Mounting bot in shipping container

[simon]

Hi
Does anyone have a shopbot installed inside a shipping container?
If so, what are the issues of space, soundproofing, light, and is there anything I havent thought of that only becomes apparent once you have spent a day moving the thing...(!)
Second hand 20 foot containers are easy to get, so I am thinking of getting my bot moved into one behind my shop. The combined noise of vacuum pumps and routers, and dust inside my workshop, is beginning to get to me...
On paper it seems to be a good idea, I can foresee some difficulties moving all round the bot, specially with the X steppers sticking out the sides as they do (PRT) but Im thinking the carriage can be parked down the far end and sheets loaded from the near end.
I am also thinking that if I move workshops, the whole thing gets moved as a unit on a container truck in one go.
Anyone?

[myxpykalix]

That might be a good solution as far as noise factor is concerned but I would bet that it would be like working in a oven from the heat beating down on the metal container.

[robredick]

Try hanging tarps along the sides, or run a string line around the Bot (7' apart). See how many times you run into that. Imagine if it were walls.

I am 5'9" and about 150lbs & that seems tight to me.

[simon]

You are both probably right, Its on hold until I hear from someone whos done it.

[angus_hines]

Amy Sun with FabLabs has done something simlar. By installing a Bot in a 40' trailer. Heres the article.

http://www.shopbottools.com/teds_report.htm

But remeber she all of 5'2" and 100 lbs soaking wet.

[knight_toolworks]

I can see the noise but if your having dust issues you need to modify your dc setup. changing the dust boot out for a better design will help quite a bit.

[ken_rychlik]

What if you moved the dust collection and vacuum pumps outside? With a good DC I don't get a lot of extra dust in the shop. The router is not that noisy by itself unless you have it screaming on high speed.

Now you have me thinking about a small oustide shed for my DC.

Kenneth

[simon]

Steve I have a wide format printer in the next room that is very sensitive to dust.
I also have a 30 hp roots blower mounted under my Bot. I usually run it at less than a quarter speed, but even then it sounds like a formula 1 car trapped inside! It is part of the structure of the bot, and I am reluctant to seperate them.
Kenneth the router itself runs on a variac, and I run it really slowly most of the time, as you say, that element of the noise is not really an issue.
The container looks impressive! It looks like it opens out at the side, so there is effectively a lot more room.
I could get one like that, I suppose.

Simon.

[billp]

"Second hand 20 foot containers are easy to get". If that's the case, get TWO of them, and place them side by side. Then cut out the "inside" wall where the containers touch and place some aluminum flashing along the roof joint. I've done this in the past to make a shop, and since the cargo containers can easily be "customized" with regular woodworking tools, we were also able to add windows, etc. Now you'd have a shop that was 20'by 16'.....

[zeke]

Does anyone have a picture of these 20' containers? Sounds like an intriguing and cost effective route.

Regards,
Zeke