Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations pics of new picnic shelter/tree fort/deer stand

This is going to be for the kids to play in and for picnics. It also just so happens to have a well used deer trail running beneath it, and my little wildlife pond is about 30 yards away. It overlooks the creek below (one pics shows the view) and I plan to hunt out of it some A month ago I found a 9 pt shed antler 20 yards away.

All that is left is to put bracing and roof on. If anyone has any good ideas on bracing I'd be real interested in hearing them. For the bracing I'm thinking Y braces on the top of each 4x4 and X or W bracing on the sides using 2x6's. I wanted to use 6x6 posts but they are $45 apiece and I got the 4x4's for $15 a piece. It's pretty sturdy now and should tighten up good once braced. For the roof I'm thinking of framing a square at the top out of 2x6's and then cutting notches and cantilevering in more 2x6's for a sloped roof. Then finishing it off with 1x4's and green fibreglass roof on top. My wife wants to put a lower deck on and enclose the bottom and we may do that later. I'm going to try to get all this stuff done Saturday and then start working on my dock some more. Anyways here are the pics:







Eric

looks good I want to see it with the roof on

Diagonal bracing would be best, and cross those legs. Cheapest around here would be 1/8" x 1" steel.

If you want it "guitar string" tight, drill your holes in the ends, lag one end on and heat a few feet cherry red with a torch (even a propane torch will help - do it during hot weather). Lag the other end while it's still hot. When it cools/shrinks, it'll be REALLY tight. Do that on all sides, and she won't wobble. Looks like a full stick (21 feet or so) would do each set of legs (cut each in half and cross). They would be about $10 each up here...

1x4 pine would accomplish the same thing...but not so tight, and much more visible.

Just my thoughts...course, I love steel. Can't stretch a board if you cut it too short, as Redlinger says.

Nice

I love it! It is very similar to the design planned for the B-ski treehouse. Agreed with Matt; you gotta protect from wracking. It doesn't have to be at all verts and all sides, although that would be the sturdiest. It DOES have to be installed on at least 2 adjacent sides, tho. Simple stuff; plenty of ways to do it. I'll throw ya the link to my dock project for more ideas and inspiration .
Nice work, Eric. You're gettin' me nuts.

Matt's suggestion of steel bracing has the wheels turning. I've changed my mind on the dock design though and have 5 extra 12' 2x6s ... seems like those would work well for X braces on each side of the treehouse, and one diagonal brace under the joists. I also have a few unused 8' treated 4x4s in the barn that could be cut up for Y braces so that will be tempting. I've read that 2x4 bracing should not span more than 6' and these diagonal braces will need to be around 11' long, hence the idea for using 2x6's. The deck platform itself is 8x8 and everything with any load on it is tied together with 3.5" x 3/8" galvanized lag screws. The balusters are put up with the 3.5" gray outdoor treated deck screws.

Brettski, I vist your dock building thread so often the URL is practically committed to memory Hope you don't mind me pilfering a few ideas here and there.

Eric

I can't tell how you have the posts set. Are they in the ground, or on top of the sono tubes?

If they are in holes drilled into the ground and they set with concrete, you don't need anymore bracing. Bracing is to stop racking. The posts in the ground won't rack because they cant. The ground is doing all this for you.

If the posts are on tope of the concrete, then you need diagnal bracing from corner to coner. The bigger the triangle you create, the more strength you will have. If it was me, I'd bolt on some 5/4 PT decking for bracing it. 8 boards going in both directions from each corner will make it totally solid.

Nice project!!!!!!!

Eddie

Oh Yeah, if you want to use steel, then it has to be angle iron. Flat steel has no strength when pushed. I also don't know how big the angle iron should be to cover the distances you have from your posts.

Years ago flat steel was used in home construction for angle bracing with fair results. I don't know of anybody who uses it anymore, but I don't know if it's a code issue, or that sheeting is just that much better. The metal straps that were used were fastened to each stud. Again, I don't know how well it worked for homes, but for your project, the posts are way too far apart for flat metal.

Cable on tension would work, but over time, you'd have to tighten the cables as your posts bowed inwards. I wouldn't do this either for the simple reason that your putting stress on your posts from a direction that you don't want to.

Wood is cheap and effective.

Eddie

Thanks Eddie. The posts are embedded in the tubes around 2'. I thought about using brackets on top but decided it would be more steady if the posts were in the ground.

There is so much weight on top of the 8 posts I think it's still going to need a little bracing. You get some side to side jitter when a couple of adults are up there walking around. I've seen tubular steel with flattened ends used for home bracing. Cable was an idea as well, but I do already have the extra lumber to brace with so we'll probably just use that. After reading a deck bracing article I'm also thinking about putting one diagonal brace across the bottom of the joists.

Eric

Finally found a little time to work on it more. The baluster railings are on now, everything is lag screwed, and it's all braced up. Even though my wife might want to eventually enclose the bottom we wanted it open for now to walk under. So I did 4x4 Y bracing on the side to side and single 2x6 X bracing on the up & down. It's rock solid stable front to back and pretty close side to side. If I jump around and throw my weight around it will move just slightly side to side, but it's not a problem and I'm not going to do any more bracing.

I'm off work Friday and going to try to finish the roof and work on my dock some more. I was originally going to use some extra 5/4" x 6 decking planks for purlins but have decided to buy a few more 2x4s. The 5/4" stuff might split plus nails would stick out the bottom of it. Here are a few new pics:

Looks like it ain't goin' nowhere! Bring on the roof! Nice work, Eric.
I am anxious to see the roof go on. That's gonna be my next step, too.
Oh yeah...give us some view perspective. A couple of shots from the deck looking out to the creek would be nice.

From the day I first opened this post I have had it on my mind! I have both a fising pond and a flood and shoot water fowl impound right next to the fish pond. I want to build something just like this to hang out in during summer and shoot water fowl and deer from in the fall and winter! Any new pictures or up dates? Thanks!?

I didn't see the new pictures until now, and wanted to compliment you on a very nice platform. Seeing it with the decking and railings has me wanting one too!!!!!

Very nice,
Eddie