Difficulty: 
This project just requires some basic building skills, but you might need some help getting the keezer onto the Bierwagen.
Posts for this Project:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Building of the frame (this post)
Part 3: Bicycle wheel attachment
Part 4: Getting the keezer onto the Bierwagen
Part 5: Keezer collar
Part 6: Storage of the Bierwagen
Affiliate Links
Helpful Tools:
Circular Saw or Miter Saw
Drill or Impact Drill
Materials Needed:
- (qty 6) 2×4 x 96″ boards
- drywall/deck screws (2.5″ is perfect for most of the joints where you have two 2×4’s side-by-side (3″ total thickness at that point)
Overview:
Here are a few views of the cart (without support legs attached) for reference.
This is the cart flipped over so you can see the attachments for the wheels. The fabrication of those will be in a subsequent post.
Construction:
I’m not going to do a step by step, since the pictures and following information should be sufficient for most readers taking on this task.
Design:
Below is the top view of the cart with only the major dimensions shown. I had several constraints when designing the cart. As I mentioned in the first post, it will be rolled out for a grand unveiling at our party. It had a few obstacles to navigate during it’s trip from the garage to the back yard.
- It must fit through our gate
- It must be able to navigate large bumps (edge of driveway and protruding tree roots in the grass)
- Quick disassembly and assembly for storage under our deck during the other 364 days of the year
- Utilize our bike tires
- Integrated ramp system for easy loading/unloading of my keezer dolly
- It needed to be sturdy enough to stand on that I could switch over kegs during the party
- The weight of the keezer must be carefully balanced so that the Bierwagen does not tip when set to rest, yet far enough back that lifting from the front is easy.
You can see the profile of the keezer dolly on the top view to show that it is sufficiently in front of the axle line to prevent tipping. You’ll see in the loading/unloading post how it slides up the “ramp” to be set in place. I added an extra 1/4″ clearance to the outer edges of the casters so that they would not rub on the frame rails when moving. I also had to add about 4″ of clearance for the bike wheels. The Bierwagen is probably overbuilt and pretty heavy to lift, but it serves it’s purpose that one day of the year where it counts!
The side view shows all of the other major dimensions and locations of the boards. Again, you can see how the center of the keezer dolly is between the bicycle wheel axles and the legs. When changing kegs over during the party it is important to stand between the keezer and the legs. This will also prevent tipping. You’ll see on the post where the keezer is getting loaded onto the “ramp”, that the standard 3.5″ height of a 2×4 is just low enough to get my keezer dolly up onto, but if you need a little more clearance, you could put an optional cut into the end to get you what you need.
REMEMBER, IMPORTANT TO AVOID TIPPING!!!!!!:
- MAKE SURE THE WEIGHT (CENTER OF GRAVITY, CENTER OF MASS, ETC) OF THE KEEZER IS BETWEEN THE WHEEL AXLE LINE AND THE FEET
- MAKE SURE YOU STAND BETWEEN THE KEEZER AND THE LEGS WHEN MESSING AROUND INSIDE THE KEEZER OR WITH THE KEEZER
Cut list:
Below is the cut list if your Bierwagen ends up matching mine. I was able to build my cart from a quantity of six, 2x4x96″ studs. The color coding is consistent with the downloadable guide.
- Black = Frame
- Magenta = Cross-member supports
- Blue = Legs
- Gray = Bicycle tires
- Cyan = Keezer on dolly base (click for link on this build)
- Red = Estimated scrap
The legs and cross-member supports required mitered ends. The lengths shown are for the full-length board that you will then trim the angles in the boards.
Of course, your keezer is most likely a different size and you may not even have a keezer dolly, so take my plans and modify them to suit your needs. The cut list is in an ideal world, so you may have to buy an extra 2×4 or if you are like me, you’ve always got some on hand for whatever needs may pop up.
Download the Detail Prints for Frame and Cut List by subscribing:
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[purchase_link id=”2107″ style=”button” color=”green” text=”Download Mein Bierwagen Cut List”]
Up next…
Posts for this Project:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Building of the frame (this post)
Part 3: Bicycle wheel attachment
Part 4: Getting the keezer onto the Bierwagen
Part 5: Keezer collar
Part 6: Storage of the Bierwagen
