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My Avanti 28 has trapezoidal shelves..

veeref

veeref

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*UPDATE 10/5/10*

I received the new trays from Chuck 2 weeks ago. They are the "Large Slot", compared with the "Small" which didn't fit. The new ones fit a lot better and I'm happy with the fit. However, in the process of switching out the handles with the new ones, I accidentally shipped a new tray back to Chuck :( He hasn't responded to my emails and hasn't explicitly told me if he could send it back to me, so I don't know if I'm stuck with an incorrectly sized one. If anyone gets in touch with him, can you inquire for me?

Regards,
Randy

I've attached some pictures of the new shelves. (The odd one is one the bottom).



*end update*
Here's the deal:

I bought an Avanti 28 bottle unit a couple months back. It was a great price on a unit and I couldn't pass it up. Works well in my basement.

I ordered the cedar trays from Chuck, and through no fault of his, they didn't fit. Here's the problem/my dilemma:

The slots are not square! The wire shelves for the unit measure 13-11/16" at the rear, and 13-15/16" at the front. That's a 1/4" difference in width from front-to-back. This would seem like a freaking nightmare to someone making these drawers to make a trapezoidal tray/shelf to fit. I've re-submitted the measurements and am confident that Chuck is making it right for me and everyone who has ordered these.

My temporary solution has been to put some insulated foam tape (the kind you put around doors/windows) to "widen" the slots for the trays to slide in and out of and keep them from falling out.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Regards,
Randy
 
Danilo

Danilo

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had the same issue, completely my fault in the measurements... But my shelfs where actually 1/4'' short on the width (from my measurements) not a huge deal, I just cut one of the dividers up and glued it under my slots so that it fits...
Oh well.
 
mav_sd

mav_sd

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I'll weigh in on this issue fellas...

There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that this model of Avanti is not designed to have pull out racks... there is a notch at the back and the racks are made with a tab so that when loaded with wine, you are not able to pull the racks out.

However, there is good news... the slots the racks fit into are actually shaped more like a couple of hockey sticks laid out so the ends face each other... not like a couple of baseball bats. This means that the measurement from the front of the rack actually holds true all the way back to about 2-2.5 inches from the end of the slot.

If you take the wire rack as it is and try to pull it forward empty, you will get about 4 inches outside the door and the rack will slip out of one side or the other and will fall. if you turn the rack backwards, it will slide all the way back to where the slots narrow slightly with a good fit the entire way.

So how do you make drawers that pull out without falling? It's easier than you think...but a real pain in the arse if you're doing it mail order... just make your drawers with the same width as the front of the rack allllll the way to the rear. THEN dog ear the back corners slightly and with a shallow angle until they slide as far back as you want them. Technically very easy for a woodworker, but unless you have the unit, or the exact measurements (which are NOT intuitive for most guys to get) then it becomes tricky.

If you use the exact measurements from the racks, you will only be able to extend about 4 inches...if you use the method I describe, you can easily extend closer to 8 inches. You won't get the same nearly full extension you would have with other models of fridge, but you can get it so it's a very comfortable reach.

Hope that helps out, it's an issue i've worked through a couple of times, and it does require a bit of finess...but it's totally do-able.

if you're makeing shelves only...you can use the rack measurements and you'll be just fine...those don't pull out.

Enjoy your projects brothers!

PS - to the OP - Chuck did a fine job with your drawers, they look fantastic!
 
S

Sryounger83

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Your humidor cooler setup looks awesome. One question to you sir.

First your wine cooler setup looks awesome! I a, thinking of ordering the same wine cooler from Avanti and I want the exact drawer/shelving setup you have. First off do you like your setup or would you recommend a different cooler? Second if you recommend the Avanti you already have could I get the measurement order you submitted to Chasidorhumidors.com that way I get the fit right. Thank you and I hope you can help.
 
veeref

veeref

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Sryounger83 said:
Your humidor cooler setup looks awesome. One question to you sir.

First your wine cooler setup looks awesome! I a, thinking of ordering the same wine cooler from Avanti and I want the exact drawer/shelving setup you have. First off do you like your setup or would you recommend a different cooler? Second if you recommend the Avanti you already have could I get the measurement order you submitted to Chasidorhumidors.com that way I get the fit right. Thank you and I hope you can help.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the kind words :) First off, here are the measurements I submitted to Chuck done according to his website:

Slot Width: 13-5/8"
Slot Depth: 11"
Slot height: 5/16" (2 pieces of cardboard stacked is snug)
Body of tray Width at narrowest: 12-7/8"
Bottom of One Shelf-Bottom of Next: 3-5/16"

If yours are similar I'd go with the larger/wider trays and shelves. They will still be loose when you pull them out but that's because the slot is not square but wider towards the front.

That said, there are pros/cons to the Avanti. I can personally compare it only to the Edgestar which I also have but use it for wine storage. The pros to the Avanti are the external digital controls for temperature and the internal light. It can be set as high as 68, and down somewhere into the 50's or maybe even high 40's. Its fairly accurate as well in maintaining temperature. The overall quality IMO is better than the Edgestar as well. The big negatives are that (1) it only has half the number of slots for shelves, which will only manifest itself if you want to run single-height trays or want more control over tray placement, and (2) the trapezoidal shelves which tapers wider towards the front. With the bottom tray pulled out more than halfway, it will still come out of its slot - slightly annoying.

If you want precise temperature control and don't mind running an ETC (external temp controller), I would get the Edgestar and a Ranco or similar setup. If you want something that looks a little nicer and 'polished' and don't mind the issues with the slots not being square, I would get the Avanti. The external controls are nice in that respect if you plan on running it.

Since I store everything in my basement and it never gets warmer than 70 degrees in the summer, I personally would have preferred the square slots and more tray options of the Edgestar.

Hope that helps,

Randy
 
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