I am well along in my project now...moving in the heavy equipment. Now that I have it powered up, mr daniels and I have spent a couple hours with my feet up, sitting inside, had a few neighbours stop by....I don't have the wood stove going yet, and I likely will move equipment around in time but I am ready to make a few conclusions....first I have another container that I use for storage, and I love them for that, never really thought of using one for a shop, or as a home as I have seen some have. If you would have asked if it was a good Idea for either I would have said no...The cost of them can buy a awful lot of lumber, and as I have lots of experience with conventional building that is what I would have suggested to others...but it turns out this does have some advantages....speed is one. I framed it in a unconventional manner that allowed it to get done with low cost and fast, same with wiring. something like 50 55 hrs total (but I do know what I am doing, usually) and that included the painting of the inside.
At the start I really thought it wasn't my brightest idea as space is so limited.....but now that I have much of the equipment in I have to say this is working out well, and I have a lot of equipment...to give you a idea, metal Lathe, 2 milling machines, pipe positioner/rotator, bead blasting cabinet, varsal washing tank, burn table oxy/fuel, , small fab table, welders of every type, chop saws, drills and grinders, 20 ton hydraulic press, manual and hydraulic pipe (and flat steel) benders, air compressor,and much more......It turns out the rectangular shape of the container is perfect for this type of shop....I have 80...no 96 liniel feet (counting the ends) of wall space, and I have space above my head that I am making use of as well...its turning into a very efficient shop, space wise. Again I only did this cause I just didn't want the hasle and costs of building permits, inspections, and what it would do to my taxes if I built a shop.
Some might wonder what I would do if I had a large project to build....I haven't gotten to the other end of the container yet, but I plan to have a 5x10 fab table out under the crane way. I will be able to swing open the 2 end doors, and on each door I will have attached with hinges 2 sheets of plywood (on each door) that will fold out from the end doors enclosing the fab table. anyway enough typing.
this is just the first 12 feet of the container
One way to make use of space is to put things on a rotating table. I can stand in one spot and rotate that table so I can use the drill press, then a wire wheel (steel or copper) , a coarse , or fine grinding wheel, then a course or fine buffing wheel (one side is missing the buffing wheel.
this shows the man door, and when closed its near impossible to tell that there is a door there. The container has been repainted flat grey but for some reason looks blue in the pic
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
What did you do for insulation and air/Vapour barrier? Is there any air circulation in it and if so what did you use? Can you take a few pics of the wood stove and how you installed. Also, how much $$$ for the container, the finishing and setup? Is the unit anchored to the ground or have a foundation or whats it resting on?
Interesting project!
https://www.internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=7738
Great idea.
Awesome set up. Can these shipping containers be buried here in Alberta? I've heard conflicting things about the soil. Would like a cold cellar for storage.
What did you do for insulation and air/Vapour barrier? Is there any air circulation in it and if so what did you use? Can you take a few pics of the wood stove and how you installed. Also, how much $$$ for the container, the finishing and setup? Is the unit anchored to the ground or have a foundation or whats it resting on?
Interesting project!
I havnt put in the stove yet, its a old junky one, I have to fab up a top shelf for the inside of it that I can use to stop the heat from going straight up the chimnney will take a pic when done.
Cost? I think I said in that other thread, but now I am finding them for about a thousand less than I paid cause the oil companies arnt buying them all up anymore...another good thing about a recession 🙂 and I havnt reached 1000 to finish it to this point yet, maybe when I finish putting in the wood stove that might take me over a thousand to finish, but I often come across chimney pieces at the restore for a good price.
Its 8000 pounds empty, likely 12000 finished and full...its not going anywhere so its just sitting on some steel disks at each of the four corners. Though I have a idea for manufacturing custom pieces that have acme thread, like what the posts in a basement have. you just jack up one end of the container put your plate that has jacking threads on under your corners, do the same to the other end, and then level with a wrench, simple easy and fast.
I just used r12 batts for insulation, cheapest, easiest way I found, with cheap being the prime directive in most things I do.
I didn't need a vapor barriour, I am not cooking, not showering, no moisture generating activities at all, there might be some mixing of drinks though 😀 . If you were building it to live in you must have one, the humidity from just showering would saturate the air, and I think you would need continuous positive ventilation or atleast I would build it that way, though it seems others arnt doing so. for shop purposes I just crack the man door open, and the end doors. I will sit a fan blowing down the length so when I am welding the fumes are just blown out the end doors.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Awesome set up. Can these shipping containers be buried here in Alberta? I've heard conflicting things about the soil. Would like a cold cellar for storage.
It would be one hell of a large and expensive cold cellar.... you can do it...just depends how much you want to spend, such thoughts go outside my price range, maybe if I had the heavy equipment needed for digging I would think about it, but I don't.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Awesome set up. Can these shipping containers be buried here in Alberta? I've heard conflicting things about the soil. Would like a cold cellar for storage.
No No....NO NO NO.
I show off the things that work. I don't show off my utter failures. One of those I only refer to as "C5s Folly" was burying a cube van for a cold storage. It was a summer of lost effort. It didn't crush from the roof. It crushed in from the sides. I came to understand that dirt is like water...because it is full of water. Land flows. It was a huge regret an a waist of a perfectly good dry storage shed that I sure could use now.
We have a shipping container as well (Door in the same spot. Not insulated) Its the only truly dry storage of all of our out buildings...so we keep bikes in it...and mouse proof...so we keep feed in it. Its got a hide a bed in it for emergency housing for our crew with a wood stove. We would retreat to it incase of a hurricane cause it wont blow away. We would like to attach a second one, cutting one wall out and lifting it as a roof beween the two. That part would be a barn and hay storage Unlikely to burn.
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
C5 could you elaborate on the buried container. I understand what you are saying about sides caving in under the weight of dirt. I have heard people have done it here in Alberta successfully. People build basements all the time so would it be a matter of reinforcing the sides some how to make it work. With underground there is the advantage of constant temperature for storage.
Crownsown, this is the wood stove, more a case of its what I have, than whats best, but it will do, I will do some work on it , its already sitting on a raised stand cause I hate crouching down to load a stove.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
So, Do great minds think alike...or fools seldom differ. I'll leave you to decide.
Its a mess at the moment as other projects are taking priority. Its hard to find recycled insulation. Bad photos too but you take what you can get.
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
Bad shot of the stove
Also, the windows slide out for bringing larger items in.
And the rain roof above the door was made from the piece I cut out for the door
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
Love the windows at the end. I may go straight up with my chimeney, did you have a reason for going 90 out the side?
Our days are long and sunny spring summer and into fall I could not have gone without insulating it as It would have been too hot inside even with the end doors open. 10 bundles of r12 at 44.00 a bundle, the most expensive part of finishing it, 30 7/16 osb at 7.35 per sheet so 220.50 and 30 2x4s at 2.6 each or 79.00 dollars, (Would have been 135 2x4s done conventionaly) prices will vary depending on province, so 739.00 to frame, insulate, and panel. I wasn't going to drywall it as its a shop and I need to hang heavy things on the walls, including shelves, once painted it looks like finished like drywall anyway.
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
, did you have a reason for going 90 out the side?]
I figure, its a perfect steel roof. Cut a hole in in and you have a potential leak point. That the roof is corrugated....Not sure that's the right word....bendy 🙄 ...It would be hard to get a good sealing fitting. That was my reasoning but Im no fittings expert
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
I understand the concern of a good fit....they make the perfect product for that...high temp silicone good to over 600F and even firing your stove like a blast furnace the second wall ( asumming your using double wall pipe) will never see that. I just cut my hole 1/4 inch larger than needed, will stuff in fiberglass insulation in the crack and seal with high temp silicone. 10 -15 years from now I will check it, maybe have to recaulk, no big deal. who am I kidding...I wont check it unless it leaks 🙂
That's as high as I am going.
Just test fired it... I am real close to the wall, maybe a inch away, so I put a old steel 3 or 3.5 foot disk behind the stove 1/4 inch thick, will monitor the temps...I should clean and paint the disk, but I kind of like the rusty mad max ambience.
Here is a pic crownsown. I put a little lipstick on it and its looking not to bad this was a garage sale buy...something like 100.00 dollars. now I still am going to line the base and sides with fire brick, and put in a top shelf but at least I can use it as is for now
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
It never ceases to amaze me the abilities of you guys to actually get out in the field and build this kind of stuff.
Kudos! Really interesting thread for me!
https://www.internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=7738