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11-02-2009, 12:39 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Vintage Fridge conversions
So, somewhere along the way I developed a passion for classic fridges. Maybe its my love of classic cars. Who knows? Anyhow, I picked up a converted 53 Coldspot about a dozen years ago. Treated me well through a couple of car build ups and then ended up in my brothers garage after my divorce. Along the way, I picked up a 53 Coldspot but didn't have the heart to drill into it due to it being absolutely pristine. Stopped cooling about 5 months ago but I'm still not drilling into it. So the time came for me to get a man cave started and we all know that the base of any man cave MUST be a kegerator....and for me, a kegerator is not a kegerator unless its 50+ years old. I went on the prowl on Craigslist and found what appeared to me to be a beat up late 40's Kenmore Coldspot (what are the odds?) for $50. Went and checked it out and it wasn't so bad. Handle appeared to be broken but otherwise, looked to be in great shape. Offered the woman $40 and drove it home. Here are some pics of what it looked like when I bought it.
I live in San Francisco so this is gonna be painted red and converted to run two kegs. I'll post pics as I go.
I would also love to see everyone else's converted vintage fridges. Post up!
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11-02-2009, 12:50 PM
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Check out the Micro Matic Social Network and post your project there as well.
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11-02-2009, 04:11 PM
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Location: , , USA.
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Please keep us updated with pictures how this turns out. We had a guy long ago convert some old 50s era fridge and it didn't cool when he got done. His last post suggested he was giving up on it and he never came back. I suspect whatever was wrong was minor and I'm afraid he trashed what would have been an awesome kegerator.
__________________
Malt is the soul of beer... and yeast gives it life..
but the kiss of the hop is the vitality of that life!
My three favorite beers: The one I just had, the one I'm drinking now and the next one I'll have.
http://kegerator-social-network.micr...bygrouptherapy
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11-03-2009, 10:25 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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So, I'm making progress.
Removed the ddoor from the fridge and took it apart. Discovered that the handle was NOT broken....just missing a screw that had stripped and fallen out. Retapped it and put it back together. Works great. I then removed all of the parts and sanded the door down and painted it with some Rustoleum Red paint. Could have/should have had it professionally sprayed but I can always do that later. Looks good enough now and will look better after I apply some stickers/graphics to the fridge. Put it back together and drilled the hole in the door. Oops. The door is thicker than the shank that I have for the kegerator. Door is a little over 5"s thick. Ordered up an 8.5" shank. Should be here today. In the interim, I cut the PVC for the door and just slid the existing shank and tap in there for looks.
Also, the gasket on the fridge is pretty old and deteriorated. I found some new gasket material and will be ordering it today. In the meantime, I think the fridge is not sealing properly, which is why you see the icing over on the freezer portion.
Right now, I have the keg tapped and pouring off a hand pump tap. Foamy beer but beer nonetheless. Once I get the new shank, I'll run about 5' of 1/4" line and that should hopefully fix the problem. Will also be relocating the CO2 tank to the back of the fridge and replacing the tank that I have now with a 5lb AL tank. That should give me enough room for another pony keg so that I can add a second tap to the front.
Will keep you updated as I go. . . and it appears as though I caught the bug. Already looking for an older vintage mini fridge to convert into a tower version kegerator.
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11-03-2009, 10:27 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Oh yes, also replaced the inside light with a red bulb and ran red rope lighting underneath and along the back of the fridge. Now I just need to figure out how to run the rope light off a switch and make it part of the fridge. Shouldn't be hard...
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11-03-2009, 10:45 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
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Lookin good! If you are replacing the beer line I would go with about 10' of 3/16" I.D. to start. This will slow down the pour and help with the foam issues. If it pours too slow you can always trim a little off at a time for the perfect pour. Good luck.
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BEER. The reason I get up every afternoon!
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11-03-2009, 02:27 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sun Devil Country
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Nice work so far. As Gordy said, go with the 3/16" line. It will give you a lot less problems.
The fridge I used for my conversion wasn't quite as old as yours but it still had some miles on it. You can click on the link in my signature to see my build.
THE ICEMAN
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"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
-Dave Barry-
Last edited by THE ICEMAN; 11-03-2009 at 02:29 PM.
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11-03-2009, 02:48 PM
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Super Moderator
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Location: St. Louis, MO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock Toy
Right now, I have the keg tapped and pouring off a hand pump tap. Foamy beer but beer nonetheless. Once I get the new shank, I'll run about 5' of 1/4" line and that should hopefully fix the problem.
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As other's have said, you need 3/16" ID beer line. 1/4" ID line would be great, if you had 15-20' of it.
Also, I hope you plan on drinking that keg FAST, as pumping it with air is
A) flattening the beer
B) putting oxygen into the keg (oxidizing the beer)
C) pumping airborne bacteria into the keg (spoiling the beer)
__________________
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Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed.
Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery
and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might
be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself,
"It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than
be selfish and worry about my liver."
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11-03-2009, 03:02 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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I said that I was "pouring off a hand pump tap". If you look at the picture, you will see that the keg is connected to the CO2 and instead of running to the shank, is connected with a short line to the manual tap that I removed from my hand pump. Just so I could drink the beer while I wait for the Fed Ex truck to show up 
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11-03-2009, 03:34 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: St. Louis, MO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock Toy
I said that I was "pouring off a hand pump tap". If you look at the picture, you will see that the keg is connected to the CO2 and instead of running to the shank, is connected with a short line to the manual tap that I removed from my hand pump. Just so I could drink the beer while I wait for the Fed Ex truck to show up |
Ahh, I see what you did, now. That works just fine. That's called the faucet, you're using, off the hand pump tapper.
__________________
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Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed.
Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery
and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might
be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself,
"It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than
be selfish and worry about my liver."
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11-03-2009, 04:54 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,110
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordy
Lookin good! If you are replacing the beer line I would go with about 10' of 3/16" I.D. to start. This will slow down the pour and help with the foam issues. If it pours too slow you can always trim a little off at a time for the perfect pour. Good luck.
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As Mr. Corso would say "not so fast, my friend!" Do not go down that road of installing tons of 3/16" line to prevent foam. It does not. What it will accomplish is a slow flow allowing you to catch the foamy, streaky, not quite balanced draught system flow.
Always tune and balance the system first (temperature / pressure) and then install the amount of 3/16" to acquire the "clear" flow rate desired. You could dispense a 80F hefe at 10 PSIG with 50' 3/16" and eventually end up with a glass of beer. It would take you forever and the beer would probably be flat and kinda warm.
Please, please get out of the mind set that longer 3/16" balances a system. Know the beer temperature, gas volumes, elevation, thus PSIG. Good luck!
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11-03-2009, 07:02 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 10
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So, am I correct in understanding that running 1/4" line is not going t work? I'm pretty sure that I bought 1/4" line to a 1/4" shank. That's what was in the system before. Does it really make that big of a difference? please excuse my ignorance. I'm used to drinking the beer, not making sure it gets there in the right form
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11-03-2009, 07:09 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 1,854
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock Toy
So, am I correct in understanding that running 1/4" line is not going t work? I'm pretty sure that I bought 1/4" line to a 1/4" shank. That's what was in the system before. Does it really make that big of a difference? please excuse my ignorance. I'm used to drinking the beer, not making sure it gets there in the right form |
It makes a huge difference. 3/16" line will fit over a 1/4" shank just fine. You just warm the end line up in hot water before sliding it on to make it a bit pliable. The internal diameter of the line controls the flow speed of the beer. At 5 feet, 1/4" ID line will have your beer shooting out like a fire hose.
You NEED 3/16" ID line at 5'.
__________________
____________________________________________
Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed.
Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery
and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might
be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself,
"It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than
be selfish and worry about my liver."
____________________________________________
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11-03-2009, 07:21 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 10
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OK, I can get that locally so I'm not that concerned. But will the 1/4" ID shank be ok then? That's a part that I CAN'T get locally.
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11-04-2009, 11:23 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,110
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The 1/4" shank will be fine.
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11-10-2009, 11:21 AM
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Member
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 10
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Quick little update. Finally finished it. Replaced the 1/4" line with 3/8" line and it flows perfectly!! Of course, I finished the keg a glass into the new line but at least I know it works. Off to the brewery to pick up another keg. I'll post final pics later this evening or tomorrow.
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11-10-2009, 11:31 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock Toy
Replaced the 1/4" line with 3/8" line and it flows perfectly!! .
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I'm assuming you meant 3/16" line..... 
__________________
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BEER. The reason I get up every afternoon!
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11-10-2009, 03:19 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Yep, that's what I meant. Amazing what a difference 1/16 of an inch can make!
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