warranty ( if needed). Also you would be able to reuse it on another build of the same make and model. Mine with liquid nails is never coming off in any clean manner.

 

[mongoose33]

I'm with the gang that says rebuild it. I think you're right in that the pieces likely weren't true at the beginning. I once tried to build a workbench top w/ 2x6s that appeared true but weren't; when I screwed cross pieces to them they would rack the top and pull it out of flat. Had a devil of a time getting the top to sit square.

You were close with the corner brackets but I would have screwed it together. I also would have set the pieces on the freezer as I assembled it to ensure that it was sitting flat. I might also have done butt joints--not as pretty by any means but easy to get square. If you want a nice finished look, you can use something like 1/4 or 1/2" veneer on top of the 2x6s to produce that nice finish.

 

[mongoose33]

If your buddy is in fact that adept with woodworking, maybe he can plane it level for you real quick.

He may need to plane the top as well--if it's out of square sitting on the freezer, it seems to me it'll be out of square with the top sitting on the collar and it won't seal.

That's why I think it should be rebuilt.

 

[SlickTX]

I used this stuff to seal my collar to the keezer.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_66789-81-02...ilding_Products&CAWELAID=&CAWELAID=1368035085

 

[LBussy]

If your buddy is that good with wood, ask him. That's only snarky if he's really not that good with it. if he is it should be a helpful comment.

If you started with Kiln-dried (KD) wod, it should not have warped that much. If the wood was all square and straight when you glued and screwed it up, gluing it down won't hurt.

 

[Hamaki]

If the lumber is straight but the joints weren't perfect it may not be such a big deal. How much pressure does it take to hold all four corners down against a flat surface? If it isn't much (no more than five, maybe ten pounds on opposing corners) and does not cause joints to gap open, I'd go with it. If it takes a lot of force or if the corner joints are opening up I'd do it over.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

Agree with everyone else saying that you should give it another go. You really want to make sure that it is flush, level, and has a really good seal all the way around. Otherwise you are going to have a heck of a time keeping it air tight and avoiding moisture problems. I recommend that in addition to making sure you've got a snug fit you should use weatherstripping on both the top and bottom of the collar, and seal around where it meets the freezer lid with silicone caulking. Then attach your foam board insulation to the inside of your collar.

This is something that you are (hopefully) going to have around for quite a long time, so any problems with the construction are going to just make it less enjoyable for you overall. Do it once correctly, and you'll have something that contributes to your enjoyment of your beer vs. something you struggle with moisture problems, getting bad pours, etc.

 

[Zion_Zack]

I'm on board. Another $10 for supplies and an hour of my time for a perfect fit is a no brainer, I'm not even gonna stress it. Once I get this beast serving beer I'll send a pic. Thanks for everyone who chimed in.

 

[Zion_Zack]

If the freezer craps out, it can be removed easier and cleaner. less likely to void any warranty ( if needed). Also you would be able to reuse it on another build of the same make and model. Mine with liquid nails is never coming off in any clean manner.

We have a couple tubes of silicone kicking around. I'll use this instead of LN