In all but one of the C34s I've been on, they had the closet maid vinyl covered shelves turned upside down being used as shelves in the ice box. The one exception was an 86 for sale that I came across when shopping for my boat. It had clear acrylic/plexi glass shelves with holes drilled on a pattern. When I saw that, I said, now THAT is what I want on my boat. Now the problem is, how thick is the material, what is the hole spacing and the hole diameter. Does anyone here (other than Stu Jackson) still have the acrylic shelves and would be willing to get me a few details?
Additionally, In my boat, there is a recess in the shelf support on the aft end of the upper and lower supports. I'm curious to know if this was/is present in boats with the acrylic shelves and if it plays a significant or pivotal role in how the shelves fit. I can't quite understand how that might be helpful or useful with the full width (fore and aft) acrylic shelves.
Thanks all for the assistance and I look forward to what you provide. Photos are always welcome.
My '87 has clear acrylic shelves with holes in them. 2 upper and 1 lower. with ledges built in to the icebox to support them. I have no idea if they're original or not but, they work quite well. I don't know if the ice box is the same on your 91 or not. I'll be more than happy to get details next time I go to the boat however, I'm not sure when that'll be. Currently travel restrictions in to Maryland without quarantine or two tests of negative in advance of arriving.
Alex
I have the OEM acrylic shelves in my C30 ice box. They are 1/4" plexi, but I don't know the hole spacing. My recollection is they are 1/2" or 3/4". The idea is just whatever you need to get air circulation, so 1/2 or 3/4 should be fine- and spacing depending on the size hole. I would take out no more than 1/4 of the total surface area with the holes.
If you contact the factory they might have the pattern and a set could magically show up on your doorstep.
We bought out 88 C34 last year and there were no shelves in the ice box so I had to improvise. Not liking the wire shelf method since they will eventually rust on the cut ends (if left untreated) I went to Walmart and bought three plastic/acrylic cutting boards. I used cardboard to template the sizes needed and a jigsaw to cut them out. I then lightly sanded the edges to remove the sharp corners. They are approximately 5/16" thick, (maybe a smidgen more) and I wondered if they would be rigid enough for this application but as it turned out they are working great and don't sag at all. We took a 10 day cruise last summer and we loaded that box from bottom to top with no disasters.
To be honest I didn't think of the holes for air circulation and will definitely be adding some, although it seems to cool just fine without them.
Just a thought.
I have the clear shelves on my '87. I should be on board tonight or tomorrow and I'll snap some pictures with measurements for you.
Excellent! Thanks so much for the collection of responses. I appreciate it very much.
Good topic. I appreciate the responses too. I have coated wire shelves in my 1987 that I thought were OEM, guess not. Looking forward to seeing the photos of the plexiglass/acrylic shelves.
Alex : I have 2 white coated wire shelves at are OEM. A short shelf for the very bottom and a longer mid shelf.
If I were to go to clear plastic I'd use polycarbonate (Lexan), not acrylic. Lexan is more flexible!!
A thought
Quote from: Ron Hill on December 23, 2020, 01:24:41 PM
If I were to go to clear plastic I'd use polycarbonate (Lexan), not acrylic. Lexan is more flexible!!
I will probably select the material based on some additional research. Lexan is on my research list.
I got pictures but they are too big to post. Send me a pm with your email and I'll forward them. I'll reduce size and post for the forum when I'm back in the office on Monday
Quote from: Oldlaxer1 on December 24, 2020, 06:40:56 AM
Send me a pm with your email and I'll forward them. I'll reduce size and post for the forum when I'm back in the office on Monday
PM sent. Thanks for the help
Alex : I have a small "D" battery fan that circulates the air in the fridge. I believe wire racks are the best to help that circulation of air!!
A thought
Ron,
That is likely true. I just can't stand the wire rack shelves. I do have one of those ice box fans. I will likely start with that, but plan to add a computer fan at some point to keep the box air all stirred up.
QuoteI have a small "D" battery fan that circulates the air in the fridge.
I've got the plastic shelves, also found that a fan under the freezer helps with frosting and even temps. Got tired of replacing the blue box type nearly every season
https://www.overtons.com/fridgecool-fan-with-onoff-switch-38134.html
and bought this
https://www.overtons.com/camco-rv-fridge-airator-109170.html
I think the batteries last longer, still to be seen if the reviews are correct and the fan lasts longer.
Jim
Here is another fridge fan to add to the "testing" mix. Ordered It to go with my new replacement A/B fridge that I will be installing next week. I will report back On how well/how long this battery operated fan works after activated.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CWVYLQD/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_glc_fabc_PJ15FbY8VY45V?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Photos of shelves and holes. I removed the odd shaped top shelf that goes around the evaporator, and shows the notch required to clear the thermostat wiring.
Nice! Thx Stu- I may copy! BTW-I just now finished removing old fridge unit. It was a PIA removing old copper lines solo. May try and get some help fishing new ones in next week when new unit arrives. I could see an easy possibility of kinking new lines during install!
Thanks Stu. I noticed that you dont have the relifed areas in the shelf supports like I do (See photo). Note that they are on both layered supports and are only on the aft half of the shelf support.
Anyone have any odea what the were designed in for?
Note... the boat is still in refit mode and I havent gotten to the ice box compartment yet. Don't judge me by the filth :-)
Alex,
My reefer is identical to Stu's and my boat is also a Mk 1, no idea what the additional reliefs are for(I don't have them either) but it looks like an addition to the next Mark boat. Maybe someone with a 1.5 can shed some light.
My 1990 does HAVE the added dips/notches and wire shelves.
Alex, it simply doesn't matter. Really. You have what you have, and I got what I got. :D You simply have the flexibility to do what you wanna do.
As an idea (like totally off the top of my head), it could be that Catalina added the extra lip because some fridge evaporators were different sizes.
It still doesn't matter. :D
I think.
My 1987 has them. The two coated wire shelves fit into them. The evaporator and thermostat are mounted high on the forward bulkhead. No idea if this is how the fridge came originally or a PO rearranged the layout.
Another option.
I've basically done away with the plexi shelves. Instead, I've found a more (IMO) flexible and user-friendly option. I bought several mini size white plastic 'milk crate' boxes that stack nicely. That way I can load small items like butter, horseradish (obviously for morning Bloody Marys,) etc, or like-items (beer vs soda) and keep the box better organized than needing to rearrange or get under a plexi shelf.
They're pretty much open-side and open-bottomed so there's plenty of air flow even when stacked or right next to each other. I find it much more convenient to grab a crate containing, say, condiments, than hunting for small containers that get strewn about the box.
(https://www.dollaritem.com/images/376372.jpg)
Stu... in reality, you are correct. My goal here is to underatand the original intended design. Someone put some thought into it so I feel it would be valuable to know what it was all about. Once I understand it all, then I can either repeat it or improve upon it as I see fit. The slotted supports seem to be a nice option to install restraining cleats to allow for a shelf to stay put after removing the other. That is likely what I will do when constructing mine.
The crate idea is also on my list after the shelves. It might allow for some maintained organization after multiple unpackings.
Alex : My fridge box structure is the same as yours. Probably all of the MKI boats (thru 1994) have the same box!!
However, my inside of my fridge is spotless so I can imagine what your engine looks like (gasp!!).
It will take a some "elbow grease", but you can clean all that up!! You might want to check the and recaulk the inside lip of where the fridge box to the underside of the countertop.
A few thoughts
Ron,
You aren't wrong about the engine compartment. This boat was cherrished by someone for a long time and then it was purchased as a teaching boat in a place where sailing was a novelty. During that ownership rein, she did not recieve much love. My refit is mostly focused on recomissioning things and getting it back to cruising form. It is a bigger project than I was planned for, but I knew that would happen once I got into it. I'm not good at leaving well enough alone.
Thanks all for the help. I VERY much appreciate the ideas and information.
Alex
I made it to the boat this past weekend and brought my acrylic shelves home. If you want, I can trace them on to paper and mail them to you.
Quote from: Bill Shreeves on December 29, 2020, 09:56:47 AM
Alex
I made it to the boat this past weekend and brought my acrylic shelves home. If you want, I can trace them on to paper and mail them to you.
This would be invaluable! Thanks so much. I'll PM you with an address. This will make for much faster mfg and less material spent remaking ;-)
Alex : If you are going to make clear shelving for your fridge I'd recommend Lexan (polycarbonate). It is stronger than acrylic and will not crack. You can probably get by with 1/4" Lexan.
A thought
Thanks for the suggestion Ron.
Quote from: waughoo on December 29, 2020, 11:17:02 AM
Quote from: Bill Shreeves on December 29, 2020, 09:56:47 AM
Alex
I made it to the boat this past weekend and brought my acrylic shelves home. If you want, I can trace them on to paper and mail them to you.
This would be invaluable! Thanks so much. I'll PM you with an address. This will make for much faster mfg and less material spent remaking ;-)
I traced them today on shelving paper. It's all I had on-hand that was big enough and easy to mail. I'll get them mailed out to the address you sent as soon as I can. if it turns out you need them traced on to something more durable, let me know and I see what I can do.
I'm guessing I have the original internal set-up. If true, the recesses are for the coated wire shelves to sit in and not move.
Jon— Your evaporator unit may be a different brand or model than the standard A/B 150 unit, as it appears to have a top on it which to my knowledge A/B doesn't offer.
Quote from: Jon W on January 01, 2021, 03:35:13 PM
I'm guessing I have the original internal set-up. If true, the recesses are for the coated wire shelves to sit in and not move.
That's what I'm starting to assume the recesses are for. I'd like to know more about your evaporator. That thing looks pretty slick? Is it a proper freezer box with a lid etc?
Are the coated wire shelves original?
I'll have to look to see if I have any documentation on the boat for the brand and details. The unit extends under the countertop. The lid was one piece of plastic with tracks for a hinge, but wasn't installed. I cut the lid to allow it to swing open (you can see the split in the photo), and installed it. All I know is it makes ice cubes.
Quote from: Bill Shreeves on January 01, 2021, 10:12:03 AM
I traced them today on shelving paper. It's all I had on-hand that was big enough and easy to mail. I'll get them mailed out to the address you sent as soon as I can. if it turns out you need them traced on to something more durable, let me know and I see what I can do.
Thanks Bill. I'll let you know when I get the traces. I should be able to move the traces onto a more durable template as needed on this end. The shapes are pretty valuable! I appreciate it.
Quote from: waughoo on January 01, 2021, 10:01:58 PM
Quote from: Bill Shreeves on January 01, 2021, 10:12:03 AM
I traced them today on shelving paper. It's all I had on-hand that was big enough and easy to mail. I'll get them mailed out to the address you sent as soon as I can. if it turns out you need them traced on to something more durable, let me know and I see what I can do.
Thanks Bill. I'll let you know when I get the traces. I should be able to move the traces onto a more durable template as needed on this end. The shapes are pretty valuable! I appreciate it.
Put 'em in the mail this morning
Thumbs up!
:thumb:
Quote from: KWKloeber on December 27, 2020, 12:08:48 PM
Another option.
I've basically done away with the plexi shelves. Instead, I've found a more (IMO) flexible and user-friendly option. I bought several mini size white plastic 'milk crate' boxes that stack nicely. That way I can load small items like butter, horseradish (obviously for morning Bloody Marys,) etc, or like-items (beer vs soda) and keep the box better organized than needing to rearrange or get under a plexi shelf.
They're pretty much open-side and open-bottomed so there's plenty of air flow even when stacked or right next to each other. I find it much more convenient to grab a crate containing, say, condiments, than hunting for small containers that get strewn about the box.
(https://www.dollaritem.com/images/376372.jpg)
These boxes look BRILLIANT! I hate the fact that whatever I am looking for is always on the bottom of the ice box. The image is a bit fuzzy - can you get me the name of the manufacturer and the dimensions of the box please? (No rush - its January and the boat is on the hard until end of April). Thanks in advance.
Hey Geoff
Sterilize is one brand but I imagine there's others as well.
It was so long ago that I }CRS{ where I bought them - Likely a dollar store. I usually see them in the fall for kids heading to college.
They're like 8-9" on each side is my best guess. Mine are white but they come see in colors and translucent.
https://www.google.com/search?q=mini+milk+crates
-ken
I think they are Sterilite 16958612 Mini Crate, Clear Amazon has them by the 12 pack. I like the idea, may try this spring.
Jim
Thanks Ken!
Jim - thanks as well - found them on Amazon. Definitely going to try this sometime after launch!
Here is my solution. I snagged a small sheet of acrylic from Home Depot and cut it size, leaving the inboard side open so I can reach below. I added a lip on the edge to prevent things from sliding off and also stuck on clear rubber stoppers on shelf support lip to stop the entire shelf from sliding around. It's been working really great. Super happy with it!
Switch
A technical question....
I believe I spied the mix, lime, hot sauce, and Worcester sauce.
But no horseradish for the Bloody Mary's??????
QuoteBut no horseradish for the Bloody Mary's??????
General not a bloody marry guy myself but when I do it's Zing Zang. :thumb:
Jim
Quote from: Bill Shreeves on January 02, 2021, 01:55:22 PM
Put 'em in the mail this morning
Received today! Thanks Bill. Excellent traces. I so appreciate the help. This will save me a ton of time in getting mine built.
Quote from: Switchback on January 07, 2021, 06:02:22 AM
Here is my solution. I snagged a small sheet of acrylic from Home Depot and cut it size, leaving the inboard side open so I can reach below. I added a lip on the edge to prevent things from sliding off and also stuck on clear rubber stoppers on shelf support lip to stop the entire shelf from sliding around. It's been working really great. Super happy with it!
So do I understand this orientation correctly that your slot is on the "port" side of the ice box to allow for reaching to the shelf below? Thus you have a full width shelf at the outer starboard side that goes full width fore and aft?
This looks pretty slick. The slightly lost space on the top shelf seems made up by the HUGE ease of access (not having to unload a shelf to remove it). Hmmmm... Might have to experiment.
Quote from: KWKloeber on January 07, 2021, 09:42:40 AM
Switch
A technical question....
I believe I spied the mix, lime, hot sauce, and Worcester sauce.
But no horseradish for the Bloody Mary's??????
More of a dark and stormy guy myself, sorry to disappoint! The First Mate however...
Quote from: waughoo on January 07, 2021, 12:20:29 PM
Quote from: Switchback on January 07, 2021, 06:02:22 AM
Here is my solution. I snagged a small sheet of acrylic from Home Depot and cut it size, leaving the inboard side open so I can reach below. I added a lip on the edge to prevent things from sliding off and also stuck on clear rubber stoppers on shelf support lip to stop the entire shelf from sliding around. It's been working really great. Super happy with it!
So do I understand this orientation correctly that your slot is on the "port" side of the ice box to allow for reaching to the shelf below? Thus you have a full width shelf at the outer starboard side that goes full width fore and aft?
This looks pretty slick. The slightly lost space on the top shelf seems made up by the HUGE ease of access (not having to unload a shelf to remove it). Hmmmm... Might have to experiment.
Yes, you got it! My cold plate is located on the port side wall of the ice box. The boat came without a cold plate as the PO removed it since it didn't work. I installed a new cold plate with a different shape and thus needed a custom shelf. I went a year without one and finally got around to making it to rid myself of the bottomless pit that became the fridge! I live aboard and this was a huge improvement. There is still a good amount of space on the upper shelf and tons of space below. I can fit tall items closest to the port side and there's plenty of room for beers. (In the photo I posted I clearly needed to restock!)
I have the acrylic shelves as well, and I'm happy to photograph/trace/measure them if there is still interest.
On a related note, has anyone replaced the thermostat/temperature selector? Our refrigerator is either on or off, and turning the dial up/down doesn't seem to do anything.
Quote from: ErikN on January 09, 2021, 02:23:12 PM
I have the acrylic shelves as well, and I'm happy to photograph/trace/measure them if there is still interest.
Thanks for the offer. Another member on here has already graciously sent templates.
Alex, the documentation I found on board says it's a Nova Kool, maybe RT4 model. Not much detail in the paperwork I have.
Quote from: Jon W on January 11, 2021, 06:18:44 PM
Alex, the documentation I found on board says it's a Nova Kool, maybe RT4 model. Not much detail in the paperwork I have.
Thanks Jon.
I Like the fan idea, however D batts are so crazy $. I have ample battery and solar. Maybe could wire a relay for a fan to kick in when compressor kicks, that way the fridge fan and compressor noise happen concurrently. My admiral likes her peace, so I'd rather have more noise sometimes than constant noise. A computer fan would probably fail, maybe something hard wired that's more robust? https://www.amazon.com/TITAN-IP55-Waterproof-Dustproof-Cooling/dp/B0050NPLY2
I think if you wire the fan to the condensor fan, you'd get the quite your admiral is after. The fan you linked to is indeed a computer fan. They are likely robuat enough. You might consider installing it with a plug of some sorts to allow for easy replacement as needed.
So if I wired it right to the fan terminal block on the fridge, It wouldn't steal amperage that was headed to the compressor fan, it would just draw a little more overall when the system cycles? That sounds like a good solution for me. I have the fridge hardwired to the battery bus bars with a fuse and large cables to avoid the run to the DC panel and back. If I leave the boat for an extended period I turn off the "dial" and then remove the fuse.
They draw VERY little (those fans). You should be just fine
Guys : Be realistic!! The inside of the fridge is a SMALL area and the "D" battery fans do the job of circulating the air and are silent!
I have my battery fan hanging on a string that is looped around the thermostat knob. It is near the bottom of the fridge box angling up (45 degrees?). I get a full season out of the batteries.
A few thoughts
I finally got arround to completimg this project. I ended up using 3/8" polycarbonate (aka Lexan) as my base material. Using the tracing paper templates provided by Bill Shreeves, I used spay adhesive to attach those to 1/2" ply and cut them out to the line. As it turns out, my box (with the wire rack recesses in the ice box cleats) is slightly wider at the cleat than what the traces came from. After a bit of fitment, I got a good working template and cut out the lower shelf using a pattern bit and a router.
Next up was some cleats on the shelf to provide support where my ice box shelf supports were relieved to accept the wire rack shelving. These were glued on with a solvent glue and there was a VERY steep learning curve. The lower shelf cleats were not my best work, but I learned a lot there tk apply to the upper shelves.
For the upper shelf, I wanted as large a surface area as possible with a reasonably sized hole to the lower shelf for access to those items below. Since the shelf needed to be made in two parts to fit into the box opening, I worked out a size that was quite large for the forward piece and a small piece on the aft stbd side that could be removed if needed. These were fit trial and error in the box at the boat with the rough shaps again made using the paper templates.
The upper shelves also were cut with a pattern bit in a router. Additionally, these needed fiddles to keep items on the shelf underway. After my experience on the lower shelf, I built a jig for locating the parts to be attached and masked off the parts being glued with the exception of the areas being mated. This resulted in a MUCH better outcome, but it was still not as nice as I had hoped.
And here is a little collection of photos showing the final product installed in the ice box. This turned out to be a VAST improvement over the previous setup of wire rack shelves against the aft wall. The orientation of the shelves made getting things off the shelves from the galley side an absolute bear. This set up allows for FULL access to the lower shelf without much boat yoga and there is nothing to take out to get to the lower shelf.
I want to thank everyone who stopped in to provide, thoughts, insight and photos of their setup. I want to give a special thanks to Bill Shreeves for the tracings of his shelves and the legwork to send them to me. Despite my box being slightly different, these tracings made this SOOOOO much easier. Thanks Bill.
Great job, Alex. That hole in the top shelf with the fiddles is a great idea. The way your evaporator is setup allowed you to do a lot of good things.
Thanks Stu. The evaporator location and type was a deliberate choice. The "O" shapped evaporator units always seemed to be in the way and rarely provided the value they proported to offer. Rather fortunately, my refrigeration setup was toast when I bought the boat so I could set it up exactly the way I wanted.
Alex : Nice modification!!
I still have the original AB with the open freezer compartment on the aft end of the fridge. We keep that freezer loaded on our 6 week long trips (spring & fall)!! I have the small battery operated fan (Fridge Mate) hanging from the thermostat control to keep the air inside the fridge circulating.
A few thoughts