Shipping Container Cabin. Full Build in 9 Days (Solo).

Transcript

0:02 · [Music] This is Matt Crockett and welcome to Dallas for another cabin build. At this point, I don’t actually have the shipping container yet, but I’ve been salvaging doors and windows and I know which ones I want to use and where I want to put them and what my steel requirements are going to be. For welding door and window frames, the main tools I’ll be using are an Evolution chopsaw and the old Harbor Freight welder. I’ve got the welder on a setting called gasless mig, which means I don’t need a separate bottle of gas. It’s a super helpful setting when you’re dragging the welder around and on top of the container, as you’ll see me do. I tend to get my containers from the same yard and I let them pick them out for me. This is a zim container, which is an Israeli shipping outfit. And zim means a fleet of ships in Hebrew. You guys know what this is? You know, one of the things you worry about at this age is whether you’ve just fully become your old man. And in between fabricating tools and complaining about the lack of defense in the nba, I think I’m there. All right. First, the door frame. I like to have it where the edges are on system parts of the container.

1:27 · This edge is on the inside flat part. I want this edge on an inside flat part. I tack weld the door and all the window frames to the outside of the container. That allows me to see where they go and make sure I like it. And then to trace the outline of the frame.

1:47 · And then I take a little thin strip of steel and weld it to the container. And that gives me a guide to cut against so I can cut in a straight line.

2:13 · [Music]

2:33 · [Applause] I’ve been building full decks on top of these containers, but that’s been more than I’ve needed. So, for this one, I’m just building a little 4×8 deck.

3:10 · [Music] Can’t believe that just got lucky on that one. Better brace this thing while I walk around looking for my tools.

3:32 · Hey, just admit that fatigue is becoming a factor. Ah, this time I’m ready. I got the drill. I got a screw in the right hole. What I’ve been doing is building these cabins. little place by my house and then moving them down to little pieces of hunting land that I’ve been buying. Since this one will be moved, I wasn’t planning on building a staircase, but my Home Depot delivery with all my lumber got delayed and so I had a half day. Figured I’d tack weld a staircase that I could just pop back off when I moved the container. And then I’ll weld it on for good when I get the box to its final sight.

4:28 · The Home Depot delivery finally arrived.

4:30 · And if you got a big order, I mean, you cannot beat having these guys bring you all the stuff for 79 bucks. This is a run and gun style of framing. I mean, you would never do this for any other kind of frame. Everything’s just built in place and towen nailed together. While it’s not very structurally sound, the spray foam acts like a glue that locks it into place.

5:02 · After I got the container framed, I moved back outside while my spray foam guys came and sprayed the inside.

5:43 · [Applause] [Applause] [Music]

7:13 · Because this will be an off-grid cabin, I’ll set it up with a plug on the outside so that it can be plugged into a generator.

7:39 · Since I’ve got a power pull here, I’ll put it to the test. So, I’ve mostly shown you this build in the order that it went. But sometimes I worked on things a little bit over a series of days and I just put them all together in one spot. Like I cut all the deck and stairwood one day, stained it another day, and then tested it all out up top on the third day. I’ll mostly leave the deck unfinished for transport and then finish it up when I get this to its final spot. I’m thinking about this plywood interior as something of a blank canvas.

8:27 · Maybe I’ll paint it or stain it. Maybe I’ll put some wallpaper. This is just a spare piece I had, so I’m testing it out. We’ll see what happens. Here’s a cost breakdown while I show you the final build. The box, including tax and delivery, was 21,00 bucks, and the spray of foam was 1,300.

8:52 · I spent 300 at the Steelard and about 1,800 at Home Depot.

9:01 · Next time I’ll clear some land and get this box moved and set up.

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