The truth about the ice box.

[CapnK]

Hi Craig -

I've been eyeing my icebox with intent towards removal/modification, too. One thing about it as it is set up right now, though - I like that upper "shelf" space, and the fact that it serves as a high step helping to make it easier/safer to get down below when there is one hatchboard in. So, after looking once more at your pics, I think I have a plan - leave the upper shelf/box-top in place, and remove all of the insulation etc from the lower portion of the standard icebox. I've some ideas for how to arrange the space this will give me - but first a question:

In this pic up in post #4 of this thread it looks like once I get the top and front off, it'll be easy to remove the insulation and inner structure. Am I being fooled, is this inner stuff attached in some way unknown and unseeable in these pics? The next photo where the "guts" appear they are somewhat mangled, as if they only came out reluctantly.

Thanks for any tip you can share. I'm gonna post a pic of the icebox I made over in Katie's Gallery thread in a few moments. I've added another inch of foam to it's interior, and it's working tip-top. I'll probably make it a bit smaller in the final version.

Also, I think turning the coat locker into shelved storage space is a good idea. I just read Lin and Larry's "Champagne Cruising on a Beer Budget" the other day - they suggested using restaurant steam table pans for drawers - sounds like a good idea, I wonder if you could find some of the proper dimensions...

[commanderpete]

Those pans come in a standard size "a full pan" and fractions thereof...1/2 pan, 1/3 pan etc. They also come in different depths.

They're not cheap. You can sometimes find them used, but they'll probably be grubby and dented.

They're sometimes called "hotel pans"

Cheers,

Peter
former Head Chef

[CapnK]

Dear Head Chef -

How, exactly, does one go about preparing a Head for human consumption? I'm assuming you are speaking of Marine Heads, as this is a boating site? It would seem that the various porcelains and plastics would make them awfully tough, even with lots of cooking. Maybe Porta Pottis would be easier to prepare, being mostly just plastic...

[commanderpete]

Well, whenever I needed to get rid of something nasty I would make it the nightly "Special"

Serve it Cajun style or Fra Diavolo.

Beware restaurant "Specials"

[c_amos]

Kurt,

...as it is set up right now, though - I like that upper "shelf" space, and the fact that it serves as a high step helping to make it easier/safer to get down below when there is one hatchboard in. So, after looking once more at your pics, I think I have a plan - leave the upper shelf/box-top in place.....

I like the shelf too, the 'small shelf' I talked about above is actually a cut down version of the original ice box lid. The top of the Ice box looms rather large without the ice box under it. I originally cut it down to come out about 12", but even that seemed too far. I have now settled on something like 7".



My plan had been to glue new laminate to the top, but I have had trouble getting the new laminate to bond to the old laminate. Having a few projects going at once, it has found the back burner for now.

In this pic up in post #4 of this thread it looks like once I get the top and front off, it'll be easy to remove the insulation and inner structure. Am I being fooled, is this inner stuff attached in some way unknown and unseeable in these pics?

Do not be deceived. There are about 793 mild steel 1/4" wood screws comming into this from all angles. The 'less destructive' approach, is a hard road. I admit there were screws I had to tear out and even saw through because the only thing they all had in common was that the combination of 1). Mild steel, 2). Flat heads, 3). being threaded into teak made them all 4). Strip like you would not believe.

Also, I think turning the coat locker into shelved storage space is a good idea.

I have mine built, I am going to put teak or mahogany face boards on them. Once that is done, I will post some pictures.

[c_amos]

Took a couple pictures of the shelf. The first is the 'cleat' it rests on. It is more of a sill really. It is 20 1/4" and 2"high (5/8" thick) mohagany very much like the companion way is is next to. I countersunk 6 screws up from below to attach the shelf from the bottom.

[c_amos]

You will notice in this view, I have elected to retain the original blue/green (?)formica countertop material.

After attempting to get the laminate to stick to it, and then taking great pains to clean it I decided it was not so bad after all.

The shelf is about right, might have been left an inch or so deeper, but not much more then that. The things that will stay there under way are pretty small any way, and one of the big pluses of removing the ice box is having the space open.

I left the part that wraps around the side intact. I have kept my parallel rule there, plus it strengthens the shelf considerably.

[Hull376]

Well, another IceBox bites the dust! I took a Milwaukee Sawzall and went after the dang thing---- not being at all bashfull about it. Took it on like I was breaking out of jail. Chewed, chopped, gnawed (as in previous posts), sliced, yanked, butchered! Yep, it all came out in about an hour and a half. I took the base piece of plywood and cut out a new one, put it in with a new front piece of teak trim, and presto! A big empty space.

Wired in a new 12V and 110v outlet at the back and then, put in a new Engel freezer/refigerator after reading up on building reefers, what the market offers, and then which one to buy for lowest energy draw. I got the Engel MT17, not really big, but lots of room considering you don't feed it any ice. Not cheap, but will last longer than I will. Battery draw is way low. The latest compressor design has one moving part-- quiet and much more efficient than the previous model. I set mine on about 36 degrees and I'm averaging about 1.2 amps on 12volts. You can switch to ac when plugged in at the dock. This reefer is not a toy. Built tough, sturdy, real quality.

I've got 300 amp hr battery bank, so I can run it here in the Texas heat for several days and not take the bank down very far. I'm still using a 60 watt solar panel for charging. I typically use the boat for two or three day cruises, then it sits at the dock for a week, so the panel has the bank back to 100% no matter what I drained out of the bank on the last trip.

As you can tell, I am thrilled to death that I had the guts to saw out that old piece of ballast that Pearson called an Icebox.