Idea for keezer; would it work?

[SatelliteGuy]

I've been checking out (drooling) all the kegerator and keezer threads. There are so many here that are totally kick-arse!!
I know that some people don't want to cut a hole in the lid of a freezer, and for that reason, many put the taps through the collar.
Another option occured to me, and I'm wondering if anyone has tried this yet, and whether or not it works;

What about taking the stock lid off entirely, and building one out of plywood, with a built-in coffin-box, and thoroughly insulated with either rigid foam, or expanding spray-on foam?
That way, you have an unmolested lid, in case you decide to revert to a regular freezer, and you don't have the taps sticking out of the collar, where they could get snagged as you walk past. And, personally, I think the coffin-boxes look cool.

So, is this a decent idea? Or am I missing something glaringly obvious that will cause this to not work properly?

If this would work, anybody can feel free to steal this idea, and make sure to post lots of progress pics!!

For the record, I probably won't be kegging for a while, and as such, won't be building a keezer anytime soon... but I still love checking out everybody else's projects!!

Thanks in advance.

 

[jeffmeh]

That is perfectly feasible, and with proper insulation and sealing of the wood, would work fine. You probably should give some thought to the weight of the lid/coffin box, and might want to use some gas-charged lift supports to make it easier to open and to support the weight. Also, you will need enough clearance behind the unit to open it, so you may want to put it on castors to be able to move it away from the wall.

 

[ScubaSteve]

This will work fine and dandy. While you're at it, you could have the lid open "backwards" so you don't have to move the keezer around. I guess you'd have to be careful about the weight of the tap handles pulling the taps open as you open the lid, but this could be easily solved.

 

[Guntr]

Good idea, but I only think it would be worth the trouble if it was a freezer under warranty that you didn't want to void. Personally if I ever decide to revert mine I think plugging the two inch hole could be done easily (and pretty) enough.

I would also worry about storing the original lid. I think that would end up getting roughed up and/or lost before it would ever be needed again.

 

[SatelliteGuy]

One thought I had, concerning this idea, would be the fact that, instead of needing to build up height for a hump keg with the colar, you can design it so the coffin-box provides the required clearance.

My motivation for building this, honestly, wouldn't have been to preserve the original lid, so much as to do something differently from what's typically done!
And, I'm sure it would open up people's creativity.

Another idea would be, hinge it to open sideways... no need to pull it out from the wall, no worry of the taps opening.
Or, for the ambitious type, you can always design a 4-link type of system, where the lid would open kind of like this. :rockin:

 

[stoneman]

I removed my lid, and made one out of plywood. I did a split lid configuration with the coffin box on one end, and the lid on the other. That way I would have easy access to the kegs without the coffin box hitting the wall.

This link has pictures
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/beer-tap-120619/

 

[SatelliteGuy]

I removed my lid, and made one out of plywood. I did a split lid configuration with the coffin box on one end, and the lid on the other. That way I would have easy access to the kegs without the coffin box hitting the wall.

This link has pictures
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/beer-tap-120619/

Strong in this one, the kickassery is.
I wonder how I'd incorperate the split lid idea into a small freezer design...

 

[dudasaj]

Make a smaller access panel for chilled glassware.

 

[masonsjax]

I made an entirely new lid for mine instead of a collar. It's a little heavy, but the stock hinges are spring loaded and hold it up no problem. I used plastic furniture sliders so it would be easy to pull away from the wall. I'm very happy with the results. I need to get some pics and post them here.

 

[jasper9]

That is perfectly feasible, and with proper insulation and sealing of the wood, would work fine. You probably should give some thought to the weight of the lid/coffin box, and might want to use some gas-charged lift supports to make it easier to open and to support the weight. Also, you will need enough clearance behind the unit to open it, so you may want to put it on castors to be able to move it away from the wall.

this is the only mention i can find on the board about these lift supports. My keezer lid won't stay up on it's own and looking for options. Those look like automotive parts? any tips?