RSS
OK, if you have your cooler but are already cold enough or don't plan to take it anywhere, here are a couple more ideas for what to do with it:
Having a party at night? Make it easy to find the right beverage by following vader119's directions and add a light to your cooler!
Trying to maintain an outdoor worm composting bin in the Texas heat? Instructables user coopdaddi shows how he added a water chiller and a fan to make his cooler a perfect place for worms!
Have the opposite problem, and need a way to keep your resin/RTV project warm while it cures? Why not convert your cooler into a low-temperature curing oven by following idmains instructions? Bonus points for adding a mechanism to control the inside temperature.
So, that's just about everything I can think of to do with a cooler. Have any last-minute ideas? Be sure to share them in the Comments for a chance at a prize!
More:
Rectangular coolers are great for making a mash tun for making the wort for all grain homebrewed beer! Find one with a drain at the bottom and remove it and fit it with a ball valve and some form of a manifold inside and viola!
Reply to this comment
Probably well known to (especially DIY) fishermen, but I've seen quite a few people use a chest cooler as a live well in their boat (to keep fish alive throughout the fishing day). Typically they'll install some type of aeration system (either premade or cobbled together) where a pump draws water from the bottom and circulates through pipes to the top, where it then "rains" down back into the water, infusing oxygen in the process. Some also have plumbing connected near the bottom routing out through the side of the boat (connected to the aeration or another pump) so they don't have to bail water out of the live well when they're done with it at the end of the day.
Reply to this comment
Put the cooler on it's side, with the lid facing you and the hinges of the lid facing up. Pick up and place about head/chest level on your garage wall and use 3" screws to fasten; two screws per stud (at least two) should be enough.
Now you have some great (lightweight) shelving that adds character to your garage.
By using washers or a 1x6 you could probably increase the weight threshold of the cooler but honestly my only holds gloves, funnels, and other lightweight tools so I didn't worry about it.
Reply to this comment
I've heard of using coolers to make a boombox. You can partition off half to put drinks in and have the other half with the boom box internals. You can make holes in the side and mount some speakers.
Reply to this comment
Made what I call a patio cooler out of a 70 quart igloo cooler and some cypress fencing. Pretty simple, rustic design. The sheet metal roofing material and vintage bottle opener dress it up a bit.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/siLkeqzziMy-897pyCDySg?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G4QDSErWz3S3y7dqbGOEGQ?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VQvidZbPn1nmYEoGSY-V1g?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Az1f5-a_qfeY6Ipwj11oPQ?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cSZv3GYMH4XRKSNqXVj1Fg?feat=directlink
Reply to this comment