20ft container pool

[parky]

Hi Guys I'm after a bit of advise please. my wife if opening a hydrotherapy for dogs and we have been pricing up pools which are looking very expensive indeed. my idea is to build a container pool by cutting the top off a 20ft container and then constructing a pool using the following steps from some research.
1. use a plasma cutter to cut the container top off at a height of 1.2m by using a scaffold frame and a couple of block and tackles.
2. reinforce the container by using some square tubing around the top and bottom of the container with a couple of vertical drops.
3.line the inside of the container with 3mm or 4mm mild steel sheets and welded water tight. now this is where I could really use some advice. I have contacted about 10 fabricators and welders in my area and not had a reply to my email from any of them which makes me wonder if its a daunting task? my next thought is how possible this would be to do myself? I did a lot of stick welding about 15 years ago but was by no means a professional. I did look at hiring a mig welder and to have a go at a couple of cut offs but that comes in at £176 so my next question is would it be worthwhile purchasing a second hand one with a budget of about £400? we have a warehouse where the hydrotherapy will be opened that has 3 phase power available.
4. looking to use a marine epoxy to line the container then add all the pumps and necessary accessories. any advice and thoughts on this project will be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

 

[wyn]

If you are cutting the container down to 1.2m then lining it with sheets i wouldn't bother starting with a container.

 

[WorkshopChris]

I presume this water would need to be heated? How were you planning on installing insulation once you weld sheet steel in side half a container?

 

[R-D-R]

Something like this?

You could do them DIY for sure but need to think about plumbing, heating scrubbing system for dog hair etc and if it is for animal physio work the best pools I've seen have glass viewing sides so you can watch the motion of the patients and video them for progress comparison etc.

 

[gaz1]

i know of a wood version you could make it out of also heated type for this and the below version

you could make a grp version as well

 

[GKQ]

Build a concrete one dead easy. I built my swimming pool like this:
1) Concrete base 150mm with mesh.
2) Stand 9" hollow concrete blocks in desired shape / height.( No need to mortar them together ) laid blocks for my pool 7 x 3.5 x 1.5 deep in 2 hours.
3) Fill with concrete add rebar as you go.
4) Line with liner/ Fibreglass or spray on urethane.
5) Fill an enjoy.
So far survived an earthquake and still fine 9 years later.

Or if you want cheap and easy to move, make one out of wood. Very easy and quick to do. One below I built in an hour, 4m long 1.5m wide 50cm deep just sits on the ground, no fixings into the ground you can just pick it up and move it ( after emptying it first )

There is a dog hydrotherapy pool in Auckland heres their web site good pictures of pool in the gallery http://k9aqua.co.nz/

Graham

 

[bigegg]

Seems like it could work.

Just a suggestion, tho: weld your reinforcing box section at 1.2m height BEFORE cutting the top off.
It will give you a line to follow, and stop the edge flapping - they are surprisingly unstable when cut into.

 

[captain-destructo]

also turn it upside down the floor wont hold water

 

[roofman]

Hi Guys I'm after a bit of advise please. my wife if opening a hydrotherapy for dogs and we have been pricing up pools which are looking very expensive indeed. my idea is to build a container pool by cutting the top off a 20ft container and then constructing a pool using the following steps from some research.
1. use a plasma cutter to cut the container top off at a height of 1.2m by using a scaffold frame and a couple of block and tackles.
2. reinforce the container by using some square tubing around the top and bottom of the container with a couple of vertical drops.
3.line the inside of the container with 3mm or 4mm mild steel sheets and welded water tight. now this is where I could really use some advice. I have contacted about 10 fabricators and welders in my area and not had a reply to my email from any of them which makes me wonder if its a daunting task? my next thought is how possible this would be to do myself? I did a lot of stick welding about 15 years ago but was by no means a professional. I did look at hiring a mig welder and to have a go at a couple of cut offs but that comes in at £176 so my next question is would it be worthwhile purchasing a second hand one with a budget of about £400? we have a warehouse where the hydrotherapy will be opened that has 3 phase power available.
4. looking to use a marine epoxy to line the container then add all the pumps and necessary accessories. any advice and thoughts on this project will be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

Line it with 18mm OSB board and fiberglass it....completely watertight and much cleaner for the dogs than welded steel

 

[HMB]

Look for a half height 20' container. Built just how you need it

 

[Robotstar5]

OP not been back since his first post a week ago

 

[normspanners]

My sister in law has a fibreglass hydrotherapy pool for big dogs she has mastiffs and it is nowhere near the size of a container, you would need that sort of size for horses IMO, also think about the size/ literage of the thing and how much heat loss ??, because you will HAVE to heat it, you cant put an animal and you in freezing water, in winter and expect them to enjoy it ??.

 

[Barlidge]

Instead of trying to convert a shipping container, you could use a 15/20/30/40 yard skip, speak to the manufacturer's and I'm sure they could make one with two closed ends . I reckon that would work out more economical by the time you have bought/hired plasma/welding equipment and steel to reinforce etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skips-Hoo...243801?hash=item3d40632299:g:alkAAOSwiONYOw0D