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Joined: Oct 2017
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Hey guys. New member, new pond owner, and first post. Recently bought a house with 8 acres. Pond is approx. 1 acre, clean, approx. 15-18' deep in the middle (according to the previous owner), only fed from rainwater and runoff from the back yard (plenty of runoff) and has some pretty good bass/bream in it (also according to the previous owner). Since we just moved in over this past weekend, my pond project ideas are hitting the back burner until we get unpacked and settled in. However, my first big project I want to tackle is building a dock come spring time, maybe sooner. Ever since we first looked at this house and made an offer on it, I've built this dock a hundred ways in my mind, watched Youtube til I was blue in the face, and in looking for ideas online, found this site.

Here's the plan. I'm wanting to build a 4'x10' gang plank leading to a 10'x10' dock from which to fish, cook, hang out etc. I'll build the two frames on land using 6x6 joists, install and secure the barrels (I figure either 6 or 8 for the 10'x10' section), flip over, push out into the pond, deck it with 5/4 bullnose, and drive 2" drill stem and secure them with dock pipe holders. This will get me "docking" no problem.

This part I am confident about with no concerns. My main question is regarding placing 4x4 or 6x6 wood pilings on down the road if/when I don't want it to be a floating dock anymore. My thoughts are, rather than jetting or pile driving, is it feasible (or rather has it been done with any success) to concrete the posts into 5 gallon buckets (rebar will be drilled through the post to anchor it into the concrete), set the posts at the corners of the dock and settling them down on the pond bottom and lagging them to the dock, case closed, problem solved? I'm thinking by tamping them down into the pond bottom prior to securing them to the dock, they will be plenty sturdy and stable to support the dock without concern of any shifting or moving. I will definitely brace the posts back to one another to add as much integrity to it as possible. Can anyone speak to this method as far as pros/cons? If this turns out to be a good method of installation, would the barrels need to be removed? Only level changes would be from evaporation and/or heavy rains. I figure leave them in place for if it does rain heavily, the barrels will pick the whole dock up and set it back down when the water goes down. I will have the gang plank secured to the bank using 4x4 posts on either side and a concrete anchor bolt drilled through and acting as a hinge pivot to take into account the ups and downs of the water level.

Who knows, I may leave it as a floating dock forever if it seems like it will work out. Just running as many possibilities through their paces to come up with the best answer. Thank you for your help in advance and I look forward to your responses.

Kyle
Pontotoc, MS

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Trust me, leaving it floating will keep you sane. Trying to sink wood posts, even with a fat bucket of concrete, is a lesson in futility. Fresh unsaturated wood floats really well.

If you have the ability to draw down the pond so you don't have to work in the water, then a fixed dock becomes much easier.

I wish I made a float dock, simply because my pond level goes up and down quite a lot. A float dock would stay nice and level with the water surface which is much more attractive. The only real drawback is the movement as weight shifts around, which multiplies the effect of drinking too much craft beer.

Oh, and welcome to Pond Boss!

Last edited by liquidsquid; 11/03/17 02:34 PM.
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Barrels are not nearly as good for floatation as enclosed foam blocks. Barrels are not as stable, and tend to hold the platform too high.

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Originally Posted By: bucks n beaks
...My main question is regarding placing 4x4 or 6x6 wood pilings on down the road if/when I don't want it to be a floating dock anymore. ...


If you would use galvanized posts with dock hardware instead of the wood, it would definitely be doable.


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Hey Bucks I have a floating dock just as you described. I can offer some advice. First off orient the barrels with a screw cap toward the top. Once the dock is floating you can unscrew the caps and add water to each barrel. What this does is stabilize the dock, otherwise when you walk to the edge, the dock will tip at a steep angle. About a third of barrel should be water. You can always pump some out or add more.

Attach the "gang plank" with two eye screws on the dock and two on the walk way with a piece of galvanized pipe through them. When the dock moves up and down this acts as a hinge. This allows for changing water levels also.

Cut a hole thought the deck in the two back corners and pound a pipe into the pond bottom to keep the dock where you want it. This way the dock level can change but not move side to side.

Lastly don't attach the walkway to the shore. This way you can remove the walkway by taking out the pipe that connects it to the dock. Your dock is now a raft and you can move it around the pond. I pull out the two anchor poles and "pole" my way around the pond like Huck Finn.

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That little post driver is SLICK!

EDIT: I just looked it up. It is called the ManSaver

Last edited by wbuffetjr; 11/04/17 07:30 PM.

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bucks and beaks, welcome to the forum.

I've built a number of floating piers. For my personal pond I used plastic 55 gal barrels. Never, ever again. You go thru all the work to get things just right and then one or more than one leaks even though the bungs were siliconed before screwing them in.

You can use 4x4 or better yet 4x6 posts on the shore, get the hinged specialty hardware from Dock Builders Supply and build the dock using their floats. You won't ever have to worry about it coming apart. Fireishot and I built one recently at his place, we flipped the 10' x 20' section over 3 times and not one creak was heard from the wood.

Here, take a look at it. 5' wide walkways, I believe they are 16' long, the end is 10' x 20'. All anchored to the ground with four 4x6 posts.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=481370&page=20


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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esshup, I like your dock. Seems like you could easily add a canopy to it. We have been trying to figure out how to get reasonable shade economically at the pond, and seeing this makes me think something floating may be better than something on shore.

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An 10 x 10 EZ-UP canopy is less than $200 and would make a good temporary shade.

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Originally Posted By: dg84s
An 10 x 10 EZ-UP canopy is less than $200 and would make a good temporary shade.


Burned through two of those already. They catch rain and collapse, or shred with a good wind gust. We went so far as to bury some concrete and bolts for a tie-down, and it wound up just making it easier for the wind to wreck havoc.

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We use a garden umbrella and close it when not in use. These can be pretty reasonably priced and last a few years.

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No shade, chairs, dock lockers, etc. on the above dock. It complicates my fly fishing.


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Is lowering the water level to enable installing pilings an option? That's what I did with my new lake this summer. It filled up before I was ready so I siphoned it down so the dozer could push stumps in, some brushpiles installed, a rock boat ramp, but mainly pilings for a large fixed dock.

Last edited by Redonthehead; 11/06/17 02:35 PM.

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Originally Posted By: liquidsquid
Originally Posted By: dg84s
An 10 x 10 EZ-UP canopy is less than $200 and would make a good temporary shade.


Burned through two of those already. They catch rain and collapse, or shred with a good wind gust. We went so far as to bury some concrete and bolts for a tie-down, and it wound up just making it easier for the wind to wreck havoc.


https://www.samsclub.com/sams/cedar-pergola-2013-12-x-12/prod9090166.ip?athcpid=prod9090166&athena=true&athpgid=pdp&athmtid=VaV&athznid=sams_ip_VaV&parentpid=prod17800102&xid=pdp:carousel:people-who-viewed-this-item-also-viewed:1

I nearly bought one of these to put on part of my dock, also looked a a couple of the fabric ones...


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Sorry guys. Been out of town on business this week and just now getting back to this. But thank you for the responses so far.

Originally Posted By: Redonthehead
Is lowering the water level to enable installing pilings an option? That's what I did with my new lake this summer. It filled up before I was ready so I siphoned it down so the dozer could push stumps in, some brushpiles installed, a rock boat ramp, but mainly pilings for a large fixed dock.


It is pretty low right now due to very little rain the last couple of months and Mississippi heat but will fill up pretty good over winter and spring. As I'm just now moving in to the place, I have too many other irons in the fire to actually fool with any improvements on the pond now. I have heard of some instances where the barrels don't function to full expectation. But if I can get it floating this spring and get at least a year's worth of use out of it this way, then I will go in while at full pool and install wooden or galvanized posts to make it stationary. Stationary is my final goal. I have pondered both driving and water jetting posts. I was just inquiring about setting the posts with 5 gal buckets/concrete as another option. Has anyone had any success with this option is the main question. Thanks again.

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I have a stationary dock with post that were set prior to filling so I am not offering advice with experience to back it up. With that said, I think that if you want to set posts as you are suggesting, you should create as wide a "pad" as possible. Std 5 gal buckets will settle and sink more than something like a 5 gal livestock feeding "tub". I haven't measured, but a 5 gal bucket is probably 12-14" wide and you could get a livestock tub that is 20" or even 24" wide and still provide the same weight and volume. Check out a local farm store for some.


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Thanks. I hadn't thought of one of those. I do know a wider footprint is better. I'll definitely look into that option.

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Originally Posted By: liquidsquid
esshup, I like your dock. Seems like you could easily add a canopy to it. We have been trying to figure out how to get reasonable shade economically at the pond, and seeing this makes me think something floating may be better than something on shore.


Thanks, but it isn't mine. It's on FireIsHot's pond.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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Originally Posted By: bucks n beaks
Sorry guys. Been out of town on business this week and just now getting back to this. But thank you for the responses so far.

Originally Posted By: Redonthehead
Is lowering the water level to enable installing pilings an option? That's what I did with my new lake this summer. It filled up before I was ready so I siphoned it down so the dozer could push stumps in, some brushpiles installed, a rock boat ramp, but mainly pilings for a large fixed dock.


It is pretty low right now due to very little rain the last couple of months and Mississippi heat but will fill up pretty good over winter and spring. As I'm just now moving in to the place, I have too many other irons in the fire to actually fool with any improvements on the pond now. I have heard of some instances where the barrels don't function to full expectation. But if I can get it floating this spring and get at least a year's worth of use out of it this way, then I will go in while at full pool and install wooden or galvanized posts to make it stationary. Stationary is my final goal. I have pondered both driving and water jetting posts. I was just inquiring about setting the posts with 5 gal buckets/concrete as another option. Has anyone had any success with this option is the main question. Thanks again.


We jetted in 2" dia. galvanized pipe for the pier at the lake house. Sandy soil, no rocks. It's been in place for going on 40 years. BUT, the water level usually doesn't fluctuate more than a foot.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).

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