Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Floating Dock in progress.

I bit the bullet this weekend and built the floating dock. My pond is only 3/4 ac so when I staked out the 10x16' size onshore, I quickly realized that it was too big. Since this was my first dock and it was partly proof of concept, I settled on 8'x10' and headed to the hardware store. I spent total of $150 including galvanized screws and plummer's tape (roll of about 3/4" metal strip with holes in the middle) to hold the 55gal barrells in place. My main worry was about the barrells popping out from under the dock, because the 2x6s don't go past the middle of the barrell. It took two of us less than 8 hrs to put all this together with less than ideal tools. We jumped on the dock to get it rocking and it looked like the barrells would have stayed in place even without the metal strip holding them in place. I still like the insurance. I will take some pictures next week and I have to figure out how to post them here. Had I known how easy, cheap and fun this was going to be, I would have built this dock last year. Now I have to build the walkway.

ED, did you add some water into the 55 gallon drums before you sealed the plugs to add some buoyance to the floating dock or is it just sitting high in the water with air only in the drums? With just air how is the floating dock with a few adults on it on one side/corner etc. Thanks for your input. I'm looking at building a 12' X 12' floating swim dock out in the lake with 8-10 55 gal drums partly filled with water and sealed shut.

Rowly

Here is the picture of my floating dock.

Ed, how did you post the picture? I built a floater about 6 weeks ago and have pics, but everytime I've ever tried to post any pics it never worked. I built 2 8'x16' sections of dock that connect with marina hardware, then I have a 4'x16' walkway.My drums have a large screw on top instead of the two small caps, so I filled the inside with empty two liter bottles in case the drums take on water. As far as holding the drums to the dock, I made collars for each drum, and used .030 gauge stainless steel strapping and tightened it up with a banding tool.

Jimmy, I would like to see that picture.

The way I posted it:

I reduced the size of the picture in Photoshop.
I copied it to the webdisk space provided by my ISP.
I typed [img]path to the jpeg file[/img]

I started all this with a call to my ISP to see where I should copy the picture so it would not require a password to access it. Than I called again because the path he gave me the first time was wrong. Nothing to it.

Now that I am looking at the picture of the dock, I will have to adjust the placement of the barrels under the walkway so they don't push the end of the dock down so much. I would have preferred black barrels, but you can't beat free.

Has anyone built a fixed dock in an existing pond?
I need some idea's on what to use for pilings and how to drive them.

Ed, the only way I've figured out to post a picture has been to create a homepage. I put a single pic up on it. If you want I could send you a few via email.
http://hometown.aol.com/dufusiggy/myhomepage/index.html

Cityfarmer I am considering a fixed dock as you mentioned in my pond next to the house. I have heard of using 4" PVC pipe driven into the bottom and then pumping the water out and filling with concrete. I plan to put the pilings in before I fill mine using a post hole digger and the concrete trick as well. then the dock can be sucured to these poles using stainless steel hardware, I would drill cross holes and put the hardware in first or use wooden dowels that could be drilled out later. I am still a ways away from that project though.

Thanks for the picture, Jimmy. Can you please e-mail me couple more? How many barrels did you use? I also like your pond. I can't wait till I get thick enough grass cover to stop the runoff.

JoeG,
Is it really necessary to pump the water out of the pvc pipe? Concrete will harden very nicely under water & will displace the water in the pipe. It's actually suppose to get even harder when kept wet than when it dries too quickly. I also saw that post & will be using that idea in my new pond.
Ric

Ed, the pics are on the way. Just cry uncle when you've had enough. I used 6 barrels per 8'x16' section of dock.Iused 2 barrels on the walkway with one end being on shore. I made the walkway 1/2 the size of the larger peices so it would float at the same level as the rest. We have had 9 people on it at once, and it didn't lower into the water much at all.

Very nice dock..... where did you get the plastic barrels. I want do the same thing at my pond.

Hey cityfarmer. If your pond has much variation in water depth thruout the year consider this option: If you look at how most docks are built on rivers and especially ocean or bayfronts (subject to tidal fluctuations) you will notice they don't use the awkward cable setups that many marinas use on lakes. The cable/winch setup of course used to extend and retract the floating structure as water levels mandate. Instead they use a setup where the dock has the piers (which are driven in with huge barge delivered pile drivers) actually coming up thru holes in the dock itself. Being as they are floating docks, they then are held in a stationary position except that they can rize and fall with the tides. Kind of a neat trick I think and it stabilizes the structure while allowing for depth adjustment. I have done buisiness with and on occasion worked for the world's largest manufactorer and builder of docks and marinas - the "Atlantic Meeco Corporation" which is based in McAlester Oklahoma. They can provide anything or everything a person could need for materials for dock building such as those huge slabs of styrofoam whick they make at the plant as well as the polypropolene tubs that they put them in before applying the decking (required by law on most lakes now - keeps the nasty little beads from breaking off and getting dispersed in the water.) Also, I know that the silicone wafer/computer chip manufactoring people use a lot of chemicals that must be stored in poly barrels which are of high quality. I've seen them and collected a few from some of the dumpsters at a few sights in the Addison Texas area. just a thought - they'd make great flotation devices. Use stainless hardware if cost allows. If not...be sure NOT to hammer in any galvanized lag bolts when first starting them etc. This will cause the eventual corruption of the galvanize and hasten the corrosion of the bolts. The most incredible decking material I ever saw was a hardwood out of Brasil called "Ipe". It is used on the premier marinas at the fancy-shmancy docks where rich folks keep their boats. Ipe is a very dense wood, other than the curing and drying done at the mill it requires no other treatment and is MARINE GRADE! It is a little hard to work with since it is so heavy and hard. If it is accidentally kicked off the side into the water by the builders it sinks like a rock. It also is hard on saw blades and drill bits...almost like working with steel or something. But man it is pretty and they say will not require any upkeep even on a saltwater dock. I have seen the tree growing in Brasil and it is a nice looking tree with beautiful pink and purple flowers in the top of it. Wish we grew it here in the states( I think a few areas might.)

Tuzz, I got the barrels at a place called Krynos(spell?) foods. It's in NYC, Northern Blvd and 48th I believe. The barrels are free and they are used to ship olives, so they need a good cleaning, but have no toxins. I made two trips with a full size mini van to get the 14 barrels I needed. I'll see if I can dig up the phone no. for you, It's a good idea to call in advance. Also keep in mind if your going to pick them up with a trailer (or where they are visible) down here your going to get pulled over trying to cross the bridges. We did four o'clock in the morning trips to get them upstate.

Jimmy, Please get me more detail on the barrels.I could use about 8 to 10 of them. If you have a phone number and contact that would be great.

I see your post indicates you are from NY. I've been thinking about setting up a "Northern Pond" category for all us Yankee fans. My pond builder; Catskill Pond (Scott Trava) is a wealth of great information and things need to be different up north hear sometimes. I'm starting to build his web site for him: http://www.frontiernet.net/~catpond

The reflection on the home page is our new pond he completed in August.

Tuzz, it's Krinos Foods Inc. the phone no is (718) 392-8731 and th address is 47 - 02 Northern Blvd Long Island City, Queens. Basically, they will just tell you that they do have(or don't) have barrels available. You have to remember it's a pretty big operation and giving away barrels is not the big priority. This time of year they should have tons of them, In spring they seem to run low (out) because all of the ballfields use them for trash cans. When you go get them, it's on the south side of the street, you have to drive around back to gated parking lot full of barrels and ask someone inside for a little assistance. The're happy to give them to you.