DIY Keezer Lid?

I am in the planning stages of my coffin keezer and I want to try to keep the freezers lid intact in case i decide to ever take it apart. I have been searching the forums to find a walk through of building a new top but all I have been able to find is in peoples build threads they just say they built there own top without going in depth on how it was done. Does anyone have a good build thread with the top construction?

 

The only coffin keezers I have seen use a piece of plywood bolted/screwed to the freezer lid using T-nuts. Larger holes are drilled through the freezer lid with a hole saw and the plywood top for the beer hose and to circulate air. I have not seen one with a diy lid to replace the original freezer lid, but I'm sure it can be and has been done. The lids are just plastic on the inside with insulation filling the interior. If you think you may convert it back to a freezer for use in a basement or garage, you could just fill this holes with Great Stuff or something similar.

 

Is everyone attaching the collar to the base of the lid? I know my brother attached his to the lid so when its opened the shanks and lines pull out of the way. Any thoughts on the difference between attaching the collar to the lid vs base?

 

I just built a hybrid type of top for mine. Its basically a collar with a plywood top and its all been insulated. I can post a pic this evening. I don't use the original lid at all in my design. It would be easy to just swap it back in if I wanted to return the freezer to stock.

 

look for videos on youtube. 100's of them.

 

Here is the lid to my keezer. The photos make it pretty clear how I built it. Works fine for me but it is a small keezer. If you are starting with a large chest freezer this sort of lid would weigh a ton.

https://plus.google.com/photos/109505539931745584533/albums/5722687497973235201

 

I reinforced mine with 2 x 2's then R-7 foil backed insulation covered with FRP board from Lowes


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This might not be the info that you're looking for, but when I built my keezer, I build a 2x6 frame on casters that the freezer sits in, then surrounded that frame with oak plywood and trim. The top of the frame is flush to the top of the freezer when it's open(As if there was no lid at all) and then I glued a piece of MDF to the original lid, added trim, tile, and the coffin. The reason that I did this was to insure that when the lid is closed, I wouldn't accidentally have any wood-to-wood contact that may prevent the lid from sealing properly.

 

I don't know exactly what you're trying to do, but you can make any lid with 2x4s as framing, insulating foam using in housing and plywood. You just want to end up with a plywood/insulating foam sandwich supported by 2x4s

 

The mentions of building a new lid of 2X4's, plywood, and insulation will work, but as mentioned, it will get heavy!

What kind of "DIY" person are you?

You could make one with a foam core, and a fiberglass and resin skin, if yer feelin' all froggy.........

You know, ala Surfboard construction.

There are composite panels out there that could be used, but they can get PRICEY!

 

I used 1x8 pine for my custom lid and OSB for the top. Inside is covered with 1-1/2" styro-foam. It works fine and has been this way for a year and a half. It is also light enough to stay open with the stock lid hinges.

 

Nice one, Doed!

 

Good suggestions. Yes, 2x4s are probably overkill. Any sort of wood for framing would work

 

I posted mine earlier. It is a 2×6 and a 2x4 clad in Red Oak.

Overkill is how I build.

I was suprised the stock hinges hold the lid up. But if it ever slammed down it would break a finger!

Wood is probably not the best insulation. A lighter framework with more insulation is probably better.

 

If I could do it all over again I'd find a way to incorporate gas struts on my lid. The stock hinges do indeed hold mine but like what was just said, my lid will break some bones if it fell when I wasn't ready for it. I do use a prop rod for now and it works fine but I'm always worried I will bump it by accident. With gas struts, i would never have that problem.


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Love the lid, looks great. Do you have anything mounted to the lid itself on the inside? Are those just the glue down tiles on the top?
Noticed you had bluemoon on tap, one of the beers I hope to get when I finish mine. I've heard its kind of a pain to get dialed in. What psi do you have your regulator set at for it?

 

Thank you.

Here is the inside.

The beer lines are just hanging inside some plastic strips that I attached to the wood. They stay with the lid so they are out of the way when the lid is open. Yes, those are just the stick down tiles. They are coming loose around the edge of the tiles so I am contemplating removing them and then decorating the top and pouring on Envirotex Lite polymer.

No Bluemoon on tap, just the tap handle that someone gave me. I bought the Fire Rock tap handle off of ebay.

I have my regulator set at approximately 11-12 pounds.

 

Chest freezers don't need to have a lot of insulation on the lid. Cold air sinks so there will be natural stratification that "insulates" any lid. I used 5/4 mahogany for the lid of mine and I haven't noticed any difference in efficiency. I'm sure there is some, but my guess is that it costs me an extra dollar or two a year.

 

Do you by chance have fans going as well? My idea would be to build a top, along with a box on top for hold the taps, and use fans to circulate the air up and through the box. Getting a lot of great ideas from all of you guys. Thanks again

 

I have a PC fan running in mine. I have it pointed at my Eva-Dry to keep the condensation to a minimum.

 

I don't have any fans, I have 3 separate towers on top so logistically it would be annoying. building a box should be fairly easy to add a fan and keep the installation clean.