DIY | How to build a Cedar Ice Chest for your patio or deck | Repurposed Cedar Fence

In this project I used reclaimed 5/8" thick x 6" Wide x 8' long cedar fence boards. I ran the boards through the planer to make the edges smooth and bring the life back to the cedar. I didn't list a lot of measurements due to the fact of when you build a cooler box, the size really lies on how big your cooler is. I just built the cooler box around my old cooler. I used mostly glue and brad nails so you wouldn't see all of the screws. Plus the brads almost vanish into the dark cedar that I used.
All in all the cooler box is a lot stronger than I had anticipated and is holding up well....oh, did I mention that it looks great too!!
Thanks for watching!

[@kellywolfanger4124]

Best video on a cedar cooler I've seen. Starting on making one for my brother for Christmas now. Thanks for making a video that's easy to understand and with narration.

[@jimscofield6857]

Beautiful job man!! The only thing I would add is a set of swivel wheels and maybe those handles you mentioned!!! Thanks for the video....

[@deanmiller294]

My dad told me he always puts at least one blemish into all projects he builds! Wanting to one up pops, I usually have 2 :) Just started on one for my son using the same materials. I enjoy the build as much as if not more than the outcome. Thanks for sharing

[@jonathan1613]

I jist got me a table saw today and all I got laying around are a bunch of leftover fence boards, now I know what my first project will be thanks for the vid sir really helpful indeed.

[@rad23ref]

Just finished my 1st one. 4 more to go for Christmas presents. Learned a lot from the video. Thanks for sharing.

[@softail1951]

I too enjoyed ur common sense approach to an awesome looking project. I ve watched 3 different styles on you tube now, and Im going to build ur version.

[@tomzahlman1156]

Looks great! Pocket hole screws would work on parts of the frame also.

[@ricksannes247]

This is an fantastic build. It's probably way to late for this one change I would make is to fill the lid with spray foam. Since you did cover the top I would have drilled through the top of the lid and let the foam fill that void too. Either way very impressive.

[@johnnylopez4344]

Great job and design, I love your style, and knowing "That there are no mistakes in woodworking, only opportunities to reevaluate the design. Your shop looks like mine...thanks again

[@josephrush2910]

One of the best videos I've watched on making a cooler chest.

[@PoposWoodworks]

Joseph Rush thanks!!

[@josephrush2910]

@@PoposWoodworks how wide is the lip around the top that the lid closes on? That isn't covered in the video. Thanks

[@Markr980]

Thank you for not editing out your mistake on the end trim. It's nice to see that you dont have to be a mathematician or engineer to make something nice and of great quality.

[@DeserttoGarden]

I've been wanting instant to build something similar, so this is inspiring/helpful.

[@husker22chad63]

3:08 there are so many uses for under the table wiping. Glue, paint, boogers, more boogers…..

[@dropt2low]

Came across your video as I'm building one of these myself and I made the exact same mistake you did... great video.

[@rogerbourret7562]

Great job. Thanks for keeping it simple. Great to see your not afraid to admit to mistakes. I’ve had my share as well. Have a good day and good luck on future projects.

[@gotbacon04]

You should show an updated video to see how it’s held up for the last 3 years. Great work 👍

[@Doorkicker505]

That's a good looking project. I might try that myself with an old cooler.

[@chrisgoins348]

Good job! I like it. Quick,simple, n best of all cheap lol! Pocket holes will help hide screws n stronger joints as well.

[@lostsailor2759]

Nice project ol' boy. That cedar will last for years outdoors.

[@Jaxter1137]

Awesome. I like your build the best of all I have looked at. I’m definitely gonna build the way you did. Thanks for the video.

[@garymenasco5449]

Wish you had showed how you did the spigot from start to finish....showing the inside also...other than that a great video

[@josephgraham1065]

Great Build. I am going to make 2 of them and put between my hot tub and the wall it will keep drinks cold and give me a place to put the drinks.

[@mikeday9699]

Awesome, I am going to do it. I have a huge cooler and don't know where to put it. I'll make legs with wheels. Love it. Thanks

[@BrandonHart85]

Thank you Popo for the outstanding video. Made it easy to follow along with also. Your cooler stand looks great also.

[@jeffhennings6015]

Have to make one of these for our camp nice job

[@sharettawalker4703]

Hey Popo!! My poor husband is in trouble since I found your channel...LOL...thanks for the great ideas

[@PoposWoodworks]

Sharetta Walker haha poor fella

[@sharettawalker4703]

You have a new sub!! LOL..can't wait to see your new vids!

[@brianrothenberger817]

Nice work

[@katherineallen4387]

oh my goodness i love this...you are awesome glad im a new sub..cant wait to see the next project...thanks for sharing love

[@davidcosta6650]

Turned out real nice!! Thanks for sharing

[@frankcavazosjr.5903]

this is pretty Kool, Ill make sue I make one or two, thanks for sharing

[@dispatcherc67]

Awesome work!!

[@gumecindotobias28]

Awesome, thank you for sharing, great video.

[@jragnes]

nice job! im so doing this for our deck!

[@nikvazquez4997]

That thing is slicker than a toad fart! It looks really good.

[@PoposWoodworks]

Nik Vazquez haha now that’s funny right there!!!

[@charleslefebvre5515]

Awesome video. I've built a few of these. I like a few thi gs you did different though. All I'd add is that I left the original drain spout and found some tubing or hose that fit over snug and hose clamped it. Then found a tubing to NPT adapter to fit to my brass spout. Just did that sonit would still drain nice.

[@sburnsy05]

The only reason the drain spout is on the side is because that's where manufacturers put it, assuming all coolers just sit on the ground and get lifted to drain. When I build this I will put the drain spout square on the bottom. My Coleman cooler has no drain

[@charleslefebvre5515]

@@sburnsy05 I just meant what's the point of cutting out existing drains when some PVC tubing fits over them easy and just connect that to a brass valve. Then you just create a place mold can grow if it leaks.

[@sburnsy05]

👍I gotcha, and it's a great point. I still wanna put my drain spout on the bottom since there's no existing one

[@charleslefebvre5515]

@@sburnsy05 yeah if there is no existing drain hole that's different and completely understandable.

[@johnpauljones965]

Awesome build!

[@davidsattler3202]

Nice job 👍

[@kylet3589]

I'd go pocket screws over screwing into endgrain. Endgrain connections do not hold as well and will eventually fail as the board end splits. Also most ppl do not have access to a planer so might wanna add another method that doesn't require planing, maybe splitting with a table saw

[@macclark4112]

Master of Wood Butcherery

[@YOURBODYGUARD69]

Looks like a nice simple project.. all the other ones I've seen is to complicated with hardly any instruction.. Well done.

[@blossom1643]

O my Gosh !!! That’s beautiful (as well as useful) you sure that’s your first one ? I’m sharing this with my Son (& friends” Thanks for sharing!!✌️

[@shanesmaineshop]

Great build, better then just a cooler sitting there.

[@Irisclipss]

Thanks for your video pretty easy and well explained 👍

[@rolandogarza4378]

Thanks for the video very clean job👍

[@mariarobinson1857]

That looks great!

[@dreamkiss4u]

looks nice, but if you measure the slats ahead of time you can simply cut them in the size that would fit inside evenly without having to make thin slats and it will all be the same.....also wheels would be good for it it you used 2x4 so that on the bottom of the feet it has enough to attach wheels to them....looks nice tho.

[@jennabelcher2549]

Love our cooler thanks to Popo's Woodworks!!

[@PoposWoodworks]

Jenna Belcher your very welcome!

[@robertmollitor5329]

Looks great!

[@jgutierrez2198]

clean great job

[@andys5203]

Great job!!!

[@johnjohnoj6408]

U got it friend

[@danb316]

perfect, thats exactly what i needed to see

[@danielquezada3058]

Good looking project. If you would add wheels which ones would you use? I would want mine to be mobile.

[@PoposWoodworks]

You can get the ones that screw in with 4 screws from harbor freight or Lowe’s. You’d just need to make the bottom of the leg solid instead of an “L” for the wheel to screw in to.

[@rickypyun]

@@PoposWoodworks how wood you make the leg solid? use 2x4s instead of pickets?

[@DeserttoGarden]

Very cool!!

[@anthonydeleon5812]

Looks great 👍

[@randywright4310]

Great job thanks

[@COACHCPERRY]

that's nice

[@softail1951]

you had me when u planed the brds..

[@russellborrego1689]

Great video, thanks for sharing! 👍👍 Subscribed!

[@davedaniels8211]

Really nice job . I'd have preferred you hid the hinges . Bottle opener and collection box , with router , are a nice addition . Is it heavy - not familiar with the wood used ? Are you going to stain / wax it , or do you live in one of the states that gets perpetual sunshine ? From UK 🇬🇧.

[@Merlinsluck]

It came out great! Looks very nice. Ive been wanting to build something like this. Are the legs strong enough when its filled?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Richard Ng Absolutely! I haven’t had one issue with the legs yet, and we have moved this thing around a lot! Make sure you use the glue tho!

[@ald.3449]

What did you do for the trim of the top of the frame. Where the lid is sitting at

[@sburnsy05]

This would have been really helpful to see

[@davedvorak8426]

What length brads did you use? Finish? Galvanized?

[@PoposWoodworks]

18 gauge 1 1/4

[@clintonpayne4690]

That's nice

[@TheIndianscout]

Nice job!!Do you know how many cedar boards it took to make this??

[@PoposWoodworks]

TheIndianscout I can’t remember how many I used because I made it out of fence pickets.

[@MAgaSUXX]

Great build! How do you fasten the top cooler lid to the wood do you use screws?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Yes, I used 1 1/4 inch wood screws

[@rscheaney]

How did you attach the cooler lid to the wooded lid. Nice job

[@richardrodgers1883]

He shows it at about 11:50 in the video. Screws.

[@waderue]

it looks great but i would put wheels on it to make easy to move around

[@seanelucero]

Could have done some nice joinery with dado blade stack

[@alecschiff9382]

Hi thanks for the video very impressive word! What is the total height of the cooler stand?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Alec Schiff I want to say it’s around 4 foot to the very top. I just had surgery and I’m unable to get outside to measure it right now. As soon as I get mobile again I will double check for you.

[@stantheman6411]

SWEET!!!!

[@donstanley8021]

Nice!

[@miguelpalacios4817]

Great video! I’m ready to make one of my own. Approximately how many 8’ planks/board of cedars are needed?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Miguel Palacios I want to say it was around 8 of them. I’m not 100% because it’s been so long since I built it.

[@tpbbuzzelli1327]

Sweet

[@woodchuck1]

How many pickets did you use

[@roberttrujillo6146]

How did it hold up when full of ice and beers?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Robert Trujillo we have used this thing a lot since it was built. I’ve had 4 cases of drinks and ice in the cooler all at one time. It’s still holding up as strong as the day it was built. Sun has faded the cedar a lot “needs some new cedar stain” but other than that, no issues.

[@roberttrujillo6146]

Glad to hear it. It looks great.

[@DaveBuildsIt]

Cheers!

[@rolandogarza4378]

How much do you spend on material? I will start making some maybe for sale

[@PoposWoodworks]

I’m not really sure. I used old wood fence boards to do this one.

[@jeffryder5450]

One of the legs is glued and fastened on the wrong edge.

[@karlyaz]

So you used no 2x4's?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Randy McNally Nope, it was all old fence post

[@guilsandoval6568]

👍 Nice

[@frankcavazosjr.5903]

Hey POPO, you have shared a very easy step by step on how to build them Thanks!! I have made about 10 70 qrts already in the past year but now that I have a special order for a 150 qrt one; you think the picket fence will hold that much weight or what would you recommend?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Frank Cavazos JR. it should, I would just make sure you make the platform strong that the cooler will sit on. Possibly use glue and screws to secure it to the legs and you shouldn’t have any issues.

[@frankcavazosjr.5903]

Popo's Woodworks, Thanks my friend for the tip, I will see how it comes out.

[@MegaThrockmorton]

not too shabby for your first go-round. anything special to seal around the drain?

[@PoposWoodworks]

Biff Wellington actually no, I reused the rubber seal that was already on the cooler to seal the drain and it works fine.

[@littlenel17]

how many planks did you use to make this?

[@PoposWoodworks]

littlenel17 I really can’t remember but I wanna day it was around 8 planks give it take

[@elojosmora8105]

Comoes q la tapa sedetiene seq

[@LUIZILLO007]

Les puso grapas en la madera está detenída con la madera

[@markhilliersupportstaff7467]

3 more red coolers in background

[@pkk6428]

Do you have plans for it?

[@PoposWoodworks]

P & K K actually no, I just went off the cooler size and built it around the cooler. I’ve built a few since then and have done the same thing since coolers vary in size.

[@pkk6428]

Thanks

[@jessithom9056]

This time I will use woodprix instructions to make it myself :)

[@brandyhawking7908]

You can use Woodprix Instructions to build it in the cheapest way.

[@wendylammington6264]

Awesome tip . Very good plans I think