welding shipping containers

madmachinst · Dec 3, 2022

Flux wire or gas/MIG welding, what wire you suggest and what metal would be best to use as sheet metal if wanted to weld 2 containers 6' apart with a metal roof in between?

idacal · Dec 3, 2022

I used flux core think it was hobart 21b but it needs cleaned really well first. thats one of the few times i made myself sick burning through paint and i didnt weld that much

memphisjed · Dec 3, 2022

Containers are Corten. 309 ss wire or 70s2 wire.

Superbowl · Dec 3, 2022

Either will work. Flux wire makes more splatter but works better with less than properly cleaned metal. MIG with gas shielding has less splatter but requires clean metal for best results.

john.k · Dec 3, 2022

Only the super good containers are Corten,and you will pay a big premium for them.........the rest rust quicker than a 74 Ford .........Id say they are some kind of 20 point carbon steel...any mild steel wire will be OK ........incidentally ,the corner blocks wont be Corten ,even on a corten container .

madmachinst · Dec 4, 2022

well, so you all saying good prep work, go through the paint with the right brush, flap wheel, or how about pressure washer sand blast set up? Then use a MIG. or Flux since this is happening outdoors?

Superbowl · Dec 4, 2022

Anything that gives you shiny clean metal will allow for the best quality weld.

farmersamm · Dec 6, 2022

Being as you're outside.................... Fabshield 21B, or NR211, self shielding wire will work fine. If you plan to work on the sheet metal, .030 is a safe bet for preventing burn through. Any gas shielded wire will be difficult to work with in any kind of breeze.

For thicker sections, 7018 is fine. 3/32 is easily handled out-of-position if you're familiar with it. I've also seen guys use 6010. It just depends on your comfort level with either of the rods.

Any lightweight metal roofing should be fine. I dunno what your snow load is, so it might pay to talk to a local building inspector to see what roof loads are required in your area.......this will tell you how to do the framing.

I've had guys tell me that I ought to do what you're doing, but I can't bring myself to do it. I've welded outside for so long, a bit of shade would probably kill me LOL. And......I need a good bit of overhead clearance, which makes a roof pretty expensive, even if built off of the containers.

Anyways...........sounds like a good idea. Good luck with it.

cyanidekid · Dec 6, 2022

madmachinst said:
well, so you all saying good prep work, go through the paint with the right brush, flap wheel, or how about pressure washer sand blast set up? Then use a MIG. or Flux since this is happening outdoors?

guess you haven't tried to GMAW outdoors lol! (Gas Metal Arc Weld, the proper term for MIG that doesn't have flux in the wire)
FCAW ( Flux Core Arc Welding) with shielding gas, also called "dual shield" works great outdoors under most conditions, but does need some wind block if there is much air moving.
FCAW without shielding gas, also called "self shielded" or "gasless" wire can work well if done right, but its hard to make a good looking weld with that stuff.
the other thing to consider is the cost of a spool of wire. the dual shield will come on a "30 lb" spool, as these are professional fabrication consumables primarily. Hobart tried to market small spools of it but discontinued it, most folks with the little 115 boxes just want simple and cheap.
unless you intend to get serious about welding and are willing to invest in consumables, and have a machine that takes the full size spools, just stick with stick (SMAW) or the hobby self shielding wire outdoors.

oh, and we shouldn't have to tell anyone trying to get a quality weld to clean it up first, WTF? and no, you don't need to sand blast unless seriously rusty, but that will work if you have it handy.
just get it clean, no pressure wash, you are taking off paint and rust, that's just not usually the way to do that, is it?.

Ben · Dec 6, 2022

cyanidekid said:
guess you haven't tried to GMAW outdoors lol! (Gas Metal Arc Weld, the proper term for MIG that doesn't have flux in the wire)
FCAW ( Flux Core Arc Welding) with shielding gas, also called "dual shield" works great outdoors under most conditions, but does need some wind block if there is much air moving.
FCAW without shielding gas, also called "self shielded" or "gasless" wire can work well if done right, but its hard to make a good looking weld with that stuff.
the other thing to consider is the cost of a spool of wire. the dual shield will come on a "30 lb" spool, as these are professional fabrication consumables primarily. Hobart tried to market small spools of it but discontinued it, most folks with the little 115 boxes just want simple and cheap.
unless you intend to get serious about welding and are willing to invest in consumables, and have a machine that takes the full size spools, just stick with stick (SMAW) or the hobby self shielding wire outdoors.

oh, and we shouldn't have to tell anyone trying to get a quality weld to clean it up first, WTF? and no, you don't need to sand blast unless seriously rusty, but that will work if you have it handy.
just get it clean, no pressure wash, you are taking off paint and rust, that's just not usually the way to do that, is it?.

I would use Hobart Fabsheild 21B if I were doing it outside. Works better for poorly prepared metal than the others I've used. I just welded up a new bottom in a 6x10' trash box outside with good results. I had a 10 gage bottom and sides. I used .045 wire, mostly because that's the spool on the machine.
Ben

john.k · Dec 6, 2022

All around here the giant white plastic igloos have sprung up.......two 40ft ers ,set of arched bows ,white plastic .....claimed 10yr + lifespan in the blazing sun .....The more ambitious have 40ft ers stacked two high and three long in two rows with a giant white arch ................My question is ,the council harassed me over two containers ,how the hell are these things legal?

Drroaster · Dec 6, 2022

Don’t want to steal the thread. Can anyone shed light on Corten? How would it hold up buried? How do you identify it in a container?
boyd
if needed I can start a new thread

john.k · Dec 6, 2022

Ive collected a couple of corten containers.......its not rustproff like stainless,just rust resistant.........it works good if it can dry between wettings ,and there are no water pockets........my oldest is dated 1976 ,and is still very sound ,which is why I saved it from the yard ...........I also had some carbon steel 40 ft ers at the yard,ordinary GEs ,and if I had put roofs on them straight away,they would have still been good 20 years later.......I didnt ,and the roofs were completely gone,which means floors gone too.........Corten fetches a $1000 premium in the market,and they are now hard to find.

john.k · Dec 6, 2022

By the way,corten containers have a plate rivetted to them ,saying repairs must be done with corten.........What generally causes rust in containers is damage ,especially roof damage that pools water ,and weld repairs.......side repairs can be anywhere,roof repairs are often near the lock blocks ,where the couplers have bashed in the roofs..........A new carbon steel container ,with roof kept clean of leaves and dirt ,will last a long time ......when the roof rusts ,then a corrugated gal sheet roof is put over the top.........unfortunately,they now cannot be moved by road ,for fear of the roof coming loose ....so if frequent moves are needed ,then no additions to the external structure.

cyanidekid · Dec 7, 2022

yup, A588 provides little to no advantage in constant contact with water or wet conditions, so unless you live in the desert it won't help a buried container.

john.k · Dec 7, 2022

Its generally claimed that if you bury shipping containers ,the walls bulge inwards........they can be encased in poured reinforced concrete,provided the walls and roof are supported by screw props until the concrete hardens....Anyone building a shelter should look at one of the drainage products ,like Armco corrugated structures..

Drroaster · Dec 8, 2022

Thank you everyone

steve-l · Dec 10, 2022

What is unique about Corten is the way it corrodes. The corrosion is a very fine dust. It does not flake. Although it corrodes, it appears to be only skin deep and then it stops. It is often used for outside building surfaces and sculptures without any paint. Be also advised, it has poor fatigue resistance and has a tendency to crack when stress cycled because of that.

Strostkovy · Dec 14, 2022

I used ebay special flux core in the shittiest welder Lincoln makes, on a far too long extension cord. I had zero time to get things setup, so I was in my PAPR welding galvanized boxes to the painted container and everything worked fine.

john.k · Dec 14, 2022

In both of my corten containers ,rusting has started in a sort of breather box inside the container ..........oddly enough ,plain steel containers dont have this breather box(if thats what it is).................anyhoo,the wll known cure is to put one or two whirly birds on top of the container to eliminate the condensation that forms inside the roof on a cold night .....the worst damage seen in containers (except direct rain leaks) is from these heavy drops of water falling directly on stuff inside the container.,not from the steamy atmosphere sometimes blamed.

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