Built a New Fridge

[familycruisers]

How do the new super caulks work in marine world? The ones we use in commercial refrigeration see just as wet an enviroment and they are mold/mildew guaranteed for 10yr.

btw, after i chemically sealed the seams on that ABS, I wouldnt bother with caulk Demeter.
I think it really comes down to the thickness and composition of the ABS. I'm sure not all are alike. Nice thick panels that can take abuse should work imo, but a good adhesion from whatever you use, to the foam is important.

[SV Demeter]

Well that's why I was intrigued by the abs. It seemed pretty strong at 3/16. Fwiw the plastics guy is a friend who stands to make no money from me. He is also pretty good with hatches and just about everything else I've seen. Pretty much everyone in Annapolis knows of Maritime Plastics. That being said I understand and appreciate Nicks comments regarding fiberglass. My only reason for suggesting caulking the corners was to round them. But maybe ther is nothing wrong with them being square? This same abs is what the inside of most household fridges are made from and it would be easy to clean and easy to work with square corners and all.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

Well that's why I was intrigued by the abs. It seemed pretty strong at 3/16. Fwiw the plastics guy is a friend who stands to make no money from me. He is also pretty good with hatches and just about everything else I've seen. Pretty much everyone in Annapolis knows of Maritime Plastics. That being said I understand and appreciate Nicks comments regarding fiberglass. My only reason for suggesting caulking the corners was to round them. But maybe ther is nothing wrong with them being square? This same abs is what the inside of most household fridges are made from and it would be easy to clean and easy to work with square corners and all.

Sure but household fridges have molded liners. Even then, a top opening freezer on a boat is different from household fridge and needs more substantial lining imo. I still see a plywood-fiberglass laminate as the best solution; if the work is done yourself it might also be the cheapest.

Keeping fridge and freezer clean is an issue when in use 24/7/365. Not having filleted/rounded corners everywhere would be a problem. We also use dry-deck panels on the floors.

ciao!
Nick.

[senormechanico]

Home fridges can use thin, injection molded liners because they never have to bash to weather!

[SV Demeter]

Ok ok. Im off the ABS. Will go with glass. Just need to decide if its worth spending $300 for some of this:

RParts.com - Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic - www.rparts.com

Other options include laying up a sheet of plywood myself then fairing and painting with Awlgrip or buying the cheap FRP from home despot that is used in bathrooms.

[senormechanico]

I bought 1/8" 4 x 8 FRP from Home Depot for about $35.

I reinforced mounting areas for the evaporator etc., on the outside of the box with some scrap bits of ss bar and 3m5200.
I drilled and tapped them for the internal parts.
For me, it had to be all about saving as much wall thickness as possible due to the very small fridge volume available.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

Ok ok. Im off the ABS. Will go with glass. Just need to decide if its worth spending $300 for some of this:

RParts.com - Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic - www.rparts.com

Other options include laying up a sheet of plywood myself then fairing and painting with Awlgrip or buying the cheap FRP from home despot that is used in bathrooms.

I would not spend $300 for some sheets of fiberglass that can be made yourself for much much less. Most of the work is sanding and fairing the fillets, not laminating some plywood.

Here's how to do it: I call my wife and tell her to epoxy that glass down on the plywood

dry lay-up; make sure the plywood is clean. I prep by a quick dry sand followed by vacuuming with the shopvac. Put the glass over, pour epoxy in the center and work it out using a plastic spatula. Let it gel a bit and add more epoxy, until all the glass is covered. Last layers I use a roller.

ciao!
Nick.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

I bought 1/8" 4 x 8 FRP from Home Depot for about $35.

I reinforced mounting areas for the evaporator etc., on the outside of the box with some scrap bits of ss bar and 3m5200.
I drilled and tapped them for the internal parts.
For me, it had to be all about saving as much wall thickness as possible due to the very small fridge volume available.

Im going there at lunch today to have a look. So you just glued with 5200 peices of SS flat bar to the FRP to drill and tap for evaporator mounting eh? Interesting. I was thinking of screwing wooden or plastic cleat stock from the outside in to give something to mount evap and shelving to.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I would not spend $300 for some sheets of fiberglass that can be made yourself for much much less. Most of the work is sanding and fairing the fillets, not laminating some plywood.

Here's how to do it: I call my wife and tell her to epoxy that glass down on the plywood

dry lay-up; make sure the plywood is clean. I prep by a quick dry sand followed by vacuuming with the shopvac. Put the glass over, pour epoxy in the center and work it out using a plastic spatula. Let it gel a bit and add more epoxy, until all the glass is covered. Last layers I use a roller.

ciao!
Nick.

That was the other route I was thinking of. But in my case Im not so lucky as the Admiral doesnt do glass work.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

I bought 1/8" 4 x 8 FRP from Home Depot for about $35.

I reinforced mounting areas for the evaporator etc., on the outside of the box with some scrap bits of ss bar and 3m5200.
I drilled and tapped them for the internal parts.
For me, it had to be all about saving as much wall thickness as possible due to the very small fridge volume available.

Is this the stuff?

.090 FRP Wall Board 4FTx8FT White-MFTF12IXA480009600 at The Home Depot

Looks to be more like 3/32 " thick to me. Maybe glue this stuff onto 1/4" ply with thickened epoxy?

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

Is this the stuff?

.090 FRP Wall Board 4FTx8FT White-MFTF12IXA480009600 at The Home Depot

Looks to be more like 3/32 " thick to me. Maybe glue this stuff onto 1/4" ply with thickened epoxy?

That's the stuff, but I constructed the box with the finish surface on the outside.
I figured the nubby surface would be a pain to keep clean.
The box is small, only about 16" x 20" x24" with an inside knee at the back because of hull shape, so it didn't need much reinforcing.
I did use 3m 5200 quick setting and SS strips on the outside in a couple of places to stiffen it as already described.
I also wrapped the uninsulated box with several bands of 3" wide fiberglass tape before installing the Cryogel insulation.

Pics in post #2 at:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...gel-75006.html

[SV Demeter]

Think thats the material I will use. Will have to decide on the nubby side in or out. and will probably look to epoxy it right to the foam that lines the box now, then fillet corners. Thanks

[familycruisers]

I just did my shower with those frp sheets. Wouldnt use it on a freezer. It get too brittle. Thought you had a line on 3/16th sheet?
I was picturing it being thicker panels, maybe dado the panels, and installing with something similar to pvc primer/cement, welding the seems together. that would be slick. I would adhere the panels or fill the void with liquid expandable. The adhesion between the cooled suface, ie( frp, glass, stainless, galvanized, whatever you used... )
has to be solid any gaps will condense, then freeze, expand, then make the problem worse.

[SV Demeter]

The 3/16 I was looking at was ABS plastic and I have since been talked out of using that. My brother and others have used this same FRP from Home Depot to make icebox liners with good luck. I dont think the brittleness will be an issue as it is going be glued directly to extruded polyurethane foam. Im not building a freezer either, mine will be strickly a fridge.

[senormechanico]

Mine is a refrigerator with a box evaporator mounted at the top (on standoffs) with a layer of Cryogel insulation on 3 sides. We bagged the insulation with only a slight vacuum with our Vacu Fresh household sealer.