Hello,

We are new pond owners. My Wife just inherited her partents place and it has a 4 acre pond on it. Our first challenge was the bad over fill pipe that; with the help of this site, we filled with concrete and had a siphon system installed. Wish it had been done from the begining. Our next project, since the water level is where we can, is to replace the dock and build a gazebo. Long story short, we would like to get suggestions as what type of material would be best; keeping down the costs, for post supports. The dock is currently supported w/ 6 in. dia. round wood fence posts that have been there for 30 years, but i know we are going to need something larger to support the gazebo. Torn between used telephone posts or 6 in square pressure treated lumber that can be bought at Lowes or the H.D. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

VinLee:

Well then welcome for the 2nd time! How deep is the water (will the water be) at the end of the pier? We've used 2" galvanized pipe washed/pounded down into the bottom of the lake to support a 2,000#+ boat for over 30 years and they still don't show any signs of rotting out. We also used those same type pipes to hold up the pier, and it's still standing strong. We never remove it during the winter.

We have clamps that attach to the upright pipes, and hold horizontal pipes that support 2x10 joists that are the pier's backbone.

Greetings and felicitations, VinLee.

Lots of different post materials have been mentioned here. Try doing a search for "dock" or perhaps "post". Here is one interesting idea I found this way:

PVC Piers

Members: Did someone recently build a floating gazebo? I seem to remember one that was really nice looking.

Page 6 of the Human Habitat thread

Sounds interesting esshup, the gazebo will be in about 5 ft of water at the end of the dock/pier when the pond fills back up. do you have any pics showing that kind of post w/ brackets or a website?
thanks

If you have been here already, my apologies for duplicating the input.
I am an (obvious) fan of 6 x 6 AC2 green treated with the option of replacement

I can take pics tomorrow, I'll see if I can find the brackets on the web.

The water at the end of our 60' pier is about 4 1/2' deep.

VinLee

Glad to have you. There will be more info that you will ever be able to use here.. Take some pictures--we love keep up with what you are doing.

A quick search on the web didn't turn up these brackets. maybe someone here knows where to get them? Dad got them in the eraly to mid 60's.












The clamp is clamped to the vertical pipe, and the horizontal pipe is slid thru the bracket. We drilled a 3/16" hole thru the bracket and horizontal pipe to keep the horizontal pipe from sliding out of the brakcet. We used 2" galvanized pipe for both the vertical and horizontal pipes.

"A quick search on the web didn't turn up these brackets. maybe someone here knows where to get them? Dad got them in the eraly to mid 60's."

They are called key clamps


http://www.key-clamps.com/

Thanks for all the ideas and replies. Sorry I took so long to respond; i have been very busy. I was able to some what decide on supports, especially since they were free. I was able to pick up some used telephone poles with a average of about 8 inch dia. & cementing them in about 2.5 to 3 ft. down. I spent this week trying to get them planted ( so to speak ) and w/ the help of my son and a friend of his, we got all but 2 in before having to go back to the paying job for a week or so. I have posted a few pics of our pond and begining project. Feel free to view and offer suggestions. I will try and post pics as the project progresses. Thanks.
















great to have a helping hand!





After a long days work,

Lookin' real good, VinLee. The area looks like a State park. What are your plans with the existing dock? It looks like it could use a little TLC.

Thanks. Yea, it is a little worn. The plans are to rebuild it and of course tie it into the gazebo. Now if the rain will hold off a little longer, I might get it done in a couple of weeks....months??? Its raining today, so goes mother nature.

Give us an idea of your plans for the gazebo.

Again, sorry for the delays in response. We do not have internet access at the pond house yet. Only there 30% of the time, so all updates and responses may be delayed. The plan is to build a 12 ft octagon gazebo w/ two opposite sides extending out 8 ft to allow access for fishing or star gazing. Maybe some cookouts and just relaxing. I think I may run electrical for lights and maybe fish feeder. As you probably heard, the southeast got hit this week w/ heavy rains(100 Year flood to be exact). Luckly the pond was 75 miles south of the major rain but got enough to make it very muddy. I am going back WED. to start framing the supports and will post progress most likely next weekend. I am going to use some free gazebo plans I got off the internet for a guide. I used them to build the same gazebo at house #1 and built it around my pool pump. When I get a chance , I will post a pic of that gazebo which shows what looks like a table I built into the plans to cover the pump for our pool. Here is the link for the free plans, http://www.calredwood.org/ref/pdf/gazebo.pdf

Thanks

Just have enough time to share latest progress....





New Pet....

Wow, Vin, that looks really great! Nice job! Obviously the weather has continued to favor your efforts without drenching the whole thing yet. How much further along do you need to be before you think the water depth will no longer make a difference to your progess?

Thanks VinLee
It looks gerat.

Thanks; as long as I can get the flooring in,the pond level should not be an issue. Of course this month is going to be taxing because of the limited time I will have to wotk on it. I will be working 6 on 2 off all month with the plans of taking a vacation the first week in Nov. to work on it. I originally planned that week for hunting during the rut. But things just don't work out sometimes. Maybe I can sneak in an afternoon or two so I don't miss seeing these Guys,

Nice deer! Love that last shot of them duking it out! Yeah, they definitely need to be taught who the higher species is - look at that aggression. Let 'em know who the real alpha buck is!

Have you got any hogs? YET

Nope, no hogs yet. I hear they are getting bad just south of us though. Did here of a black bear and panther sighting about 2 miles from us. There goes going out before sunlight...

I'm looking for a simple floating dock design. I have a set of 6 dock floats and am looking for something to allow for getting in and out of a paddle boat or kayak with out getting feet wet.
Does any one have one they can share? Also looking for recommendations as the material we should use to build it. I know the new pressure treated wood uses a copper based preservative and I'm looking for opinions on it's safety for fish.

Well mother nature finally caught up.... Dry last Sunday, rained for 3 days after that. Went back on Sat. to find this......















Oh well, tommorrow I will start up the syphon and then pray I will get just 2 days next week to get to a point it won't matter.

Well I know it has almost been a month since my last post; so here is an update. Spent last 2 weeks in Oct. working 60 hrs per week and my days off syphoning the pond back down. Finally got back to work on the dock on 11-3.

End of day 11-3.





End of day 11-4.




End of day 11-5.






THE BETTER HALF!




End 11-7.





Took off 11-8 SUN.
Took off 11-9 Hunted.... No Luck


Watched Huricane IDA blow thru 11-10.









Woke to this 11-11.



















and heres where progress ends on 11-13 for another week,,






Thanks!