Band in a Box

Hello, my name is Adam, and I am going into my senior year at Scripps Ranch high school. Shipping containers have a number of unique properties that lend themselves toward specific purposes. They are cheap, modular, and transportable. For this reason, they would be perfect for an easily transportable and modular music venue for a band. This design would be perfect for smaller bands which perform in parks and public areas, as it is easy to set up and take down. It is already common to use shipping containers to transport supplies, so why not use the container itself in order to reduce the supplies needed? This design also utilizes the modular property of shipping containers because multiple containers can be placed side by side in order to accommodate for more or less people.

-Shipping container

-Power tools

-2x4s

-1 inch Hex Head Screw

-1/4 inch plywood

-Black paint

-Stage speakers

-Plastic folding chairs

-Microphone stand

-Drum Set

-Guitar

-Power extension cables

-Power splitter

-Christmas lights

-Light pole

-Polyurethane plastic panel

-CNC milling machine

First, I create a rough sketch for what I want to venue to look like.

In the following steps I will show how I created the stage for the band. It is important to reinforce the stage as the metal from the container is very thin and uneven. It will also make sure the entire stage is flat instead of having a step down.

I start by cutting out a side of the container. I then rotate it and lay it on the ground.

I create a 2x4 spanning the width of the side panel and use the rectangular pattern tool to create 5 copies that are evenly spaced. Fun Fact: 2x4's are actually 1.5 by 3.5 inches.

Now that the 2x4s are in place, they need to be attached to the side panel. I start by creating one hole and using a rectangular pattern to create a hole on every third ridge. I am creating holes with 0.25 inch diameter.

I find screws with a 0.25 inch diameter on McMaster-Carr and import it into the project. I then repeat the process of using the rectangular pattern tool to fill in all the holes with screws

In order to connect 2x4s on top on each other, I have to create a bracket. I start by creating sketches, and then lofting and extruding the bracket.

I again use the rectangular pattern tool to create a grid of brackets.

I create another 2x4 and use the rectangular pattern tool to create 6 more in line with the brackets.

In order to create the holes for the screws that will go into the bracket, I create all the holes for one bracket, and use the feature type on the rectangular pattern tool to copy the holes.

To place the screws in the holes I use the same process that I used to create the holes

This is the final layer of 2x4s for the stage.

Since the final layer of the stage needs to be flat on top, I create an L bracket which would attach to the final layer of 2x4s on the sides. The cross brackets were not an option because the 2x4 below already has one.

As usual, I use the rectangular pattern tool to copy the L bracket to each 2x4, as well as holes and screws.

For the surface of the stage, I use 8x4 plywood sheets. I cut 4 of the sheets to 8ft by 3ft 10in and 1 to 7ft 8in by 3 ft.

In order to attach the plywood I use 1 inch flat head Philips screws. I use the rectangular pattern tool and copy and paste to place the screws.

To complete building the stage, I use paint the oak wood to a dark gray, and apply it to the plywood.

As you can see, we now have a sturdy stage that is level with the rest of the container for the band to play on. The next step is to attach the stage to the container.

The complex folding nature of the side panel means that a typical hinge will not work. This is because the stage not only needs to be rotated, but also translated. After researching all types of hinges, I found that no matter where the pivot point would be, no hinge would be able to achieve this.

In order to fold the side wall back into place, I plan on pulling the side wall onto the platform through the use of handles, then inserting a rod through the side wall and into the stage. The stage will then be rotated on the rod, and be in the target position.

First I work on creating the ramp. In order to do this, I use sectional analysis to get a better view of the cross section, then create a sketch for the ramp.

To attach the ramp, I again use sectional analysis to create holes in the ramp that the screws can be drilled through. I then place the screws in the holes

To pull the stage up, I create handles with the form tool. I start with the connection to the plate, and then repeat subdivisions and moving vertices. It was my first time using the tool and the process was challenging but created a unique and organic shape.

I attach create the 2 pairs of handles, and attach them with 1 inch screws. The handles are a tripping hazard, but this is where I plan on putting the speakers, so they should be safe.

Because the pivot will be removable, I drill a 1 inch hole that goes all the way through the container and stage.

For the pivot, I use a rebar rod with a diameter of 0.9 inches, as well as a holder to keep to rod from falling out.

In order to hold the stage from falling down, I create a latch that will anchor the top of the stage in place.

As we can see, the opening process has 4 steps.

1. Raise top latch and rest on top of container
2. Rotate the stage down to the ground
3. Remove the pivot rod, and store in the ramp
4. Slide stage down ramp

In order for the spectators to have a place to sit, I create a folding chair based off the above picture. I first model it, then use joints to link it together

For the most part, modeling was straight forward. I used extrusions, sketches, and rotated planes to construct the bodies. One part I would like to highlight was learning a new tool, the sweep tool. In order for the inner leg to attach, the leg needed to make a bend. I did this by creating a path with the spline tool, then using the sweep tool to sweep a circle across the path, creating a bent cylinder.

Here is a finished model of the chair, as well as the bodies and sketches I used.

To start creating the first joint, I created an axle from one of the legs that went through the other.

In order to create the joint, I selected the inner leg axle, and outer leg hole, then selected the revolute joint option.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get the joints to work. I believe this is due to inaccuracies and the model not being perfectly symmetrical. Even though it didn't work it was still a valuable experience to learn more about how joints work.

We now have a storable stage, as well as storable folding chairs.

This is the layout of the band instruments. I downloaded the models and arranged them to have 4 people on stage.

In order to support the lights I plan to hang around the sitting area, I create a collapsible support pole.

To create the lighting, I model a small light bulb and use the pattern on path tool to copy it along the wire I created. I then copy and pasted this 3 times to get the lighting all around the seating area.

In order to prove power to the lights and speakers, I download a power strip model, and create a cable that runs through a hole in the container. I also create a outlet plug that I will use for the wires.

In order to make the wires that would go to the 2 speakers and lights, I used the sweep tool. I would use the spline tool to create a path, then use the sweep tool to sweep a circle across the path, creating a cylinder.

I want to add a decorative sign on the decorative wall. I create the sign by extruding text, then coloring the back face. I plan to make this sign out of Polyethylene plastic, and then paint it. In order to mount the sign, I use 4 screws.

I truly do believe that this concept would be very useful to small bands and musicians. It would reduce the upfront cost of starting a band, as well as allow the venue to be easily scaled up. Overall, I had a lot of fun designing, modeling, and rendering the project, and I hope that it could be used by a new band or music group.