Steel Box Section Workshop?

[Onoff]

A while back my mate gave me a load of 25mm box section. I think it's powder coated. This was old server racking. Each length has a few holes in it.

He's been on for ages about building a new wood bothering workshop and has a mad idea for my lad to print him 120 - 140 PETG connectors and have the box section back. Then to clad the resultant frame in 18mm ply with self drill screws. It comes from him seeing the veg patch frame I've built from the box section using similar connectors. That's just having a net over it.

Seems a crap idea to me for a number of reasons. For one I feel MIG welding it would be better if at all. Even then the wall "studs" would I think need to be like lattice / ladder beams

I can't see how he'd insulate it easily either.

Gut feel is such thin walls would be "wobbly" to say the least and the walls likely to bow.

These are his sketches:

Any thoughts?

 

[Dev]

It’ll pprobably work, the PETG connectors are just for alignment really, the self tappers into the 18mm ply will provide the structure & stability against racking loads.

 

[Onoff]

Won't there be cold bridging through the screws from the outside, then condensation (inside)? Can't think how you insulate it as in where the vapour barrier would go etc. Trying to figure a sectional view.

 

[Barking Mat]

I've worked from alot worse plans than that.

Great idea if it's temporary, otherwise I'd weld it.

 

[Onoff]

I've worked from alot worse plans than that.

Great idea if it's temporary, otherwise I'd weld it.

One thing is he's in a rented property. The landlord is tbh pretty accomodating but all screwed together / modular means it could be taken down / moved easily.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

If you have enough studding you could make it double walled and insulate the gap...I think double wall would also stiffen things up too if you linked the inner and outer walls....maybe then stiff enough to reduce the ply thickness and have 2 thin skins on the outside and inside.

The added bonus of double wall is it would free up some storage space too for you!

 

[Barking Mat]

One thing is he's in a rented property. The landlord is tbh pretty accomodating but all screwed together / modular means it could be taken down / moved easily.

In that case I can see where he's coming from.

 

[gaz1]

this is done the same way

The Greenhouse People Ltd

Greenhouses made of wood or aluminium and glazed with either glass or plastic, for sale and available to order online for direct delivery within the UK.

www.gbcgroup.co.uk

 

[Onoff]

this is done the same way

View attachment 349912View attachment 349913

The Greenhouse People Ltd

Greenhouses made of wood or aluminium and glazed with either glass or plastic, for sale and available to order online for direct delivery within the UK.

www.gbcgroup.co.uk

They use 40x40 box though.

 

[gaz1]

then create a 2 wall building using the box section

then you can fit it up with insulation inbetween the walls

a twin wall is is one wall inside of the other same as using a steel beam gives strength as well as support

 

[Pete.]

I am considering this too. My storage shed is coming apart and I can't store anything even remotely perishable in there.

Where would one find the 40mm insulated panels for cladding?

 

[MetalMonkey]

You can get 25mm polystyrene insulation sheets, which will fit nicely between the box section, not the best level of insulation but better than nothing.
18mm ply is fine on the inside, but you want something more waterproof for cladding on the outside. There will be quite a lot of strength provided by the ply once it is screwed together.

 

[gaz1]

we use 2 sheets of plyboard on a 4x2 frame to provide a strong structure and stability

 

[500e]

Roger Wilkins cider an experience

 

[AKN]

I have a fair bit of the 1” square section and the original corner pieces to go with it. Strong convenient and the corner pieces go about twice as far down each tube than your printed ones and they have a welded steel core to give the strength.

 

[gaz1]

as long as you twin wall it either small or table size it will be strong enough

New lean to

Well another busy week converting perfectly good metal into scrap. After some serching found a website to work out truss sizes for my lean to, not believing the results I tested one. Put the old chain host in the middle and lifted my 800kg tractor up, well I was surprised it deflected 10mm, was...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Tent and garage transition plan

This really reminds me of the hole in the bucket song... at some point I'd like to work on the car, not the things that I need to to in order to be able to work on the car. :D

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Clarke temporary garage assembly

I got one of these in February of this year as I decided that I needed more space to rebuild parts (including a new bonnet) for my Triumph Herald. I ended up getting the smallest size with a machine mart vat free discount...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

using a truss reference for say the 2 walls built can strengthen up really well same as the roof use a truss method

remember old garages just used angle iron for the roof trusses

 

[Onoff]

I have a fair bit of the 1” square section and the original corner pieces to go with it. Strong convenient and the corner pieces go about twice as far down each tube than your printed ones and they have a welded steel core to give the strength.

Could maybe print through-ways for "bolts" and push them in, maybe heated up a tad...

After printing the green ones I wondered about creating a hollow through them to allow the frame to drain. This box section has anyway a number of upward facing holes as well as downward. It was a case of take a flyer which way to lay the horizontals. It's all "pretty level" but over time?

 

[Screwdriver]

One of my sheds is this type of construction. I used some old builders bandstands to make a free standing framework and literally cable tied some recycled fence panels to it as cladding.

Laid a few "purlins" across the top with a fall and screwed a few sheets of corrugated roof panels to that. I did engineer one simple support strut with a single scaffold pole which provides some lateral stability to this free standing structure and ties into a scaff pole running under the roof panel.

Proper Heath Robinson "field shelter" but it's been standing for years now. Does its job as an outdoor cupboard, only about 2x4m but leak proof (meh, leak resistant) and crucially, fox proof.

 

[Onoff]

and crucially, fox proof.

Always a problem, them creeping in and doing a bit of screw cutting in the dead of night.

 

[Onoff]

My mate is after building something that is low energy and doesn't leave everything covered in condensation, certainly the bane of my life in the shed, garage and old stable block. Horrible to work in and depressing you can't keep things "nice". He's into fine wood turning work. Mind you he's messier than I am, Pretty sure the knee deep shavings soak a lot of moisture up!