Thanks everybody!
I'm terrible at documenting builds. I actually had a lot of in-progress pics on my iPhone but loaded up the Beta of OS4, had problems, and lost a lot of them that weren't backed up.
Here's what I do have:
I started off with a simple frame around the freezer made from 2x4s on the bottom and 1x1s around the freezer itself. This allows enough airspace between the surface of the freezer and the wood to let air circulate so you don't burn out the compressor.
After that, I attached 1/2" plywood to the frame and bolted a 3/4" piece of plywood to the top that was roughly the shape of the counter top. I built the coffin box out of 1x1/2s and 1/2" ply.
I veneered the bottom with a maple veneer and got to work on the mahogany trim. This was by far the biggest pain in the ass of the project. The mahogany I got, while beautiful (these pics don't do it justice - it's absolutely gorgeous up close), wasn't cut square at all. As a result we had to come up with ways to get square pieces and spent many, many hours cutting it down. I also routed a shallow depression for the drip tray to sit in in the top of the plywood so it would be level with the tile.
The coffin box contains a PVC T that was built and insulated with insulation tape and copious amounts of electrical tape (the insulation tape didn't stick well). There are 4 holes in the freezer lid that are just big enough for the beer lines. They come up into the PVC and are then routed to the taps.
Like most, I used a Love temperature controller. I debated where to put it with my friend that was helping me with the build for a week. I wanted it in the side of the coffin box to make it accessible and give the keezer a high-tech feel. He said that would ruin the aesthetics of all the work we'd just done. Finally after getting several other opinions, I wound up agreeing and just velcroing it to the top of the hole in the back of the freezer where the compressor sits. I may still move it out to the side of the coffin box one of these days while he's not looking. :cross:
Overall the build took us about 3 months, but that makes it sound like much more work that it was. We both have very busy schedules and wound up only having Tuesday nights and a few weekend days here and there to spend on it. If it weren't for that mahogany being so expensive, total build cost would have been ~$800 - $900. I wound up spending about $400 over that on the wood.
!!!
