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

[billp]

Here's how one shop was set up. First shot shows the way they linked both containers. Second shot shows the "skylight/flashing" they used to bridge the span between the two boxes. The inside walls were cut out to give an almost 16 ft. width.
3302
3303

[ed_lang]

http://tiny.cc/o1Au5

I have been looking at these as well.

[myxpykalix]

What is the height, width, and length of these? I probably couldn't build an addition to the shop for the price of one of these.
I would just be afraid it would be like working in an oven from the metal heating up in the summer. Has anyone ever worked inside one of these? Regarding the ebay link, you would have to pay to have it hauled to your location on top of the cost I assume? Looks interesting.

[ken_rychlik]

I was thinking paint booth. It's already explosion proof. Put a fan and some lights in it and it's ready to go. At least the fan would keep the oven temps down a bit.

[zeykr]

I've seen them used as kilns also.

[Brady Watson]

You guys might find this link interesting: http://tinyurl.com/thedailygreen - It's a collection of houses & buildings made out of shipping containers...Pretty neat!

-B

[billp]

If you look around a bit you might also find some of the "retired" refrigerated units for sale. They are already insulated....

[gabepari]

Hey Bill, I know where that picture was taken

[garyb]

For those that receive it, this months AARP magazine has an article on modular housing being built using containers.