Fiberglass expertise needed

[dscribner]

I'm thinking of re-configuring my icebox. I figure on a mold, mold release, gelcoat and the like. However, I really don't know if this is a smart approach since this is a food surface and will be immersed for days, if now weeks, on end. Any ideas?

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Many, many, many ice boxes on boats are built just like that. Mold release is simply a wax. Clean it off after wards ( a local boat builder I know uses Windex) and go for it.

 

[rgranger]

I'm doing the opposite, I'm tearing mine out. I don't know your space but... can you go buy a commercial that fits that space? Then glass that in place? Or build a frame around it.

I have a large glassed in cooler that is nearly impossible to clean... so my winter project is to tear it out and build a recess that I can drop a Coleman cooler into. That way I can pull it out when I need to clean it up.

 

[trainmanjess]

hello all

I am tearing out my icebox, and installing a mini fridge... it is just a few inches bigger all around, but will fit in nicely into the same spot... I like the idea is not trudging the bags of ice to the boat, then dealing with the melted ice later.... a fridge will be much better I believe... I have solar panels on my boat to keep the batteries charged... I have a 3 battery bank for power on the boat... works good for me...

a mini fridge is a viable alternative...

sincerely
Jess

 

[Ross]

I built the ice box on my boat with 4 inches of foam insulation and all of the joints and gaps filled with canned urethane. When I was satisfied with that I sprayed 3M adhesive on the surfaces and laid fine weave light weight fiberglass cloth over the entire interior and coated that with epoxy. I use juice and drink jugs fill with water and frozen for ice and when that melts it is fresh water. No fresh water is allowed to be wasted .

 

[rgranger]

When I was satisfied with that I sprayed 3M adhesive on the surfaces and laid fine weave light weight fiberglass cloth over the entire interior and coated that with epoxy.

Nice! That is clever. Did you put more than one layer of cloth? And if you did, how did you hang the second layer on the first? And did you gel-coat when you were done? If so, was that hard to do in a confined space?

 

[Ross]

I did just one layer. I pigmented the epoxy white and painted on a second coat. It has been in use for 14 years and is still undamaged. It would be fairly easy to push an ice pick through it but the answer to that is just don't do it. With 4 inches of foam it keeps cold on forty pounds of ice for more than a week.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

An article on Duckworks about building a foam/glass ice chest. Maybe it'll give you some ideas.

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/13/howto/icebox/index.htm#.Unejc1Mlhkc