Converting the Frigidaire 7.2 cu ft Chest Freezer

[fatman]

After poring over the mega-thread monster I decided to model my Keezer Build after yours. I have to say it is quite pleasing to the eye and seems pretty simple to build. I picked up a 12.8 CF over the weekend for 50 bux and beginning the rust removal tonight while prepping the wood. I cant wait for this baby to be built. Its even wife approved!

Also, since I am a kegging noob, does it make any difference to having the CO2 inside or outside the keezer?

 

[Quaffer]

.... Also, since I am a kegging noob, does it make any difference to having the CO2 inside or outside the keezer?

Not for the carbonation process, but it does make a difference for the space inside. It really helped my smaller keezer to move the bottle to the outside. There is also somewhat less clutter of hoses this way. The drawback is that now the keezer is wider so I need to disconnect the CO2 bottle to get through doors. As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Good luck with your project.

 

[firefly765]

Hey Quaffer,

Is there any problem with cutting out a hole in the lid of this freezer? I'm planning a build mounting an Irish coffin box on top of the freezer.

Also, the lid handle....do you think that would come off easily? I'm planning on tiling the top in granite.

Thanks.

 

[Quaffer]

Hey Quaffer,
Is there any problem with cutting out a hole in the lid of this freezer? I'm planning a build mounting an Irish coffin box on top of the freezer.

There should be no problem cutting a hole in the lid. There are no wires or refrigerant tubes in there. I have not opened it though.

Also, the lid handle....do you think that would come off easily? I'm planning on tiling the top in granite.

Granite, sweet! The handle seems to be attached at the top only. My guess is that there are a couple of screws from the inside holding it in place. Whatever it is, I doubt you will run into troube with it. You will have to remove the lining from the lid to get to it.

You project sounds great! Good luck with it.

 

[firefly765]

There should be no problem cutting a hole in the lid. There are no wires or refrigerant tubes in there. I have not opened it though.



Granite, sweet! The handle seems to be attached at the top only. My guess is that there are a couple of screws from the inside holding it in place. Whatever it is, I doubt you will run into troube with it. You will have to remove the lining from the lid to get to it.

You project sounds great! Good luck with it.

I was planning on attaching the collar to the freezer not the lid because of the weight of the granite & coffin box. Do you think that's wise?

 

[Quaffer]

I was planning on attaching the collar to the freezer not the lid because of the weight of the granite & coffin box. Do you think that's wise?

That is what I would do. However, more people seem to go for the collar-on-lid setup. If you attach the collar to the lid and the springs are not able to hold the lid open, you could add a prop or two to keep it open. I think it would work fine either way.

 

[mikewildt]

There is a 19.25" s.s. drip tray attached to the kegerator wall by three angle brackets and heavy duty double-sticky foam tape. The foam tape should hold five lbs. The drip tray has not budged at all.

First off I must say your setup is quite impressive. I am basing my build off many of the steps you took. I have painted my chest freezer black, and cut and stained my collar today. There is a ways to go but I finally acquired all of my parts from the construction pieces to a kit from kegworks, including a double pressure regulator which I am pumped about.

I have two questions for you. First off, do you know what brand of double sided foam tape you used for you drip tray? I have found many online that seem similar but all seem discontinued or out of stock, nor can I find exactly what it seems like you used.

Second, I have found a lot of instructions on how to cool a beer tower, using a tube and a small computer fan to pump cold air all the way to the end of the beer lines. But have you seen or heard of any ideas or instructions that work for builds like ours where our faucets are connected through shanks driven through the collar? I have a friend with a similar kegerator build and he always has to cool his faucets down by wasting a pint of foam. Don't know if there is such a way but would be interested to know if there was!

 

[Bobby_M]

You don't have to cool the faucets through a collar. Just run a small fan to keep the air moving in the chest. I dump the first 2oz pour (into my pie hole) then it pours perfectly for the next pint.

 

[Quaffer]

First off, do you know what brand of double sided foam tape you used for you drip tray? I have found many online that seem similar but all seem discontinued or out of stock, nor can I find exactly what it seems like you used.

I got it at Lowes/Home Depot, but they don't seem to carry it anymore. I still have the roll, but it has no markings. After a little searching I found it at Amazon, for example. It is called 3M Scotch 4011 Exterior Mounting Tape, 1 in x 60 in. I should add it to the bill of materials.

Second, I have found a lot of instructions on how to cool a beer tower, using a tube and a small computer fan to pump cold air all the way to the end of the beer lines. But have you seen or heard of any ideas or instructions that work for builds like ours where our faucets are connected through shanks driven through the collar? I have a friend with a similar kegerator build and he always has to cool his faucets down by wasting a pint of foam. Don't know if there is such a way but would be interested to know if there was!

I finally mounted my fan on a 3" plastic pipe which stands on the bottom of the freezer with the fan mounted on top, about 4" from the lid. The pipe has large holes cut with a hole saw around the bottom so the fan can suck cold air from the bottom and circulate it up to the collar to cool the beer lines and the back of the faucets. Not my idea, I saw it done on this board somewhere. I also added a switch so I can turn on the fan full-time when I am getting ready to serve.

Even so, the first glass I pour is about 60% foam, the second just right. It is not a big problem, just let the glass sit for a couple of minutes, then top it up. This is how they serve Guinness after all.

By the way, Bobby_M's freezer conversion was the first I ever saw. I found it while cruising YouTube, among many other of his excellent videos. It is what brought me to this site and the original inspiration for my build.

 

[mikewildt]

So I finished the construction of the kegerator. Was a fun project and I am satisfied with the results. Thanks to all the help from QUAFFER and several other forums on HomeBrewTalk. Currently as you can see there is only one tap set up, but as I can afford more faucets I will be adding on 5 additional Perlick Perls. Also have yet to buy and build on the drip tray. The first beer I tapped was a Racer 5 keg, and what a difference that beer is out of the bottle. Will put additional photo updates up as pieces are added.

Upgraded the regulator. That is not a picture of the Racer 5, that is a Pabst 15 gal keg I put in there to test how much space I would have. Also not pictured in this is the temperature controller because I had to exchange it for a new one. First one was dead on arrival, but it is a Johnson A19 digital controller.

 

[BSBrewer]

nice job! love how the black looks with the dark stained wood. you gotta get some pictures of this badboy in action up next!

 

[johnodon]

I have been doing all of my homework for my upcoming Keezer project and you just convinced me to go with the black Frigidaire 7.2. Your build looks absolutely awesome!!! I especially like the hemlock...nice grain!

Thank you for supplying the parts list. This helps out immensely!

John

 

[johnodon]

First off I must say your setup is quite impressive. I am basing my build off many of the steps you took. I have painted my chest freezer black, and cut and stained my collar today.

mike...what type of paint did you use? I would still prefer to buy a used freezer off of craigslist rather than fork over $250. Are you satisfied with the paint?

Thanks,

John

 

[mikewildt]

mike...what type of paint did you use? I would still prefer to buy a used freezer off of craigslist rather than fork over $250. Are you satisfied with the paint?

Hi John,
I used Rust-Oleum Appliance Epoxy spray paint. It really looks amazing and appears as if it was bought this way. I would highly recommend that you do this outdoors, the paint floats around and sticks to everything. I am not sure why people spray painted indoors in the first place but I have read stories of peoples living rooms being covered in a film this epoxy after painting. Would also recommend a respirator, after 3 cans of spraying this stuff my lungs were a bit tight, wished I had dropped the $30 on one. Also I would recommend doing it during the day where there is plenty of light to make sure you have covered everything evenly. I went back to touch up a few spots that were a little thin and those spots ended up looking a little bit different, almost a bit more glossy than the original coat. Other than that it really does look great. You can pick it up for like $8 per can at Lowe's or below is an Amazon link. I used 3 cans on my 14 gallon Keezer. Good luck! Post pictures when painted.

http://amzn.to/b2KmUP

 

[johnodon]

Hi John,
I used Rust-Oleum Appliance Epoxy spray paint. It really looks amazing and appears as if it was bought this way. I would highly recommend that you do this outdoors, the paint floats around and sticks to everything. I am not sure why people spray painted indoors in the first place but I have read stories of peoples living rooms being covered in a film this epoxy after painting. Would also recommend a respirator, after 3 cans of spraying this stuff my lungs were a bit tight, wished I had dropped the $30 on one. Also I would recommend doing it during the day where there is plenty of light to make sure you have covered everything evenly. I went back to touch up a few spots that were a little thin and those spots ended up looking a little bit different, almost a bit more glossy than the original coat. Other than that it really does look great. You can pick it up for like $8 per can at Lowe's or below is an Amazon link. I used 3 cans on my 14 gallon Keezer. Good luck! Post pictures when painted.

http://amzn.to/b2KmUP

Awesome! Thanks Mike.

One more question...did you have to sand the freezer down to metal or did you spray right on top of the existing finish? I would really prefer that the end result be a textured finish (like the original finish) and figure I would need to spray without sanding to achieve this. The one thing that concerned me was that the description says this:

"Rust-Oleum Specialty Appliance Epoxy is an ultra-hard, moisture resistance enamel that is specifically formulated for indoor metal surfaces."​

Thoughts?

John

 

[Quaffer]

I have been doing all of my homework for my upcoming Keezer project and you just convinced me to go with the black Frigidaire 7.2. Your build looks absolutely awesome!!! I especially like the hemlock...nice grain!

Thank you for supplying the parts list. This helps out immensely!

John

Thanks. Good luck on your project. It is time for me to brew again. I have a hard time to keep the taps supplied.

 

[mikewildt]

Awesome! Thanks Mike.

One more question...did you have to sand the freezer down to metal or did you spray right on top of the existing finish? I would really prefer that the end result be a textured finish (like the original finish) and figure I would need to spray without sanding to achieve this.

I did sand down the fridge with a medium grain sandpaper. I didn't sand away the texture that I think you are talking about, just the semi-glossy finish. It may be possible that you can use that paint without sanding but that is the way I did it. I didn't even sand off all the paint or anything to get all the way down to the metal, it was still white when I painted it. Hope this helps.

The can's instructions say:
"Remove loose paint and rust with a wire brush or sandpaper. Lightly sand glossy surfaces. Clean the surface with soap and water, rinse and let dry. Priming is not recommended. Cleaning is recommended before and after wire brushing or sanding."

So seems like light sanding is the way to go.

 

[johnodon]

I did sand down the fridge with a medium grain sandpaper. I didn't sand away the texture that I think you are talking about, just the semi-glossy finish. It may be possible that you can use that paint without sanding but that is the way I did it. I didn't even sand off all the paint or anything to get all the way down to the metal, it was still white when I painted it. Hope this helps.

The can's instructions say:
"Remove loose paint and rust with a wire brush or sandpaper. Lightly sand glossy surfaces. Clean the surface with soap and water, rinse and let dry. Priming is not recommended. Cleaning is recommended before and after wire brushing or sanding."

So seems like light sanding is the way to go.

The texture I am referring to is that bumby almost rubberized finish. The chest freezer I bought is not a flat finish like a washer, dryer or range. It has that impact resistant coating. I'm just wondering if this paint will stick to that.

 

[johnodon]

Quaffer...

Where did you find the corner braces that join the collar pieces? Home Depot? I stopped in Lowes last nigh and didn't see anyhting like them and I'm having trouble finding them on HD's webiste.

TIA,

John

 

[Gritsak]

Quaffer...

Where did you find the corner braces that join the collar pieces? Home Depot? I stopped in Lowes last nigh and didn't see anyhting like them and I'm having trouble finding them on HD's webiste.

TIA,

John

There should be something similar in the area where the door hinges are. That's where i found mine.

 

[johnodon]

There should be something similar in the area where the door hinges are. That's where i found mine.

Got 'em. They were at the end of the aisle closer to the lumber with the rest of the joining hardware. Amazing how HD carries some things that Lowes doesn't and vice versa.

 

[Quaffer]

Got 'em. They were at the end of the aisle closer to the lumber with the rest of the joining hardware. Amazing how HD carries some things that Lowes doesn't and vice versa.

Yes, that's where I found them

 

[johnodon]

Quaffer/Mike...

Did you guys do anyhting to seal/insulate the backside/inside of the temp controller? Do you think there is an problem with condensation getting into the unit from the back since it is wide open?

Also Mike...do you know what brand/color stain you used? That looks pretty close to what Quaffer used. I tried the Minwax Red Mahogany on a test piece but it looks like it came out a little purple. I haven't been able to find that Wissner's Cabernet anywhere.

TIA,

John

 

[mikewildt]

Quaffer/Mike...

Did you guys do anyhting to seal/insulate the backside/inside of the temp controller? Do you think there is an problem with condensation getting into the unit from the back since it is wide open?

Also Mike...do you know what brand/color stain you used? That looks pretty close to what Quaffer used.

John,
I actually have my temp controller on the outside of the unit. I just put two finish nails into the wood collar on the back of the unit and hung from there. I ran the sensor probe in through the backside, in between the lid and the collar (didnt drill anything additional).

I did use the Minwax Red Mahogany, but did two layers to darken. Didn't seem to come out too purple on my end, probably depends on how light your wood is too. I then used Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane Semi -Gloss Aerosol. This I really wish I would have used a respirator for, even doing it outside with a breeze my lungs were not right for a week.

Hope this helps. Remember to post pics!

Mike

 

[Quaffer]

Quaffer/Mike...

Did you guys do anyhting to seal/insulate the backside/inside of the temp controller? Do you think there is an problem with condensation getting into the unit from the back since it is wide open?

I was going to put a thin peice of insulation behind the controller, but it popped out a couple of times and I finally left it out. I think it is OK, I have not noticed any condensation.

Also Mike...do you know what brand/color stain you used? That looks pretty close to what Quaffer used. I tried the Minwax Red Mahogany on a test piece but it looks like it came out a little purple. I haven't been able to find that Wissner's Cabernet anywhere.

I think Zinsser stopped making the Cabernet. I went to www.lowes.com and searched for "Zinsser Cabernet". It still shows up and I can add it to the shopping basket, but it is labeled "unavailable" at all stores near me.

 

[johnodon]

Awesome! Thanks guys.

Got the collar all cut/joined/wood puttied and sanded. I just need to cut the holes for the shanks, temp contoller anb wires out the back. After that, I start staining. Nice to know that the Red Mahogany truns out looking nice. Maybe it was just the pine I was using that was giving it a purplish look. I have since moved to the Hemlock since my first attempt at a colar was a msierable disaster. I was trying to use a little better quality wood so I bought finished pine boards. The problem is that the are only 3/4" think so I was gluing two of them together around all of the sides. What a mess. Oh well...live and learn. I was a little afraid of the hemlock because I thought I wouldn't be able to find two boards that were straight. First two I picked off of the pile were near perfect.

I did have another question: What size hole saw for the shank holes? I think I read somewhere else the 7/8" works best. Can you guys confirm?

Also, for anyone else following this thread: My freezer (like most I would think) has a textured finish...almost rubberized. I found a nice paint that worked perfectly. I originally tried the Rustomeum Appliance Epoxy, but since it was enamel based it seemed to chip off a little easy. I could actually scrath it off with my finger nail after sitting for 2 days. This is what I ended up using (available at Lowes/HD):

http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=178

OVERVIEW:
New Rust-Oleum Universal is specifically formulated to work on diverse surfaces including wood, plastic, metal, brick, concrete and even vinyl. The Rust-Oleum Universal advanced spray system can spray from any angle — even upside down.

PRODUCT FEATURES:
For use on interior / exterior environments
One Universal coating for diverse substrates
Ultimate flexibility for extreme applications
Maximum adhesion for demanding substrates
Fast, efficient coverage
Fade and chip resistant
Rust preventative
2008 HANDY Innovation Award Winner​

This stuff is pure awesomeness!

Thanks again!

John

 

[Quaffer]

What size hole saw for the shank holes? I think I read somewhere else the 7/8" works best. Can you guys confirm?

I used a 1" hole saw, but later whished it had been 7/8" instead. 1" works but 7/8" is a better fit.

 

[johnodon]

Faucets, hoses, distributor, etc. all being delivered today. Once everything is assembled, I'll post a few pics. Just doing 3 faucets for now and will eventually expand to 5. I cheaped out on the faucets though. I really wanted Perlick 525's but just got regular old chrome. Just didn't have the budget right now. Maybe Santa will be nice to me.

John

 

[robbyg]

Thanks for posting this build, Quaffer. After seeing your photos, SWMBO has agreed that a DIY keezer can look nice enough to sit in the finished half of the basement. I plan to start gathering parts this autumn!

 

[mikewildt]

I did have another question: What size hole saw for the shank holes? I think I read somewhere else the 7/8" works best. Can you guys confirm?



John

I used the 7/8" bit and the shanks fit tight and perfect.

Let me know how that other Rustoleum paint works!