Turner's Workshop in a 20-Foot Shipping Container

[Walter Mooney]

I am planning on converting a 20-foot shipping container to a weekend workshop in the Texas hill country. Primarily, and almost exclusively, for woodturning. Has anyone ever seen any plans or designs for such a shop in a conex (as we sometimes call them)? Any ideas on layout? I'm thinking not only about layout, and electrical service, but things like insulation, or radiant barrier treatment, fans and/or A/C. The whole package. There's got to be someone out there who's already done this, or something very close to this. Any and all ideas/thoughts welcomed.

Thanks,

[Trevor Howard]

I believe that creeker member Kathy. Marshall has a container as a shop.

[David Gutierrez]

if you can find a refrigerated container they are insulated.

[John A langley]

Google shipping containers for homes you might get some ideas

[Thomas Canfield]

My thoughts are that a 20' metal shipping container would be hard to work with and very limited on size. It would also likely be hot in summer and cold in winter in Hill Country. A beefed up floor in a "portable" building would give you more flexibility, and you could go to wider width to have some room for moving about. The wood buildings are also easier to adapt, insulate, add insulation, lights, etc. I gave one strong consideration but ended up building a 16x24 gamble roof shop on concrete slab when I moved to Hill Country. I never liked a shipping container for storage or use on job sites and felt confined in them.

What size lathe are you planning to use? The less than 8' width in a container is pretty confining as is height.

[Chris Parks]

Google shipping containers for homes you might get some ideas

Some amazing designs and ideas there. I have spent hours looking at the possibilities and wish I was many years younger to do something.

[Mike Cutler]

Walter

I have seen complete machine shops (small)in a shipping container.
Every 18 months when we overhaul the turbines in the plant, A stand alone machine shop shipping container is lifted to the turbine deck. It's pretty cool.We plug it into a welding receptacle for 3 phase 480 to power the machines.
You'll need an exhaust hood, easy enough to make, to change the air out and of course an air intake. After that, it's what ever you like.

[Chris Parks]

Some ideas https://www.google.com.au/search?q=w..._AUoAQ&dpr=0.9

[Mike Heidrick]

Id rather buy a mercedes or large Ford sprinter van. It is heated and cooled already.

[John K Jordan]

I have a 40' shipping container and a 45' semi trailer I use for hay and other storage. I bought the semi trailer (with wheels removed) from the same company that sells shipping containers. It might be nicer for a shop since it is 9' high inside. I leveled, graveled, and set these both on pressure-treated 6x6's laid on the gravel.

One caution: the steel containers are bad to rust through on the roof, especially if you don't keep the leaves and debris cleaned off. The container salesman warned me about that and I saw it happen to a container a friend has on her property. Both my semi trailer and shipping container are aluminum. If I had a steel one, I would consider adding simple rafters and metal roofing to protect the top.

if you have room, consider two 20 ft containers arranged side-by-side, in an L, or separated be an aisle with a simple truss roof over the whole thing.

JKJ

[Keith Outten]

I own two of the 5' by 8' conex boxes. I purchased them from a local scrap yard that had about a hundred of them for sale a couple years ago. Mine are small but I can move them on my trailer to store signs or use as a temporary office at a job site. They are light enough that I can pick them up with my tractor when their empty.

In the mid eighties Power Cutting Inc built several mobile machine shops in 40 foot tractor trailers, its the same idea of using a conex box. These were fully functional shops, we used one of them at Nine Mile Point in upstate New York for several months.

[Walter Mooney]

I sincerely appreciate all the replies. I realize now though that I made a small omission in my original post, the inclusion of which probably would have changed the thoughts of many of the replies. The shipping container is existing! It's what I have, and it's the only thing I'll have for some time to come. And at this point, I'm not ready to undertake the construction of a whole new 'building' for a shop I won't get to use too often for some time.

John and Chris, Thanks for for the tip on checking out google images. I hope I don't get lost down that rabbit hole!

Trevor, thanks for remembering about Kathy Marshall. I think you're right. Maybe I'll send her a PM and check that out.

Thanks again to all