# planning a side board/kegerator



## xd_haze (Feb 1, 2011)

Hi all, I'm new and I have some questions planning a project. 

I'm planning a project for my dining room that will house a mini fridge for a kegerator (draft tower coming out of the top), a wine cooler, and a cabinet for liquor. This requires that the unit will be six foot long and 2 foot deep. The problem I'm running into is height. Both appliances are 'under-counter' units. Each is 32 inches tall. 

I'm toying with building it as a sideboard or a cabinet. As a sideboard, I need clearance for legs and bottom face-frame rail. As a cabinet, I need clearance for a kickplate. I prefer (and the wife strongly prefers) that I build it to look more like a sideboard and piece of furniture rather than cabinet. But I'm worried about the required height. I need three inches on top of the refrigeration units.

That leaves me with 3 or more inches below for kickplate or legs, 35 inches for appliances and air space, and about 1 1/2 or 2 inches for a thick top or counter top. It is pushing 40 inches. 

Do you think that will look ridiculous or are their ways of designing it that I'm not considering?

EDIT: There will be cabinet doors covering the appliances for looks. and I'll cut some ventilation holes in the back.

mike


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## wsommariva (Jan 3, 2010)

You're stuck with the appliance hieght. Add a wet bar (sink) and increase the height of the entire unit.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

http://www.oldplank.com/Search_Product/bo1760.html

See if this works....Aha,it did.Anyhow click on the high res. and keep hittin the next button

Was too lazy to walk in the library and pick up a book so went shopping on the net.Anyhow we call'm "hunt tables"........and the way we use them is;when returning home from a morning of Fox hunting lunch and drinks are served on them.They're around 40-42 inches high......Anyhow,google couldn't handle hunt table,kept sending me in the wrong direction?Found the above,cheers BW


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## xd_haze (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks, that is spot on. If anything, it gives me confidence that the height won't make the thing look ridiculous. 

mike


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I do not see anything wrong with the 40" height.

I have a bar/liquor cabinet in my dinning room that is 38 " tall.

George


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## timmybgood (Jan 11, 2011)

I honestly think that might be a little big for a buffet type thing. Directly behind me as I type is my 6' home bar, and it is 41" tall. In fact, all the bars I build are 41-42" tall.

I just think that if you build your item that tall, the top will be very high for something that isn't usually of elbow-leaning height.

The problem is the height of the keg, and the height of the wine cooler and mini-fridge. Most of my customers want the nice glass-front mini-fridges for their bars, these are 35"H, so I usually build the fridge cubby so that it sits on the ground, keeping overall height down.

There are smaller mini-fridges available, and since yours will be behind a door, you don't need a fancy tall glass one (unless you want it). You could use a smaller/shorter fridge for the wine chilling. 

And for the beer....do you plan on keeping a keg in there and on tap at all times? If not, I'd suggest not using a fridge on that side at all, but just build it big enough to fit a large plastic tote and put the keg in an ice bath. It will have to be a pony or cornelius keg regardless. Cornelius kegs are the shortest and stood up need 27" with the regulator on them.

This bar uses that approach. The lines for the tap run to each cabinet, then when the guy has a party he puts little kegs in big totes and puts them in the cabinets.









Sorry for the long response, but I like this kind of thing.

EDIT: the lower top with the tap is at 33", the main top is 42"


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## custom_c10 (Nov 26, 2010)

timmy that thing is a beauty. I read your paragraph in small chunks in between jealous stares at what I need in my basement.


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## xd_haze (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks for the reply, and I'm glad it was long. 

I love the bar, and I'd love to build something like that in the room, but I don't have the space. We need to put a dining table in there as well, so it has to be against the wall. 

The fridge will have two cornelius kegs in it. They fit, remarkably 

This is what I currently have in the dining room. I can't imagine why my wife wants me to replace it with something that looks more like a piece of furniture!












timmybgood said:


> I honestly think that might be a little big for a buffet type thing. Directly behind me as I type is my 6' home bar, and it is 41" tall. In fact, all the bars I build are 41-42" tall.
> 
> I just think that if you build your item that tall, the top will be very high for something that isn't usually of elbow-leaning height.
> 
> ...


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