Making a keezer collar - Advice needed

[Clanchief]

I need a little advice and assistance. I'm building a collar for a keezer which I'm putting together. The freezer is the GE 7.0 Cu. Ft. FCM7SHWW. I'm planning on using 2x6's for the collar. Now, I should note that while I'm handy in lots of ways around the house, woodworking isn't something I have any experience with. For this, I borrowed a friends compound miter saw, thinking I would miter this together, for a better looking collar. This is something I want to look nice and last for a very long time. Right now I'm sitting here and I'm honestly a little nervous about the wood cutting though. If I'm mitering it for the collar, do I actually need to do a beveled cut, or can I just sit the board on its side and do a straight down 45 miter cut? As I'm planning on using a nicer, more expensive wood, I can't really afford to screw this up. Do people think it's better to just make a butt joint for it?

Any help is incredibly appreciated.

 

[iijakii]

Miters aren't tough. Just triple check your angles and that you have the boards facing the right way (ive made the mistake of cutting a board the wrong direction waaay too many times). Use lots of wood glue and clamp well. You can fill in any gaps later.

If you're really feeling uneasy just do standard butt with screws and use some latex paint over all of it and it'll look great too.

Also, spend $4 on a cheap board and practice a couple cuts if you want.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Yes, a few practice cuts on cheap wood is a great idea. Will ensure that you're getting a solid 45° angle.

I'd recommend 1x6 instead of 2x6. Easier to cut, will save you money and will give you more space to install rigid insulation, which will insulate way better than wood ever could.

And also consider that if the keezer is going to be placed against a wall then you could get away with butt joints on the back of the collar since hardly anyone is ever going to see the joints back there.

 

[Clanchief]

So the thing I worry about with a 1x6 is that I bought my shanks specifically with the 2x6 in mind. I feel like they will be way too long and dangling if I switch the thickness of the board.

I think I'll probably take the advice to go with the butt joints in the back where they won't be seen, that will be a big help.

For the main miter cuts though, can I stand the board on it's side safely to cut it, or do I need to use the bevel feature? That scares me in terms of getting the cut the right angle. I'm just not experienced with this at all and so it freaks me out.

 

[LandoLincoln]

So the thing I worry about with a 1x6 is that I bought my shanks specifically with the 2x6 in mind. I feel like they will be way too long and dangling if I switch the thickness of the board.

I think I'll probably take the advice to go with the butt joints in the back where they won't be seen, that will be a big help.

For the main miter cuts though, can I stand the board on it's side safely to cut it, or do I need to use the bevel feature? That scares me in terms of getting the cut the right angle. I'm just not experienced with this at all and so it freaks me out.

That's not really a concern, since the threads on a 6" shank would allow you to connect it to a 1" thick board just as good as a 3" shank would. A lot of people buy shanks that are way too long for the thing that they're drilling through anyway, because the more mass of the shank the better it is at holding cold temps. Ergo, less foamy pours.

I'd definitely lay the board on the side and go with angling the saw 45°. Use a 45° speed square to make sure the blade is at the right angle and also do a few test cuts to be sure.

 

[Clanchief]

Thanks for the advice. Once I get to cutting and putting things together I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Clanchief]

So here is the collar both before and after the staining. I ended up going with 1x6 red oak, because the miter couldn't get through a 1x8 and a 2x6 was way too expensive. I used Kona colored stain, two coats, and I love the way it looks. I'll be installing this hopefully tomorrow or Saturday.

 

[Saboral]

Before you make those cuts have you given the boards time to adjust to the temp and humidity in the final use location. Even if you cut your miters perfectly sometimes they'll work apart or warp once the humidity and temperature change. I would recommend pocket screw fastening of the boards for a clean look and strong joint.

 

[Saboral]

Late reply was late.