Wooden enclosed ice chest - need suggestions

[Garrett Ellis]

I'm wanting to make an outdoor ice chest/cooler for a friend, but am not sure how to go about it.

Does anyone sell just an insulated tub that I could drop into a wooden chest? I don't really want to just buy a cooler and build a box around it, I'm afraid that might look cheap and bulky.

Or should I just line the inside with flashing or some kind of sheet metal, even though that wouldn't be as insulating?

any suggestions welcome, thanks!

[Rich Neighbarger]

Acrylic? PVC? Just some thoughts.

[Keith Christopher]

Well you could make your own, styrafoam, then stainless steel, layer of air (bout 1/2) then stainless. But that might get pricey. I would put a cooler in it personally. It's more utility. the cooler can come out for cleaning and is portable, but when needed for a BBQ is housed cleverly in an attractive wood housing.

just my opinion.

[Dustin Lorenz]

I've built one don't have pics, but I used stainless. I also work at a fabrication facility so it was pretty easy, however I wouldn't make one out of stainlees again. I would try to find a strong/rugid tote or bin surround it with pink style insulation and then build the box around that. Reason being the metal liner would actually rub a lot of the print off the cans and seemed to be pretty harsh on the bottles also. We also put ours in the back of the truck to bring to partys. I guess if it were to just sit on a deck or patio metal would be good of course expensive if you don't know some one who could build it on the cheap.

[george wilson]

When I was young,we actually had an old wooden ice box in the kitchen,and a coal stove. I must have been in 3rd grade. We got 2# of ice every morning. there was a drip pan to catch the water,I think.

[Jim Rimmer]

Google "boat ice box" and you might find something. I did and saw a lot of links but didn't look at all of them. One was a boating site like this one and linked to a thread about building an ice box for a boat.

[Dustin Lorenz]

These wooden coolers are often refered to as cowboy coolers. If you search under that title you will find quite a few variations. I think I had even seen a liner available at one site can't remember the name though. That was after I had made mine with stainless.

[Karl Brogger]

www.vandykes.com (http://www.vandykes.com)

Van Dyke's Restorers has a ton of stuff for iceboxes.

They've got alot of odd stuff period.

[harry strasil]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=28401&highlight=cooler
post #10

[Garrett Ellis]

final result: http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1464946