How to Make Floating Dock Plastic Drums

Yo can build sectional floating docks using plastic barrels.

Floating boat docks are perfect for a variety of applications. You can build them easily on land and then launch them into service. The easiest method is to build the docks in sections, then fasten sections together to size the dock to your personal needs. Empty plastic 30 gallon drums make great floats. Each one will support 250 pounds, so making a dock section almost 6 feet square using 4 barrels will offer plenty of flotation.

Things You'll Need

• 1 2 by 6, 8 feet long, pressure treated lumber
• 3 2 by 6s, 12 feet long, pressure treated lumber
• 6 5/4 pressure treated deck boards, 12 feet long
• Circular saw
• 3 ½ inch stainless steel screws
• 1 5/8 inch stainless steel screws
• 20 feet galvanized pipe strapping
• Tin snips
• 4 30-gallon plastic drums
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• 1/4 inch chain
• 5/16 X 2 inch lag screws
• 5/16 inch flat washers

Instructions

Cut the Lumber

1. Use a circular saw to cut a 12-foot 2 by 6 board into two 69-inch boards.

   .

2. Cut another 12-foot 2 by 6 into two 63-inch boards.

3. Cut the remaining 12-foot board into two 66-inch lengths.

4. Cut the 8 foot board into one 63-inch board, reserving the remaining piece of wood for later.

5. Cut each of the 5/4 deck boards into two 72-inch lengths.

Build the Frame

1. Construct the rectangular shaped outer framework of the dock by screwing through the ends of the 66-inch boards into the ends of the two 69-inch boards using 3 ½ inch screws. When finished, the outside dimension of the frame will measure 72 inches by 66 inches.

2. Make a mark on each of the 72-inch sides at 36 inches and attach one of the 63-inch boards at this mark.

3. Lay the frame on a flat floor or paved area.

4. Position one of the flotation barrels inside the frame in one of the corners so the top of the barrel is against the 72-inch end of the frame. Roll the side of the barrel against the 66-inch side.

5. Insert one of the 63-inch boards between the center board and the barrel. Move it towards the barrel until it barely touches the side of the barrel. Plastic drums from different manufacturers vary slightly in outside dimensions; this step ensures the barrel fits snugly in the framework of the dock.

6. Remove the drum and measure the distance between the board positioned in step 5 and the 66-inch outer framework board. Use this measurement to make reference marks on each of the 72-inch sides of the outer framework. Attach the 63-inch boards on these marks using 3 1/2-inch screws to become barrel supports/deck joists.

7. Cut two short boards, the length of the measurement taken in step X from the left-over remnant of the 8-foot two-by-six.

8. Make a mark on each of the 66-inch side boards and on each of the interior barrel support/deck joist boards at 33 inches. Fasten the short pieces of 2 by 6s cut in step 7 at this point, completing the framework.

9. Screw the 5/4 deck lumber to the top of the framework using 1 5/8 screws. Don't leave any gaps between the boards.

Attach the Barrels

1. Turn the dock section upside down. Insert a barrel into the each of the corners.

2. Cut eight 30-inch lengths of pipe strapping with a pair of tin snips.

3. Secure the barrels to the underside of the frame with a pair of pipe straps draped across the bottom of each barrel, using 1 5/8 screws to fastened one end of the strap to the side of the dock section, the other end to the barrel support/floor joist on the other side of the barrel. These straps don't have to fit extremely tight, since their main function is to keep the drums in position while the dock is being launched.

Final Assembly

1. Turn the completed dock section over and position it near the water's edge.

2. Build additional sections as needed.

3. Use 8-inch lengths of 1/4-inch chain to fasten the sections of the docks together once they are in the water. Put a flat washer on a 5/16 X 2 inch lag screw. Insert the lag screw through the end link on the chain and use the lag screw to attach the chain to the side of a dock section.

4. Move the next section of dock into position. Snug the two sections close together and use a lag screw through the end link at the other end of the chain to attach it to the second dock section to fasten the two sections together.

References

• Arizona Barrels: 30 gallon barrels

Resources

• Lowes: Building supplies