How to Build an Ice Box

The first icebox was a cedar box covered with rabbit fur, invented by Thomas Moore. He used it to get milk and other dairy products to market before they spoiled. Iceboxes work because heat transfers from regions of higher temperature to regions of lower temperature. An icebox consisted of a metal box inside an outer, wooden shell, with the space between filled with insulating material, and a block of ice to provide cooling. The icebox enabled modern homemakers to keep food cold and fresh far longer than before. For most attractive results, use wood recovered from older construction, such as barns or 1860 through 1920 era farmhouses.

Things You'll Need

• Prefabricated 2 feet by 2 feet by 3 feet, 20-gauge galvanized sheet metal icebox liner
• Prefabricated 2 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet, 20 gauge galvanized sheet metal icebox liner
• 28 inch by 64 inch by 20 gauge galvanized sheet metal for door liner
• 2 inch by 2-inch stock lumber for wood frame
• 1 inch by 4-inch by ½ inch tongue and groove oak or cedar floorboards
• One 28 inch by 64 inch sheet of oak or cedar for icebox door
• Two 24 inch by 24-inch by ½ inch oak or cedar boards for top and bottom of outer shell
• 2 inch by 2-inch thick by 24-inch wide Styrofoam sheets
• Rubber mallet
• Four 3-inch C-clamps
• Wrap-around eye protection
• Ear protection
• Heavy leather work gloves
• Clear silicone caulk
• Construction adhesive
• 2 door hinges with 5/8-inch screws
• One box of 1 inch long brass Phillips head wood screws
• Power drill, 1/8-inch diameter drill bit
• Countersink bit, Hole saw
• Porcelain doorknob with 2 ½ inch long bolt, lock washer, fender washer and hex nut
• 10 ½ feet of 2 and 3/32 inch wide, flexible U-channel
• 6 inch long, 1-inch diameter PVC pipe
• 1 1/8 inch diameter PVC elbow connector
• 4 feet long, 1-inch diameter PVC pipe
• Purple PVC primer
• Clear PVC cement
• 2 gallon bucket

Instructions

1. Apply construction adhesive to the top of the larger, prefabricated sheet metal box, and to the bottom of the smaller box. Stack the two prefabricated sheet metal boxes on top of one another, making sure all edges are flush. Allow construction adhesive to dry. This creates your icebox liner.

2. Apply construction adhesive to one side of the 28 inch by 64 inch by 20-gauge sheet metal, and to one side of a 28 inch by 64-inch sheet of Styrofoam. Secure sheet metal to Styrofoam sheet. This will be your icebox door liner. Cut U-channel into two 28 inch and two 64 inch lengths. Miter corners of U-channel to a 45-degree angle. Apply construction adhesive to the inside of the U-channel and along the outside edges of the Styrofoam and sheet metal door liner. Attach U-channel to icebox door liner. Smooth clear silicone caulk into all mitered seams of the U-channel. Attach the resulting sheet metal and Styrofoam door liner, with Styrofoam side facing the wood, to the oak or cedar icebox door using construction adhesive. Apply C-clamps until construction adhesive dries overnight.

3. Build a frame of 2 inch by 2-inch oak or cedar for your icebox, 28 inches by 28 inches by 64 inches. Cut all tongue and groove floorboards to 28-inch lengths. Attach tongue and groove floorboards to the right and left sides and the back of the icebox frame, using 1-inch long brass, Phillips head wood screws. Do not clad the front. Attach the 2 feet by 2 feet oak or cedar boards to the top and bottom of the icebox using the same length and type of screws.

4. Cut Styrofoam sheets to fit between the top, bottom, sides and back of the 2 inch by 2-inch frame. Tap gently into place with a rubber mallet so that all the Styrofoam is flush with the 2 inch by 2-inch framing wood.

5. Place the stacked icebox liners inside the wooden shell. Tap into place with a rubber mallet until flush. Attach the icebox door using standard hinges and 5/8-inch wood screws. Drill a 1/8-inch diameter pilot hole in the door at desired doorknob placement. Attach a porcelain doorknob using a brass bolt, lock washer, fender washer and hex nut. Drill a one inch hole from interior of upper metal liner, as close to the bottom as possible. Insert a 6 inch long, 1-inch diameter piece of PVC pipe. Secure with clear PVC cement. Apply purple PVC primer to outside end of pipe, and to inside of the PVC elbow connector. Attach PVC elbow to the end of the 6 inch long drain pipe, with elbow facing the floor. If desired, attach a straight length of PVC to the floor, draining into a bucket or connecting to a household drain.

Resources

• History of Refrigeration
• Thomas Moore's Ice Box
• Joining PVC and Pipe Fittings