Picked up an incredible deal on a retro Smeg beer fridge. Worth about 4K brand new for a few hundred bucks. Only problem is the fridge does not have the top section, as shown in the picture. Finding a spare part has been fruitless. So I thought, lets custom make one from fibreglass. Shape a piece of foam and cover with glass, then paint with a high gloss enamel. Is it that simple i ask our friendly seabreeze community. I've never shaped a board before but have done various repairs on windsurfing boards. Do I need a special type of foam or can I just go with some common packing polystyrene foam. The piece would need to be approx 700 x 700.

How thick is the section?

I think you are best off using divinycell, or even plywood sheet as the top section and laminating the styrofoam to it to form the thickness you are after. The divinycell or plywood will give you a straight smooth top if that's what you are after.

Does the top section need to be shaped any particular way?

You can use epoxy and use that with fibreglass cloth. It would be better in a vacuum bag, but if you don't have that you can still do a good job. In fact if you try and vacuum down just fibreglass and styrofoam it will distort, which is why you would need something stronger on the top section.

Its definitely do-able and likely to give you a good result.

The thicknes is 7cm, so quite a few pieces of plywood would be required. Also the shape will follow the door outline, so rounded on both the left and right sides. Didn't think to try this with wood, but certainly an option. It would require a lot more work to get the shape right, but worth considering.

Yeah, so maybe styrofoam is the easiest option. You can make up a cardboard template for the curves you are after and just sand the styrofoam to get the right curve.

I would then probably make up a filler paste of epoxy and talcum powder to fill in the styrofoam tiny voids. Once that is done I would then coat it with epoxy and fibreglass.

edit: if I was doing it I would make up some masonite templates for the front and rear by tracing the door outline onto the masonite. You can then use a hot-wire cutter or worst case a panel saw, to try and follow the outline. You can then sand it to a smoother surface and then fill it with the epoxy paste, and then sand again to get a finer finish. Then cover with your fibreglass and epoxy.

Hard to shape low density styro like packing stuff, it will tear a lot.

I'd get the Bunnings Knauf board, its XPS and cheap. Prolly use 2 or 3 thicknesses.
Epoxy and couple layers of 4oz cloth.
Fill over with cheap auto bog IF you are totally sure it can't get to the styro.

Gonna be a sh!iteload of sanding in that though, so you could do very thin ply over the foam.

A bit convoluted but use the front door to make a mould for the shape then make out of Fiberglas.

The trick is to get a seriously good mould release agent which won't stuff up your door, Kirkside products sell the best one I've found thus far.

Making a mould will take a day (make sure it's reinforced with cardboard tubes so it doesn't warp.
Making the new top another day
will come out looking like the real thing after a lick of paint

Smeg...bahahahahahahaha!

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=smeg

Sorry guys couldn't help but interrupt an important discussion on beer fridges.

stop being a smeeeeeeg heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeead

What about just cutting a section out of a rooted old mal or something and pinning it upside down on the space. Could fit nicely, and add a bit of a surfy vibe to that smeg of yours

Thanks to all those that contributed. The concept of using wood and bog seems to be the easiest and least effort (famous last words). What I'm now thinking is this cross section below. Built from a frame of cheap wood, possibly chipboard, I will fill the terraced areas with some-kind of builders bog? to create a smooth curve. Not knowing the cost of any of the material, I'm assuming this is will be the cheapest option. happy to hear any reasons why this is not the easiest way forward. ps- I'm sure if it was windy here in Perth, I wouldn't bother with this project.

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dusta said..
stop being a smeeeeeeg heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeead

Boys from the Dwarf

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Heisenberg said..
Picked up an incredible deal on a retro Smeg beer fridge. Worth about 4K brand new for a few hundred bucks. Only problem is the fridge does not have the top section, as shown in the picture. Finding a spare part has been fruitless. So I thought, lets custom make one from fibreglass. Shape a piece of foam and cover with glass, then paint with a high gloss enamel. Is it that simple i ask our friendly seabreeze community. I've never shaped a board before but have done various repairs on windsurfing boards. Do I need a special type of foam or can I just go with some common packing polystyrene foam. The piece would need to be approx 700 x 700.

Why don't you just rip that crappy Smegma front of the thing and paint the top and front in blue.

Keep It Simple Sailor.

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Heisenberg said..
Thanks to all those that contributed. The concept of using wood and bog seems to be the easiest and least effort (famous last words). What I'm now thinking is this cross section below. Built from a frame of cheap wood, possibly chipboard, I will fill the terraced areas with some-kind of builders bog? to create a smooth curve. Not knowing the cost of any of the material, I'm assuming this is will be the cheapest option. happy to hear any reasons why this is not the easiest way forward. ps- I'm sure if it was windy here in Perth, I wouldn't bother with this project.

No as it will be very hard to shape a smooth curve with hard and soft materials interspersed. It will end up wavy and even if you don't see it, once it gets the blue gloss paint it will stick out like dogs balls

Elmo is onto it, wax the front good and take a mould from it. Wish I thought of it.
Then there will be very little surface prep to paint as the finished product will be perfect.

go see your local sheet metal workshop, they could easily roll a section in .6 PGI in one piece and with a few pop rivets fit a front and back section. To hold the shape. Spray paint it and its done.

Find or make a tray to size to chuck all the stubby holders in.

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Grevas said..
Find or make a tray to size to chuck all the stubby holders in.

Woa. You might be onto something here. I wonder if I can get this pass the Minister of war and finance.

why not laminate some solid jarrah with a few coats of polyuerathane . would look serious custom . just polishing off the wifes new kitchen bench tops this week. at 2000grit at the moment but have a stack of 3000 grit diamond sanding discs to relly get a finish

Mate, forget the top & just fill the farkin fridge with pi55 and enjoy