How to attach a tube horizontally along the side of a shipping container

So far we’ve provided solutions to attach a metal tube to a shipping container vertically, for attaching accessories like floodlights and CCTV. And horizontally, sticking out perpendicular to the container which can be particularly useful if you want to attach something at the same height as the top of the shipping container like a hanging sign. So the final orientation to solve was to attach a tube horizontally along the side of a container. 

For this How-To, we’ve once again teamed up with Interclamp to customise one of their 48mm tube clamps to solve the problem. 

Why attach a horizontal tube to a shipping container? 

A horizontal tube attached along your container can be used  for hanging decorative or advertising banners. Perhaps fabric or a camo net draped over, tied to the tube or using a pipe and drape system. You can use lighting G clamps to hang things off it, or perhaps use it as a support to run power cabling or water pipe on a construction site in order to keep it up off the floor where it might get damaged or present a trip hazard It could also help provide a bottom horizontal fixing point for a handrail system around the top of a container. 

What you'll need 

• Two Domino Clamps
• Two horizontal (parallel) tube clamps for 48mm scaffolding tube, with M12 x 30mm screws and washers
• A section of 48mm diameter steel or aluminum tube, that’s the size of a scaffolding tube here in the UK, or a 1 1/2 “ NSP pipe in the States. This needs to be at least long enough to span the two clamps
• A 10mm hex key for the Domino Clamps
• A 8mm hex key for the grub screws on the tube clamp
• A 19mm ratchet spanner, or adjustable spanner

How to put it together 

1. Attach a Domino Clamp into the face of each of the two corner castings that your tube will connect to following our detailed installation instructions if you're unfamiliar with the technique here.  
2. Using the M12 screws provided, attach the tube clamps to the Dominos through the two 13mm diameter holes spaced 50mm apart. They will attach to either of the two pairs of threaded holes on the left or the right of the Domino Clamp. You’ll notice there’s not lots of room here for whatever tool you use for tightening these, so you may find it best to do the first bit by hand and then tighten the bolts with a ratchet spanner.
3. Once both of your tube clamps are firmly in place, feed your tube through both of the horizontal tube clamps and tighten up the grub screws.

How can I support the tube in the middle of the container?

There is a lot of flexibility in a steel tube, so with the horizontal tube attached only at each end of the container, it will sag a little in the middle, even under its own weight. You can use one or more of our roof brackets to support the tube in the middle by attaching another horizontal parallel tube clamp to it . You will attach the horizontal tube clamp to the roof bracket in the same way as you would to the Domino Clamp, using the 30mm M12 set screws and washers.

Further Reads & Links:

Buy the roof bracket here in our webshop

Check out our YouTube channel to see all our brackets in action and learn how to use them.

Check our blog article introducing the different shipping container brackets to learn about their uses and find the right one for your project.

For more ingenious container solutions, useful information and offers delivered direct to your inbox, sign up to our information email 📨 or subscribe to our YouTube channel 📺