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fyffer
12-02-2012, 04:13 PM
so i have started building my walk in cooler. Next year will be my first year hunting so very excitted. being a chef I many do age and process all my own game for sure. It is going to be 10 by 6 with a prep table inside and room for 8 or so deer to hang. This is the floor. will post photos as it comes together.

http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o672/Brad_Fyffe/walkincoolerfloor.jpg

BCHoyt
12-02-2012, 04:19 PM
Right on... Wish I had the room for a walk in cooler and game cutting area... Next house for sure! Where are you a chef at??? PM me if you dont want to say in the open chat..

Jetboater
12-02-2012, 05:10 PM
10x6 will not hold 8 deer... not with proper humidity... we have a 12x8 and it holds 4-6 at best.... i would be using pressure treated lumber if your planning on washing it ever....

fyffer
12-02-2012, 05:29 PM
it is going to be covered and painted with a oil base paint for cleaning. Really 4 to 6 with that size i have done alot of hanging of cows ex.. which are much much larger and never had a problem wtih 4 cows in the space im in. the main thing I see is air flow as long as the air can make it way around the animal it is ok in my mind. but thanks for the input.

fyffer
12-02-2012, 05:31 PM
with the lumber I can not stand pressure treated lumber I think it is discusting. I will not allow that product on my property as it is so bad for you. i just do not want it near my food or home. but if it works for u that is kool.

lilhoss
12-02-2012, 06:19 PM
Good luck on the build! you'll love the end results,hanging and doing your own game is a blast.
If you can,I would recommend not having that wood floor.You might be building it to be portable,then I understand the concept.It will be nothing but maintenance.The smell of rotting blood,etc will never come out,regardless of what you put on it.I left my floor all concrete,with a concrete paint,and sealer.I then put down craft paper,or pulp paper from "my local supplier",he.he.he).catches all the drippings,blood etc everytime we hang a animal.The paper then goes into the recycle bin,and we bleach the walls & floors,everytime.Then,once a year, fresh concrete paint and sealer.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/cooler_pictures_010.jpg (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)

Also,you may want to keep your "prep" table/work area outside of the cooler if you can.You can still do all your sausage,burger,etc in room temperature,and you won't die of hypothermia.
Our construction is: 2x6 walls with regular insulation,marine paint on walls(easy to wipe down) with regular 1/2 fir G1S plywood,2x8 ceiling joist with regular insulation,recycled cooler door I had to rebuild...(I was after the hinges and latch!),and used cooler fan & refridgeration unit from my "heat pump guy".Costs are minimal to run.Biggest expense is keeping the refridgerant coolant maintained.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/measure_mix_8lbs_meat_-1_lb_fat.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)


http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/grinding_begins.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)

fyffer
12-02-2012, 06:27 PM
u do not insulated your floor that is where most of the cold is loss is. but going to put something over the wood on the floor for easy clean up like something u would find in a bathroom on the floor

scoutlt1
12-02-2012, 06:29 PM
Never built a walk in (wanted to though), but always thought, for one thing, to put a slope in the foor, so that I could "wash" all the blood etc. into a drain of some kind.
Have you given that any consideration? I always felt it would be a good idea??

fyffer
12-02-2012, 06:38 PM
that is a good idea with the drain maybe make a drain. why can u not just put large buckets under each animals like large icecream buckets so it drips into there?

pnbrock
12-02-2012, 06:41 PM
Why not get local sheetmetal comp to build you a pan for the bottom with a tail piece for draining out water and cleaning products.

fyffer
12-02-2012, 07:04 PM
ya that could work. I like to think of a different idea to keep cost down but im sure I will think of something

M.Dean
12-02-2012, 07:05 PM
I put one together this summer, I made it 11'x 8'. It's all 2x6 and I used 4" Styrofoam, we then added a inch of pink R-20 then a vapor barrier, keeps the cold in even in 95 degree heat! I ran a piece of 2 " pipe from side to side at both ends so if the monorail gets a little full we can hang the sides or quarters on there too. I ran the monorail 6 or 8 feet out side also, that way we can do the skinning and pressure wash the animals there, then dry the meat off and into the cold room it go's. I also ran the monorail into the next room in the basement so I can pull the quarters into there, lower them on a butcher table with wheels and then into the basement where we cut the animals up. I think what you may want to see is after you've got the floor sheeted in, maybe get the table your going to have in there for cutting on and just see how much room is left so you can cut and wrap with out being to cramped up. Keep up the good work and take pics as you go along and post them, looks like you've got a good start on it now. Good Luck!

Brambles
12-02-2012, 07:17 PM
You wanna keep that door closed as mych as possible, i would make the cutting table outside the cooler. Higher Ceiling height will allow more hanging room when it allows you to hang a deer whole! If you gotta start hanging quarters it eats up space fast!

pnbrock
12-02-2012, 07:23 PM
geez m.dean i wouldn't want the pressure of having to fill a fancy set up like you got .back to the pan for bottom galvanized metal is very cheap.

North
12-02-2012, 07:35 PM
M. Dean. Sounds like a really nice set up. Any pictures? Don't want to derail this thread but would be curious to see pictures of what guys have. Especially interested in terms of cooling systems and ventilation, drainage, hanging rails or other neat features that make life easier. Good input so far.

fyffer
12-02-2012, 08:26 PM
i would love to get some ideas for hooks and hanging rails to push the meat around for sure make it easier. Im using a 10000 btu air conditioner with a cool bot.

Brambles
12-02-2012, 08:37 PM
Princess auto has some great low profile stainless hooks that won't break the bank.

If ceiling height is limited then your probably not gonna have room for the bulky monorail and the wheel/hook setup that is used, that eats up a ton of headroom. Great system if you have to room but hobbiests rarely do!

If you still have a good back and don't need the rail system to exit the cooler then use a U channel door rail and the roller system that goes with it. It will eat up Maybe 5 inches of headroom. A mono rail will probably eat up close to 2 feet of headroom. You can still roll the meat inside the cooler to maximize spacing and getting it to the door but your gonna have to pack it out the door. The rollers accept a 1/2 eyebolt and the princess auto meat hook just hangs off the eye! Its pretty slick and cheap compared to every other system. Its rated for 220lbs for each roller, the channel is rated for 440lbs but I"m sure will take more, more overhead cross bracing the bettter, the more places you attach the rail the stronger it will be.

Make sure you plumb a drain for when the evaporator goes into defrost.

Jetboater
12-02-2012, 09:05 PM
Cool bots don't last long for the record. And it sound alike you have never shot anything so try to make it a little bigger. With a dad as a chef and butcher. We have built 4 coolers now to get everything perfect. We age most of our meat for 20 day if not longer.

moosecamp
12-02-2012, 09:10 PM
i would love to get some ideas for hooks and hanging rails to push the meat around for sure make it easier. Im using a 10000 btu air conditioner with a cool bot.

I had planned to do just about the same build and was looking at the cool bot with an air conditioner. Have you used one before, if so how well does it work? I was also wondering about moisture build up in the cooler with this system. With the floor I was thinking about using a vinyl decking to deal with the problem of blood and washing it out.

Brambles
12-02-2012, 09:23 PM
The general rule around here is you don't want anyone to know you have a cooler, unless you like every schmoe knocking on your door at midnight asking for you to bail him out because he shot an elk early in september and it took him 2 days to pack it out. But there is a secret handshake for a select few to keep operating costs in line.

I feel 10x6 is a good size for a hobbiest, If I had a cooler, yours would be bigger than mine, mine would be inside dimensions of 4 feet x 7 feet with 7.5' ceilings. Which is enough to hang 2 bull elk cut in quarters
And of course if I had a cooler I'd be running a commercial refrigeration unit with a slick digital controller for temperature, differential and short cycle delay.
And if I had a cooler I"d frame it, fill it with styrofoam insulation and then layer the interior walls with 2" thich insulated steel garage door panels that a friend gets as dunnage for his garage door business for a total R36 ish, nice metal interior to hose down and all the seams are sealed with silicone and painted.
And if I had a cooler I'd be running the overhead rail system that I outlined above.

But I don't have a meat cooler so...........

M.Dean
12-02-2012, 10:21 PM
http://i47.tinypic.com/35n7mer_th.jpghttp://i49.tinypic.com/34yb5fp_th.jpg The room still needs to be painted and a bunch more work done, but ran out of time before the first deer went in there the first week of September. The pic of the inside of the room shows the monorail and the trolleys we hang the meat on, and in the second pic it shows the skinning area and our Grandson cleaning his Buck from this year! I like to pressure wash the animals then towel dry them before they go into the cold room, I keep it set at 2 degree's C, which seems to be working fine. We didn't have time to pour the floor this year, but when we do it'd slant towards the center where's going to be a 2" drain going into a flower bed. Also, I've added a wooden beam even with the floor of the deck, I fastened the snatch block to it, so when I raise the animal with the Quad winch there's plenty of height so there's no lifting involved at all! Not sure if these pic's will be to small to see much, if so I'll try to resize them again if need be, but bigger.

Ron.C
12-02-2012, 10:25 PM
http://i47.tinypic.com/35n7mer_th.jpghttp://i49.tinypic.com/34yb5fp_th.jpg The room still needs to be painted and a bunch more work done, but ran out of time before the first deer went in there the first week of September. The pic of the inside of the room shows the monorail and the trolleys we hang the meat on, and in the second pic it shows the skinning area and our Grandson cleaning his Buck from this year! I like to pressure wash the animals then towel dry them before they go into the cold room, I keep it set at 2 degree's C, which seems to be working fine. We didn't have time to pour the floor this year, but when we do it'd slant towards the center where's going to be a 2" drain going into a flower bed. Also, I've added a wooden beam even with the floor of the deck, I fastened the snatch block to it, so when I raise the animal with the Quad winch there's plenty of height so there's no lifting involved at all! Not sure if these pic's will be to small to see much, if so I'll try to resize them again if need be, but bigger.


very sweet!!! Great set-up

redthorn
12-02-2012, 11:17 PM
i would love to get some ideas for hooks and hanging rails to push the meat around for sure make it easier. Im using a 10000 btu air conditioner with a cool bot.


Cheapest Gambrels for hanging an animal are made out of 3/4" emt. One 10' stick (approx $3.00) makes you 3 of them. You just need benders or an electricain friend to bend them for you. Then if you're hanging an animal whole you keep the carcass open and the legs and butt apart.

OOBuck
12-03-2012, 10:46 AM
The general rule around here is you don't want anyone to know you have a cooler, unless you like every schmoe knocking on your door at midnight asking for you to bail him out because he shot an elk early in september and it took him 2 days to pack it out. .....

First off you would wake the early warning system up ie:wife and she would warn you not to poke the angry bear with a stick, ie: cooler owner slash/ husband!! LOL!!

Jason Melo
12-03-2012, 11:23 AM
I recently built a cooler at my cabin this year. We used a 10000 btu A/C unit and a coolbot and it works fantastic. The cooler is built with 2x4s and four inch styrofoam from floor to ceiling 3/4'' plywood to cover all that and then lino on the floor and four feet up the walls, whatever has no lino is painted with an exterior white paint for easy clean up! As for the door I used an exterior house door with 4 inch styrofoam glued to the inside of the door. The cooler itself is 4 feet wide 6 feet long by 8 feet high. And we also have a rail system in side to be able to move the meat side to side if need be! We had absolutely no problem hanging four mulie bucks in there this year. I must say it was by far one of the best things me my dad and brother in law ever built!

freonguy
12-03-2012, 09:51 PM
I quickly scanned thru the posts and didn't see this noted - WHEN BUILDING A W/I COOLER ( or freezer ) THE VAPOR BARRIER MUST BE ON THE OUTSIDE ( WARM SIDE ) of the walls - If there is a floor drain, make sure it is trapped and you keep the trap primed so there is no sewer gas coming into the cooler.
I am a 30+ year refrigeration mechanic - trust me on this - - -

Freonguy

fyffer
12-04-2012, 12:44 AM
ya since my is in the garage it will be on the outside then plywood over that so avoid something cutting it.

cdnshooter13
12-04-2012, 02:37 AM
Could a guy not just fiberglass the floor or even the whole inside for that matter?? It wouldn't cost that much money. I've got a buddy who does f/g decks it doesn't take too much skill.

hunter1947
12-04-2012, 04:41 AM
Very nicely done looks great..

Philcott
12-04-2012, 08:19 AM
I quickly scanned thru the posts and didn't see this noted - WHEN BUILDING A W/I COOLER ( or freezer ) THE VAPOR BARRIER MUST BE ON THE OUTSIDE ( WARM SIDE ) of the walls - If there is a floor drain, make sure it is trapped and you keep the trap primed so there is no sewer gas coming into the cooler.
I am a 30+ year refrigeration mechanic - trust me on this - - -

Freonguy

Can you expand on this information? Why on the warm side? The drain trap makes sense if hooked up to a sewer and also to not let warm air in if just plumbed to the outside.

M.Dean
12-04-2012, 10:58 AM
Some real good tips on this subject so far! One thing I did do to save me a few steps during the day, cuz I can only walk a few steps each day is, I had one of those Indoor Outdoor weather stations things from C Tire, I took the little bracket for the outside part and screwed it in the cold room then attached the part that records the outside temp, I have the other part here at my desk so I can tell if every things OK in the cold room! Saves one hell of a lot of walking for us Handicapped old timers! (Oh yea, it's 1.1 in the Cold Room right now if anyone cares)!!!

lilhoss
12-04-2012, 12:12 PM
Good luck on the build! you'll love the end results,hanging and doing your own game is a blast.
If you can,I would recommend not having that wood floor.You might be building it to be portable,then I understand the concept.It will be nothing but maintenance.The smell of rotting blood,etc will never come out,regardless of what you put on it.I left my floor all concrete,with a concrete paint,and sealer.I then put down craft paper,or pulp paper from "my local supplier",he.he.he).catches all the drippings,blood etc everytime we hang a animal.The paper then goes into the recycle bin,and we bleach the walls & floors,everytime.Then,once a year, fresh concrete paint and sealer.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/cooler_pictures_010.jpg (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)

Also,you may want to keep your "prep" table/work area outside of the cooler if you can.You can still do all your sausage,burger,etc in room temperature,and you won't die of hypothermia.
Our construction is: 2x6 walls with regular insulation,marine paint on walls(easy to wipe down) with regular 1/2 fir G1S plywood,2x8 ceiling joist with regular insulation,recycled cooler door I had to rebuild...(I was after the hinges and latch!),and used cooler fan & refridgeration unit from my "heat pump guy".Costs are minimal to run.Biggest expense is keeping the refridgerant coolant maintained.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/measure_mix_8lbs_meat_-1_lb_fat.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)


http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/grinding_begins.JPG (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)

some pics of a deer hanging right now,note ,very little drippings in the cooler.the deer was skinned,halfed and rinsed off outside.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Cooler_pics_2012_043.jpg (javascript:;)


Costco $80 winch for skinning/hanging rigged to 12 v battery.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/Cooler_pics_2012_035.jpg (javascript:;)

freonguy
12-05-2012, 09:59 AM
I just PMed this as a response to a question - the thread was moved and I just found it again - - - -


The vapor barrier on the warm side ( outside ) of the walls - - - -

Water vapor condenses on the coldest thing in the area it can. Water vapor in the case of a WI cooler is coming from the game that you hang in the space - the coldest thing in the space is the evaporator ( inside ) coil of the cooling unit itself.

However, if you vapor barrier the inside walls ( like your house is constructed ), there is a bunch of water vapor in the air surrounding the cooler itself, and physics being what it is, the water vapor goes toward the coldest thing in its general vicinity and condenses there - in the mean time, it saturates the studs and fibreglass and since the inside of the cooler is still cold, the moisture stays there, and eventually gets moldy and rots.

In the case of your house though, you have to remember that the vapor barrier is protecting against the same thing happening, only the coldest thing is the winter chill outside and the moisture is still you and your family in the same place as the meat hanging in the cooler. The VB stops the moisture from getting out to the studs and fibreglass and condensing there. Same situation ( moisture wise ) different source of cold ( outside the walls ).

Trust me, I have ripped apart many home built coolers and freezers that the fibreglass is soggy ( cooler ) or frozen solid ( freezer ) when the VB is in the location. Studs all rotten and black - - - -

It is simply physics, but if you are not in the know, can cause trouble later.

Hopefully that clears it up for you - that being said, if you built the entire thing out of seamless styrofoam, then it doesn't matter, but that is not a common practice - I was going by the pictures posted. If you only use the thing for a couple weeks a year and there is a place for condensation in the walls to escape during the off season, you may get away with it - however, it is best to do it right the first time.

PM me if there are any other questions - - -

Freonguy

Blair
12-05-2012, 10:07 AM
Wow, next year is your first year hunting. You will be more prepared than most. Good luck getting the 8 deer to hang in there! I like your optimism.

Philcott
12-05-2012, 10:09 AM
Wow, next year is your first year hunting. You will be more prepared than most. Good luck getting the 8 deer to hang in there! I like your optimism.

My guess he already has 8 or 10 guys writing down his name and PMing him to secure cooler space. It has only just begun.

r106
12-05-2012, 10:14 AM
^^^ very good advise. VB always goes on the warm side. ( which is inside of a house, out side of cooler )

Philcott
12-05-2012, 10:21 AM
I for one would have built it wrong. Thank you Freon for putting the info on here so that those building one can do it right.

Blair
12-05-2012, 11:07 AM
My guess he already has 8 or 10 guys writing down his name and PMing him to secure cooler space. It has only just begun.

Yes, of course. So even if he himself is unsuccessful in his first year of hunting (not unusual) he should have a good supply of meat from his appreciative friends using the cooler.

Good Plan!!!

freonguy
12-05-2012, 02:00 PM
I for one would have built it wrong. Thank you Freon for putting the info on here so that those building one can do it right.

Philcott:

I copied and pasted what I sent to you so people can easily relate to the concept - - - -

Re: W/I cooler

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/shades_of_green/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Philcott
Just read your info again and wanted to get one thing straight.

You mentioned that moisture comes off the meat but also there is moisture in the house that is surrounding the cooler. So it's the house moisture that you then want to protect the cooler from and not the moisture from the meat. Therefore that is why you would basically put the whole cooler inside a huge baggy/moisture barrier. Is this correct?





Correct - the moisture in the house won't get past the vapor barrier on the outside of the WI, the moisture from the meat condenses on the evaporator coil and drains out when the defrost happens - FWIW, the evaporator runs somewhat below freezing on a WI cooler, and defrosts a couple / few times a day, and has to run somewhere ( bucket, drain etc. )

The insulation and studs stay dry, and the thing will last for a long, long time.

I have seen walls of homebuilt WI freezers bulge out and become solid blocks of ice a foot thick when done incorrectly.

Freonguy

lilhoss
12-05-2012, 02:31 PM
The vapour barrier is very dependant on the fan/cooler unit you may use.Our fan unit has a condenser drain built into it and drains outside.
Very little moistue is produced from the meat,even with multiple animals.I used minimum 2 coats of a marine enamel paint on the insides of the walls,(proper primer too!..very important on raw plywood),solid blocking at the plywood joints,and caulking between the plywood joints,both the butts and the edges.Also used a weatherstrip kit for the cooler door,so the cooler is airtight. I can spray the walls with a bleach/water solution and wipe down everytime,keeping it clean.

303Brit
12-05-2012, 04:22 PM
Very interesting thread lots of good ideas here gents. I don't have a cooler but one day

303

freonguy
12-05-2012, 06:28 PM
The vapour barrier is very dependant on the fan/cooler unit you may use.Our fan unit has a condenser drain built into it and drains outside.
Very little moistue is produced from the meat,even with multiple animals.I used minimum 2 coats of a marine enamel paint on the insides of the walls,(proper primer too!..very important on raw plywood),solid blocking at the plywood joints,and caulking between the plywood joints,both the butts and the edges.Also used a weatherstrip kit for the cooler door,so the cooler is airtight. I can spray the walls with a bleach/water solution and wipe down everytime,keeping it clean.

lilhoss:
The main problem is not the moisture from the meat, it is the moisture all around the outside of the cooler wanting to condense on the cold walk in cooler itself. The vapour barrier IS NOT dependent on the style of cooling unit you have, it SHOULD be on the warm side of the box, as R106 said as well. You sound like you have gone to more trouble than most on the inside of the box - great.
But don't think that sealing the inside of the box doesn't mean there won't be condensation in the walls, unless that is, you have seamless Styrofoam or equivalent.

I am not trying to be a smart a$$ here, I just want to pass on solid information so someone who goes to the trouble and expense of making a WI cooler, doesn't run into a jackpot a couple years down the road when it gets mold in the walls and you have big black splotches growing on the inside of the box.

Freonguy

xfactor
12-05-2012, 08:00 PM
What about using a type 2 polyurethane spray foam, that has a built in vapor barrier. Would you still need to vapor barrier the outside of the cooler, assuming it is in your house?

Also where do you put the vapor barrier if the cooler is built onto an exterior wall of the house?


Great thread!

freonguy
12-05-2012, 10:54 PM
What about using a type 2 polyurethane spray foam, that has a built in vapor barrier. Would you still need to vapor barrier the outside of the cooler, assuming it is in your house?

Also where do you put the vapor barrier if the cooler is built onto an exterior wall of the house?


Great thread!

If using spray foam that is sealed cell type, ( there are both open and sealed cell IIRC ) and if the studs were covered with foam, you probably would be OK - if the studs were exposed, the moisture will get into them - period.

The outside wall of a basement or wall of a house - you still need vapor barrier - moisture will travel thru concrete like it wasn't even there, theoretically, an exterior wall being used as a cooler has the VB on the wrong side, so no go. Basement is especially bad, but if you seal the cement wall with a proper VB, then stud and insulate it, you should be OK.

One thing I forgot to add is that paint does not constitute a vapour barrier AT ALL, UNLESS it is a specially formulated epoxy that is designed for that purpose. Doesn't matter how many layers, primer etc., it has to be the right paint. I have been involved in many computer room HVAC systems where humidity control is paramount; in htat case you want to keep the humidity in a room and control it precisely, but the vapor barrier methods are the same - 6 mil poly with detail to each and every seam l cut / opening, seamless styofoam, closed cell foam or proper epoxy paint are the most common methods.

Good luck

Freonguy

Good2bCanadian
12-06-2012, 08:23 AM
Freonguy is right.

if you want your cooler to last, follow his advice.

Hot always moves to cold, so the outside air will try to travel to the inside of the cooler.without that vapor barrier on the outside the walls would fill with moisture.

Freezers are even worse. Many freezers I've seen have been ruined by improper installs. I've seen the walls of freezers become giant slabs of ice.

rred
12-06-2012, 11:32 AM
Great thread so far... Im hoping to construct my own next year and all this info is golden.
Keep posting updates fyffer!

Ryan

fyffer
12-11-2012, 10:13 PM
http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o672/Brad_Fyffe/5DDC005A-016B-492D-92E7-CBA5288B4A78-7371-000005794F3ABB8B.jpg

so new photo got a couple walls built. it is bot strait. but it just up to measure how large I need to make the other side walls and such. It is coming aloing slowly. wont get any done this week but next week hope to insulate the floor and then build walls and start putting them in place.
ok so i made two new walls and put them up just to see if they will all fit. going to make the roof tomorrow. Then going to order my insulation and sheathing also tomorrow so I can move forward with that. A few photos from today. Before anyone says anything the one wall is shorter, was going to be a bit differnet but just going to build a insulation small wall and screw it in so should be easy




http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o672/Brad_Fyffe/05C37851-029A-4DAB-B939-5260CF500066-14616-00000DE9DB3BBC3E.jpg


http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o672/Brad_Fyffe/D871BF65-1C11-482A-B9B2-42CF552F564F-14616-00000DE9CCCF10C2.jpg


http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o672/Brad_Fyffe/7D5C4484-2E3F-49F3-B6D9-356DBC57EDC2-14616-00000DE9D4E1D302.jpg

fyffer
01-03-2013, 05:09 PM
new photots are up. things are coming together.

Elkhound
01-03-2013, 05:36 PM
The general rule around here is you don't want anyone to know you have a cooler, unless you like every schmoe knocking on your door at midnight asking for you to bail him out because he shot an elk early in september and it took him 2 days to pack it out. But there is a secret handshake for a select few to keep operating costs in line.

I feel 10x6 is a good size for a hobbiest, If I had a cooler, yours would be bigger than mine, mine would be inside dimensions of 4 feet x 7 feet with 7.5' ceilings. Which is enough to hang 2 bull elk cut in quarters
And of course if I had a cooler I'd be running a commercial refrigeration unit with a slick digital controller for temperature, differential and short cycle delay.
And if I had a cooler I"d frame it, fill it with styrofoam insulation and then layer the interior walls with 2" thich insulated steel garage door panels that a friend gets as dunnage for his garage door business for a total R36 ish, nice metal interior to hose down and all the seams are sealed with silicone and painted.
And if I had a cooler I'd be running the overhead rail system that I outlined above.

But I don't have a meat cooler so...........


This is the best post I have read in a very very long time LOL

beeugle
01-03-2013, 05:39 PM
wow great thread considering my hunting partners and i just bought a commercial cooling unit for a great price and are building a walk in this summer coming up so thanks for all the info!!! I'll be watching this thread !!!

fyffer
01-10-2013, 04:41 PM
took some more photos today

fyffer
01-10-2013, 04:43 PM
http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o672/Brad_Fyffe/74C7FCE7-6985-42AD-81FA-95AA000F9D76-20439-0000155A2A1AC618.jpg

fyffer
01-10-2013, 04:44 PM
http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o672/Brad_Fyffe/41B72F32-2C18-4674-AF3D-601DD6D3850D-20439-0000155A30AD092C.jpg