GT Keezer

[twistr25]

So after determining that I miscalculated my initial dimensions and fixed those I was able to get started. For now, I will no longer need to do a "modular" build, which to be honest I'm pretty relieved about. I plan on doing a coffin keezer, and if I'm still being honest, this will be a mildly lengthy project to space out the spending and time availability.

Started with a Magic Chef 7.0 cuft freezer. So far I have the dolly built and the collar on. I will end up adding some foam on the inside of the collar, just don't have it yet. I plan on cutting out a 2x2' section in the plywood(or some form of panelling) in order to insert an LED sign in the front. I think I'm going to have it on the inside and then place a piece of plexiglass over the outside and cover the edges with trim. Dark stain, or possibly just paint it black. A lot of the little details are still up in the air, just winging it as I go and come up with ideas. So thanks for checking it out and I'm completely open for suggestions.

 

[twistr25]

Made a little progress on this. I was able to get most of the wood and got all the pieces cut. I need to get more liquid nails to hang the plywood, so only a couple of new pics. I'm using 1/4" oak hardboard to keep it light since I will have to move it at some point. I also insulated the collar and have my temp controller hooked up, but since I can't fit it in my apartment, it's not very effective at the moment. Still trying to figure out how to do the lid of the freezer dimension wise and exactly what I want to put on it. Starting to come together though, in my head anyway.

 

[GTengineer10]

I approve of this keezer.

 

[twistr25]

Got a chance to start piecing things together to see how it will work. Won't be professional grade, but I'm pretty happy with it and I think it'll look good enough. Still deciding on a stain and I think I'll end up putting a baseboard around the bottom.

 

[modobrew]

Looking good! Can't wait to see it finished. I have the same style light as your GT one, but for NCSU instead. Check the back wall in the photo below.

Also noticed you're in Raleigh, whereabouts?

 

[twistr25]

I really like it, PITA to keep dust and dog hair off of though...

Apex, been here since last May. Loving it so far. You?

 

[modobrew]

Agree with the PITA to keep clean. I'm glad I was finally able to get mine up off the floor. Good luck keeping it clean with it sitting down there at a dog's height! HAHA.

In Garner, 10 minutes from Downtown Raleigh. Been here since '99 and really enjoy the area. I love the way downtown is changing for the better; better restaurants, bars, new amphitheater, etc. The local craft beer scene is growing tremendously as well. I def recommend Tasty Beverage and Bottle Revolution in Raleigh as well as Sam's Quik shop in Durham. If you want to hit up a place for 100+ taps and 500+ bottles, hit up World of Beer.

Good luck with the Keezer and I can't wait to see it completed.

 

[twistr25]

Couple more pics of the trim that will go around the LED sign.

 

[Lucky7s]

That's really going to look sweet...well, except for the GT light.... Keep up the postings. Again, really nice job!!!

 

[nab911]

Big GT Fan here. Keep the pics coming! Might have to borrow some of your ideas.

 

[twistr25]

Couple new pics to add. I'm sure I'm not doing things in the correct order, but I'm doing them as I have the materials, so whatever. Got the side panels assembled and stained. Had some job issues come up which has cinched down the funds, but I'm determined to make progress. Beer is a fresh Honey Rye Pale Ale, delicious!

 

[Atl300zx]

Looks great man. I just renewed my season tickets yesterday. What's the good word?!?

 

[twistr25]

Looks great man. I just renewed my season tickets yesterday. What's the good word?!?

Thanks, wish I was back in the ATL to get tickets

To Hell with Georgia!

 

[twistr25]

Steadily inching forward as I have the time and funds. Got the plexiglass and trim installed around the LED sign. Hoping to get a coat of urethane on it tonight. Still deciding exactly what I want to do with the top, but I am impressed with how it's coming together so far. Good enough for me anyway. Thoughts on putting a baseboard trim around the bottom?

 

[cosmatics]

Wow man sick looking innovative keezer. Well done. Almost went to GT, ahh how my life would have been different.

 

[twistr25]

Wow man sick looking innovative keezer. Well done. Almost went to GT, ahh how my life would have been different.

Thanks, it was certainly an interesting experience. Wish I wouldn't have gotten out so fast.

 

[Safa]

Great looking build!

Would look significantly better with a bulldog in there though...

 

[modobrew]

Looking nice!

 

[twistr25]

Wife's outta town, so I will play, plus an inadvertent sick day gave me the afternoon to do a little extra.

 

[homebrew57]

Looking good. Did you figure out what you were going to do with the top? Tile?

 

[twistr25]

Looking good. Did you figure out what you were going to do with the top? Tile?

I haven't really yet. I am woefully underfunded to fully get all of the kegging equipment I need, so I may just lay some linoleum on top for now so I can move it inside and use it as a ferm chamber. The plywood on top is not very thick, so I want to do something light. I saw some metallic tile that are adhesive on the back that I thought might look pretty good and was pretty thin, but I'm really still up in the air.

 

[twistr25]

One more with a coat of stain on the top trim. Still interested in doing something light on top, I think tile will be too much, but I have seen some that is thinner that might work. Anyone have any suggestions? I think I want something darker, like a deep blue, but something gold may work too to match the trim. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[twistr25]

Crappy resolution, but thought I'd share. Mocking up the coffin and shelving for the top. Working outside in spring has terrible disadvantages, yes it is discolored, yes it is ALL pollen.....

 

[twistr25]

How do we feel about a "Knight Rider"-esque light bar?

http://youtu.be/zuRBfl-hGt8

EDIT: SWMBO nixed it. Guess I'll just do a regular light bar

 

[twistr25]

Very slightly more progress, but to me a huge step. I got my holes drilled through for air flow and beer lines. School is finishing up so I should have some more time to work on this, not to mention it looks to rain this weekend and I have a lot of the wood already cut for the shelves and the rest of the coffin, so I hope to finish that this weekend as well.

 

[modobrew]

Crappy resolution, but thought I'd share. Mocking up the coffin and shelving for the top. Working outside in spring has terrible disadvantages, yes it is discolored, yes it is ALL pollen.....

Gotta love NC and our HIGH POLLEN AIR QUALITY. I was in Southern Pines the other day...Holy $#!+! Talk about pollen, a friends back patio looked like he spread 1/4" think layer of yellow powder all over it. And I have high allergies to just about every grass/tree/weed/shrub/you name it, so you can imagine what this crap is doing to me. Glad we have the rain coming in this weekend. We need it!

On a different note, your keezer is look great and I can't wait to see it finished. :rockin:

 

[twistr25]

A lot more progress this weekend. I say that slightly tongue-in-cheek as it does not look like it, but it takes a long time to tape that coffin box. It was raining a bit so I couldn't go cut anything. The sides of the shelves are secured and I have the boards marked up to cut. Also bought a stair tread to use as the across the top shelf. Huge find since I have no finishing tools. Should have that on this week along with finishing the stain on the whole thing. I'll likely end up installing the fans underneath the lid. Anyone have any pros or cons to that? I'm going to cover the particle board with some of the leftover plywood I used for the sides and I still haven't quite decided on what to do for the "tile" part of the lid. Thinking maybe even some kickplate steel might look pretty cool or painting some wood to lay down and then using the bar top epoxy to fill it in to waterproof it. Anything else I might be missing?

 

[twistr25]

Stair tread turned out to be too short, but I found something else that worked nicely, but it won't have the rounded edge. Still need to find some trim pieces I like to finish out the top and of course whatever the heck I plan on putting as the "tile". But I'm feeling pretty good overall. I add some trim pieces to the corners of the lid, not real pleased with them, but my wood putty skills didn't hold up and I figured this was the lesser of two evils.

 

[twistr25]

My LED light strip came in and I got it wired in with the switch for the LED sign in the front. Couldn't think of any reason why I'd have those on separately, so wired them together. Waiting on my converter to come in to wire up the fans, should be here by the end of the week. I'm going to have to take out the freezer to not only clean the LED sign in the front, but I need to install the temp controller. I was debating where to put it, but since I have to take the freezer out anyway, I decided to put it up front. Finally decided on what I'm going to do with the top. It'll be a polished absolute black tile, but I'm going to try to use Ditra as the backer so it will be much lighter. I only need a little bit though and that will not be worth the $85 price tag for a roll, so I have to find out where to get a chunk, but I'm glad I finally decided on something. Can't see it in the picture, but I also went ahead and drilled the 4 holes for the taps. I have all of the trim that I just need to cut and I'm going to spray paint it gold to match the trim around the sign below. Thanks for all who have been hanging around, I realize this has been a slow process, but that's all the funds will allow.

 

[twistr25]

Inching ever so closer. I have all of the trim installed on the top, tidied up the wiring and got the fans installed and wired in. SWMBO didn't like the idea of the temp controller on the front, so it is now on the right side, didn't really matter to me. Now I just need to buy the tile for the top to knock it out. I figure I'll just use tyvek as a barrier as opposed to backerboard to reduce some of the weight, but this, just like most other ones, is going to be a heavy SOB.

 

[twistr25]

All the trim is done and two coats of poly on. Couple of pics with the tile I'll be using. Haven't gotten the tile for the backsplash yet, but I also need to find a tile saw to borrow. I have a friend with one, but he's currently in Thailand.... So hope to find one soon.

 

[twistr25]

So my buddy does not have a tile saw, and all of the home improvement stores around me do not have a rental department....go figure. Also I need an excuse to get off of my 666th post.

 

[twistr25]

Bosses are out of town again this week, which means I get to "work" from home...ergo, I was able to get the tile cut. Hope to be able to get it all set this weekend. I think I'm just going to use some Tyvek wrap to provide a barrier and lay the tile right on top of that. So close I can almost see the end.

 

[twistr25]

Purchased all of the material to get the tile set and grouted in, but I have a busy week. I may get them set tonight, but I likely won't be able to grout until next week on account of Memorial Day weekend. All I need is some money to come in to get the kegging equipment, come on scratch off ticket....

 

[twistr25]

I was able to get the tile set last night, the pictures really look the same as above though, so I won't post any new ones. Needs 48 hours to set which means it will be ready while I'm at the lake for Memorial Day. Hope to knock out the grout as soon as I get back and I'll try to pick up the tile for the back splash today.

 

[twistr25]

Tile is set and grouted in. I need to finish a little sliver on the backsplash, didn't measure to fit neatly. Then I just need to start saving up for the guts. If only the IRS would excuse everyone for taxes this year, with all the BS they've been pulling, it'd be done already.

 

[homebrew57]

finished up great man, nice job.

 

[twistr25]

Thanks, it's not perfect, but I think it will serve it's purpose just fine.

 

[twistr25]

Got the construction finished on this thing last week. The 95+ heat and humidity caused my faucet plate to fall off yesterday, but once I get the faucets that won't be an issue anyway. My boss has a connection with a guy that does gas distribution for bars among other things, so he is going to look into getting me hooked up with some of the internal parts I need. This may just be fully operational faster than I thought. Can't wait!

 

[nab911]

I hear ya. The heat has been sweltering down here. Was making a mini fridge myself and painting outside was miserable. Would get about 1 minute before I was sweating buckets.