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New and Improved Reefer

KWay

Member II
So we have never been happy with the reefer and the way the hatch seals or better way to say it Doesn't Seal. So this winter project was to replace our counter-top and improve the reefer. So the removal was alot harder then I had figured especially around the reefer.
Anyways was able to save the old counter-top to use as templates and fabricated the new counter-top out of Corian since it is a machinable plastic.
So the counter-top project has gone very well so far but now we need to figure out the best design for the hatch. Should we cut the Hatch in half like the old hatch or leave it as one solid unit.
In the one photo you can seethe line drawn to show were I would cut the Hatch. The real problem with cutting it in half is making it seal along that seam.
The problem with leaving it as one piece is the weight of the Hatch plus when you open the reefer the open will be twice as large letting more cold air out.
Any suggestions
Thanks
 

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Guy Stevens

Moderator
Moderator
The lid isn't the seal, the insulation under the lid is sealed.

This is best done with a photo:

The idea is to have a nice flat counter and a well sealed well insulated lid. The only way to do that is to seal the insulation not the top. Since the insulation should be cut at an angle on the sides, and must if everything is going to work well be cut at a 90 or fairly straight angle in the middle of the fold, it is the best place to put the sealant strips.

This one was one I did and it was designed from the begining to have the sealant strips there and as such has groves cut into the maple that make a surround for the insulation..... Oh here look at the photos.. I have drawing around here somewhere too.

The counter tops are Copper and I haven't done the dishes from last nights part so you may see a few crumbs on them...

Guy
:)
 

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KWay

Member II
Thanks Guy for the reply

Guy I agree about the Insulation part and I've already fabricated the block that will be mounted under the hatch. I also fabricated a matching flange just to be sure that the Insulation block has a good fit.
But now back to the question I have with the hatch Leave it as one solid unit or cut it in half.
Is it better to have two smaller openings to the reefer; hatch half's will be half the weight same amount of lost counter space when the reefer is open.
Leaving it as one makes my life easier, but I will not be able to change it later due hinge locations (recessed into the Corian).
Most likely I'm over think this issue but the original design had the hatch split in half..........
So if you had the choice of one Large opening or a combo of two smaller opening / removable hatch for your reefer which one would you choose?
Today is it need to finish this project....spring is only 5 weeks away
Kent
 

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Guy Stevens

Moderator
Moderator
Two smaller with more than obvious reasons

Hinged two smaller

If the boat is in motion, either half can be opened and the whole unit is still in the counter. If you really need to get in there to get something out, then you can remove the whole top.

Corrian is heavy, I would definitely hinge it in two smaller pieces.

You can see from the photos that is what I did with mine. Best of both worlds, and easy to use. Just like the old time ice cream trucks and ice cream freezers at the stores.

Guy
:)
 

KWay

Member II
Just a Quick update......

Well the project is pretty much done and we feel that its a real improvement, First we have no condensation forming after one month of use plus the controller is managing to keep the box at 40.0 degrees F at minimum power. Plus I now know how to work with corian.
The Lazy Susan also turned out pretty nice too........

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mkollerjr

Member III
Blogs Author
Nice. Anyone have experience insulating the Corian E38 fridge counter top? As you can see in the photo below (in the process of replacing the evaporator/condenser), the entire upper part of the fridge is bare Corian, which has an R value of about 0.00. We are constantly dealing with condensation on our counter top from this poor factory set-up. I can understand a minimal amount of insulation installed at the factory that needs upgrading, but zero insulation?

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KWay

Member II
Winter Project

Yes she is a 1972 E39 Hull Number 59..........
We were in the same problem but with Plywood/Formica Zero Insulation on top and two inches of spray foam on the sides. We tried to to install 2 inches inside the box but we still had sealing issues so the box would always be wet. So We made templates and started to remove all of the counter-tops, I was able to get the old ones out with out totally destroying them so the templates were not needed. Better safe then sorry..............
 
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