Shipping container Scuba Diving workshop
This 20ft shipping container workshop for a scuba diving training center was not the first or last shipping container workshop that we built.
But by far it was the coolest. The customer designed the layout of the container workshop and we went at it.
The build was really exciting because of the cool design. all the customer requirements were within reach except for one thing. Two small steel cabinets.
The size of the cabinets that the customer requested did not exist anywhere in the market. We searched high and low with no luck. Then we decided to build them ourself.
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Custom built steel cabinets.
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Interior white gloss paint.
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Raptor anti skid floor coating.
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Adjustable louver vent.
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Roll up door at both ends.
Building the shipping container workshop.
We started this shipping container workshop by building steel frames for the adjustable louver vents.
After all six frames got built and tested for proper operation of the vents, We went and installed the frames on the container base on the customers request. Three on the left side and three on the right side.
Then we moved to build the frames for the two roll up doors. One three foot wide at the front wall and the second was a six foot wide that replaced the cargo doors.
Next was fabricating the steel bench. Rectangular steel tubing was used to build the frame of the bench and a 1/8 inch steel plate for the top surface.
The frame of the bench was welded to the container wall and small brackets were added for extra support. We could not add legs to the bench as there will be steel cabinets underneath the bench.
We were trying to get all the steel work done first without missing anything because the container workshop need to be painted inside and outside.
The way this workshop container was designed did not leave any room for mistakes. The depth of the container was used down to one half of an inch on both sides. Every component have an exact space to fit in.
After the majority of the steel work was done we start preparing the container workshop decking.
First we lightly sanded the complete floor. The deck screws are countersunk into the decking of the container so all the deck screws needed to be cleaned and then plugged with bondo.
After the bondo get dry every single screw hole get sanded flush with the dicking surface.
Now the decking is clean and ready for the raptor anti skid floor coating which will be sprayed on after the painting of the interior of the container and installing the electrical system.
Now thinking about it, The floor was one of the hardest part to deal with. Because every part have to fit in place with all other parts. Then removed out of the container for the floor to be coated then back in the container for the final installation.
The container workshop was designed to have four two feet LED lights in the ceiling and some 110V outlets.
That was the next step. Installing the electrical system. The container did not need to be insulated so we went with EMT conduit and some junction boxes.
Installing the electrical system at this point helped a lot with the rest of the build as we now have light and power inside the container.
At the same time now we can install the steel shelve tracks which got welded vertically to the container wall away from the electrical conduit.
Two metal cabinets to be installed in this container workshop. The first one is the large one that sets against the left side wall and was the easy one as we managed to find one ready out of the box.
Steel brackets get welded to the wall to secure the cabinet to the wall. To prevent the cabinet from moving or falling. This large cabinet is about 6 feet tall.
The size of the steel cabinets that the customer wanted under the steel bench could not be found anywhere. So for the first time ever we had to build steel cabinets from scratch.
We started with building the frame of the steel cabinets using a 1/2 inch by 1 inch steel tubing to see how strong and how good it's going to look.
The frame turn out to be just perfect for the cabinets so we closed it up with steel plates.
Adding the weld on hinges and handles to the doors. Some cleaning, Primer and paint and we end up with two nice custom built steel cabinets.
Again two different types of shelving need to be installed.
One for the scuba diving oxygen tank. Wich was a simple heavy duty shelving that was purchased and assembled with no problems.
We managed to locate and install some plastic capped tubes that are tied together with a small rope to prevent the oxygen tank from rolling of the shelve.
Steel brakets were welded to the wall before the inrerior paint to secure the oxygen tank shelving to the container.
The second type of shelving was another heavy duty dual steel tracks and brackets that is adjustable with painted OSB boards.
This container workshop needed a total of six adjustable louver vents. Three on each side.
Throughout the long years of installing louver vents this was the first to take an adjustable vents. Our main shipping container part supplier did not even hear about adjustable louver vents for containers.
After a long search we managed to find these white adjustable vents online. if am not mistaking they are designed for houses not containers. But with a steel frame the can be easelly installed on any shipping container.
The louver vents steel frames were one of the first parts to be installed "Welded" on the steel container. And the vents were the last part to be installed.
A few self drilling screws were used to fasten the aluminum adjustable louver vents to the steel frame and a clean bead of caulking to seal them in place.
