Anyone ever used shipping containers as a workshop?

[13eightyfour]

Ok a random title i know, and basically stems from today being the worst day of the year so far. We had quite a downpour yesterday and this morning upon switching on the lights i was greeted with fireworks from the fusebox/consumer unit.

Now im working in an old grain store and the electrics were ropey at best, Ive managed to get a sparky out first thing in the morning to have a look, but im suspecting hes basically going to condemn the lot.

The Dilema
The grain store im working out of has a few problems it suffers from a bit of damp here and there, not overly secure and hasnt been ideal since i moved into it, however it is dirt cheap (read as a couple of beers a month). The farmer that i "rent" the building off. Would have no problems with me putting a new smaller building up and ive found a couple of 40" containers that are cheap./

The Plan
The idea is to basically weld the 2 together and cut out the joining walls to create 1 space with a central support. A friend did the same sort of thing but for storage. I know its not going to look pretty, but i could always clad it afterwards?

Has anyone ever done this or thought of doing it, I cant seem to find a reason why it wont work and would be alot more secure than any shed i can think of.

 

[Boatfixer]

Used to have mobile workshops in containers - they were either freezing or boiling..... and went from one to the other as soon as the sun shone/set! Without adequate insulation and ventilation watch out for streaming condensation..

Graham

 

[NeilO]

Eightyfour, I seem to recall a programme on the telly about cheap student accommodation, and guess what they used...yep , old cargo containers, and have been a member of a model heli club who did what your supposing as a workshop..
so it is feasible, and I reckon if your welding skills/welder are upto it you could in theory take the whole centre section out

just wish I could remember the name of that programme..

HTH

 

[dickm]

That sort of arrangement seems to be used quite a lot up here, as there are lots of redundant steadings that are too damp to use without some sort of lining. Containers seem to fetch anything from £500 upwards in the local ad paper. Ones that had refrigeration units attached are usually well insulated too! I guess your main problem might be getting them inside, though if the building was a grain store it should have room to get a biggish wagon inside. Don't know if there might be any problems with planners or the like if they deemed that there is a change of use from agricultural to another industry, but if you're already there and don't make changes too obvious.....

 

[13eightyfour]

That sort of arrangement seems to be used quite a lot up here, as there are lots of redundant steadings that are too damp to use without some sort of lining. Containers seem to fetch anything from £500 upwards in the local ad paper. Ones that had refrigeration units attached are usually well insulated too! I guess your main problem might be getting them inside, though if the building was a grain store it should have room to get a biggish wagon inside. Don't know if there might be any problems with planners or the like if they deemed that there is a change of use from agricultural to another industry, but if you're already there and don't make changes too obvious.....

I should have said they wont being going in the existing building but next to it, and ill check with planners before hand, I didnt even think of looking at refridgerated units.

Im liking the idea more and more, and while im not a professional welder i am good enough to achieve what i need to do.

You never know there maybe a project log to come out of this

 

[bluezephyr]

I have a 20ft container as my wood store, I have had to put extractors in because it gets very hot in there.
clad it over and insulate inbetween, I can stand inside mine and the sun side can be untouchable whilst the other is very cool, Maybe clad it over but only insulate the sun facing sides.

As for joining 2 together, Go for it
Can you weld it up so each end has the doors?, Just incase something happens and you need to get out quickly, I wouldnt want to be inside a metal box with a fire one end blocking the doorway.

 

[plymouth pirate]

Containers are ok as long as you are happy with the limited width.

Make sure no water gets in, that's, (obviously), the cause of the condensation issue,. Better to have a single metal door welded into the structure to use when the weather's bad. If the main doors are open and rain gets under the wooden decks/floors and is very difficult to get rid of.

If you can fit some sort of canopy over the top, then even better. They'll last a long time.

John

 

[13eightyfour]

As for joining 2 together, Go for it
Can you weld it up so each end has the doors?, Just incase something happens and you need to get out quickly, I wouldnt want to be inside a metal box with a fire one end blocking the doorway.

Yeah i was thinking of joinging them together in a top and tail style so a door would be at both ends, which would also allow for a thru-draft if needed.

With regards to the insulation i was thinking of fitting batons to the outside of the container and then cladding to the batons.

 

[beech1948]

I converted an aol barn to a workshop but due to the poor initial condition of the barn I decided to just demo it and rebuild a wooden structure on the old base.

In the mean time I got hold of two beat up containers and joined them together with a metal frame across the top. Cut out two holes in the adjoining sides, lipped all the cut edges with oak offcuts. Used it as a workshop for 18 months whilst rebuilt old barn site..

Issues: Condensation was an initial problem. So I bought an old Ebac dehumidifier off ebay. Worked OK but was expensive on electricity.

Lighting was a nightmare and took a lot to sort out.

Heating was a pain but used electricity rather than gas. Was OK in winter but not great.

Getting power in was easy...just drill a hole.

Lack of daylight was a problem as the containers become cave like.

Noise was an issue both for me and neighbour.

Sheltering the sunny side was an absolute necessity as the rate of heating up was rapid and very hot. I eventually used old galvanised corrugated iron from the old barn roof.

The whole thing looked offensive and like **** but worked sort of OK for 18 months. They are gone now thank God.
regards
Alan

 

[Oldman]

I had 2 containers that I used for storage of industrial engineering spares. Both were ex freezer units sited outside, nice and cool in the summer and with a wall mounted heater on a stat they were reasonably comfy in the winter. No condensation that I remember.
Worked well for me, cutting the sides out might get a bit messy with all that insulation.
Oh I had to sheet the floor in them with 8x4x1/2" ply as they came with stainless slats for floors, much too easy to drop small parts through the slats and spend ages trying to get them back out :roll:

 

[milkman]

Theres some very swanky ones near me:

 

[CWatters]

I rented a container for storage once. Was very hot in summer and freezing in winter.

 

[pren]

We've got 7, 40' containers at work that we use as storage. I also found that condensation was a major issue in winter - it would often 'rain' inside them :shock: .

They did also heat up like buggery in the summer - ventilation is very important, so the 'thru-draught' idea is a sound one.

We had one of them spray-foam insulated on the inside. I dont know how much it was but it worked really well. No condensation in the winter and it stayed cooler than the others in the summer. I think its similar to the stuff the canadians use on the insides of their houses. It would also help with sound insulation.

Bryn