M14 Forum

Young guns · February 9th, 2012, 06:42 PM

We have 3 ( 2 are 40'' highs and the other is a 20'' low) and i like them, we use ours for storage like feed, tractor parts, and for work( carpentry tools etc.). These things are robust but they rust very easy so its best to paint them and we weld a frame in side for more sturctural support. As well as these are tax exempt because they are moveable, oh and Quicksilvergoat if you would bury them it would become taxable as a underground structure which means more money spent over the corse of having them. However it might be better to bury them as it would protect it kind off like a bunker, but on the down side it would rust very fast. The only way you could properly bury it would be to lay a concrete slab then set your container on it. Then pour contrete around it to make better walls which in turn nullifies the hole resson for burying it any ways (cause its would be more effective just to make concrete bunker than lay concrete around it). Just my 0.02 cents as a construction worker/carpenter.
Good Shooting.

andyh1956 · February 9th, 2012, 06:43 PM

when armor upgrades came around we had to demil the old armor. if it was reactive it would have ceramic & kevlar layers & the plasma cutter wouldn't cut it. so we layered the armor on top of our chu & then put the sand bags on top of the armor. never got tried out, but we slept better!
andy

huntinghawk · February 9th, 2012, 06:46 PM

As mercman stated, price depends on condition as well as size & distance to deliver.

Shipping containers should be cheapest closer to ports but that doesn't seem to be the case. Normally its due to higher cost of living area.

When I bought my 20ft for $1,000 delivered local place had them from $800 to over $2,000. I didn't price the 40ft at that time.

Quicksilvergoat · February 9th, 2012, 07:11 PM

It just seems to me it's ability as a protective shelter is limited by being above ground. I know cost would go up by burying one. You may not even want to bury the whole thing. I would at least put it in a depression of some sort with good drainage if possible. If I was to bury it I think I would lay at least six inches of gravel on the bottom of the hole. To prevent rust I would put a couple of thick coats of spray on bedliner. Before that I would use a self etching primer on the outside. I think that would be sufficient for our lifetimes anyway.

I think the idea of it is neat and didn't realize so many folks were involved in doing something like this with old conexes. I live in a second floor apartment so I'm pretty screwed.

Young guns · February 9th, 2012, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quicksilvergoat

It just seems to me it's ability as a protective shelter is limited by being above ground. I know cost would go up by burying one. You may not even want to bury the whole thing. I would at least put it in a depression of some sort with good drainage if possible. If I was to bury it I think I would lay at least six inches of gravel on the bottom of the hole. To prevent rust I would put a couple of thick coats of spray on bedliner. Before that I would use a self etching primer on the outside. I think that would be sufficient for our lifetimes anyway.

It will still rust within 5 years if its in the ground. I have seen what water and time can do to things my mother works for a water company out here that provides water to about 15 towns and comunitys. Their large storage tanks are coated with 16 layers of industriel grade rubber coating which has bhen layed on the inside with high heat spray guns. And The longest each coat lasts is about 8 years before rust eventualy forms and it must be drained and recoated. Your best bet is a concrete slab to keep it out of the water and some beddliner. But gravel and beddliner is no go cause the abrasive gravel over time will scratch the liner right off as the ground shifts and settels, maybe not to many holes in the liner but enough for water to get in between the liner and metal. Just what i have seen, i have worked on houses fo 5 years now and have seen all kinds of thing so if its bhen rotted of rusted i have worked on it.
Good Shooting.

LemmyCaution · February 10th, 2012, 05:22 AM

It used to be that Conexes were fabricated of CorTen steel. They'd last a good long time in a marine shipping environment.

But that was back in the day when international trade was relatively balanced and goods flowed around the world and the containers stayed in circulation.

The reason you can buy a 40' box for less than the scrap metal value is that the freaking things only make one way trips anymore- China to here. Since they're a one way item, the Chinese make them out of whatever crap steel they have around.

In some respects, it pays to shop around for containers made to ISO specs.