Making a house out of a container

[thatGuy]

That fueled the hate Burt..

[graynomad]

Oooo, now where's my plasma cutter 

Actually I am setting up a smithy and knife making is one of the things on the agenda, but don't worry the saws are safe, I can't say the same for any old car springs though.

[thatGuy]

I like you more and more each day Gray.

[Burt Gummer]

Don't hate the playa hate the game, yo....

[thatGuy]

My buck saw when I bought it had an idyllic scene painted on it with oil paint.. I'll never understand how that part of the world works. There is a finite amount of sweet old stuff in the world and I would imagine with the exploding population that the demand for that limited resource is still there. Oh to think of all the anvils that were melted down to make Sherman tanks..

[graynomad]

The photo of the saws I posted was from the eBay listing, they were set up as a display but at least were spared the indignity of having a scene painted on them

I'm buying old tools for practical reasons, at least that's what I tell myself, but I just like them for what they are as well.

[thatGuy]

There is something to be said for using a sharp saw instead of a chain saw.

There is something wildly practical about collecting old tools and honoring them.

[graynomad]

Another quick update. Got one of the doors made, done the roof and finished cladding one of the containers.


First door done. It weighs about 200kgs (440lbs)


Detail of the support straps.


Crap flu mounts replaced with something a little beefier.


Roof finished, flue needs another extension before it's finished.



Cladding of C3 mostly done.

We discussed insulation before, this cladding has has an amazing effect, after 2-3 hours of sun on that wall it used to be so hot you could barely hold you hand on it, now it's actually cool to the touch.

[Burt Gummer]

It's beautiful GN ...
Is bottom left of img # 4 your water tank?

[graynomad]

Yes that's one of them, we have two.

[thatGuy]

Damn that is looking good Gray!

I love that you used those rods in tension, its a New Mexican past time to make wooden gates with the brace in tension but made out of wood.. Which is ass backwards.. Like my state..

What kind of wood are you using for the cladding?

[graynomad]

It's just treated pine 8x2" planks. They shrink to blazes and gaps will appear, but we keep telling ourselves it's supposed to be rustic

I used tension braces with turn buckles so I could make adjustments over time if it starts to sag, also they allowed me to pull the gate into square when it was finished as I don't think it's possible to allow for all that weight when initially welding the frame. At least I don't know how to.

[thatGuy]

Take a couple of those planks and lay them down in the same sun so when the ones on the house shrink you will have matching (weather wise) planks to put on the end.

[graynomad]

Good idea, have a couple of pre-weathered spares.

[Burt Gummer]

what are you planning for electrical system?

[graynomad]

One container is already wired for 240VAC, the rest will be as well. Probably no DC, unlike previous motorhome builds.

The source of the AC is the solar system and inverter in our motorhome, there is underground wiring already in place between the truck and containers. At present we plan to keep the truck so that system will do the job, however it's possible I will sell the truck when the containers are liveable, in that case I'll add a solar system to the containers.

In either case for backup we have two generators and I'm looking into using a Stirling engine as a petrol-free generator and maybe even building a peltier panel to get power from the stove's heat.

I am quite prepared to sell the truck, trouble is I doubt I'd find a buyer.

[crudos]

Great stuff! How is the container set above the ground? Looks like concrete pillars or blocks? How far below the ground do they go? Is the container actually bolted to the pillar/blocks? Trying to get ideas of the best way to anchor a similar structure.

[Burt Gummer]

I am quite prepared to sell the truck, trouble is I doubt I'd find a buyer.

What price would you ask?

[graynomad]

Crudos, you're not going to like the answer. The containers are just sitting on concrete blocks that in turn are just sitting on the ground. No foundations, nothing connected to anything else. I did this partly because originally they were supposed to be just 1 or 2 storage containers for junk, but then the ideas grew. Also if they don't have foundations they are not considered to be a structure by the council (I think) and because everything I am doing is without permission that seemed like a good idea at the time.

The trouble with all that is that a) it's fast becoming quite clear that these are not just a couple of boxes to store our wheel barrows in, and b) the shelter I've built between the two containers has some of it's vertical members set into concrete foundations. So I no longer know how the whole enchilada stands officially, and I don't want to find out. Fortunately our council is very lenient about alternative living arrangements out here on rural blocks.

Burt, not sure you'll like the answer either and bear in mind that motorhomes cost a lot more in Oz than in the US. If I was to advertise the truck I would start at $100k I think and work down from there. The trouble is that it's such an unusual beast that most people would not want it, OTOH there would be a few people around that just love it. When I was thinking of selling Mk1 I had two people interested and I advertised that for $300k so the people are out there. I can tell you that $100k is pretty much the cost of the materials, I don't count my labour but it would be nice to at least get enough to build something else plus finish the house and have a few bob in the bank as we are pretty skint right now.

I've been following a build on the Overland forum and that guy is spending about US$400k just on the box, the truck is extra.

[Burt Gummer]

You could always try ebay.... 

[thatGuy]

For the record I loved both of those answers!

There is some freedom in knowing what 'its' worth.

[crudos]

Thanks Gray, was just curious. Looks awesome regardless. 

[TrailingSpouse]

graynomad - thats some beautiful craftsmanship there and a lot of sweat - which presumably means blood and tears too - at least it does when I build something :p

Here's a question.
I am considering using a shipping container as the basis for a safe room (for a nursery / kindergarten where I live).   
Reasons:
The existing buildings have too many weak points - doors windows, walls, roof - all need upgrading.
We can get a shipping container 'sea-can'(?!) pretty cheap - 'off the back of a lorry' allegedly!!!
The can would be easier and cheaper to ventilate and provide toilet and water for. 
Can weld drop down bars on the inside to keep the doors closed.

There are two main identified threats here:
1. stray ordinance (mortars and AK rounds primarily)
2. direct threat from looters (robbery, kidnap, rape, violence)

I'm not expecting it to stop high energy projectiles - although the water store area inside might help there.
We can supplement protection on the outside with sandbags or earth berms - but have limited funds for phase one at least (especially after providing all the other amenities inside)

So *ahem* the question - how strong is it - in particular the walls?
Someone said that they are easy to get through with an axe? Machete?
When SHTF here the power goes out - so unless someone has a petrol angle grinder - its hand tools only for breaking in.
The only other real threat would be someone with a 4x4 and a tow rope (and pull the door off)
Or they could smoke us out - but thats a different problem.
What might the walls stop in terms of low energy projectiles? I expect its a .22 handgun at best?

And here's a thought - the cans have a strong floor - they are designed to carry a lot of weight (25000kg)  So presumably the floor is more solid than the roof? In that case why not turn the thing upside down for added security? As long as its supported at the corners...

Thanks

[JohnyMac]

graynomad has a lot more experience on this subject however here is my 2 cents worth as I just buried a 40' shipping container. When the project is done I will write up a article and post in the DYI section.

The roof on mine was 1/8 steel, the walls were 1/16th steel and floor is 3/4" oak on steel joists. My brother and sister in-law was up at the redoubt over the Labor Day holiday. They inspected what had been accomplished and my sister in-law said, "this would be a great place to bunker-down in a SHTF scenario." I then asked her, there is only one way in: How would you escape if the bunker was found out?" She just stared at me a bit red faced.

IMO, using a shipping container as a safe room or bunker-down location would be foolish if you were to use it for said reason for more than 12 hours of when the carvery Calvary will arrive to save your butt.

Not writing this to bust your balls just for some food for thought. 

Edit = JMC carvery for calvary   
 

[TrailingSpouse]

Thanks for your thoughts   And no worries RE ball busting - as with all design its not 'my' design but 'the' design - I have no attachment to it, and I love not knowing, asking questions, and learning

'carvery'! *eek*

Well - the hope is that the cavalry would arrive - the safe room just gives us some extra time. 

The thing is that the cavalry might not be able to come - for various reasons.  And the more serious the situation, the less safe the streets will be, or the more likely the cavalry will be busy on other things - and so the less likely they will come.  The expectation is that there will be time in a breakdown of law and order to extract, and any looters would be more busy picking the low lying fruit. We have children from a dozen different nationalities here - each with their own extraction plans and capabilities, from the americans - who would probably send a tank (or at least an armoured and armed LC) - to private individuals whose companies' emergency plans don't go much beyond ensuing business continuity after a SHTF situation.

But I think we can make something within budget that is very very hard to get into at all for people without power tools.  However I've been advised otherwise (i.e. the axe!) and here I just don't know - I've never tried cutting 1/8" steel with an axe.  There's other ways in too - e.g. the smoke-out would be tricky to mitigate for.  Disguising and hiding the thing seems the best way (labelling it as containing 'bricks' or something), then trying to keep the kids quiet (!!!!).  Plus - locating it somewhere that its hard to get a vehicle to prevent pulling the thing apart (a low wall and fence will up after installation for other reasons) .  In terms of handtools - I don't think there are many axes around… the locals even use machetes for felling fairly big trees.    But maybe you can get through the side with a machete too - in which case… hmm...

An escape route would be ideal (I really really hate the idea of lockdown myself).   We have the same problem at our home too - the last place I want to be if SHTF is blind in a cage.  Its INSANITY!  However…  It seems we are kinda stuck on the lock-down option - as trying to move 30 kids and ten adults is not going to be easy to do secretly, or safely.  I have recced a couple of routes out of the location to safe(r) places - but there are issues here too.  In fact there's a whole set of self-extraction contingency plans I have lined up.  Including bribing a local army officer to give us an armed escort, or disguising vehicles as Red Cross.  Its all too unpredictable - so the plans are more like a brainstorming of options.

An escape route would be ideal - a tunnel perhaps. But we don't have the funds right now.  Maybe that's for phase 2 of construction.  In any case we would back the container onto an outside toilet block and create a lockable secret? door between.   It also means more comfortable toilets, sinks etc for a 'soft' lockdown. 

Would it be good to post the whole plan somewhere here on unchainedpreppers - as a kind of case study?