Keezer... stain or paint, looking for input

[TomSD]

So I got white paint to pretty much match the freezer but now that I'm ready to sand and paint I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't stain it instead. There is nothing special about the wood but it looks pretty good grain wise and is a lite wood.

Anyway, on the handle is a piece of wood I sprayed with the white I bought. The wood wasn't sanded down and it is only one coat but you get the idea of what it would look like.

 

[bad coffee]

What's in the room the kegerator is going in? Is there any other stained wood, or is it all paint?

The wood looks good enough to stain. Go with something light, and a few coats of poly.

B

 

[TomSD]

Well two things got me thinking about stain instead of paint...

1) My entire house is hardwood and tile. Lots of hardwood, I like the look.
2) Looking at it together I'm wondering what one big block of white would look like, lol.

The build is small and I put it on wheels. I intend to move it around but initially it is in the kitchen which is tile and greenish walls. Big appliances are white though.

 

[Teromous]

I would stain it and git rid of the handle, put more taps in!

 

[TomSD]

I would stain it and git rid of the handle, put more taps in!

Haha it is too small for more taps... no room for more kegs. Well one more but that would be for conditioning/carbing.

 

[TomSD]

Looks like stain is winning... I'm leaning that way too. I'm thinking stain will look better if I go with chalkboard paint for the front and sides.

Keep voting though I value the forum's opinion.

 

[the_bird]

.... you can always do a white stain, too, so that it matches but that you let the grain show through. Not sure I would *do* that, but it's an option. I vote stain and a couple coats of poly for the durability as much as anything.

 

[TomSD]

Yeah I was thinking a couple coats of stain to darken it up a bit then a lot of clear coat so it can handle abuse. I'm really liking the idea of making the sides and back chalkboard too. I think the two would go together well.

 

[jezter6]

Gotta have some sort of contrast. Giant white box with taps looks kinda lame.

 

[Naked_Eskimo]

+1 on something with color! I'd paint/stain it something more in line of a contrast piece e.g. red or blue...depending on what would fit into your house color scheme.

 

[TomSD]

Gotta have some sort of contrast. Giant white box with taps looks kinda lame.

Yeah that is why when I put it together and thought white I was like... no that won't work, lol.

 

[Zamial]

I am not a fashion or style kind of person. I am lucky to most days end up wearing a shirt that goes with my pants. (SWMBO has fits when I am "doing it wrong.") so take this for what it is worth...

I went with stain because it does not look to be the same color white to me. I was listening to SWMBO and she always reminds me that 2 different colors of white or blue seldom "go together". Also, I think a nice stain always looks better than paint. IMO.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I was going to say stain, but with that much putty on your corners, it may not look too good. I would maybe go with paint in this case. I know the stained putty areas on my tap box look pretty sh!tty.

 

[TomSD]

I am not a fashion or style kind of person. I am lucky to most days end up wearing a shirt that goes with my pants. (SWMBO has fits when I am "doing it wrong.") so take this for what it is worth...

I went with stain because it does not look to be the same color white to me. I was listening to SWMBO and she always reminds me that 2 different colors of white or blue seldom "go together". Also, I think a nice stain always looks better than paint. IMO.

Haha, I'm the exact same way. I'm thinking light/medium stain and chalkboard on the bottom will work. Not sure what to do to the to though.

 

[IrregularPulse]

...she always reminds me that 2 different colors of white or blue seldom "go together". Also, I think a nice stain always looks better than paint. IMO.

I thought this too, but my art teach wife constantly informs me that this is just not true in the world of color From someone who studied nothing but color and color theory for 6 years

 

[Zamial]

I thought this too, but my art teach wife constantly informs me that this is just not true in the world of color From someone who studied nothing but color and color theory for 6 years

This is exactly why I gave up and just let SWMBO worry about it lol.....

If you are worried about the top, you could also get a nice piece of mirror finished or patterned stainless sheet metal and glue it down. Just food for thought...

 

[TomSD]

If you are worried about the top, you could also get a nice piece of mirror finished or patterned stainless sheet metal and glue it down. Just food for thought...

Yeah thinking about it last night after this thread started getting replies and I went back through the "show us your keezer thread" I was thinking stainless too. Stainless top, stained collar, chalkboard body then stained footer (to cover the caster/base).

 

[Homercidal]

You could photoshop the area white and see how it looks, and then also photoshop the woodgrain darker, to simulate what a stain might look like...

I would also look into having a beer-related image printed out on large sheet that you can stick onto the area. Maybe a picture of hops, or a homebrewery logo or something. Then you could just urethane the wood and stick it on...

 

[Homercidal]

It's been a while since I have tried to do this, but here is what it "might" look like in white:

I did not adjust the color of the tap handles to match the white paint (The wood color is still showing in there) and the thing on the right I forgot to mask off...

 

[TomSD]

Yeah I sampled different looks in gimp but was looking for general feedback.

 

[rawlus]

http://flic.kr/p/8x2jD8
stain. here's mine i worked on over the weekend. holiday 5.0 cu ft i got off craiglist, a bit abused but nothing i can't address.
the collar is clear poplar, not much grain but no knots either. uniform, soft wood.
stain was a minwax polystain (poly and stain in one) satin finish.
color was a chestnut i think, anyway, this is 4 coats to get to this color/tone - raw wood was same color as yours before i started.
dolly is 2x4's with casters, with a 1x6 skirt to hide the wheels and cradle the keezer a bit.
i have intentions to do some chalkboard paint on it as well as do something with the body damage and minor surface scrapes, rust, etc.

 

[TomSD]

http://flic.kr/p/8x2jD8
stain. here's mine i worked on over the weekend. holiday 5.0 cu ft i got off craiglist, a bit abused but nothing i can't address.
the collar is clear poplar, not much grain but no knots either. uniform, soft wood.
stain was a minwax polystain (poly and stain in one) satin finish.
color was a chestnut i think, anyway, this is 4 coats to get to this color/tone - raw wood was same color as yours before i started.
dolly is 2x4's with casters, with a 1x6 skirt to hide the wheels and cradle the keezer a bit.
i have intentions to do some chalkboard paint on it as well as do something with the body damage and minor surface scrapes, rust, etc.

That is pretty much exactly what I'm thinking of doing. The skirt will be higher though as I have big industrial casters and want clearance to go through doors and over humps and the like without dragging.

Thanks for the pic, it gave me a solid idea of how mine would look.

 

[schristian619]

If everything else is hardwood and tile, I't stain it and paint the freezer black

 

[Shackled]

Stain it. If it looks like poo you can always paint over it. Much harder to do the other way around.

Although I kinda like the idea of stainless collar and stained wood skirt.

 

[IrregularPulse]

That is pretty much exactly what I'm thinking of doing. The skirt will be higher though as I have big industrial casters and want clearance to go through doors and over humps and the like without dragging.

Thanks for the pic, it gave me a solid idea of how mine would look.

You could do a skirt like his that is actually just a "U" sitting on the floor. Would cover casters completely while on display, but is separate when you need to move it around.

 

[TomSD]

You could do a skirt like his that is actually just a "U" sitting on the floor. Would cover casters completely while on display, but is separate when you need to move it around.

True... I didn't notice that until after I posted.

 

[Bobby_M]

My philosophy on it is that it's already a big white box and a band of stained wood isn't going to change that. I painted my collar to make it look OEM.

 

[GRHunter]

If there was a "Leave It As Is" button I would have voted for that. All that time wasted staining and painting could be put to better use ... drinking beer.

 

[TomSD]

If there was a "Leave It As Is" button I would have voted for that. All that time wasted staining and painting could be put to better use ... drinking beer.

Haha... I drink while I work so it is all good.

 

[StoutFan]

Stain it, build a skirt, stain that, and admire the natural beauty of wood with the natural product of yeast!!!

 

[rawlus]

the skirt on mine is 3/4" off the floor, casters underneath are 2.5" wheels.

 

[TomSD]

OK looks like I'm going with stained skirt and collar, chalkboard bottom then a rubber mat on the top for glasses and whatnot.

 

[StoutFan]

Sounds like an awesome plan.