by Eric Adams » Fri Dec 31, 2004 11:53 pm
Denzagrad wrote:I made the Cubby Icebox. Sorry no pics yet. It was interesting. What took the most time was waiting for the new sealent to dry between testing it for leaks. Took me three times to get it right.
by Eric Adams » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:41 pm
by surveytech » Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:55 pm
by Ira » Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:21 pm
by apratt » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:50 pm
by surveytech » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:40 pm
by apratt » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:55 pm
by surveytech » Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:09 am
apratt wrote:If you are talking about the pic I posted. That is not mine (I wish it was) that was from Dakotamouse album.
by dakotamouse » Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:08 pm
We started constructing our icebox from aluminum cutoffs from the outer shell, like the Kuffel Creek plans called for. The pieces were bent into the square shape and riveted together. No matter how much polyurethane glue was gooped over each rivet, it still leaked. After 4 attempts at resealing with poor results, we scrapped the alum icebox plan and found a plastic water tank that was roughly the same size as the aluminum one.
Our plan was to cut a rectangular hole in the front of the tank (icebox) for the door, cut a rect. hole in the top to drop a Tupperware tub in for the ice holding compartment, insulate all sides with double layers of ¾” pink Styrofoam and the top and bottom with a single layer of ¾” Styrofoam. Cover the front of the icebox with a leftover piece of alum sheet. The edges around the cutout door and ice container hole are trimmed with alum angle. The inner edge of the door and top lid are also framed with alum angle. Care must be taken to ensure a tight seal of the door and lid when fitting the alum angle to prevent rapid ice melt and warm air from leaking into the icebox. All pieces are glued together with polyurethane glue, even the layers of Styrofoam are having glue between layers.
Version A of our alum riveted icebox on the left leaked at the rivet holes and joined edges no matter how much polyurethane glue was plastered to surfaces. After 4 iterations, we scrapped Version A and went to Version B, the plastic water tank on the right. The plastic Tupperware bowl on the top is the ice holder. A rectangular hole is cut in the top of the water tank so the Tupperware bowl slides into the cut hole and is suppo rted by the flanged top of the bowl.
Plastic was selected because is has smooth curved surfaces which will be much easier to clean than the square corners of the alum icebox. Also, so much polyurethane glue was applied that many small holes and recesses were created in the cavities that would be hard to clean. We envisioned these holes and cavities as a likely breeding ground for mold and bacteria.
Polyurethane glue is used to glue all pieces together. The ¾” pink foam Styrofoam board is double layered around the plastic icebox. An aluminum face plate is cut and placed over only the front because it’s the only side visible after the build. Alum angle frames the front door opening. We duct taped all the outside corners.
We constructed the icebox, then framed around it, rather than trying to build a box to fit into the frame. Our drain tube is 1/2” plastic tubing fitted onto a brass flanged ferrule. Drill a hole in the bottom of the Tupperware ice holder and seal with silicone. Drill another hole in the bottom of the plastic icebox, run the plastic tube through it and seal with silicone. My tube extends about 3” out the bottom of the floor right behind a wood frame member and is attached to the frame with an electrical wire staple to hold it in place.
After we installed the countertop laminate, we trimmed the upper edge with ¾”aluminum angle, again glued with polyurethane. A lid is constructed from ¾: plywood to fit very snug into the top recess. On the bottom of the lid is a rectangular piece of Styrofoam framed with alum angle that fits snug into the top of the icebox. The intent is to achieve by sanding the edge of the plywood lid until it mates with the alum trim on the top of the icebox.
These two pictures are the finished product. We installed a flip out recessed door pull into the top of our lid to provide a flat surface on the counter.
Constructing an ice box that fit tight, sealed air out, had smooth clean edges and surfaces was the second most difficult part of our teardrop build. In retrospect, it isn’t that difficult. It’s the Imagineering involved that is sometimes frustrating. The finished product has truly invoked a sense of pride though.
My wife has an old fashioned icebox in the house for storing items, and she requested the icebox in our teardrop be patterned after it. These photos are the result of the copied pattern.
by agileaction » Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:17 pm
by dakotamouse » Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:32 pm
We are taking her out on a two week road trip down south at the end of March. That's when we'll really get to try the ice box out. 
by BrianB » Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:58 am
by dakotamouse » Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:36 pm
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