Top-Mount Style Icebox

Sear Style Description of Construction

The overall design criteria has been centered on these principles; Beauty of appearance, modern functionality, ease of repair and authenticity. Only when the advantage of modern materials or design has great advantage do we opt for it. These units, as well as the top-mount style are designed and built to last generations. Please call for specifics on any of the items mentioned below.

The Main Features of Construction are as Follows:

All solid wood construction. No particleboard or veneer is ever used. High quality marine grade plywood may be used for some interior framework. This is because of its lower cost and superior dimensional stability.

Units will be finished on sides, front, back and so can be viewed from any direction. The top may be finished as an option.

Any choice of wood and stain is available. White oak, red oak, walnut, cherry, mahogany, maple, ash, pine, tropical exotics, etc. Units can be shipped unfinished, which allows you to better match the stain and finish of existent cabinetry on-site. We also offer a "distressed" finish as an option, which makes the "new" icebox look aged. Trim options are available so your icebox can be made to look anywhere from simple and attractive to highly ornate, such as the one pictured here.

Doors panels can be either solid flat or raised wood and will be specified in the contract. Door gaskets are easily replaceable. Doors can be made right or left hand swing. Door swing must be specified in the contract. The doors are NOT reversible swing.

The doors will not extend more than 13/16” above the face-frame of the icebox. The insulation and interior door panel will be interior to the face-frame. Their appearance will be exact to what an authentic icebox looked like.

Interior plastic door panels will be filled with structural foam if not already done so by the chosen manufacturer. This imparts a solid feel to the door panel and aides in resistance to damage.

The interiors of the chosen model will function exactly as they would have prior to the conversion.

All interior electrical and plumbing lines as well as mechanical systems will be servicable. This will allow service life to be extended indefinately.

All hardware will be made of bronze patterned after actual antique pieces and will conform to the UL safety standards for child entrapment. The doors will be able to be pushed open from the inside with only 15 lbs. of force as per UL 250 §4.7 & §8.28. The bronze will not be lacquered, unless requested, so it will patina gracefully over time.

The optional icewater spigot is made of bronze with a bronze “dripcatch” mounted below. They will be similar in appearance to the one shown here which appeared in the 1915 Sears and Roebuck catalog. Note that they are mounted to the face frame and not the doors. Unlike the McCray style this option will not include a bronze icewater tank inside the refrigerated compartment. The tank will be plastic and hidden from sight. All sweated joints in the system will use lead-free solder. The position of the spigot and dripcatch will be specified in the contract.

Although these unit are not UL listed they are constructed with UL listed components and are in compliance with the majority of UL standards listed in the UL 250 manual for “Household Refrigerators and Freezers.”

The compressor for all our units may be located remotely as an option. This would remove the noise and heat generated by the compressor out of the kitchen. In-unit compressors have sound deadening materials in the compressor compartment, which is located below the unit.

Insulation is extruded and/or foamed-in-place polyurethane with a “R” value equal to or greater than the refrigerator being converted. This insulation is hydrophobic with a closed cell structure and will not absorb moisture. The insulation is installed so as to form a seal around the interior cabinet with no gaps or holes so moist air is unable to pass through and condense on the interior cabinet.

The power cord exits from underneath the icebox so that it can be hidden from view. A floor-mounted outlet would be required to take full advantage of this feature. This may only be a concern if it were desired to place the unit in the center of a room.

All doors will be built from a design that completely eliminates the problem of broken joints without effecting appearance in any way. The design will also eliminate the problem of hinge or latch screws being pulled loose. Carcass service life is thereby greatly lengthened.

The sub-frame behind the carcass face-frame will be heated to prevent moisture from condensing on the face-frame between the doors. This is a standard feature in all modern refrigerators.

All glued-up wood panels will be biscuited for superior long-lasting joint life.

Warrantees, shipping and all other particulars or customizations will be specified in the contract agreement.

Units can be built using any sized top-mount refrigerator from 19 to 26 cubic feet that is constructed using a double or "dual tub" type construction. If you're in the market for a stove you may also want to check out www.antiquestoves.com. Jack Santoro is very knowledgable in this area and can point you in the direction of some very unique and beautiful old stoves.

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