Floating Dock Advice Wanted

[weldingisfun]

We plan to build a 4 X 8 foot floating dock on one of our stock ponds. It will be attached to a fixed dock extending from the bank ten feet out into the water. Where the advice is needed is to determine what flotation devices are best. Right now we are looking at 30 or 55 gallon plastic drums, readily available in the area, or styrofoam blocks. Don't know where they may be found but, they have to be available somewhere.

Looking for help in deciding which is the best way to float the dock and if anyone knows where the styrofoam blocks may be found, speak up.

Thanks in advance to all who contribute.

Oh yeah, we will use our tractor in this construction effort. Really, we will.

 

[Soundguy]

both work, including 55g metal drums, painted with truck liner.

the drums can water log.. the styrofoam can shed balls when old.

your call.


have built using all 3.


each has it's drawback.. plastic bbl and styrofoam age poorly .. metal is great untill paint breaks and lets it rust thru. thus the sugestion of derusting fully, paint with epoxy primer, then a good regular paint.. then a rubberized paint like a truck liner paint.

soundguy

 

[Rustyiron]

I used plastic 55's. Get some silicone caulk and slop it around both bung holes and put it under the dock so that the bung holes are 9 and 3 oclock and out of the water.

 

[boggen]

i built 8 by i want to say 11 feet last year using 55 gallon drums. it is more of a diving raft, than a dock though.

previous years, mom old previous boy friend tried to make small little docks like you are suggesting, and they would flip over easily. or barrels would pop out from under them, and just dangerous if ya walked to the edge on them.

a wider dock can be much more stable.

for me, since i live in central, IL, weather gets down below -10F in winter. and i wanted to just leave the dock out on the lake. so i got 1 gallon jugs of antifreeze, and dump half a bottle into each one. with approx another 5 gallons of water as well into each 55 gallon drum. the antrifeeze keeps the inside water from causing any damage to the plastic drums. and the extra water helps get the drums a little bit further into the water. so the entire thing becomes more stable.

i end up using fence staples, and a few runs of electrical fence wire, per drum. to hold them into the bottom of the dock. ((this was mainly to get just to hold the drums in placed. as i picked it up with the FEL, to get the dock near shore line. then used the backhoe to set it the rest of the way in.

i also used some silicon on the plugs err bung hole caps. for me though, the bungs are right at water line.

i had the 55 gallon drums, so i think i used 3 per side, and 1 on each end for a total of 8 drums. err i take that back i had 2 more drums. so i just slide them under at the ends.

i was using old wood an scrap pieces laying around and ended up having to use Two, 2x10's per side, and then Two 2x8's on inside. with 2 layers of some old plywood i had laying around for a top. so the dock is rather extremely heavy! but solid, for diving off of, even a couple folks at a time, and dock barely bounces.

i ended up, using up a lot of different old paint cans up. that been stored up over the years (dumped them into a 5 gallon bucket mixed up and painted). and put a couple coats of paint both underside and top side of everything once it was built. figure by the time, plastic barrels go, old lumber rots away. or paint fades enough. say 5 years. it would of done its job.

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if i had to redo it, i would most likely do everything the same way, except i might of went with plastic like deck board for the top. and a couple pieces of decking board under the main deck. were drums meet bottom side of deck. to give some added support bracing. so the top decking boards don't bend / bow to much. and then used a water proofing stain on any treated lumber. before putting dock into the water. so it would last 10 to 15 years.

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now, if the raft or rather dock for you. you sunk some metal poles around each side of it. the dock would be less likely to flip over but it would still most likely be bouncy.

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if i get time this year. will most likely be building, a dock, were it is hinged to the shore, and a few plastic barrels 15 feet out into the water. with a couple metal poles sunk deep into the mud, were i can easily rope the raft to, or paddle boat to.

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Styrofoam blocks = DIY, getting 2" hard board insulation ((no foil)) at a local hardware store. and cutting them up to fit size, and then using a silicon or polyurethane to place between the hard board insulation. would suggest running a wire, or rope to hold the pieces in place though. so they don't go floating off on you.

 

[scesnick]

I also built one using plastic drums. It was very easy. This is the exact one I built ( using these plans) it took about 2 hours. I didn't build the ramp. I just push it out in the middle of our pond and anchor it. I have a small trampoline on the corner of it and the kids love jumping off of it... gettign back on it is a bit tricky though.


Floating Dock with Barrels (UPDATED)

 

[somerandomguy]

I built a dock with dad 5 or 6 years a go with plastic barrels five or six years ago. Look closely at the barrels when you get them. The ones we had were seamed at the top and sink over a year. And yes I kept the bungs out of the water. We replaced the barrels after 2 years with juice barrels that were not seamed. Problem solved.

good luck Jon

 

[bindian]

We plan to build a 4 X 8 foot floating dock on one of our stock ponds. It will be attached to a fixed dock extending from the bank ten feet out into the water. Where the advice is needed is to determine what flotation devices are best. Right now we are looking at 30 or 55 gallon plastic drums, readily available in the area, or styrofoam blocks. Don't know where they may be found but, they have to be available somewhere.

Looking for help in deciding which is the best way to float the dock and if anyone knows where the styrofoam blocks may be found, speak up.

Thanks in advance to all who contribute.

Oh yeah, we will use our tractor in this construction effort. Really, we will.

Lee,
Here is a link for foam sizes, volume, weight, and buoyancy. I'll have to come up and see it when Y'all are finished with it.
Marine and Dock Flotation | Universal Foam Products
hugs, Brandi

 

[EddieWalker]

I have never bought anything from this company, but have been looking around and they seem to have the best prices that I've found so far.

Kadco USA - Marine and Garden Accessories

Eddie

 

[texasjohn]

Lee, I've got the same problem...need to build 4 floating devices, one for each stock tank. Have been collecting materials and thinking about how to do so for some time. Even have collected a big trailer load of used Styrofoam, irregular large pieces.

We should get together, think it thru and try doing one... will make some Styrofoam available to you... PM me if you wanna, I'm not far:thumbsup:

 

[varmint]

In the past, I have gotten cumaru decking from a company that specializes in floating platforms and docks. I don't mess with water structures, but I was impressed with these guys: Merco Marine. They are located on the Ohio River, in the top of W. Virginia. You might want to at least look at the stuff they sell, for information?