# Custom Cooler



## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Can I get a Hell Yeah?

Finished it just in time to deliver. I made this cooler for my step daughters boyfriend. He was wanting one for his birthday so she came to me for help.

As you can see, his favorite team is the TEXANS!!!! And his favorite beer is Bud Light.

I used a 70 qt Igloo Max Cold, which just so happens to have a drain that accepts a water hose. So I cobbled up a connection to a faucet using a half inch pipe fitting with a 5/8 hose barb that matched the hose repair fitting/barb I found at HD. A very short piece of 5/8 tubing completed the drain. Just open the valve to drain water from the cooler.

I used cedar pickets planed down to semi smooth and some 3/4 inch cedar planks to make the main part of the frame.

The support frame is reclaimed pallet boards. 

The Texans logo is hard maple and my wife cut the pieces out on the band saw, painted them and I attached them using screws. I turned out pretty nice. It was fun having her out in the shop working with me. After a few minutes of practice, she cut the pieces out...and then we sanded . 

I used 7 inch wheels and a 1/2 inch rod for the axle. A couple of handles and a pair of hinges completes the hardware trim.

The best part is that no blood was shed in the building of this project.









Hope you like it.
Mike


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

I love it!


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## TimT (Oct 19, 2012)

Looks great! I was going to ask about the drain, but you covered that part with great details, thanks.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Awesome man!


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## wood_chucker (Oct 18, 2012)

Looks great all except the Texans logo. Were Titans fans in these parts lol. But really man great job I really like this idea.


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## tplociniak (Oct 22, 2012)

great job, looks very cool


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

...and if you are looking for a bottle opener with your fav beverage, I bought it from these folks on ebay.
http://stores.ebay.com/ugottahavecollectibles
Mike


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## RogerC (Oct 15, 2012)

That is OUTSTANDING!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Very clever and well done. Looks as professional as you can get. You should market them.:yes:









 







.


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## liquid6 (Feb 15, 2011)

Looks good. That would be a pretty nice addition next to the grill on the patio...well; minus that Texans logo.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Ok wow, yeah... that's a lot "cooler" than I expected. Really, that's cool. Great idea + well executed = awesome!


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## Sorrowful Jones (Nov 28, 2010)

Looks great. It looks like you removed the cooler top hinges. Is the cooler top affixed inside the wooden lid?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

That's really cool. No pun intended. I love it. Great work.


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## Ostie (Dec 19, 2010)

That is awesome! I agree with above: you should market those!


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

Hell Yeah!!! I love it. Great idea. Needs one of these on it.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Very nice job despite the team logo.:laughing:


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## dbales (Jun 21, 2011)

I like it, but what is that God awful logo on the front?


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Sorrowful Jones said:


> Looks great. It looks like you removed the cooler top hinges. Is the cooler top affixed inside the wooden lid?


I removed the handles and hinges. The lid is attached to the wooden cover via Gorilla 5 minute epoxy.


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## garryswf (Aug 17, 2009)

Mike that is a nice looking cooler, but like alot of the other guys that commented the cooler would have looked sweet with an orange and blue "GATOR" on the front :laughing:. Great work Mike


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## scsmith42 (Jan 24, 2011)

Hell Yeah!

That is way cool! Nice craftsmanship too.


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## OKIEhoma (Feb 15, 2012)

Just made something quite similar. Yours is a little more intricate. Nice work!


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

That's a great cooler idea. The logo, might need some work. I am from Oz, so I am impartial, but a Husker man would look a lot better.

Pete.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Youse guys are all wrong! The cooler is great, but what it really needs is a BULLS logo. :laughing:


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

That cooler looks great and competing team affinities aside, that Texans logo looks sharp!

It is really cool that your wife joined you in the shop to do that and you both enjoyed the time together.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Thanks for the kudos. Might be making a few more. The cost of the materials is adding up so the final might be too steep for all but a few who are interested in buying one. 

And yes, I enjoyed having her out in the shop working side by side. Getting her involved helps her understand why I buy the tools I do.  And she took to the band saw quickly. "Just like using scissors". 

Mike


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## ChiknNutz (Apr 22, 2011)

Great idea and execution! I couldn't care less about what team is represented, but the beer choice...Bud Light?! Gak! Now if it were on the order of Sam Adams or even Henry Weinhard's, then you'd have something there ;-)


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## MagGeorge (Jul 5, 2012)

Hell yeah !!! That is awesome!


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

ChiknNutz said:


> Great idea and execution! I couldn't care less about what team is represented, but the beer choice...Bud Light?! Gak! Now if it were on the order of Sam Adams or even Henry Weinhard's, then you'd have something there ;-)


Here is your opportunity to get one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samuel-Adam...526?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec2ff7e46

All you need to do is build a cooler around it.


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## robot (Oct 28, 2012)

That is awesome!


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## ChiknNutz (Apr 22, 2011)

Right on! Thanks for the link.


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## steamfab (Jun 22, 2012)

That is a great cooler idea. I have never seen anything like it. Cool ...


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Sold 2 so far, more thinking about it.


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## Tucker43 (Sep 8, 2011)

MT - roughly what is the cost of materials? A buddy just bought a house, thinkinng something like this would be a perfect house warming gift


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Tucker43 said:


> MT - roughly what is the cost of materials? A buddy just bought a house, thinkinng something like this would be a perfect house warming gift


About $175.
Everything is new except for a few pallet boards I used underneath the cooler for support.

Basically 4 1x8x8' cedar boards from the big box store. About 10-12 1x3 cedar pickets planed smooth for the panels.

But the cooler is $44, the bottle opener is $25, then there are hinges, two handles. The drain assembly consists of a water hose repair kit w/5/8 in hose barb. A faucet with 1/2 inch pipe threads and a pipe fitting with 1/2 inch threads and a 5/8 hose barb. The parts are connected with a a small piece of 5/8 tubing (about a 1 1/2 inch). The money adds up. But it makes it nice to just open the drain and drain the cooler.

Wheels were $5 ea at Harbor Freight; 1/2 inch rod and two axle nuts complete the assy.

So, all that said, if you have some old fence boards or other lumber available, that would really help. And if you had a cooler in good shape, that would also cut the cost.

I priced lumber in white pine and there is very little difference in price in my area.

I found a 48 qt locally for under $20 so that could help cut the costs also.

Hope this helps.
Mike


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## Broken Bat (Sep 4, 2012)

That cooler is awesome! I definitely need one of those!


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## Tucker43 (Sep 8, 2011)

Mike that helps a ton! If you build anymore could you take as few pics of the construction? I'm still a very green noob


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Here are a couple more.


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## robot (Oct 28, 2012)

Yeah, I'm with Tucker on that.


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