shipping container workshop?

[gavztheouch]

I have a plan to cut a 30 ft shipping container down to 15 ft and insulate it to help prevent condensation on my machine tools; mill and lathe.

My workshop is an old farm shed so there is very little weather protection and on a frosty day there is loads of condensation which on a bad day can look like somebody has power washed my machines.

What do you guys think? Will this help putting them inside a container inside the shed?

[T0rnado69]

why not just leave it 30ft ?
more space the better.

or repair the farm shed roof :)

[gavztheouch]

Don't have the space, the 30 ft containers are £500 but the 20 and 10 ft are both £1500. Mainly cause the big ones are hard to handle.

Its not the leaks it's the condensation. The only sure fire way to stop it is to heat the space the machine sits in but this isn't practical so i was hoping insulating the container plus adding a shipping container damp stick will stop the condensation. Not sure it will work?

The other plus point is I could sit a small heafter in the container and I can be warm.

[T0rnado69]

so the plan is to cut the 30ft container down the middle to 15ft.

how do you plan closing up the end.... ?
once its in half what end would you be using..... the part with the doors or with the back end.

i guess whatever end you use, you would have to put the other end on it.
unless you cut 15ft out of the container and weld the two parts back together ?
that would proberly be less work.

[gavztheouch]

No two cuts, one in the middle and one in one of the other sides to end up with both ends still on the container.

[T0rnado69]

yes i see.
what do you plan on using to insulate it.
and what will you cover the insulation with.

[irving2008]

Have a look at this thread which shows how to calculate heat loss and insulation needs. I'd hazard a guess that 150mm of insulation with a vapour barrier and 18mm osb would be dry n toasty with a couple of hundred watts of heat input.

[magicniner]

I've just insulated and boarded out a 3m x 5m metal shed with wood battens, 25mm Celotex in the spaces and all the insulation joints foil taped prior to boarding out with 18mm OSB.
I'll report back on heating requirements once it gets icy, meanwhile I've fitted an extractor as at the moment it gets too warm for jeans & T-shirt sat at the bench with just me & the strip lights on ;-)

- Nick

[Binary]

Hi, A mate of mine had two 20ft containers welded together and removed the centre metal work creating it twice the size in width, he then foam sheeted it and timbered the intererer leaving the existing wood flooring down. then he proceeded to remove the doors and replace them with an electric roller shutter he now keeps his motor bikes in he has electric for lighting and the shutter it looks really well and without damp it may be worth you looking at buying a 40 ft and cutting it in half then doing something similar

[D.C.]

I'm a little late to the party but to prevent condensation you need to move the dew point to the outside of the container.
If you insulate the inside the dew point also moves further in, insulate the outside and the dew point will be on the outside of the steel with minimal heating inside.

In a non breathable structure like a shipping container you also need a a way to dehumidify the air if you are going to work in there. That water you see running down the walls was sweated out of your butt crack an hour ago. :(