1930's Servel Electrolux Gas Fridge Build. Lots of Pics

[rednek-]

I finally found the right fridge that I wanted to make into a fridge. This is my first smoker.

1930's Servel Electrolux Gas Fridge - $30

Gassmoker.com Afterburner - $75

Maverick ET-732 - $60

A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker - $40

Paint and Supplies - $30

Door seal - $5

2 cases of Yuengling Light - $40

It was really nice to have friends give me the aluminum and stainless used in this build that I didn't have to pay for.

Through Facebook I acquired this 1930's Servel Electrolux Gas Fridge.

Smoker1.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Smoker2.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Back side of fridge with refridgeration removed.

Smoker3.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Freezer section removed from inside.

Smoker4.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Smoke stack installed

Smoker6.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Smoker7.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Fisrt half of rack structure. I used 1.25" aluminum box tubing to accomodate for the 2" offset between the door opening and the inside walls. I had 5" wide aluminum that was ripped in two and bent into 1"x1.5" angle and riveted to the aluminum tubing. Also shown is a 5/16" aluminum heat deflector on the bottom.

Smoker8.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Rack system is complete and inside opening covered with 13ga aluminum with cutout for smoke stack.

Smoker9.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Fresh Rustoleum Hammered paint job and the cart I made with 6"casters is bolted to bottom of smoker.

Smoker10.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Afterburner LP Gas burner installed

Smoker11.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Installed the Maverick ET-732 temperature probes through the aluminum plate using hi-temp silicone gaskets.

Smoker13.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Stainless steel racks installed. The racks we my biggest issue trying to find the correct manufactured rack without spend over $200. Just couldn't find the right size that I needed. A friend of a friend had large stainless grate panels and he gave me one that made 8 racks. Just need to run them through the brake and make them straight. Just being anal.

Smoker14.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

Back side complete with an aluminum panel, 6x6x4 junction box and a plate shelf installed on the cart for the gas tank.

Smoker15.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

The 6x6x4 junction box housing the Maverick ET-732.

Smoker16.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

A 4 hour seasoning is complete and will be ready for its first 2 butts in a few hours for a New Years Day feast.

Smoker17.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

 

[woodcutter]

Cool. You picked out the perfect Fridge. It looks like manufactured smoker.

 

[hambone1950]

​

That is a sweet looking smoker , brother. Great job. A real conversation piece. Can't wait to see some smoked meat comin out!
Good luck , brother.

Sorry about the multiple copies....my ipad is acting up.
No way to delete a post from here once it's published , huh?

 

[tjohnson]

Great Job!!!

Was the ammonia still in the lines or did it already leak out?

We used a Servel Fridge at a hunting shack for years.  It would maintain 32° for a week on a 20# tank of propane

Much cheaper than buying ice!!!

Only thing I see is your racks may sag a little.

Can you tack on some angle or square tube to the front and back?

I found extra racks from an oven at a appliance recycling company.  I took a bolt cutter and cut them to size

It sure is something to be proud of!!!

Todd

 

[lu1847]

Great looking smoker you got there. Real nice clean build. Woodcutter is right that is the perfect fridge. Great job!

 

[californiadan]

Very nice!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Really like your smoker, great job!!!

 

[rednek-]

Todd,  Yes the ammonia was still fully charged.  It was a cut-n-run removal. LOL

Those racks are not going to deflect very much.  I can't even bend them by hand to straighten them.  I'm going to have to use a brake to straighten them. 

Here's a pic of the rack supporting 30# of lead.

Rack_with_Lead.jpg

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

New Years Day supper is started.

First_Smoke.JPG

• rednek-
• Jan 1, 2013

 

[cadillac forge]

nice build!! love that style of box,   you will love the afterburner, i used it in mine and it has operated flawlessly  dial it in and forget it !! 

 

[mike johnson]

looks very nice...

 

[mneeley490]

Sweet looking unit!

 

[gmc2003]

Very nice job, looks like you'll be enjoying some good smoke for a while.

chris
 

 

[bigtrain74]

Very sweet build. Enjoy it!

 

[boatnut]

Hey Mark,

hope you bring some samples to next fishing club meeting!  Great job!

 

[driedstick]

That is awesome lookiing unit, I should have painted mine also but just left it white, these are great smokers. You will love it I'm sure

 

[rednek-]

Hey Mark,

hope you bring some samples to next fishing club meeting!  Great job!

Mike,  I can't hide anywhere. You fishing Lake Erie this weekend.  I bet the duck hunters have the ice broke up and the warm temp and rain might make it very tempting.  I plan on taking my new smoker build to the camper in Vermilion this year.  Should be lots of good eats after a day of chasing walleye.  Don wants to enter the niche market of smoked Sheepshead. LOL

Another mod to the build....I had to take out the factory insulation in the bottom because it started to smolder a little bit.  I'm also having issues with my AMNPS not staying lit and I believe it is because I do not have enough air for combustion.  I'm going to drill a intake hole in the bottom of the smoker just under where I place the AMNPS.

 

[boatnut]

Mark,

no, i'm not a die hard like you folks.  I'll probably go to the gun range instead of fishing, LOL.    We'll have to hook up some day and do a "smoke off"

good luck

mike

 

[black]

Originally Posted by S2K9K  [h3]edited post[/h3]

S2K9K
Yesterday at 8:39 pm

Black,
I just wanted to let you know I had to edit one of your posts and delete a link. As per @TulsaJeff and our User Guidelines, offsite links are not permitted to be posted on this forum.
Here is a link to the edited post:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/139323/stx-turboforce-3000-series-grinder#post_1074283
Thank You for understanding,
Moderator Team

That's OK, edit my posts as you like

 

 

[redruff]

I know its an old thread..but..

I have that exact fridge I'm converting as well...

Any idea what the brown pressed insulation is? Rock wool? Any asbestos?

Thanks

Red

 

[rednek-]

Red,

Do yourself a huge favor and get rid of all that insulation. I made 2 mistakes with this smoker. The first was not removing the original insulation and 2nd was trying to hurry up some scalloped potatoes and maxed out the burner and raised the temp to 425*.

The potatoes were done around 6:30pm and I put the smoker back in the shop at 10:30pm. Closed the shop up at midnight and went to bed. Got up the next day went to work. Came home, ate supper and went to shop. Opened shop door and my entire shop was solid smoke and i couldn't see a thing. The smoker got way too hot and cause the paper on the insulation to smolder until it got to the wooden frame and the whole smoker went up in flames.

Lucky for me was a somewhat airtight shop. I believe that all the smoke saved my entire shop. I have 2 gas furnaces in shop and both pilots were snuffed out due to smoke/flames removing all the oxygen. When I wheeled the smoking smoker outside to fresh air it immediately took off in flames.

The good Lord was definitely looking out for me that day.

I now have a 1947 Servel that I will be starting a build soon and I already have the Roxul insulation for this build.

This happened 11 months ago and newcomers to the shop can still smell the smoke. Every horizontal surface in the shop had 1/8"-1/4" of soot and ashes and every cobweb was black. I shop vac'd every square inch of the 40x48 shop.

Please learn from my mistake.