How do I weigh a shipping container?

[John Hill]

We will be moving house soon and my shop will go into a shipping container and I do not want to load it over 6 tonnes which is the cheapest transport rate but I also do not want to leave any junk treasure behind if I dont have to.

So how to weight a 20' steel box? Of course I know how much the box itself weighs but I want to weigh it while it is being packed.  One end at a time presumably.

[tumutbound]

You forgot to say 'an affordable' way to weigh a 20' metal box 

Short of having a weighbridge installed in your backyard, the portable weighing stations the transport authorities use would be your best bet (something like this http://www.farmweigh.com.au/index_022.htm. Not a cheap option even if you can rent them.

The cheapest method would be to weigh everything as it's loaded. You should be able to rent fairly heavy duty scales for this.
What's the heaviest single item you need to weigh?

[andyf]

John, just find a swimming pool of known surface area, float the full container in it after popping it into a big polythene bag to prevent leakage, measure the rise in water level, work out the volume of the displaced water and calculate its weight. Simple! 

But to be serious, I can't think of anything which doesn't involve a weighbridge, first weighing the empty container on a vehicle, and then the full container on the same vehicle. I suppose you could weigh each individual item as you put it in the container, and add it all up, but you would still need more than the bathroom scales. Six tonnes is quite a lot, though. If you are worried, you must be a major hoarder of things which might come in useful sometime. How much Lego have you accumulated?

Andy

 

[John Hill]

Ahem, well I am thinking of two methods right now,  one is make a doohicky so that I can put my torque wrench on the handle of my 8 ton hydraulic jack and use that to measure the force to raise each end of the box.  The other is to cut notches in my crowbar to make a 100:1 lever to use with bathroom scales.

Someone showed me how to make a hydraulic load cell  but that involves buying a hydraulic pressure cylinder, there there is the option of putting a pressure gauge on my jack but I do not think mine has the required fitting.

Yes there is quite a bit of Lego but not much weight compared to my garage treasures, motors, steppers, selsyns, gears and cogs, funny shaped bits of metal, metal cabinets, 30 years collection of tools, lathe, shaper (very small) bandsaws, cold cut saw, sundry nuts and bolts, transformers of every shape and size, motor cycles, etc etc.

[John Stevenson]

Simple,
Load it right up, follow it to the weighbridge when loaded and bung the guy a hefty drink to write a 6 tonnes ticket out.

That's what we used to do.

[John Hill]

Simple,
Load it right up, follow it to the weighbridge when loaded and bung the guy a hefty drink to write a 6 tonnes ticket out.

That's what we used to do.

That might work!

[John Rudd]

Simple,
Load it right up, follow it to the weighbridge when loaded and bung the guy a hefty drink to write a 6 tonnes ticket out.

That's what we used to do.

Works for me too....  

John you are a clever chap, even if a bit of a rogue....

[MrFluffy]

Know anyone with a fancy forklift? some of them have loadcell systems that have a dro with the fork weight of items right in the cab...

[Pete49]

as said earlier weigh each item before putting in the container....cheapest method is don't move

[John Hill]

as said earlier weigh each item before putting in the container....cheapest method is don't move

Ummmmm, container is already half full, cheapest method has been considered.  Another option would be to sell house to a Madmodder who would surely love my 30 year collection of 'stuff'.

[Baldrocker]

sell house to a Madmodder who would surely love my 30 year collection of 'stuff'

Yes but: but how would the purchasing mm weigh HIS collection of treasures prior to moving?
Far simpler to swap HOUSES and collections with another MM. Problem solved 
br

[John Hill]

Yes but: but how would the purchasing mm weigh HIS collection of treasures prior to moving?
Far simpler to swap HOUSES and collections with another MM. Problem solved 
br

Where is your house and do you have any pictures?

[Baldrocker]

John
You cant actually SEE my house but its easy to find its the only one in the street buried in "stuff that will come in useful one day" 

[John Hill]

John
You cant actually SEE my house but its easy to find its the only one in the street buried in "stuff that will come in useful one day" 

I could be interested in making an offer on that!