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Jody Malinich
03-10-2008, 12:35 PM
Does anyone out there use a shipping container as part of their shop? I need to expand but don't have the 7 digit kind of $$$$$ laying around to buy a chunk of land around here let alone have a nice big building built. So I was a thinking (rarely do that) that a few of the 20' shipping containers, modified with some man doors and windows would be just the thing. One would be for lumber and shipping supplies, one for sanding/finishing (full wall and door seperating the spaces) and the third one for additional work space (glue-ups, larger projects and maybe a couple of the lesser used tools). I have the space to put these by my existing shop and would not be able to see them from the driveway (don't want the neighbors mad) My walls in the shop are still open so getting power out to them is no problem. Are these a viable solution for expanding my space? Let me know your thoughts.

Jody

Jamie Buxton
03-10-2008, 1:15 PM
I've worked on a construction site with one of those, and it isn't a nice shop. There's no light. The ceiling is low and the width is narrow, so you can't swing lumber around without whacking something, and there's real limits about where you can put big tools like a table saw. There's no insulation, so it is cold in the winter, and condensation on tools is an issue. And it is a furnace in the summer. If you have the land to park several of these, you have land to build a real building which would better meet your needs.

They'd be okay as a storage building. If you have storage in some bigger building, maybe you can move it into the container and recover the space in the bigger building.

Rob Russell
03-10-2008, 2:58 PM
What about putting up one of the steel quonset hut buildings?

Dave Lessley
03-10-2008, 3:01 PM
I have a 8x8x20 container that came to me somewhat reasonably but it had from the beginning been converted to a workshop it was completely insulated with sprayfoam insulation and sheeted with 1/4 plywood. it has a full roll up door on one end and a man sized ( 32" ) roll up door on the other end with two double swing out doors like on the back of a tractor trailer rig on one side. It was divided in the middle when I got it and I took the dividing wall out to make it into one room. It has a small work bench and some hanging shelves with sliding doors. One above the work bench and one on the opposite wall. There was also one on the divider wall which I'm saving for my shop.

I ran a sub panel off my shop to the container and installed a hanging 220V Heater, some flourescent lights , power strip above the bench and a couple of outlets down the side that does not have the doors.

It heats up easy and and stays warm. I replaced the man sized roll up door with a RV door. It gets plenty warm in the summer time.

But as already mentioned it does not leave you any room to turn around in. I used it last winter with my dovetail jig to make up some boxes for christmas. My daughter and I built and old fashioned coasting type go cart with rope steering and painted it in the container. With the thermostat I was able to maintain a drying temperature that I currently cannot do in the shop.

Now that I'm building the wood shop it will become my tool shed for rope, pulleys, big extension cords, worklights etc. And if I ever want to do small projects and not heat up the whole shop I can always pop into the container.

I have hear of people welding them together and even on top of each other to make dwellings as cabins and such. But unless it's insulated it's going to be really cold, or really hot during the extreme seasons and lots of condensation.

Bart Leetch
03-10-2008, 3:26 PM
I have a friend that has a SeaLand insulated wine trailer 48' long & as has been said it doesn't allow much room to turn around.

Now if you put two side by side & re-enforce them both about mid way along the length on 1 side & open them up to each other this may help & also give a place to station your table-saw. Then truss them over & put insulation under the truss roof but this sure sounds like a round about way to do things doesn't it.

How about one of the big owner erected carports enclosed with a concrete or wood floor. You could pour concrete ribbons to mount the carport to & then put the wood floor inside the car port & get the extension kits to extend the wall covering down & close the ends. This isn't a real expensive project.

Travis Gauger
03-10-2008, 3:43 PM
I was looking into buying an 8X8X40' box like this to assist in a big move. The cheapest that we could find was $3500. That didn't include moving it either. So 3500 dollars divided by 320 sq ft (8X40 trailer) is $10.94 / sq. ft. A 24'X24' two car garage kit from one of the BORG's is $2900 delivered. 2900 divided by 576 sq ft (24 by 24 garage) is $5.03 / sq ft. Now you need to add site prep, concrete, insulation, etc. But, you get where I am going with this. Unless you are getting a really good deal on containers, or can't buy from the BORG, This seems like a more expensive way to go for a PITA space. My $.02

Matt Meiser
03-10-2008, 3:55 PM
I have no idea what a container weighs, but with scrap prices the way they are, it doesn't seem like a cheap investment. I've been at a customer site where their shop was in one. It was spring, but warm out and despite the fact they had it insulated with spray foam it was pretty warm inside after the sun beat on it a while. And like everyone before me has said it was pretty cramped inside.

Some other things to think about: You'd still need some sort of foundation, otherwise its going to sink when the ground is wet, probably unevenly, and heave in the winter. My neighbor has two semi trailers he uses for hay and straw storage that have become more unlevel (is that a word) over the 4 years we've lived here for this reason. Does your local zoning allow it? What happens when you want to sell your property? What does your insurance company think?


I have seen some tractor sheds posted on TractorByNet that were made from containers. Usually they put up two containers with space between them and then put trusses over everything to create a center area that had a bigger clear span. The sides were storage. Finished, they didn't look bad, but I'd be suprised if they were that much cheaper than putting up a standard pole barn if you have to buy the containers. IIRC they were down south where frost wasn't a problem, and in areas where building codes were lax or non-existent.

Jody Malinich
03-10-2008, 4:15 PM
I'd like to put up another building but HOA says only one detached building. Portable items are okay, hence the container idea. Not planning on moving large tools into it. Just need the extra room. Lumber/shipping supplies is a no brainer it'll work and I can get a container cheaper than an amish shed (which I already have one). And if I move I cn take them with me. I think with the right heating/cooling/ventilation it could be quite comfortable in there. Not that I would be spending all day, just a place to do some glue-ups and a spray booth set up. I'd move in a heartbeat but with housing market around here I'd stand to lose way to much.

Ted Jay
03-10-2008, 11:08 PM
There is a guy down the road that took two 40 foot containers about 20 feet apart, built a roof across the two of them and is building a shop in the center.

Last week I came upon this site during a search.
check out these units:
http://www.seabox.com/gallery/complexes/ (http://www.seabox.com/gallery/complexes/)

Later,
Ted

Jody Malinich
03-11-2008, 12:29 AM
Ted,

That's what I'm talking about! Have them place a couple doors and windows maybe some electric and bam I got extra space.

brad kellner
03-11-2008, 1:00 AM
well if your anywhere around cleveland check out hgr. they are an industrial resale. basically they go into industrial shops that went out of business and resale their equipment. i noticed they had s couple of the big 40 ft shipping containers for 3k.

my opinion on this. if you are a good welder you could bring 2 of these together cut off the roofs and take out the center wall. weld the floors together and take the material from the roof and sides you cut out of the middle and pitch the roof and make a garage out of it. this would take a month of sundays to do but when all done you know you stuff would be secure and safe from tornados lol. right now i dont have the room for one but here in a few years when i do have the room, i would like to buy one of these. not to make it a work shop though. i have an uncle who lives out in the sticks and has some acreage full of nice size hardwood trees (cherry, oak, tons of maple) and he has always told me i should just cut some trees down and have them logged into lumber. someday i would like to take him up on that and just use one of these for lumber storage when i eventually have the room to be able to have a bunch logged and kilned.

Bob Aquino
03-11-2008, 10:16 AM
I'd like to put up another building but HOA says only one detached building. Portable items are okay, hence the container idea. Not planning on moving large tools into it. Just need the extra room. Lumber/shipping supplies is a no brainer it'll work and I can get a container cheaper than an amish shed (which I already have one). And if I move I cn take them with me. I think with the right heating/cooling/ventilation it could be quite comfortable in there. Not that I would be spending all day, just a place to do some glue-ups and a spray booth set up. I'd move in a heartbeat but with housing market around here I'd stand to lose way to much.

Are you sure the HOA will really like to see a container sitting on your property? Most HOA's are pretty anal retentive bout stuff like that. Thats why I am glad I don't have to deal with one.:rolleyes:

Jody Malinich
03-11-2008, 12:39 PM
MY HOA is pretty easy going. If they can't see it from the street they are ok with it. My drive is 240' long and the container (20') will actually be hidden by my existing shop (28' X 30'). We are planning on getting some commercial space but we are a year or so away from that, we want to buy as lease rates around here are pretty steep. I'm out of space (again) and need a quick solution so I can increase capability and bring manufacturing time down. I end up having alot of stuff in the house and don't have the space for anymore items in there. I'm thinking one 20' for lumber and a 10' for a spray booth setup anymore than that and I think I may get some flack. Just those two extra spaces will really free up shop space. A couple thousand feet of lumber has a big footprint and I have it spread out in four seperate spaces now.

Richard M. Wolfe
03-11-2008, 3:23 PM
If you have settled on getting a container and have the option of the size a 40' is not going to be much more expensive than a 20' and will get you twice the capacity.

I have two of them and would love to have three or four more but with the price of steel and the devalued dollar price has gone through the roof. The ones I have were $2400 and two years later they are half again as much and I'd hate to think about transport cost if it's any distance at all. I would use them for lumber storage. If any work were to be done in one it would be just one or two dedicated operations. You don't want to be in one insulated or not here (central TX) in the summer and even if the temp doesn't drive you out they are too cramped. One that I have is set up as a makeshift kiln and looking at setting it up as a permanent kiln, which would mean it would need to be insulated.