Ice Box -> Liquor Cabinet Conversion

Below are some pictures of an ice box to liquor cabinet conversion.  Thanks to Al who let me use his workshop and did a majority of the work.  

The original ice box is from the Alaska Refrigerator Company, based in Muskegon, MI. The label on the back indicates it was originally purchased at a Wecker Furniture Store at 1433 Milwaukee Avenue in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. Some info that I found is below: 

Alaska Refrigerator was one of the first companies to move to Muskegon Heights.  They opened their factor at the corner of Broadway and Fifth in 1891.  At their height, Alaska Refrigerator employed 325 workers and was the largest refrigerator plant in the United States.  They produced a full line of wooden cabinet ice boxes, chests and coolers that used large blocks of ice to cool food.  Alaska was known world wide, shipping units to six continents.  In 1926, the company was sold to the Coldak Corporation and continued to produce ice boxes for a market increasingly dominated by electric refrigerators. In 1931, the Borg Warner Corporation purchased the factory and moved its Norge Refrigerator division from Detroit to Muskegon Heights.  The Muskegon Heritage Museum collection includes three examples of Alaska Refrigerators for the residential market. 

Original condition below:

Front

Back

Label on back

Wall papered inside

Step 1: Removing the wall paper from inside. 

Step 2: We removed the doors.  You can see about two inches of wood, tin and some insulation (as it was a refrigerator).  We removed all of that and cut out the middle of each door to make glass doors. 

Step 3: router out a ledge for the glass panes to sit on. 

Action shot

Cleaned up doors sitting in place. 

Step 4: Al made some very nice trim pieces to hold the glass in place.

Step 5: Sanding

Step 6: Al installed adjustable shelf brackets and some strip lighting (in the corner covered with blue tape). 

Step 7: I spent 7-8 hours polishing all of the removed brass hardware. 

Step 8: Clear coat applied to the back.  We did not sand this as we wanted to preserve the serial number on the back.  (Not sure what it indicates, but maybe I will find out one day.)

Step 9: Painting the inside and first coat of Walnut varnish on exterior.

Step 10: Walnut stain done, lights on. 

Step 11: Al installed the glass on the doors

Step 12: Two coats of walnut stain, 4 coats of lacquer and sanding in between coats. Finished product below. 

(glass shelves, bottles and glasses will be added later)

Before and After Pictures

RAGBRAI 2022

"RAGBRAI" is a bike ride across Iowa sponsored by the Des Moines Register.  The acronym stands for Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa."  2022 is the 49th year it has ran.  Each year is a different route.  

Here is an overview of the full route (462 miles, 12,945 feet of climbing) or click here: 

Day 1

Sunday July 24

Sergeant Bluff to Ida Grove

53.2 miles

2,545 Feet of Climb

Every start town had a photo op - including Sergeant Bluff.  There was a long line, so I just took a picture of some random people.  

Every town along the way had a water bottle refill station.  I like this set up. 

Lots of American pride and cranes along the way.  This is in Sergeant Bluff. 

This is the start of the ride leaving Sergeant Bluff.  Northwest Iowa was surprisingly scenic. 

Panoramic...

Day 1 had a midway stop in Anthon, IA.  This old fire truck with a hand crank siren was cool. 

All 7 days I saw lots of cool antique tractors on display.  These were in Anthon, IA. 

No shortage of picturesque barns in Iowa. 

One of the famous vendors on RAGBRAI is Beekman's ice cream.  They had about 6 of these machines to churn ice cream.  Under the blanket is the ice cream. 

Not appetizing on a hot bike ride...

Day 1 ended in Ida Grove, IA.

Day 2

Monday July 25

Ida Grove to Pocahontas

71.2 miles

1,694 Feet of Climb

Great sunrise leaving Ida Grove on Day 2.  You can see all the bikers in front of me. 

The sign said this was the biggest steer in the country.  It didn't seem that big.  I didn't pay the $5 to sit on it. 

My bike against a tractor. With so many people around, it was impossible to get a picture without someone else in it. 

Every day had some "pass-through" towns and a stop town midway.  This is a typical scene of those towns (Newell, IA). 

Church ladies selling pie.  

Day 2 finished in Pocahontas, IA and we camped near the courthouse, pictured below. 

Day 3

Tuesday July 26

Pocahontas to Emmettsburg

56.4 miles

756 Feet of Climb

Another day, another sunrise to start the ride. 

Panoramic photo attempt.  It kid of worked...

More tractors...

This was my favorite breakfast stop.  Every day this family set up about 10-15 miles into the ride on a farm's driveway.  I hit them up 5 out of the 7 days.  Breakfast sandwich, Gatorade and banana. 

This was a sad memorial to a girl who died at the age of 19.  Her family put it up. West Bend, IA. 

My favorite water bottle refill station of the trip. 

West Bend, IA is famous for its grotto.  I took a lot of pictures.  This was started by a priest in the early 1900s.  He worked on it until he died in the 1970s and some parishioners took over.  

The guy in the jeans was repairing the wall.  I think he was gluing stones back on?

Next to the grotto there were church ladies selling pie. 

Day 3 ended in Emmetsburg, IA.  They are proud of their Irish heritage. 

I had a lot of meals in church basements.  This church in Emmetsburg had a prayer for the riders. 

Day 4

Wednesday July 27

Emmettsburg to Mason City

103.5 miles

1,699 Feet of Climb

Day 4 was the longest day, 103 miles.  I started out early in the dark. 

A different breakfast stop. 

Britt, IA was the stop town on day 4.  They had the biggest "beer" sign I have seen. 

I met a guy in Britt who handmade a bike out of Walnut. 

Britt, IA is the hobo capital of the world(?).  Here is a hobo in jail. 

Lots of kids with elaborate lemonade stands along the way. 

Day 4 ended in Mason City.  On a couple of nights I went to the local city pool.  You can swim and use their showers. This pool was one of the nicest I have been.  

Day 5

Thursday July 28

Mason City to Charles City

47.9 miles

1,260 Feet of Climb

Old train on display leaving Mason City. 

Goats along the road. 

Day 5 ended in Charles City, IA.  I had sloppy joes at the Knights of Columbus hall.  

One of the campgrounds along the river in Charles City, IA. 

I used a charter service from "Bike World Iowa."  They carried our bags to each town, set up chairs/tent, sold beer etc...  They also had a nice charging station for everyone's gadgets. 

Weird ad for a barber shop in Charles City. 

Day 6

Friday July 29

Charles City to West Union

63 miles

2,025 Feet of Climb

My attempt at an artistic shot leaving Charles City in the morning. 

Welcome to Lawler, IA, the midway point of day 6. 

I like this old-ish "ballroom" in Lawler, IA.

Day 6 ended in West Union, IA.  This was our most crowded camp set up.  We were at some fairgrounds. 

Day 7

Saturday July 30

West Union to Lansing

65.4 miles

2,964 Feet of Climb

Last sunrise of the ride. 

The below picture is all turkeys.  See you guys next Thanksgiving. 

The ride ended at the Mississippi River in Lansing, IA.  Riders are lined up for the "tire dip" at the end of the ride.  I skipped this but took a picture. 

THE END!