Plasma , cutting up a 40 foor steel container

[DAPPH]

I'm seeking tips advice as to how to go about cutting up a 40 foot one way used steel cargo container .
Into lengths that will fit on a 1.5 tonne Ifor Williams 4 wheeled trailer that is seven foot wide at the side boards with a cargo space 9 foot or so long .

We have access to a 10 foot legged tripod ,a 2 tonne chain hoist & a lot of 5 tonne or so long ratchet straps & some decent slings .

I belong to the Amman Valley mens shed group .
We may be in line for a job of getting a clean used once such container . However there is no way we can get it in place down a 10 foot wide cinder track that has a heavy duty gate of s 11 foot wide due to the entrance being far too tight to turn or reverse into with it on a whole 40 foot length plus the towing vehicle & trailer .


My thought are .... weld small locating plates with a MIG welder in the right places . So once we've plasma cut a drawn guide line & cut along parts of it cut we can weld drilled out 30 mm angle irons to the guide plates & draw bolt the halves or thirds back together once the whole container is cut through . The finished container will sit on a crushed compacted rubble base then on top of a lot of railway sleepers .

Then re Mig weld them all along the cuts to make the " container shed " Fully welding all the outer faces & the floor between them on to the walls , roof & floor of the container before giving it a durable spray paint job .

Any suggestions as to how to organise it , ways to proceed & things to watch out for will be most welcome .

Currently we have a small 80 psi compressor ...no plasma cutter but I do have my tig helmet & gloves Plus a 9 inch & a 4 inch disc cutters each with a full edged tungsten & diamond blade , a sabre saw with 6 inch steel blades & a 2.2 kva sine wave genny & a 25 mtr 20 amp extension lead . Plus plenty of wood laths & battery drills & some steel strips 6 mtr long by 3 mm thick & 50 mm or so wide . One 6 mtr length of 30 mm 90 % angle iron taps & dies nuts & bolts etc

 

[knighty]

I don't think it's really worth the effort ?

you could sell it, and use the cash to build a better chead/container from scratch?

 

[ibrooks]

Got to admit I think I agree.

You'll need a fairly beefy plasma cutter to do it in one go - the hobby stuff like mine would do it but only over a few sessions with plenty time in between to cool down. So unless you can spread the work over a couple of days/weekends and leave a half cut container lying around somewhere.....

Your compressor is probably going to be the same and you'll need to give it plenty of "rests" or you'll kill it. You say it's an 80psi one but that doesn't tell us the size of the tank or how many CFM it can deliver over what duty cycle but you do say "small" so again I'm thinking hobby equipment.

It would probably be faster (and possibly cheaper) to cut it up with a petrol powered grinder (Stihl-Saw or equivalent) and a stack of blades.

Containers aren't a great structure when you start cutting them about and they move/twist/flex a hell of a lot with bit's missing so getting it to actually fit back together could be an art in wedging levering and swearing.

From reading between the lines and guessing what you're trying to achieve I think you would be better looking around for surplus sectional garages - you can often get them for free if you are prepared to dismantle them (just be careful of Asbestos roofs). Different manufacturers panels can be made to fit together with a steel adapter in between them to change from one set of bolt spacings to another and if you've got the capability to weld a container back together you can make roof trusses to suit whatever width/length you end up with.

Iain

 

[Ton-up]

Will the container fit on its own? If so, make the container into a trailer. They do not weigh too much so find a couple of axles ends and two steering axle ends. Then jack the container up off the ground, bolt or weld brackets to the container and push in with a drawbar. Sorted!
If need be, the container could be spun on its centre or shunted sideways easy too.

For a good source of strong axles with small wheels, look at small forklifts they are superb. If you can, find a forklift business. They may have some scrapped trucks they may donate parts to your group.

 

[Agrismith]

Are you 100% sure it wont fit have u spoken to a haulage company
Modern steering axeld trailers can go in suprising places or they may be able to transfer it a 6 wheel rigid for the last part of the journey
If you do end up cutting it down i would put to hoops half way along made from heavy chanel spaced 100mm apart and cut between them to give u 2 20ft pieces and get a hiab to deliver with the tools you suggest it will not be easy to move the panels due to a lack of movement a hiab or digger or forklit would give

 

[armalites]

You may find it on youtube but in one of George Clarks programs they did exactly as you describe, cut a container up so it would fit through a side gate and welded it back together in a back garden

They could have had it craned in but there was a listed building below it's path and the company wasn't happy.

 

[Hitch]

Surprising where a decent driver and rig can position himself (or herself)

If Id be inclined to knock up 4 half decent dollies with decent wheels, get it transported to the end of the drive, dropped onto waiting dollies and drag it down the drive with a 4x4 or man power if the drive isnt too bad.... a good jack or two, a pile of dunnage get the dollies out and sit it down. Should be about 3.7tonnes

I certainly wouldn't want to cut a container up into 4 or 5 pieces and try and get it back together nicely.

 

[WorkshopChris]

If there is absolutely no way the full 40' will fit could you get just the base around the corner in one bit even on its side turned through 90deg, anyone local with a good hiab or a forklift you could borrow for a while.
Weld plenty of loops or lifting eyes on before you start, give your self options for rigging.
Having cut and modified a few container's it would be better if you could keep the base whole and remove the rest in maybe 3 sections.
Weld some box in to form a cross to help keep it stiff then either disk cut, or gas, unless you have a very good plasma you will be waiting for it to cool, don't underestimate the amount of cutting.
The vertical cuts will be nice and straight but the horizontal cuts are a pain in the behind to cut the nicely with a plasma you want to be on the inside then the outside as you only get about 250mm before it changes direction.
When i comes to re joining use a backing strip of 30x3 flat, tack it all up them stitch weld to prevent distortion.

 

[Fazerruss]

You may find it on youtube but in one of George Clarks programs they did exactly as you describe, cut a container up so it would fit through a side gate and welded it back together in a back garden

They could have had it craned in but there was a listed building below it's path and the company wasn't happy.

I saw that one and he used the same plasma as mine. A Thermal Dynamics CutSkill 35

 

[arther dailey]

Why not sell 40footer and buy two twenty footers, thats if they would fit.......

 

[teflonnonstick]

I'm seeking tips advice as to how to go about cutting up a 40 foot one way used steel cargo container .
Into lengths that will fit on a 1.5 tonne Ifor Williams 4 wheeled trailer that is seven foot wide at the side boards with a cargo space 9 foot or so long .

We have access to a 10 foot legged tripod ,a 2 tonne chain hoist & a lot of 5 tonne or so long ratchet straps & some decent slings .

I belong to the Amman Valley mens shed group .
We may be in line for a job of getting a clean used once such container . However there is no way we can get it in place down a 10 foot wide cinder track that has a heavy duty gate of s 11 foot wide due to the entrance being far too tight to turn or reverse into with it on a whole 40 foot length plus the towing vehicle & trailer .


My thought are .... weld small locating plates with a MIG welder in the right places . So once we've plasma cut a drawn guide line & cut along parts of it cut we can weld drilled out 30 mm angle irons to the guide plates & draw bolt the halves or thirds back together once the whole container is cut through . The finished container will sit on a crushed compacted rubble base then on top of a lot of railway sleepers .

Then re Mig weld them all along the cuts to make the " container shed " Fully welding all the outer faces & the floor between them on to the walls , roof & floor of the container before giving it a durable spray paint job .

Any suggestions as to how to organise it , ways to proceed & things to watch out for will be most welcome .

Currently we have a small 80 psi compressor ...no plasma cutter but I do have my tig helmet & gloves Plus a 9 inch & a 4 inch disc cutters each with a full edged tungsten & diamond blade , a sabre saw with 6 inch steel blades & a 2.2 kva sine wave genny & a 25 mtr 20 amp extension lead . Plus plenty of wood laths & battery drills & some steel strips 6 mtr long by 3 mm thick & 50 mm or so wide . One 6 mtr length of 30 mm 90 % angle iron taps & dies nuts & bolts etc

I'm seeking tips advice as to how to go about cutting up a 40 foot one way used steel cargo container .
Into lengths that will fit on a 1.5 tonne Ifor Williams 4 wheeled trailer that is seven foot wide at the side boards with a cargo space 9 foot or so long .

We have access to a 10 foot legged tripod ,a 2 tonne chain hoist & a lot of 5 tonne or so long ratchet straps & some decent slings .

I belong to the Amman Valley mens shed group .
We may be in line for a job of getting a clean used once such container . However there is no way we can get it in place down a 10 foot wide cinder track that has a heavy duty gate of s 11 foot wide due to the entrance being far too tight to turn or reverse into with it on a whole 40 foot length plus the towing vehicle & trailer .


My thought are .... weld small locating plates with a MIG welder in the right places . So once we've plasma cut a drawn guide line & cut along parts of it cut we can weld drilled out 30 mm angle irons to the guide plates & draw bolt the halves or thirds back together once the whole container is cut through . The finished container will sit on a crushed compacted rubble base then on top of a lot of railway sleepers .

Then re Mig weld them all along the cuts to make the " container shed " Fully welding all the outer faces & the floor between them on to the walls , roof & floor of the container before giving it a durable spray paint job .

Any suggestions as to how to organise it , ways to proceed & things to watch out for will be most welcome .

Currently we have a small 80 psi compressor ...no plasma cutter but I do have my tig helmet & gloves Plus a 9 inch & a 4 inch disc cutters each with a full edged tungsten & diamond blade , a sabre saw with 6 inch steel blades & a 2.2 kva sine wave genny & a 25 mtr 20 amp extension lead . Plus plenty of wood laths & battery drills & some steel strips 6 mtr long by 3 mm thick & 50 mm or so wide . One 6 mtr length of 30 mm 90 % angle iron taps & dies nuts & bolts etc

 

[teflonnonstick]

dapph get in touch with me as I live in brynamman and I can probabley help you and advise on the best way to go about or call in at my workshop anytime 24/7

 

[DAPPH]

I don't think it's really worth the effort ?

you could sell it, and use the cash to build a better chead/container from scratch?

We don't actualy have the container yet but are supposedly looking at £800 per container delivered to site (sourced off eBay ??? ) .

Not many minutes ago I came to thinking of using bitumastic super sticky metalized flashing tape100 mm wide x 5 mtrs long ( £ 7 per roll ) to run over the external welded seams to make them water proof joints .


The idea of the steel containers was is that it will be a bit more secure than a wooden shed for it will contain lots of tools & a genny till we get power & water dug in to the siting place .
If it works well we can then place three in a letter U , make a stressed plywood truss set 150 mm wide for a bitumin type heavy felt covered roof on Stirling board roof to sit anchored on the top of the three containers & then weld up a door frame for the open end /elevation so we are able to take a 3 mtr wide load inside if the enclosure .

 

[DAPPH]

dapph get in touch with me as I live in brynamman and I can probabley help you and advise on the best way to go about or call in at my workshop anytime 24/7

PM on the way

 

[DAPPH]

Are you 100% sure it wont fit have u spoken to a haulage company
Modern steering axeld trailers can go in suprising places or they may be able to transfer it a 6 wheel rigid for the last part of the journey
If you do end up cutting it down i would put to hoops half way along made from heavy chanel spaced 100mm apart and cut between them to give u 2 20ft pieces and get a hiab to deliver with the tools you suggest it will not be easy to move the panels due to a lack of movement a hiab or digger or forklit would give

Several of the guys who were present are supposed to be retired HGV artic drivers....They say no way .

Yet when I suggested a farm tractor & a towing eyed turntable 30 foot long three tonne or more flat trailer they were suddenly way out of their comfort & knowledge zones .

I don't yet know any weights for containers available but I'm sure i can make up or borrow a set of four fit on / take off legs similar to the ones that Porta Cabins / site huts are lifted off the delivery trucks with & lowered to the ground in stages .

 

[DAPPH]

dapph get in touch with me as I live in brynamman and I can probabley help you and advise on the best way to go about or call in at my workshop anytime 24/7

PM on the way ......Thanks .

 

[Gareth J]

Have a search on here for "condensation" I think there was a recent thread relating to it in a shipping container.

I'm not saying abandon your plan but you might want to consider insulation/dehumidifier options while you're at the planning stage. No one wants their tools pinched but no one wants them covered in rust either,!

Apologies if you have this well covered already

 

[addjunkie]

Jack it up and fit steel wheels, two in with something small.

 

[Agrismith]

Several of the guys who were present are supposed to be retired HGV artic drivers....They say no way .

Yet when I suggested a farm tractor & a towing eyed turntable 30 foot long three tonne or more flat trailer they were suddenly way out of their comfort & knowledge zones .

I don't yet know any weights for containers available but I'm sure i can make up or borrow a set of four fit on / take off legs similar to the ones that Porta Cabins / site huts are lifted off the delivery trucks with & lowered to the ground in stages .

Although they where hgv drivers there is a big difference between run of the mill pallet delivery drivers and proper lowloader and speacilist move drivers
Modern hydraulic steered trailers are very manouverable or as i said a 6 wheeler with 20ft of overhang will go tight places
I wouldn't sugggest a dolly trailer like you said unless you have someone who is very experienced on them as they are possible to drive into somewhere they literally cant come out of without a crane

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Bet @KimB could move it.