Floating Barrel Dock

Mike Swearingen · 02-08-2008, 09:48 AM

Properly treated pressure-treated wood has a limited warranty of 50 years, and is what we use here in the water in northeastern NC.
Mike

skymaster · 02-08-2008, 10:41 AM

Agree Mike PT with a minimum level of .40, they do make a higher grade for docks which I think is closer to .06 or so

Dyn'R · 02-08-2008, 03:46 PM

I was hoping for some pictures of creations on how to actually join the wood-to-plastic barrel containers..

pascalle · 02-21-2008, 11:10 AM

not sure where you're looking for pressure treated, but there's a nice trick for buying deeply discounted lumber. --Jan-March check any of the northern home improvement stores that have stored their lumber indoors --the winter heat warps anything that wasn't stacked and banded. they'll sell it usually for 10cents on the dollar.
buy it as soon as they start clearing it out, --anything that's not twisted [can easily straighten warp, but can't do much with twist]. stack it onsite on level pallets, --uncovered so that it soaks under spring rains. use adjustable straps every 2' along length to pull in the bends, eventually locking each straight section with metal banding.
no guarantee that some won't remember their bends, but I did a deck with this 2yrs ago in Chicago (buying the wood in February, building in June) and it's still true. --trick is that once it's tied into the structure and living outdoor, it stays wet enough to hold its shape.
so about the floating dock? --anyone have photos to post showing underside barrel details. shopping for the prettiest solution.

jbfan · 02-21-2008, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dyn'R

I was hoping for some pictures of creations on how to actually join the wood-to-plastic barrel containers..

I have a floating dock on my pond. The previous owner built it.
Looks like he laid out the barrels, then built a frame with 2x6.
He allowed about 6" of play, then ran a 2x6 between the frame.
He did this for 5 barrels down each side. He then put 5/4 boards on top for the floor. The wood and barrels are not attached to each other.
Next time I get down there I wiil take some pics. Make sure you get it right, and built on land. You will never be able to submerge the barrel and slide it under the floor in the water!

Dyn'R · 02-22-2008, 02:46 PM

Appreciate that Jbfan!
still wonder though,you say the 'wood&barrels' are not attached..i guess the awaited pictures will be worth 2thousands words in this case!

jbfan · 02-22-2008, 11:38 PM

If I could lift off the deck, all my barrels would float away.
The deck sits on top of the barrels
In fact, that is what happens. The floating dock was tied to the fixed doc. Since we are in a drought, the water level dropped, the tied portion of the floating dock stayed tied up, the back side followed the water, and half of the barrels floated away.
I spent 2 hours chasing my barrels around the pond.

Dyn'R · 02-23-2008, 06:44 PM

JbfanWrote:"..the back side followed the water, and half of the barrels floated away,I spent 2 hours chasing my barrels around the pond.
-------------------------------------------------------------
HAhaha!!!Thats good LOL'n right there!
It actually makes Much more sense the visualization you gave me on just building a frame around it now THX! ..should one come floating by me over here,my i keep it/them

??

Happy barrel hunting!

jbfan · 02-24-2008, 08:27 PM

Here are some pics I took today.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...an74/dock3.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...an74/dock2.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...an74/dock1.jpg

pascalle · 02-25-2008, 05:12 AM

nice method. --thanks. but so you don't have a picture of trying to tuck the barrels back under the raft, do you? or can you post that one of you and pooch chasing them around the lake? way funny.

Dyn'R · 02-25-2008, 03:07 PM

HEY right on with the speedy delivery on the pictures Jbfan ! !
Please also put up the "edited out" pics as Pascalle says! Don't be shy were all family here that merely want to break out in song of howling laughter is all!!

jbfan · 02-26-2008, 09:26 AM

No pics of that day. You have to use your imagination for that.

mucco99 · 03-27-2008, 06:29 PM

i have 80 55 gal barrels to build a floating dock as a foundation for a house. Does anyone have drawings, plans, suggestion, links for building this float

txbizman · 05-05-2008, 10:10 AM

Try these links.
http://www.simplicityboats.com/shantyrafters.html

http://canadianfishing.com/dock/

Lots of step by step and pictures.

Ashley W · 05-08-2008, 08:53 AM

Good morning everyone. I just happened to stumble across this forum and thought maybe somebody here could help me. Last week we built this floating dock:

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...-5-3-08014.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...-5-3-08030.jpg

We had no plans and no engineering skills, but it actually worked out pretty good. Here is our dilemma. The deck is made out of 2x6s and it is 8ft by 16 ft. We currently have 4-55 gallon plastic barrels under it. We want to be able to pull it behind a boat, up-river, and right now the dock sits too low in the water do so. We obviously know we need to add more barrels, but we aren't sure on how many and the spacing of them. As you can see we have a 7 ft by 2 ft box on the back made out of 2x6s as well so that end is a little heavier. Also, we aren't sure of which way the barrels should run. We placed them with the rounded edge forward (we thought it would be easier to pull that way), but we aren't sure this is the best way. Does anybody have any suggestions?...we have absolutely NO experience in this.