Workshop Built From Shipping Containers

Workshop Built From Shipping Containers FARM SHOP Miscellaneous FARM SHOW reader Craig Stover spent six years on and off constructing a workshop by combining a hoop house with old shipping containers To date the structure consists of four shipping containers each 20 ft long They are situated on the corners of a rectangle measuring 32 by 50 ft with 16 ft between the pairs of containers Everything rests on a crushed rock floor and a hoop house set up overtop adds versatility to the workshop Part of the structure is covered by an insulated ceiling “I plan to heat the 16 by 20-ft area under it on cloudy days ” says Stover “On sunny days no heat is necessary thanks to the structure’s greenhouse effect ” The workspace can get quite hot in the summer so Stover adds a shade cloth to the west side to cool things down Building the workshop was a gradual process Stover bought the four containers off Craigslist over six years They averaged about $2 000 each though he expects the price would be higher today He purchased the tubing for the roof online through a fencing company for about $2 000 Other materials like plastic lumber hardware and the wiggle wire channel for the roof added another $1 000 while the crushed rock flooring was $500 Stover sourced a 14 by 14-ft overhead door free from a friend and was able to use his backhoe tractor dozer and 60-ft boom lift to aid the project While there’s no electricity installed Stover runs a diesel generator with an extension cord from an adjacent greenhouse when power is needed He also uses a Miller gasoline-powered welder for many projects When Stover considers his progress so far he notes that he would do things differently with the hoop house if he were to start again “The hoop house roof needs to be bowed outward not straight tubing like it is now to keep the plastic from billowing in the wind It also needs more bracing to accommodate the snow load Therefore I plan to turn the tubing that the heavy snow in January bowed in 180 degrees so it bows out Then brace it with steel braces to the top of the containers to strengthen it ” Despite some setbacks with the roof due to heavy snow that will require repairs this year Stover is still progressing on his workshop and is optimistic he will continue to perfect the design even if it takes a while Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Craig Stover ph 860-982-7596; cstover2506@gmail com

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