Building a Dock ... my DIY experiment: Part 2

Part 2: Building the frame

This weekend was very favourable for me. I enjoyed a wonderful morning of worship workshops with Worship Victoria, then had time to spend out by the pond with the kids building my dock project.

On Saturday afternoon, I had a few hours where Hannah was with her grandparents, Charlotte was napping, and the boys were in my charge. I threw on my swim trunks and grabbed the boy's their boots and headed down to the workshop.



I had already set aside a number of 10 foot 2x6 planks and several 4x4 posts. I was intent on getting my frame in. I stopped by the workshop to pick up the following:

• Post pounder - this heavy metal tube has handles which makes it perfect for manually pounding in posts. Given that I was pounding into the muddy lake bottom, it would do the job.
• Hammer - I planned to use screws, but I may need to remove the odd nail or help a board into shape.
• Hand Saw - no power means no power tools for this project.
• Measuring tape
• Level - I need this to make sure every post is square as can be going in, also to make sure the two sides are relatively level with each other.
• Pen
• 3 1/2" Wood Screws
• Cordless drill - fortunately the last person to use it left it on the charger.
• Square - I will try my hardest to make this thing as square as can be

I got down and started with my first post. I put it in about 3 feet into the water and braced myself on the two small round posts that were already in the lake. I had to adjust it a but as it was off-kilter from where I wanted the boards to lie. After this was in, picked a height and cut the top off and pounded that into the shore. 

I screwed in a 2x6 with about 4-4 1/2' sticking out into the lake. The last post would be at the end but it would have to wait until I could get over top of it.

 I cut my other post to make another shore marker. These did not line up. I managed to get them about 4-4 1/2' apart. I measured distances and put in my first water post on the right side. I then put another 2x6 on the outside of it. 

The two sides were not quite level but it was so close I decided to keep it as is. I managed to put in my third post on the right side before the day was up. Here is the result: