Southern Tablelands Shipping Container Build

Well a month has passed by quickly. I have been busy working every day but there is not a huge amount to show.

School thankfully finished for Summer 2 weeks ago so I have more time (and energy) for the house build. It doesn't start again until the beginning of February next year.

One of the first things I did was to redo one of the lounge room beam covers:
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When I finished the plasterboard cover the first time, and base-coated the shadowline beading in I noticed that one of the sides was not quite straight and had a slight bulge along it. At first I thought it was not significant enough to worry about, but every time I looked at it I couldn't NOT see it!!

So I had to rip it all off and redo it. I'm so glad I did as I am much happier with it now.
It, and the other one have their top coat of plaster and need a light sanding before painting.
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The other part I mainly worked on was getting the 2 lounge room cupboards built. I am running out of space ATM to store things in so I really wanted these cupboards finished first so I could hide a lot of the stuff that is getting in the way. It will make finishing the lounge a lot easier.

This is how they were:
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First, block in the
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Install the sliding doors:
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Remove the doors to paint:
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Then after insulating and lining the ceilings, I've just finished the plastering and sanding and have begun painting them.
One has both undercoats done, then I ran out of undercoat, and after a quick trip to town this morning for more paint, the other has the first undercoat.
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You can see the mess I am working around in the lounge:
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On top of tool shelves, scraps of plasterboard, ladders, work table - there is also the kitchen island and a very large box holding 2/3rds of my new sofa (the other third, plus new coffee table, new dining chairs and rug are currently choking up the guest bedroom!

I had thought about a month ago, that I would be basically finished by December 31st. (Not completely finished as there are quite a few small things that are not urgent - like carpet for the bedrooms, small cupboards to be built etc) All the messy stuff (plastering and painting would be done and I could lift the cardboard from the floor and put in the sofa, coffee table, rug, more artworks etc. This is the point at which i would consider I've finished. Any other work could be done outside on the deck so as not to make a mess indoors.

But we are having an extremely wet Summer. Lots of storms and rain, 100% humidity at times - and this has slowed me down as the plaster is taking longer to dry as is each coat of paint. But I am still optimistic of reaching that finishing point in a couple of weeks.

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Originally Posted by turnstiles

we are having an extremely wet Summer. Lots of storms and rain, 100% humidity at times

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I've been repairing an old shed. A tiny thing, but I want to save it before the wind and storms wreck it. Yesterday morning I was wearing my parka while working, to keep warm. I'd been clearing some leaves off the roof and my hands near froze. Not quite ice but close to it. I came inside and sat on them to warm them wondering what frostbite feels like. Then an hour later I was back out, the parka was off, the jumper was pulled off too as the day warmed, then at about ten o'clock I was pulling on my shorts and sweating like a pig as I worked. I don't know how the wildlife manages to survive out there.

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Originally Posted by ErrolFlynn

then at about ten o'clock I was pulling on my shorts and sweating like a pig as I worked. I don't know how the wildlife manages to survive out there.

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Yes, the temperature fluctuations are crazy! A couple of weeks ago we had top of 36 deg and then a top of 17 the following day! So far it has been a very mild summer and I'm mot complaining - January through to March can still bring some scorchers.

Once the lounge cupboards were done, I was able to fill them with stuff that was cluttering up the lounge.
(Most of my tools are now temporarily in one of them).
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And then I put up the door reveals and temporarily (they need to come off and be painted and have handles put on them) hung the doors on the hallway cupboard.
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This gave me more storage to de-clutter!

The next task was to do all the lounge/dining area and hallway 2nd and third plaster coats on all the ceilings and walls. Then came sanding the final coat of plaster, followed by the 3-in-1 (primer, sealer and undercoat in one paint).

Up to today, all the ceilings and all of the walls have been sanded and undercoated, except the North facing wall with the huge windows. This will be done tomorrow morning and then I can begin painting the whole lot another two times!

Previously i was doing 2 undercoats and 2 top coats but have been reliably told this is overkill, and one coat of 3-in-1 is sufficient. It will certainly be cheaper (as another 15L buckets would cost another $250.) As it is, I will have just enough undercoat to finish the job.
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Within a few days i should be able to take up all of the protective cardboard from the floor, and get all the furniture in.

The end is nigh!!

Watching me eat breakfast!
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by turnstiles

Watching me eat breakfast!

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I'm surprised they're not scared of you.

They used to be. But now many of them seem to be quite used to me being inside the house. They understand the difference between inside and outside. If I was to walk out onto the deck they'd run!

There's a female roo that has become very used to me - she is the one that hangs out the closest. I can go outside to within 5 metres of her. She watches me but doesn't run. And if I don't make any sudden movements she returns to eating. She has had, I think, 3 different joeys in the last couple of years that I like to think she brings to show them off to me!!

There is a mob of mainly white nosed roos that hang around the most. Never seen white nosed roos before. Possibly all interbred. A couple of years ago I saw an albino roo down the back paddock.

Perhaps do a granny flat, you know, when you get bored...

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Originally Posted by r3nov8or

Perhaps do a granny flat, you know, when you get bored...

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:hahaha::hahaha::hahaha:

When this is done I don't think I'll want to pick up even a hammer for a year or two!!

I do need a studio/workshop - but I'll wait until I can afford to buy a shed and have it installed for me.

I do like the granny flat design though!

That would be a bit like living in a fishbowl. Though, if it was located in a place where you had no nearby neighbours to stare in and you had great views then it could be good. With so much glass it could be on the hot side in summer. Unless triple glazing was used. I’d be afraid to guess the cost of that.

There was a house I went to an open inspection that was up for sale a few years ago. It was as near as practical to being a sphere as a house might try to be. The thing that stuck in my mind was how the furniture in the house by and large just didn’t work. So many flat surfaces and so many curved walls.

Agreed - this wouldn't work in most locations. Also it is a CGI - there is no provision for rain dispersal/collection on the roof, even the kitchen floor is unfinished!!

That is what I've found with lots of CGI architecture - design and flights of fancy bear no relation to reality.

I had a similar situation with designing my place. I was strongly influenced by Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House, one of the first Modernist glass box houses. I realised that it was totally inappropriate for Australian climate conditions. But it was a great starting point for my final design.

But what these designs are good for, are to stimulate ideas, and someone might take away just one part of the design and make it work for them.

Busy couple of weeks with lots of painting done. Once the hallway was painted I set about reinstalling the sliding container panel barn door.
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The red colour of the door is the same as the original colour of the shipping containers.
I attached a handle matching the hallway doors.
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The rest of the lounge/dining room with all coats of paint.
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Now I was able to install the ceiling downlights - made easy these days because they come with a plug attached.
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Next came the moment I'd been greatly looking forward to for a long time - the lifting of the cardboard protecting the Tasmanian oak tongue and groove floorboards (which I hadn't seen for the past 16 months).
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(Above: still sweeping the floor of plaster dust and yet to mop!!)
Once the floor was washed (3 times) I could unpack the sofa, coffee table, rug and chairs.

Sofahenge!!
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Coffee table.
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To finish setting up the loungeroom I unpacked the Barcelona chairs that I bought (and kept wrapped) years ago. Also the kitchen island, a stainless steel tool trolley also bought years ago. Plus I hung a large abstract painting by a recently deceased good friend of mine, plus a small collage by one of my 13 year old ex students
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I still want a large rectangular artwork or diptych (2 panel work) for the wall behind the sofa.

Also put up the blockout blind in the guest bedroom - the morning sun through the glass doors can be quite fierce in summer.
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Couple of pix of the house model I made in 2011 when I was first starting to plan the house (this was even before I bought the land.)

Not too many changes since then (bathroom has been reconfigured and the water tank moved, and solar panels moved to ground level).
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Next is carpet for the bedrooms. I ordered it yesterday and waiting to hear when they can install it.

Totally AWESOME :2tsup: x 10

A nice colour of red for the door; looks good. I see the kitchen island is on wheels. That could be useful. Three of them. Probably wise.

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Originally Posted by rwbuild

Totally AWESOME :2tsup: x 10

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Cheers Ray!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ErrolFlynn

A nice colour of red for the door; looks good. I see the kitchen island is on wheels. That could be useful. Three of them. Probably wise.

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Yes the wheels (there's 4!) could be useful. Until I finish the pantry and mini butlers pantry I haven't settled on the island's final position.

I took a scrap of container wall off-cut to the paint store and they were able to scan it and make the exact same colour - clever stuff these days. I intend having some decals made in the style of lettering found on containers - letters and numbers that relate to me and the house, to put on the door.

My Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair has found its rightful place now the bedrooms have their carpet.
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By no means an adventurous choice, the 'Peppered Borneo' (truly - that's its name!!) is a neutral choice carpet in the budget range (like everything in the house!!)

I'm very happy with it - and it really finishes off the bedrooms.
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From nailing the carpet nail strips, taping and stapling the foam underlay to laying and joining the carpet in the 2 bedrooms, the carpet layer was finished in about 3 hours.

Mmmm...gotta love that new carpet smell 😁

And I have just begun to tile the kitchen splash-back. Just the grouting to do tomorrow.
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That sunset is Awesome

I love the large tiles. A very neat job of cutting the hole for the power outlet.

All my life I’ve seen power cords on the walls above kitchen benches. That means the cords drag across the bench. Not the best thing if you have stuff carefully placed on the bench. Or like maybe kneading dough or something. Though, if it’s for a microwave or coffee machine that’s a permanent feature, then fine. But if it’s a hand-held mixing machine, elec knife, or some other hand-held gadget then dragging the cord over the bench I not the best idea. Kitchen designers should consider inducing space in their cabinets so that the power outlet doesn’t have to drag across the bench top.

I spent ages planning where power outlets would go. I wasn't originally going to have one above the kitchen bench as the coffee machine and toaster are only there temporarily while I build the mini 'butlers pantry', where I've put two double power points so the most used electrical items can stay plugged in and used in that spot.

But i thought there might be the occasional time I might need to have power there (like using a stick blender or mix-master) and I wanted the power point low and discrete. But the electrician said it has to be a certain distance from the hob and if it is too low it is at risk of water when washing the counter top.

I would have loved to have the 'in counter pop up' power points. They disappear back into the counter when not used, but a bit pricey and it would interfere with the drawers in the kitchen cabinets.

A good point about water issues and the hob.

I've watched TV cooking shows. Quite often you see the cook stick one of those hand-held mixing machines into the saucepan while on the stove and wondered how convenient it would be to have a power point next to the stove. But then there's the risk of the cord brushing aginst something hot and burning.

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Originally Posted by turnstiles

And I have just begun to tile the kitchen splash-back. Just the grouting to do tomorrow.
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Nice and neat. I angle-grind the cuts from the back of the tile to achieve the straight lines, so the disc's cut runs a little further on the back of the tile than the front (due to disc circumference and the thinkness of the tile)

How did you go about the cuts?

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Originally Posted by r3nov8or

Nice and neat. I angle-grind the cuts from the back of the tile to achieve the straight lines, so the disc's cut runs a little further on the back of the tile than the front (due to disc circumference and the thickness of the tile)

How did you go about the cuts?

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Exactly as you described! To get neat inside corners you need the overrun on the back to allow for the blade curve. Luckily I watched a YouTube clip of a tile cutter doing this! ( I woulda been totally screwed on this build if it wasn't for YouTube :U)

I am still plodding along getting some of the little tasks done such as random gap filling, building the pull-out pantry and planning the main pantry and bathroom cupboard (so I can order all the materials for a single delivery)

In the meantime - here are some "Then and Now" photos!
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There is no denying your vision, commitment, aesthetic creativity and skills that have grown with this. Anyone would be hard pressed not to like this and to anyone who sees it for the first time would never know its humble beginnings.
:2tsup: x100

Thanks Ray. I think having a fairly detailed plan (and model) of what I wanted helped a lot right throughout the building stages.

Because I stuck to the original plan, only deviating when it became apparent the first idea couldn't work, it stopped me making too many modifications as I went and thus made the final product easier to create.

Even though I'd never built anything more than an Ikea bookcase, having been a sculptor for years came in handy. Sticking to the original concept drawings made creating sculptures a lot easier. Painters can paint over a tree they don't like. With sculpture it is a lot harder, as I tell people who ask, making sculpture is like making a table. The spontaneity and creativity comes mainly in the planning and design stage. It is very hard to suddenly decide to make your table have 3 legs instead of four at the stage of putting the legs on! The same concept kept me going on the house.

This recent post made me realise what a long and complex process it has been, and I'm very glad to be near the end of it!!

A few more 'Then and Now photos:
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There’s a pair of photos of your kitchen window. I see you put up the timber frame before cutting a hole in the steel.

Did you use an angle grinder to cut the opening?

Did you screw/bolt the steel to the timber frame in some way?

Did you encounter any issues in waterproofing the opening, particularly with the sheeting being corrugated? I’m just wondering how you did that.

The only timbers connected to the container steel were the top plates of the walls. Bottom plates were fixed to the ply timber floors. So the framing wouldn't be impacted by any expansion/contraction or movement of the metal walls. (At least that was my theory!!)

All steel was cut out using a 125mm (5") angle grinder. People suggested a plasma cutter - but I wasn't keen on spending to getting the compressor and gas bottles. And I gave up on the idea of using a 230 mm (9") grinder when I heard they were nicknamed "Widow makers"! (I believe they are banned on a lot of work sites.)

With the cutouts - I initially cut around the windows and door pre framing, but left several 1" tabs of steel uncut to hold the panel in place. The reason for this is that it is difficult to get around the framing to cut the steel. The tabs were easy to cut from outside. I suppose I could have cut the openings from the outside but alignment would have been more difficult.

This pic shows the pre-cutting for the big windows before starting the framing.
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Re: waterproofing - as the opening framing wasn't attached to the steel, waterproofing was done just like on an ordinary timber framed house. With internal and external insulation everywhere, reveals and jambs tended to be quite wide.

Thanks for that.

Probably a reasonable idea not to attach too much timber to the steel. There might have been a lot of creaking going on as the sun comes in and out from behind clouds. I had a house like that. Some like the sound. I hated it.

I’ve never heard the term widow maker in reference to an angle grinder. Understandable, though. I have 9”. They give quite a kick and they are heavy, and get heavier the longer you use them. Some machines have a progressive start, which is nice.

I have a mate, very experienced in metal work, who had his mouth, teeth and nose heavily impacted when his 9" grinder "caught" and broke the cutting disc, and it all reared up towards him in a split second of mayhem and then the runny red stuff

He's lucky to be alive by the sound of it. All angle grinders must be used carefully, and the big beasts can be scary.

I've slowed down a fair bit lately - even taken time off to read a book, look at the view, go for walks. But there are still some things to finish.

This was the last thing I posted - tiling the kitchen backsplash. Here it is finished
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As I've probably mentioned - the tiles (leftover bathroom wall tiles) happen to have the same dimensions as the large kitchen draw fronts - which is a nice bit of serendipity! This is how the counter will look once the toaster and coffee machine are in the 'mini butler's pantry', And the ugly draining board will sit in the sink when not in use.

The next thing on the list was the pull-out pantry. I decided to have a go at making one of these once I discovered I had a narrow space in the kitchen which would suit one really well.

All the tall ones online were super expensive, so I thought I'd have a bash at making one.

This was the SketchUp design i made:
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There are two industrial sized draw runners attached to one wall and the shelving unit at the top and bottom.

It is now in place and being used (really useful for the myriad different sauces, spices and herbs I have!!) even though the false front hasn't been added, nor the handle. I still need to make the surrounds, and I put my old IKEA Billy bookcase where the butlers pantry will go temporarily as it's also really useful for storage.
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The purple fountain grass I planted a year ago has settled in nicely. It is now about half its finished height. The colour of it blends really nicely with the rusted steel planter box.
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I really need a low piece of furniture to hide the back of the sofa as it is very visible. I am after something in old pine with some open fronts to store books
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Something like this but without the cupboard fronts:
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Then I can display my new (old) African antelope headdress from Mali. I've wanted one of these since the '80's when I first saw one. I had it sent from the States and made the base for it.
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The lounge/dining room in the late afternoon sun:
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I also bought a couple of ottomans, one for each bedroom. Handy to sit on when donning shoes and with useful storage in them
Main bedroom:
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2nd bed:
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Great place for brekkers!
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My banksias have gone from a single flower last year to quite a lot this year (and my callistemons have bloomed 3 times since Spring which is quite uncommon. Twice is usual)
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And not so long ago I heard a noise on the back deck late at night and discovered a sugar glider having a nose around. First one I've ever seen! (about the size of a European squirrel)
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Currently I'm starting to build the main kitchen pantry and I've bought sheer nets for the big windows and need to install them.

Interesting idea with the pull-out pantry. I’m thinking it shouldn’t pull out entirely to prevent the risk of it falling over. Then again, if you did pull it right out you could move it to where you need it, and that could be handy. The side rails are a good idea. If anything had to fall off and become trapped under one of the wheels it could become problematic.

A nice colour choice on the floor. Your plants are looking good too.

The unit has drawer runner attached to it so it pulls out almost completely but the runners stop it from coming right out. They also fix it to the wall so it can't tip over. It's very stable considering the weight of products in it.

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Time for net curtains. NOT, I might add, for privacy!

But I've realised that at this time of year, when the sun is lower in the sky, and the days can still be warm - the house can get really stuffy with too much sun coming in. So the nets help filter some of the heat.
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I close them around 2pm and reopen them at sunset. This way the house heats up and remains warm inside all through the night. (E.G. last night at 6pm it was 5.8deg outside but still 26deg inside.) And I imagine the same will occur in early Spring.
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I have also begun the big kitchen pantry. I made things easier by buying the shelving instead of making it. Good old 'Billy' bookcases (with top extensions) from IKEA. Saves me a lot of time.
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I've also ordered (and am waiting for) the timber and gyprock for the surround and doors.
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I also bought a shed!
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Looking good Turnstiles!

Thanks Uncle Bob.

That sheds far too small, shed size should exceed the houses footprint area or where are you going to put all the stuff you might need in the future?
Curtains make it seem far more civilised and "Yes" looking good

Good to see you back, Moondog :)

Thanks Moondog - welcome back. I don't think there will be many more posts from me - finally reaching the end of the Big Project!