attaching formica or birch plywood to outer keezer

Working on my keezer build. I'm thinking about doing some formica around it. I've read that attaching the formica directly to the freezer might not adhere well.

1. Does anyone have experience with covering the keezer in formica or similar product and if so, what's the best way to attach it?

A contractor friend mentioned that he uses birch plywood for any cabinetry work which can be used as a based for formica.

2. How would one attach the plywood to the freezer? Glue/liquid nails? wood screws screwed into the metal freezer?

I'm not building a frame around the freezer mostly for time considerations and bulk considerations.

Thanks!

If you were to do it my guess is you would need to rough the surface to get adherence.

I however, would wonder if overheating would be an issue. Freezers release heat in part through the outer walls. That is why people leave a clearance around them when building a coffin type keezer. It is possible that by wrapping the freezer in formica you may be setting it up for a shorter lifespan. I would just paint one to match its surroundings before I wrapped it personally.

I wondered about that. I just thought people were over-engineering, which let's be honest, some folks love to do including myself. I thought they just released heat from the vent and where the compressor is in the back. Interesting... I mounted my collar yesterday and came to check on it in the morning when I woke up and noticed the freezer was warm on the outside which sort of freaked me out. Later it was room temp.

I've been trying to find some keezer build plans on here that are similar to what I'm wanting to do, but I've been overwhelmed by the number of keezer build threads there are and I haven't found any that are what I'm thinking. I'll have to rethink this, then... Thanks

You need to allow room for air flow. It's fine to put something directly over the skin, just make sure to not block the airflow going to the compressor area.

Most modern chest freezers use the cabinet skin to radiate heat from the condenser loop.
Covering the skin is not a great idea...
Cheers!

day_trippr said:

Most modern chest freezers use the cabinet skin to radiate heat from the condenser loop.
Covering the skin is not a great idea...
Cheers!

Click to expand...

Had no idea. Good information to know.

You can build a cabinet around the keezer with airspace between it and the cabinet. Many do something like that.

FWIW.... In another thread a person quoted the R value of 1/4" plywood @ something like .30...Formica directly adhered would be even less...I dont see that impacting cooling very much. I personally would not worry about it if I wanted mine covered. YMMV

Its quite possible that leaving an air gap would insulate it even more unless you moved that air with a fan.....technically speaking.....think about how thermal clothing works.
As far as attaching either thin wood or Formica ..if it were me, Id rough the paint up with sandpaper and use a contact cement such as Formica is normally installed with. ( Assuming you always want it to be a Keezer)

Stillraining said:

[...] Its quite possible that leaving an air gap would insulate it even more unless you moved that air with a fan.[...]

Click to expand...

Yup, and that's how it's done - with small air movers.
You can find a ton of examples in the "Show Us Your Kegerator" thread...

Cheers!

Right on...Thanks

I put 1/4" birch plywood around my keezer. I had similar worries about proper air circulation.

Started with the collar and bottom with casters attached.


Put 1x3 whitewood boards as a frame for attaching the plywood.


Birch all around, not shown but I drilled holes on the side for air flow around the condenser, my keezer had a grate on the side and the back. I did not put anything on the back.


Stained.


I've no troubles with temperature or anything like that.

According to my friend who is a AC+R guy the gap between the skin and the wood is not necessary. He laughed at the idea and said the 1/4" plywood has an R factor of less than .33. He also said that creating an air barrier without moving the air is actually detrimental to the freezer's ability to cool.

He said attaching the wood directly to the skin of the freezer would have no noticeable effect on the life of the compressor.

IMO, the need for having a space between the skin and the wood is one of the bigger myths perpetuated by homebrewers.

YMMV

I was really using the frame as an easier way to attach the casters to my keezer.

balikian said:

Working on my keezer build. I'm thinking about doing some formica around it. I've read that attaching the formica directly to the freezer might not adhere well.

1. Does anyone have experience with covering the keezer in formica or similar product and if so, what's the best way to attach it?

A contractor friend mentioned that he uses birch plywood for any cabinetry work which can be used as a based for formica.

2. How would one attach the plywood to the freezer? Glue/liquid nails? wood screws screwed into the metal freezer?

I'm not building a frame around the freezer mostly for time considerations and bulk considerations.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

1.) contact cement.
2.) Do NOT screw into the metal cabinet. There are lines snaked around through there.

CGVT said:

IMO, the need for having a space between the skin and the wood is one of the bigger myths perpetuated by homebrewers.

YMMV

Click to expand...

And that only infected beer will ever come from a bottling bucket...

Woops! wrong thread.................................................

Thanks everyone

This is really useful stuff for me.
Wasn't that keen on having to build a full frame.

Whats the best was to mount the freezer on a timbe frame for moving around without having to "create" a cabinet surround.
My original plan was to liquid nails my wood to the freezer and use the existing roller wheels on the freezer, but my concern is weight.

crusader1612 said:

This is really useful stuff for me.
Wasn't that keen on having to build a full frame.

Whats the best was to mount the freezer on a timbe frame for moving around without having to "create" a cabinet surround.
My original plan was to liquid nails my wood to the freezer and use the existing roller wheels on the freezer, but my concern is weight.

Click to expand...

You might wish to consult post 5 above before you decide to do that.

mongoose33 said:

You might wish to consult post 5 above before you decide to do that.

Click to expand...

CGVT said:

According to my friend who is a AC+R guy the gap between the skin and the wood is not necessary. He laughed at the idea and said the 1/4" plywood has an R factor of less than .33. He also said that creating an air barrier without moving the air is actually detrimental to the freezer's ability to cool.

He said attaching the wood directly to the skin of the freezer would have no noticeable effect on the life of the compressor.

IMO, the need for having a space between the skin and the wood is one of the bigger myths perpetuated by homebrewers.

YMMV

Click to expand...

how do you account for this then?

I would think formica would have minimal heat retention. I would just glue it directly to the outside and it should shed any heat ok

odie said:

I would think formica would have minimal heat retention. I would just glue it directly to the outside and it should shed any heat ok

Click to expand...

what about pine?

A pine board or that thin pine looking wall paneling? Any kind of board is gonna have trapped air inside the wood fibers (how do you think woo absorbs water?) and actually be a pretty decent insulator. Pine is a soft wood...meaning it grows fast and has a loose grain. its not very dense (like oak) and will be the most insulating wood commonly available. Plus look and the end grain of a modern 2x4 verses a vintage 2x4...the grain is even looser now as pines have been genetically altered to grow even faster to supply the lumber industry.

So a 1" pine/oak/poplar board (actually 3/4 inch) is gonna provide some insulation. not as much as if you had the air gap but still slow the heat transfer.

a "pine" wall paneling is highly compressed and fairly thin. so it's density is greater and I would venture it conducts heat better than a pine board as a result. It would be the better choice for performance but not aesthetically.

However, many have built wood cabinets around freezers and they still function. so it is obviously workable. as to the loss of thermal transfer efficiency I have not clue by what magnitude. Some have probably glued the boards directly to the freezer, some have included and air gap with a way for it to vent, it's been done a hundred different ways..some work better than others.

How about a wood grain wrap? like those wraps that cars have? Or even wood grain contact paper/wallpaper/linoleum?

then again, gluing the wood directly to the freezer skin might work fine, it would just take longer for the freezer to achieve the temperature you desire?