An idea for storage

[neoshaakti]

I posted this in "starting a new team" but I guess that wasn't the right place for this post.

Anyways...

Our team is having trouble fnding space to store all our stuff during the offseason. The school has been gracious in providing us some room during build, but because the storage we use is a science's teachers prep room, and the supervisors offices...we will get kicked out sometime in march.

I was thinking, isn't there an over abundance of these cargo ship trailers? Pic:
http://easyboxcargo.com/cargo%20ship...0francisco.jpg

wouldn't it be interesting if FIRST could somehow work with the yards that collect these trailer things and somehow reconvert it to a trailer that can be used by teams?
I mean, self storage places are getting expensive...and so is renting a Uhaul everytime you gotta lug spare wood and the robot back to school

Wouldn't this also be an environmentally friendly project too?

Anyone interested in looking into this with me?

Thanks

-Neel

[Samwise137]

Dude, that would be a very cool thing to put into a Chairman's award effort. The link you've posted is broken but I think I know what you mean. The team I mentor for has a dedicated pit area at Clarkson University but I'm sure there's plenty of teams that would be a) Interested in helping convert the cargo ship trailers into robot storage and b) Interested in storing stuff there in the offseason. If you want help, I'm sure one or two members of our team would be willing to (assuming some of us can get to wherever these container ships are held) help reconstruct the containers with you. A couple of our mentors live in your area and would be glad to help out. Let me know how the effort pans out and we'll see what we can do.

[EricH]

If you want to use those, then here's some things to keep in mind:

1) Where are you going to put it?
2) Locking capability.
3) Powering it for lights.

All of which can be done. I've seen it done, or rather, the finished product.


If you want to take it even further, convert into a work area.
1) Better power supply
2) Workbenches
3) Some form of seating.

[neoshaakti]

Originally Posted by EricH

If you want to use those, then here's some things to keep in mind:

1) Where are you going to put it?
2) Locking capability.
3) Powering it for lights.

All of which can be done. I've seen it done, or rather, the finished product.


If you want to take it even further, convert into a work area.
1) Better power supply
2) Workbenches
3) Some form of seating.

To answer your initial questions

1. My team is located in a suburban area and has a few acres of land. This storage trailer can easily be plopped around the outskirts of the school near some of the track trailers.

2. I'm sure that these trailer already have some form of a locking mechanism already on them.

3. We won't necessarily need lights if we just use it for storing our stuff in the offseasons. Whenever we need to access our stuff we can use flashlights and sunlight.

Here's another link of what I'm referring to : click

[rtfgnow]

For transportation you would probably want a trailer for the back of a car, unless you plan to buy a truck with those. Check Craig's list or something similar. These are also good for storage.

[Madison]

They come in 10', 20' and 40' lengths. You can buy a new 20' container for about $3,500 or so. Used containers are available as well and are, obviously, cheaper -- but you'll likely want to replace the floor. They're all 8' wide and 8.5' tall on the outside.

If you're interested, people sometimes extensively modify the containers into homes and other things.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Madison

If you're interested, people sometimes extensively modify the containers into homes and other things.

At work, we have two. One is a section, and has the main office. The other is used for storage of some of the go-karts. That one has lights, even though it's only used for storage.

And, why stop with storage? Like I said above, it could be possible to convert one or two to a work area as well as a storage area. You just put in the work surfaces, add power, and you're good to go. If you're smart about how you do it, it can be both work and storage. Lose a work space? No problem, move out to the container. Lose container storage space? Move the container.

[Mathguy77]

The Toltechs got one this year when we moved to a building with a smaller workshop. We use it to store some tools, but mostly building materials and components. The box itself is 9 1/2 feet high and about thirty feet long. As you can tell from the pictures, there is a "normal" door on one end and double doors the size of the box on the other. No internal lights, but it is easily locked.

I think we paid apprx. $3000 for it. But it's been worth it.

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by neoshaakti

To answer your initial questions
2.Im sure that these trailer already have some form of a locking mechanism already on them.

In reference to number 2, we use a few brand new ones of these as offices, break trailers, tool trailers, makeup trailers, & costume storage (with a washer & dryer hooked up inside one of them) at a local haunted house I work at. They are great for this, but you must check with local building inspectors before doing anything to make it at all permanent, or be aware of local building codes at least.
I'm not sure what the code is for ours, but they were lit with lights running off of metal conduit & also have 120v electric outlet drops running the whole length of the trailer on both sides. They are all secured with (beefy) padlocks at both ends on the "doors" of them, & we also have heat running to all of them (electric baseboards) along the floors.

It works great, but just remember if you want to use these as a work space, they are made of metal, not insulated, & cold as heck on a typical New England afternoon & evening during build season until you turn on that heat - which instantly escapes as soon as you open the door btw.

This also begs to ask the question about what you are storing in there & what drastic temperature changes will do to what is stored in there.
Extreme heat & extereme cold tend to play havoc with some electronics & materials (wood warping, paint cans exploding... - yeah, it can happen.)

All in all, if you're desperate for storage it's a pretty good idea, but there are better options of course.

[thefro526]

Haha, this is a funny thread, turns out I work for a company that rents/modifies/sells shipping containers.

As far as containers go you can get them in standard lengths of: ~4'9", ~6'6", 10', 20', 30" (Very rare to see in the USA), 40', 45', 48', and 53' foot. Most containers are 8' high but you can get them in 6'10", 8', 8'6", 9'6". Widths for the most part are 8' unless you get a special container.

As far as lights, benches, doors, windows, HVAC, security, insulation.... it's probably already been done. You can honestly put or get any put into a container for the right price. Also most containers you'll ever see have a 1"-1.25" wood floor that is weather resistant and can be drilled into for mounting shelves or tables and the walls are steel so you can weld to them too.

So yeah, containers are great for temporary storage and they're relatively affordable too. A one time use container usually runs about $2000-$4000 give or take depending on the condition and size (You'll never be able to get a "new" container in the states at an affordable price, most are made in China and filled with goods and used once to ship over here and then are sold as "New containers") . As far as used containers (>3-5 yrs old) they run about $1000-$2000 to buy. You can also rent them.

If anyone would like any help in trying to get a Container for storage at a good price send me a PM and I'll get you some contact info.

[McGurky]

our team worked at a haunted house this year as a fund-raiser, and they used these as make-up rooms.

This reminds me of when my school district was just developing, and they couldn't get the money for a new elementry school, and they didn't have enough class rooms for for all of the kids. so they went out and bought a few of these, and used them as class rooms!!


This would be an awsome idea!!!

[GX67]

Wow. Thanks for the amazingly helpful responses, everyone.

I'm thinking that my team can use this potential project to train new members, or refresh old members.

We could try to get a larger container, and wire it to be a workshop, but we're going to have to insulated it and get a proper electrical technician, because it's going to be C-O-L-D here during the winter. If we're going to be working in the make-shift workshop, we have to make sure our members don't get sick.

Anyone have any experience/advice for doing something like this?

[jamie_1930]

I don't have buying information, but this is exactly what 1930 is doing, and for lighting we had a few guys who weren't too busy last year put some in and it wasn't to hard of a project for them.

P.S. If your going to do this remember to keep it right outside the shop and have a jacket. They get incredibly cold during the winter months, which are all of build season.