For a couple years now, I've seen the need for us to have a large cooler of sorts at our lease. I've wanted to get a walk-in cooler for some time, but no one else has ever wanted to pitch in any money to go searching for one, even a used one. Seems $1k+ is too much for all the cheapsters I hunt with! 😉
I've had the idea of how to build one in my head for a while now, so when I ran across a deal on some 5x7 wooden storage boxes for sale ($100 ea) I decided to jump and work this out on my own. They are 7'-0 tall.
Boxes in their past life...
I picked up 4 of them. 2 are going to another lease member to start a blind build - he's shooting for a 7x10 blind.
Luckily, these stack really nicely so it was easy to transport all four home in one trip.
Along the way, I ran across six 4" x 10' used cooler panels that I plan to use for insulation purposes - these were free (someone's "significant other" was very inclined to see them disappear quickly)!
Even by myself, it wasn't too hard to get the beginnings of the box stood up. I'm adding in some stud walls to build in some support. The boxes by themselves won't hold a lot of vertical load from the top down. My plan to use 2x3s for the wall supports, and cut "recessed channels" into the foam panels. That way the foam panels can sit down into the studs and fill in the gaps better, without a major loss in interior floor space. I'll get some good pics of what I'm talking about as I get there.
So far I'm only a week into this build, but I plan to take it out and set it up at the lease at the end of this month. I've got some work to do!
Overall plan for cooling this thing is a 5000 BTU window air conditioner, which should get it down into the low 40s to high 30s. We have a couple of those things lying around. I will also be cheaping-out and "building" my own version of the CoolBot system. That should be less than $80 if I have my math figured out right, but I don't have the parts for the system just yet. Final interior dimensions should be 4'-4" x 7'-4" (32 sf & 233 cuft).
Currently, I have $130 in the wall stud framing. I know my stud spacing on the two side walls is quite close (and most likely overkill), but they will be supporting all of the hanging loads. I will be using a 4x4 across the ceiling to hang from and it will be anchored into the side wall framing. I'll be cutting a door out of the original box skin and insulating that. Then just need to find some cheap "oops" paint from a box store or something cheap at Habitat.
I'll post more pics as I get further along.
I've had the idea of how to build one in my head for a while now, so when I ran across a deal on some 5x7 wooden storage boxes for sale ($100 ea) I decided to jump and work this out on my own. They are 7'-0 tall.
Boxes in their past life...
I picked up 4 of them. 2 are going to another lease member to start a blind build - he's shooting for a 7x10 blind.
Luckily, these stack really nicely so it was easy to transport all four home in one trip.
Along the way, I ran across six 4" x 10' used cooler panels that I plan to use for insulation purposes - these were free (someone's "significant other" was very inclined to see them disappear quickly)!
Even by myself, it wasn't too hard to get the beginnings of the box stood up. I'm adding in some stud walls to build in some support. The boxes by themselves won't hold a lot of vertical load from the top down. My plan to use 2x3s for the wall supports, and cut "recessed channels" into the foam panels. That way the foam panels can sit down into the studs and fill in the gaps better, without a major loss in interior floor space. I'll get some good pics of what I'm talking about as I get there.
So far I'm only a week into this build, but I plan to take it out and set it up at the lease at the end of this month. I've got some work to do!
Overall plan for cooling this thing is a 5000 BTU window air conditioner, which should get it down into the low 40s to high 30s. We have a couple of those things lying around. I will also be cheaping-out and "building" my own version of the CoolBot system. That should be less than $80 if I have my math figured out right, but I don't have the parts for the system just yet. Final interior dimensions should be 4'-4" x 7'-4" (32 sf & 233 cuft).
Currently, I have $130 in the wall stud framing. I know my stud spacing on the two side walls is quite close (and most likely overkill), but they will be supporting all of the hanging loads. I will be using a 4x4 across the ceiling to hang from and it will be anchored into the side wall framing. I'll be cutting a door out of the original box skin and insulating that. Then just need to find some cheap "oops" paint from a box store or something cheap at Habitat.
I'll post more pics as I get further along.
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