Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations New dock with pics. Used 30 gallon dums!

Ok here we are. The first pic is trying to show you how you can line up your deck boards. We screwed down the first and last deck board and then put a small nail in the end of each board and then put a tight rope on the edge to make a perfect line. Then just but your boards up against the line and no problems.

The second pic is showing how we were making a scab on each side to bolt the 2 8 foot lengths together. We used 3/8 inch bolts there and spaced them out. One up one down and so on.

The 3rd pic is of us up at the pond putting the 2 16 foot lenghts together before we push it into the water.

The 4th pic is the finished product WITH A T on it I might add!! As we tried this without a T and it was way to tippy. Just a rookie mistake is all. So we put a 10 foot T on it and BINGO!!! We have a stable dock. I used fence post polls with the wings on the bottom to get a better grip in the rock and dirt. As you can see we had to actually move one of the back posts up as we kept hitting so much rock! I will now trim the post and for safety reasons I will put some 2 ich PVC pipe over the ends with a cap so no one can get hurt on them. If any of you have any questions feel free to ask. I used 30 gallon drums and they worked fine. I can stand out on the end and the wood frame does not even touch the water. Plus your not up so high as the 55 gallon drums.

Thanks,
RC

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Way to go RC! LooKs good. Is it pretty stable?

Yes it is now that i have the T on it. The walkway is stable as can be the T is pretty stable unless you get way out to the edge of the T then it rocks a little but still not bad. i only put 4 barrels under the T part and i have room for 2 more so I believe i will put them in just for a little more support i don't need it as it works fine but it will be all that much better with 2 more barrels. If I had to do it again i would put a 12 foot T on it with 3 barrles on the far end on each side that would be really stable. Of course I am 225lbs too. As far as my wife and kids it wouldn't be a problem at all as they are 100 plus lbs lighter than me.

RC

that looks great!

Great job RC. I hope you enjoy your deck as much as we enjoy ours. We spend many hours sitting on it, hoping the fish don't bother us.

It looks really good. You'll get many hours of enjoyment out of it. Thanks for the pics. I'll have to remember the 12' T vs. 10'. How wide is the pier itself?

Thanks guys for all the help. I dock is 40 inches wide both the walkway and the T. It's wide enough to walk side by side and the T is big enough to put a chair out on it and not worry about falling in.

Thanks to all,
RC

Oh and is case anyone wants to know. I used 2x8's not 2x6's for the frame and no problems. Plus it helps keep that barrel in better. I didn't use any straps.

RC

I wouldn't worry about that a bit. The drums will never escape. The deck is way to heavy to lift up, and the barrels are way to bouyant to sink.

Hey RC, when can I contract you to come build one of those for me? That thing is sweet! How much would you say the whole project cost material wise?

Hey CJ,

That's funny! Thanks for the kind words, but I have to admit my dad helped me and it was a joint effort. Lets see how much did it cost???

I have $100 dollars in barrels as I got them cheap at 10 bucks a piece.

I have about $32 dollars in screws. Dang screws are expensive!!

I have about $250 bucks in lumber. For a grand total of $382.00 dollars give or take 10 bucks.

RC

For $382, that is a steal! Again great work...

That's a heck of a pier for that little bit of coin. Now you just gotta send CJ a quote for shipping!

Heck, for the right price I'll pick it up in person! HAHA

That's not a bad idea. I just made a round trip to Indianapolis to pick up some building supplies. 112 miles each way, I figure I had 1500# of stuff on the trailer. Set the cruise @ 68 on the way down and 63 on the way back and put in 5.4 gallons of diesel when I got back. Lots cheaper than shipping!

Thanks again guys I thought we did pretty good for the price. And for the first time building a dock! Arkansas is a bit cheaper when it comes to this kind of stuff compared to up north. Cost of living here is not bad at all compared to other states.

RC

Yeah, the cost of living here in northern VA is a killer. Land prices are stiff too... Makes it tough to get enough acreage for a good family compound.

Yeah, but you have the honor of living near our nations capitol, the heartbeat of America.

I'll keep my political comments to myself. Stop getting me wound up AP!