double tap
Itsy Bitsy, Teenie Weenie Bar Build Thread
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I use squirrel cage fans to move air around in my keezer/ferm chamber. They work really well for directing air. I'm just not sure how good they are at pushing air through a small tube. Still, this looks better than anything I've come up with so far.
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KegCo Kegerator just showed up today. 
I have one of these. It works great at keeping my tower cold. I tried the copper pipe thing before that and it didn't work. Still had foamy first pours. These types of fans are better at creating a pressure differential than the open cage PC fans. You need a pressure differential to move air through a small tube like this.
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Nice. Thanks for the feedback. The hose looks a little proprietary. Can it be swapped out with a longer hose pretty easily?
You would also need to swap out the bulkhead to use a different hose. The bulkhead uses the spiral cord on the hose as threads to screw the hose into the bulkhead to form a seal.
So I see one thing that be a bad thing with that blower. In one of the photos you can see the tower sweating. If you have a wood bar top that could be bad. With just the fan moving air around in my kegerator, I have not seen any sweating. It may not happen in real world, maybe that is just for the add.
My tower is fairly well insulated except for the very top part where the cap is. I only get sweating around the top 3-4 inches. It never drips down from there. If you didn't have any insulation inside your tower then you should expect the whole thing to sweat.
OP
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Just ordered my bar top from here : http://www.hardwoodsincorporated.com/bar-building-resources/standard-bar-dimensions-specifications/
I went with maple. I'm planning on a fairly dark stain.
Hopefully I'll be able to start building next weekend. I'll start posting pictures then.
I went with maple. I'm planning on a fairly dark stain.
Hopefully I'll be able to start building next weekend. I'll start posting pictures then.
OP
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How do you guys do a plywood countertop? I'm planning on using Lowes cabinets with stained/poly'd maple hardwood plywood for a countertop.
Do you just use the 3/4" plywood on top of the cabinets, or would it make sense to use 1/2" plywood as a base, then 3/4" hardwood plywood glued/screwed to that? I'm referring to the base cabinets, not the actual bartop.
3/4" plywood doesn't seem like it would be stiff enough by itself.
Do you just use the 3/4" plywood on top of the cabinets, or would it make sense to use 1/2" plywood as a base, then 3/4" hardwood plywood glued/screwed to that? I'm referring to the base cabinets, not the actual bartop.
3/4" plywood doesn't seem like it would be stiff enough by itself.
I used 3/4 hardwood plywood and some 1x4 pine to bridge the bigger spans between cabinets. But I also have legs on the front side to help with the balance/ flex. The 2 large slabs weight enough to just about tip the whole thing over with out legs.
steveoatley
someone has to fail, so the rest of you look good
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Well - I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. The lesson is to make sure you can see, feel, and touch things before you buy them.
I decided to do a black iron tower in my bar. I wasn't sure what size pipe to order. I went to a few local places, but no one had anything bigger than 1-inch. I looked at the 1-inch pipe and did some extrapolation in my head. I figured 2-inch pipe would probably be OK, but since I want to do 4 taps, I decided to go with the 3-inch pipe. I ordered everything I needed online from a Chinese source. The prices were pretty good.
Everything showed up today. I could barely lift the box. I had no idea how big and heavy 3 inch pipe was going to be. It is HUGE. My tower is going to weight more than 100lbs.
I'm still going to build it, but those tiny taps on those giant pipes might look a little ridiculous.
Moral of the story - Look before you leap.
I decided to do a black iron tower in my bar. I wasn't sure what size pipe to order. I went to a few local places, but no one had anything bigger than 1-inch. I looked at the 1-inch pipe and did some extrapolation in my head. I figured 2-inch pipe would probably be OK, but since I want to do 4 taps, I decided to go with the 3-inch pipe. I ordered everything I needed online from a Chinese source. The prices were pretty good.
Everything showed up today. I could barely lift the box. I had no idea how big and heavy 3 inch pipe was going to be. It is HUGE. My tower is going to weight more than 100lbs.
I'm still going to build it, but those tiny taps on those giant pipes might look a little ridiculous.
Moral of the story - Look before you leap.
Just call it a counter balance ( pun intended) for folks leaning on the other side...
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Finally got started today. Here's the area I'm working with:
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Picked up 3 cabinets form Lowes. 2-30" and 1-36" base cabinets.
The 36" will be part of the bar. The 30"s will be part of the back bar.
I setup my Kegco along the back wall as well. I was hoping to put the taps on the left wall, but the stairs are preventing me from doing this. There's not enough room between the wall and the stairs to run the lines.
I'll be building the bar frame tomorrow.
The 36" will be part of the bar. The 30"s will be part of the back bar.
I setup my Kegco along the back wall as well. I was hoping to put the taps on the left wall, but the stairs are preventing me from doing this. There's not enough room between the wall and the stairs to run the lines.
I'll be building the bar frame tomorrow.
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Well I got the ceiling and the back cabinets installed. Just starting on the bar frame.
I also had to do some electrical to add a new outlet for the Kegerator.
Lowes cabinets are really cheaply made. They'll work, but I think I should have spent a few more $$ for better cabinets. The sides are 3/8" particle board. I attempted to use my brad nailer to attach some finished side panels and the nails wouldn't even hold in the particle board. I did a kitchen last year, and I can't believe the difference in quality.
I also had to do some electrical to add a new outlet for the Kegerator.
Lowes cabinets are really cheaply made. They'll work, but I think I should have spent a few more $$ for better cabinets. The sides are 3/8" particle board. I attempted to use my brad nailer to attach some finished side panels and the nails wouldn't even hold in the particle board. I did a kitchen last year, and I can't believe the difference in quality.
Is that a front air flow kegerator? Just wondering if it will get enough air flow if not.
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It's set off the back wall by about 2 inches. There's a metal cage that keeps it clear. It will have about 1 inch clearance on either side. Hopefully that will be sufficient. If not, I can probably put an external fan back there. I have a 5.6 cu ft mini-fridge that will be setup the same way. that will be under the bar.
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Even though I don't have it setup as a kegerator yet, I'm loving this Kegco kegerator.
I'm using it as a beer fridge for now.
It's very well built, and keeps stuff really cold.
It easily holds 3 cornys. I have the option of mounting the CO2 inside or outside the until. This will allow me to have a stout tank external to the unit, and my regular CO2 tank inside. I can't wait to get it all hooked up.
I'm using it as a beer fridge for now.
It's very well built, and keeps stuff really cold.
It easily holds 3 cornys. I have the option of mounting the CO2 inside or outside the until. This will allow me to have a stout tank external to the unit, and my regular CO2 tank inside. I can't wait to get it all hooked up.
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Made some progress with the framing.
I will be adding the skin tonight. Then I need to add trim and stain the bottom part of the bar. Once that's done, I'll add the bar top and stain that.
I will be adding the skin tonight. Then I need to add trim and stain the bottom part of the bar. Once that's done, I'll add the bar top and stain that.
Stillraining
Well-Known Member
love the lid.
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The ceiling is rough sawn cedar. It smells fantastic. It will darken as it ages. It's my favorite wood to work with.
If anyone has to do a kitchen with a lot of cabinets, I highly recommend EZ-Level cabinet levelers.
I used them for my kitchen and for these cabinets.
My kitchen had some waves in the floor, and these things really helped get my 12 ' island nice and straight.
You can level a block of cabinets in just a few minutes. They hold over 700lbs each.
http://www.ez-level.com/
If anyone has to do a kitchen with a lot of cabinets, I highly recommend EZ-Level cabinet levelers.
I used them for my kitchen and for these cabinets.
My kitchen had some waves in the floor, and these things really helped get my 12 ' island nice and straight.
You can level a block of cabinets in just a few minutes. They hold over 700lbs each.
http://www.ez-level.com/
Stillraining
Well-Known Member
Wow thats a new one for me thanks! for posting that..I'm redoing and possibly building the abinets myself for my my Kitchen in a couple years. Regardless I will make sure I have these.
Stillraining
Well-Known Member
I really like your stained concrete floor.:rockin:
Thanks, but it is colored epoxy. Pretty much resistant to most things. We Like it a lot
http://www.carolinafloorproject.com/the-carolina-floor-project.html
Stillraining
Well-Known Member
I thought that was pretty darn shiny for a stained floor..but I'm still impressed..
Can you have in floor heat with that system?
Sure but not really needed in my part North Carolina. Getting things cool is tougher than warm, lol
OP
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A few more pictures. It's beginning to look like a bar.
It's all maple. The counter tops are 1/2" plywood. They will be glued/screwed to the cabinets. A a final 3/4" layer of maple plywood will be glued/screwed to them from underneath. I'm still trying to figure out how to finish the edges. I might just run a strip of 1" maple along the edge, attach using my Kreig jig, and route both edges so it's rounded.
I had to attach a lot of 2x4s to the walls and cabinets to create areas to screw into. I also used 2x4s to block around the area where my tower will go. This will hopefully provide some extra rigidity and strength.
I still have a lot of nail holes to fill. Some of the wood I got at Lowes was not the best. I had to use extra nails to overcome several slightly warped boards.
Stupid me - I built the entire thing, then realized I forgot to add my outlet for the fridge. It's not a huge deal since I ran electric right behind the wall, but I'll have to drill a hole and mount an outlet box .
I should have the top done by the end of the week.
It's all maple. The counter tops are 1/2" plywood. They will be glued/screwed to the cabinets. A a final 3/4" layer of maple plywood will be glued/screwed to them from underneath. I'm still trying to figure out how to finish the edges. I might just run a strip of 1" maple along the edge, attach using my Kreig jig, and route both edges so it's rounded.
I had to attach a lot of 2x4s to the walls and cabinets to create areas to screw into. I also used 2x4s to block around the area where my tower will go. This will hopefully provide some extra rigidity and strength.
I still have a lot of nail holes to fill. Some of the wood I got at Lowes was not the best. I had to use extra nails to overcome several slightly warped boards.
Stupid me - I built the entire thing, then realized I forgot to add my outlet for the fridge. It's not a huge deal since I ran electric right behind the wall, but I'll have to drill a hole and mount an outlet box .
I should have the top done by the end of the week.
OP
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Overall, I'm pretty happy with the results so far.
I was worried that the area would be too small. There's plenty of room behind the bar. I built in a 32" clearance between back and front cabinets. The base bar length is 64". With the bar top and rail, it will be about 68". That's good for 3 bar stools. It gives me a little less than a 2-ft opening to get behind the bar.
My biggest concern was leaving enough room to get my kegerator and fridge out of there. I want to avoid having to hoist them over the bar if I need to replace them for some reason. They are both just under 24"x24". I wanted to make the base 66", but it would have put me at less than 24" clearance.
The top will hang out about 10" into the main room. I can live with that, though my wife is not happy about it (Actually, she's not happy about any of it). Although, now that she's seeing it come together, she's mellowed a little. I could have saved some space by just building the bar as a stand-alone, without using the kitchen cabinet as the base.
I was worried that the area would be too small. There's plenty of room behind the bar. I built in a 32" clearance between back and front cabinets. The base bar length is 64". With the bar top and rail, it will be about 68". That's good for 3 bar stools. It gives me a little less than a 2-ft opening to get behind the bar.
My biggest concern was leaving enough room to get my kegerator and fridge out of there. I want to avoid having to hoist them over the bar if I need to replace them for some reason. They are both just under 24"x24". I wanted to make the base 66", but it would have put me at less than 24" clearance.
The top will hang out about 10" into the main room. I can live with that, though my wife is not happy about it (Actually, she's not happy about any of it). Although, now that she's seeing it come together, she's mellowed a little. I could have saved some space by just building the bar as a stand-alone, without using the kitchen cabinet as the base.
Stillraining
Well-Known Member
Looking great..your moving right along...kudos!
OP
OP
I haven't posted anything for a while. I'm still working on finishing the lower half of the bar.
My wife didn't want me to stain the entire bar. She said she didn't want a 'giant brown turd' in the basement. I personally prefer all wood, but to keep the peace, I agreed to paint the lower part of the bar and stain the bar top and counters. She wanted to paint, then stain the paint, to give it an antiqued look. She showed me a sample, and it looked pretty good, so I agreed.
Well - apparently there is some skill involved in antiquing furniture. I discovered that I do not possess this skill. Nor do I possess any artistic flair.
Now it looks like a 3 year old has been finger painting all over my bar. My wife is attempting to fix it. She seems to have the proper skills, and I probably should have let her do it from the start. Hopefully it's fixable, otherwise I'm repainting the entire thing.
My wife didn't want me to stain the entire bar. She said she didn't want a 'giant brown turd' in the basement. I personally prefer all wood, but to keep the peace, I agreed to paint the lower part of the bar and stain the bar top and counters. She wanted to paint, then stain the paint, to give it an antiqued look. She showed me a sample, and it looked pretty good, so I agreed.
Well - apparently there is some skill involved in antiquing furniture. I discovered that I do not possess this skill. Nor do I possess any artistic flair.
Now it looks like a 3 year old has been finger painting all over my bar. My wife is attempting to fix it. She seems to have the proper skills, and I probably should have let her do it from the start. Hopefully it's fixable, otherwise I'm repainting the entire thing.
akpingel
Well-Known Member
haha, post a pic. What is the plan now?
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Here are some additional pictures. I've pretty much completed the bar part of the build. Here is what the top looks like pre-stained.
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Stained and poly'd. Those curved bar rails look nice, but man were they expensive. I was extremely nervous making the cuts to get this assembled. One slip and I'd be out a few hundred bucks.
I used high gloss poly to finish the bar, but I'm planning on adding a few coats of satin poly to tone it down a bit. It's a little too shiny for my taste.
I used high gloss poly to finish the bar, but I'm planning on adding a few coats of satin poly to tone it down a bit. It's a little too shiny for my taste.
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Now...onto the BEAST. This is my tap tower. I'm in the process of assembling it and getting it all hooked up.
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So I finished the bar with 3 extra coats of Satin Poly. Looks great. I let it setup for a few days. Took a closer look, and there's an embedded brush bristle right in the middle of the bar top from the last coat. Not sure how I missed it.
Now I have to cut it out, sand, and put on another coat or 2.
I hate when that happens!
Now I have to cut it out, sand, and put on another coat or 2.
I hate when that happens!
