Mobile Man Cave Commend Center

[upTheHill]

We have a lakeside camp about 130 north of our home, and my wife has informed me (several times) that she wants to spend the entire summer there this year. I don't have a problem with that, except that it means I'll be 130 miles away from my man-cave and all of it's interesting widgets.

Then SHE made the mistake of telling me to just buy an enclosed trailer and put all my stuff in that.

hmmmm

so a 6x12 enclosed cargo trailer just happened to follow me home today.
My plan is to insulate it a bit, run electrical service thru it with a 30A twist connector to the outside world. Build benches in it and put my mini mill, mini lathe, etc etc into it. Bolting everything down so it doesn't get destroyed in transit.

my question for the benches, since weight is an issue (I have a max of 1700 pounds of stuff I can put in it)
I'm thinking of building the bench legs out of metal, either angle or square tubing. I'm thinking this would weigh less then wood legs and be stronger then wood. Does this sound right? Then the bench tops would be either 2" hemlock or oak. benches would be bolted to the walls and floors. equipment bolted to the bench tops.

my wife did draw the line when I asked if I could stencil "Mobile Man Cave Commend Center" on the side of it.

 

[Silverbullet]

If I were doing it I'd frame it with aluminum angle or channel Then the wood top. You can make strong shelves with 1x3 lumber and 3/8" plywood if you box it , glue and nail them then you can bolt to the frame of aluminum. Plus you can boost your carry weight with helper springs ?? Lots of options are open to you.

 

[upTheHill]

So, it's evolved from my original concept for it. my mini lathe and mini mill aren't included in it. Didn't want them bouncing 130 miles while traveling. So I decided on what I'm most likely to need / use while at camp. so there's my small dill press, 6" grinder and belt sander bolted to the work surfaces. below is a small compressor, vacuum and places to store my small power tools and air tools. I have a MAPP/Oxy setup (still need to better secure the tanks to the wall supports) my portable MiG Table setup and table saw will get stuffed in there when needed. I am going to use the V Nose for my Air Rifle compressor and tanks, and a workstation to clean / work on my guns.

LED lighting, power strips on both sides above the work surfaces, 2 20 amp circuits with an external weather proof box to connect either to a landline, or a generator and an external connection for the air compressor. I still need to put some screening on the 2 door openings, so they can be open in the spring / summer and keep the mosquitoes out.

 

[dlane]

That should work good for starters , other mods will probably evolve.
I would cap any welding cylinders when transporting, it's DOT law in most states I think.
And be careful of where sparks go , with wood walls / floor.

 

[wrat]

I would cap any welding cylinders when transporting, it's DOT law in most states I think.

While i'm not out to start an internet legal battle, these days certain legal aspects matter more than others. So believe me, i'm just being pedantic for the sake of accuracy (and government encroachment).

DOT is a fed agency. So there are no "most states" provision. If the DOT requires it, it's required everywhere.

However, DOT doesn't apply to you, the citizen. Without Apportionment, MSO, CDL or some kind of contract to acquiesce to Federal authority, your state is the sole authority on what you transport and how. Further, I don't know of a state that has anything to say about how a private citizen transports welding gasses - as opposed to propane. After all, you can't put a cap on most propane bottles. One easy check would be to find one of these welding trucks. Are their bottles capped or just well-tethered? They're invariably a business in your state and have legal standing as a commercial entity, so if ANY such regulation applied to anyone, it would certainly apply to them. That'd be quicker and easier than asking a lawyer or doing a search and wading through statutes. Or worse yet, the bureaucratic interpretation. Besides, your Ox bottle has no provisions for a cap, anyway.

That said, safety is always a good idea. So i'll leave that debate to the masters. If all it can do is fall *over*, then the cap is generally superfluous. The cap is for when it falls *off* of something (truck, forklift, dock, etc.) Being well-tethered is generally more than sufficient. Which, uh... candidly... yours really aren't. I might design something more permanent for that kind of stuff.

Cool trailer. Now you know the rules about this, right? I mean, the Universe is governed by certain rules. ONE such rule says that "stuff will expand to fill the space allotted to it." So it'll be interesting for you to check back a few more times. I'm thinking that trailer is gonna get many more needful items before next year's trip.

Wrat

 

[upTheHill]

these tanks don't have a threaded neck to screw a cap onto, and they come in the gas truck just stapped to the side of the truck. and yes I said In had to secure the tanks to the side of the trailer better. they provably won't always be in the trailer, just when I thing I'll be doing a project using them. there is gong to be a set of always there tools, and a trip dependent variety. I would need a mobile home sized triler to keep everything inside it.

 

[tweinke]

You might want to plan for a second trailer, thinking once you run out of room......... Make sure you thank your significant other for allowing you to bring your hobby along.

 

[rock_breaker]

Having dealt with MSHSA for 20 years I join the others with respect to preventing the welding bottles from tipping while in transit and "use". Nice set-up. As tweinke said you might plan for a second trailer, will require more attention to traffic and parking but a great way to transport materials and extra tools.
Have a good day!
Ray

 

[MattM]

Sell the trailer, get a forty foot insulated container, build it out at home and have it moved the 130 miles then have it moved back at the end of the season. That way you can take everything and have an extra room at home.

Pencil it out it might not be that much more expensive.