camjeep3 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Ok guys, My property has a small pond(old beaver pond) on it. I have been kicking around the idea of adding a small pier on it for duck hunting and maybe tying the jon boat off to. basically i just want a short extension off the bank but fairly wide to have room for a few guys shooting. My main concern/question was how to drive the posts underwater? this will be a LOW budget project(or it won't happen) I plan on using spare materials we have laying around aside from picking up posts. How would you guys get them drove in? I was thinking setting them up and push down with a tractor bucket :dunno: or somehow get out there and hammer them down. :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Tractor bucket should work good. Excavators work even better, but that's probably not an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camjeep3 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 well it could happen. my buddy is a big time farmer and lives right up the road, but getting a large piece of equipment back there will be a task in itself. thats why i figured a tractor would be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whowey Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 When my dad put in his dock, we used a regular fence post driver for his and got into the water. BUT... his dock is a floater and he used T-posts. It almost sounds like you are wanting something more substantial than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camjeep3 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 yes. I'm not wanting to build a floating dock. I want more of a pier I guess, I want to be up off the water some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 yes. I'm not wanting to build a floating dock. I want more of a pier I guess, I want to be up off the water some. It's just a pond, so you're not going to see any significant wave action. Likewise, no boats tied to the pier, I'd assume? I think you will be fine just pushing the posts in with the bucket on the tractor. Will it put posts in on dry land? They should go in even easier in the water, unless there's a real hard bottom. I'm assuming you're just planning to use fence posts... One way or another, it would probably last a while like that. No need to bring in a pile driver and put in telephone poles... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I built a 7' W x 15'L pier on the small lake in the backyard years ago using 6'x6' treated timbers spaced at 5' intervals. Timbers are easier to build framework around than poles. Still hanging fine. The first thing to determine is get out there in a boat w. a length of 1"-2" pipe and drive it into the water at the distance where you want the length of the pier from the bank. Got lucky and hit bedrock at about 1' into the mud. I was able (with help) to drive them in w. a huge BFH from the boat till they bottomed out, plumbing them up, then build the frame using a level for each timber and plenty of carriage bolts. I built it with a 2" rise to allow for settlement, and it's remained level for years, even after floods. Normally it's 2'-3' above the water. Pics below is when the water rose about 7' during a flood. Didn't need no freaking tractor in my case. Determine how far you have to go into the mud first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camjeep3 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Thanks for the help guys. yes. I'm not wanting to build a floating dock. I want more of a pier I guess, I want to be up off the water some. It's just a pond, so you're not going to see any significant wave action. Likewise, no boats tied to the pier, I'd assume? I think you will be fine just pushing the posts in with the bucket on the tractor. Will it put posts in on dry land? They should go in even easier in the water, unless there's a real hard bottom. I'm assuming you're just planning to use fence posts... One way or another, it would probably last a while like that. No need to bring in a pile driver and put in telephone poles... Yes it is in a small pond so waves are not an issue, and if a boat was ever tied to it, it would be nothing bigger than a 14' aluminum boat. So nothing substantial. for the posts on the land I will use an auger and drill the holes out. I built a 7' W x 15'L pier on the small lake in the backyard years ago using 6'x6' treated timbers spaced at 5' intervals. Timbers are easier to build framework around than poles. Still hanging fine. The first thing to determine is get out there in a boat w. a length of 1"-2" pipe and drive it into the water at the distance where you want the length of the pier from the bank. Got lucky and hit bedrock at about 1' into the mud. I was able (with help) to drive them in w. a huge BFH from the boat till they bottomed out, plumbing them up, then build the frame using a level for each timber and plenty of carriage bolts. I built it with a 2" rise to allow for settlement, and it's remained level for years, even after floods. Normally it's 2'-3' above the water. Pics below is when the water rose about 7' during a flood. Didn't need no freaking tractor in my case. Determine how far you have to go into the mud first. Pretty much exactly what I am going for, just different dimensions. I am going to have to bust the waders out this weekend and do some exploring and see what my bottom is like. thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimoshel Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Why don't you just dig a couple holes where the end of the pier, wharf, dock is going to be. Plant a couple trees in them. wait for the trees to grow until their trunk is thick enough to support the structure,. Then top them? Not only will you have your posts but you will also have lumber to build the rest of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camjeep3 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Why don't you just dig a couple holes where the end of the pier, wharf, dock is going to be. Plant a couple trees in them. wait for the trees to grow until their trunk is thick enough to support the structure,. Then top them? Not only will you have your posts but you will also have lumber to build the rest of it. I was waiting for a post like that haha... I'm sure my grandkids would enjoy that, when they are born... a long time from now. I'm just impatient Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boots Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I wish I had my own pond to build a pier on..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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