From Ugly Rusty Fridge to Black Beauty!

[akthor]

Finally got around to refinishing my "Carberator" as you remember it was kinda nasty when I got it. Even though it was only $25 it was in pretty rough shape:

I used a rough sanding wheel to knock off all the rust as best I could (this is a basement fridge so I didn't need an automotive quality finish) and 3 cans of Rustoleum Gloss Black Epoxy Appliance paint later I had this:

I was going to make a mount to mount the bottle to the side of the fridge but I figured I didn't hit any coils so far drilling into why push my luck. It's a 7lb tank so it's tall and skinny so I am afraid the cat will bump it and knock it over. I am fine with strapping it to an old chair that was in the basement. I know not the most elegant solution.

The inside:

I won an auction for an old soda system out of a bar or restaurant way back when I wanted to get into kegging. I got a ball lock corny 5 gas disconnects 5 lengths of hose with MFL fittings on both ends and a dual guage regulator. The pics of the regulator weren't very easy to tell what it was but since I was getting a deal on all the rest even without the regulator I figured what the hell. Boy am I glad I got it, it came with a manifold attached and really made setting up to carb 4 kegs easy. The gauges are off but I set my main gauge to 12 psi and 30 psi (the two I use) and marked on the bezels with a marker.

 

[stlbeer]

Nice craftsmanship! I like the paint job. It gives me a couple of ideas...

BTW - how did you determine there were no coolant lines in the side?

 

[TomSD]

For mounting a bracket for the tank I would think epoxy would do the trick. Saves you risking hitting coolant lines for sure.

 

[akthor]

I drilled very slowly through the outer sheet metal till I was barely thru, careful not to push hard and poke the drill inside. Then I gently stuck a tiny screwdriver into the hole and gently probed around. I felt nothing but insulation so then I jammed the drill in and finished till I had drilled thru the inner wall.

Nice craftsmanship! I like the paint job. It gives me a couple of ideas...

BTW - how did you determine there were no coolant lines in the side?

 

[Homercidal]

If you still want that bottle on the side, consider using Hard Drive magnets to hold up a stainless shelf. Sort of like a drip tray that the tank can sit on (strapped down so it doesn't fall off!)

I am going to mount my drip tray this way whenever I get around to putting one on my kegerator.

 

[akthor]

Hard drive magnets? What and where do you get those?

If you still want that bottle on the side, consider using Hard Drive magnets to hold up a stainless shelf. Sort of like a drip tray that the tank can sit on (strapped down so it doesn't fall off!)

I am going to mount my drip tray this way whenever I get around to putting one on my kegerator.

 

[TomSD]

They are rare earth magnets. You can get them from... a hard drive... or just buy rare earth magnets. I would think a bit of epoxy would do it too.

 

[tasq]

Man, What an improvement! Looks great.

 

[Homercidal]

Google hard drive magnet. I think you can order them (rare earth magnets) from some sources online, but I have way more than I know what to do with from dead hard drives over the years.

My plan was to pocket out a couple of small blocks of steel and epoxy them in. Then drill and tap the steel for a screw that the drip tray could hang on.

Be careful with the magnets! I have gotten blood blisters from being pinched when two of them decided they were attracted to each other!

 

[CollinsBrew]

This may seem obvious but it's generally a good indication that the cooling lines aren't inside the walls of the fridge if they are somewhere else. For instance, my old garage fridge that I got for free off of craigslist has the whole rack of heat exchange lines on the back of the fridge. Others have them on the bottom. The cooling lines, since it's a freezer on top like yours, are placed behind a removable plastic panel in the back of the freezer. A fan with the vent is what keeps the lower part cool.

 

[Frankfurtvr4]

That is a thing of true craftsmanship. You did a great job. No pics up mine going up anytime in the near future.

 

[akthor]

You are probably right but better safe than sorry

Mine has the heat exchange lines on back like yours but no fan in the bottom I think the cooling lines are right on top of the roof in the bottom you can see them in the pics with the kegs. There is a fan in the freezer.

This may seem obvious but it's generally a good indication that the cooling lines aren't inside the walls of the fridge if they are somewhere else. For instance, my old garage fridge that I got for free off of craigslist has the whole rack of heat exchange lines on the back of the fridge. Others have them on the bottom. The cooling lines, since it's a freezer on top like yours, are placed behind a removable plastic panel in the back of the freezer. A fan with the vent is what keeps the lower part cool.

 

[akthor]

I really didn't do much the paint is AMAZING totally worth the cost the Rustoleum Epoxy Appliance Paint. If you gotta paint metal and don't have like automotive type equipment and paint than this stuff is the sh$t!

That is a thing of true craftsmanship. You did a great job. No pics up mine going up anytime in the near future.