Plastic barrels won't get chewed up by muskrats like foam does.

They will probably float too high, making the centre of gravity of the
docks too high, and therefore the docks will be tippy. But you can
partially fill the barrels with water to lower the centre of gravity.
You have the advantage of putting letting just as much water into the
barrels as you need to lower the docks.

With water in the barrels the docks won't blow about in the wind.

On Apr 20, 1:54 pm, Wm Watt wrote:
Plastic barrels won't get chewed up by muskrats like foam does.

They will probably float too high, making the centre of gravity of the
docks too high, and therefore the docks will be tippy. But you can
partially fill the barrels with water to lower the centre of gravity.
You have the advantage of putting letting just as much water into the
barrels as you need to lower the docks.

With water in the barrels the docks won't blow about in the wind.



I've found plenty of discussion on the topic at various locations
around the internet, but I can't seem to find any information about
where to get these 55gal plastic barrels that everyone keeps talking
about. All I can find are floats that cost approx $100 per 350lb of
lift. That's over my budget. I'm looking for cheaper options, like
barrels, but I have no idea where to find them. Little help here?

Watch the papers. When someone gets them, one ad usually is enough to
sell them out. A local junkyard has them often, and metal ones. A
concrete plant near you may have some wetting agent barrels they use.

What are they worth to ship? I know of a few sources around here.

Terry K

I've found plenty of discussion on the topic at various locations
around the internet, but I can't seem to find any information about
where to get these 55gal plastic barrels that everyone keeps talking
about. All I can find are floats that cost approx $100 per 350lb of
lift. That's over my budget. I'm looking for cheaper options, like
barrels, but I have no idea where to find them. Little help here?

I just picked up 2 new but used bright blue plastic barrels from a
local farmer. They have 2 screw caps in the top. The local farmer
sells all kinds of barrels. They cost me $12ea (CAN). Both had been
used for food. I looked at the labels of the barrels and they were all
types; pickles, syrup, molasses, even eye contact solution. I would
recommend contacting a local large manufacturer of food products and
ask them if they have any to sell or who they sell their used barrels
to. Good luck.

My 10' x 8' (overall) float uses 6 plastic barrels, 3 each spaced
inside 2 pipes made of 11 degree chamfered 1x6"x5' rough sawn #2
cedar. 13 boards in circumference, plus one more ripped down to about
3" wide to space pipe and barrels snug. Probably could get away with 4
barrels total, but then might need to use full pipe length boards
instead of staggering the 5' boards. They were cheap. The height in
the water is good for a 14' powerboat and a 29' sailboat. It is
stable.

Each pipe is held together with steel banding and includes gaps in the
boards for ladders, stowage, pet fish, spacer 2 x 4s, etc.

The 2 pipes are harnessed in figure 8 chains. The chains will soon be
held snug to the pipes with fence wire braces and threaded rod
tensioners, or possibly a few short staples. Fence wire braces corner
to corner will be added to stabilize pipes fore and aft.

The decks are 5' x 5'. 2 layers of the same 5' cedar, criss crossed,
nailed and clenched, with eye bolts at each corner.

The dock is held (pushed) offshore by an old lightning chewed aluminum
mast chained to a rock. The gangway is "T" sectioned, nailed up from 1
x 5s and a 1 x 4, with cross pieces at the ends.

The dock has been left out in the snow and ice, only floated up in
high water in the fall and floated down in the spring freshet. It is
being neglected to destruction. So far, 3 years and no signs of
failure. I expect the standard banding to rust out sometime in the
next 5 years. Rebanding the raft pipes will take about an hour,
provided I get it done before it all suddenly and completely
disintegrates. I may use stainless banding this time.

It was cheap, easy and fun to assemble. Can be muscled around myself,
if moved in pieces. It looks great!

I thought I sent this posting two weeks ago?

Terry K

On Jul 4, 11:48 am, Terry K wrote:
My 10' x 8' (overall) float uses 6 plastic barrels, 3 each spaced
inside 2 pipes made of 11 degree chamfered 1x6"x5' rough sawn #2
cedar. 13 boards in circumference, plus one more ripped down to about
3" wide to space pipe and barrels snug. Probably could get away with 4
barrels total, but then might need to use full pipe length boards
instead of staggering the 5' boards. They were cheap. The height in
the water is good for a 14' powerboat and a 29' sailboat. It is
stable.

Each pipe is held together with steel banding and includes gaps in the
boards for ladders, stowage, pet fish, spacer 2 x 4s, etc.

The 2 pipes are harnessed in figure 8 chains. The chains will soon be
held snug to the pipes with fence wire braces and threaded rod
tensioners, or possibly a few short staples. Fence wire braces corner
to corner will be added to stabilize pipes fore and aft.

The decks are 5' x 5'. 2 layers of the same 5' cedar, criss crossed,
nailed and clenched, with eye bolts at each corner.

The dock is held (pushed) offshore by an old lightning chewed aluminum
mast chained to a rock. The gangway is "T" sectioned, nailed up from 1
x 5s and a 1 x 4, with cross pieces at the ends.

The dock has been left out in the snow and ice, only floated up in
high water in the fall and floated down in the spring freshet. It is
being neglected to destruction. So far, 3 years and no signs of
failure. I expect the standard banding to rust out sometime in the
next 5 years. Rebanding the raft pipes will take about an hour,
provided I get it done before it all suddenly and completely
disintegrates. I may use stainless banding this time.

It was cheap, easy and fun to assemble. Can be muscled around myself,
if moved in pieces. It looks great!

I thought I sent this posting two weeks ago?

Terry K



sorry to ride a post.

only thing i would warn is make sure the barrels are not locked into
the dock.
if one gets a crack or hole in it its going to cause problems unless
it can fall out.
if it cant it will pull its section down as it fills with water.

Now this sounds like serious nonsense: Does the water entering the
barrel get heavier than the outside water, once it is inside?
Or was this the best a seven foot troll could do? Then try fuel filter
topics for the best results!


only thing i would warn is make sure the barrels are not locked into
the dock.
if one gets a crack or hole in it its going to cause problems unless
it can fall out.
if it cant it will pull its section down as it fills with water.

On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:43:00 -0700, Chris_MdR wrote:


Now this sounds like serious nonsense: Does the water entering the
barrel get heavier than the outside water, once it is inside?
Or was this the best a seven foot troll could do? Then try fuel filter
topics for the best results!


only thing i would warn is make sure the barrels are not locked into
the dock.
if one gets a crack or hole in it its going to cause problems unless
it can fall out.
if it cant it will pull its section down as it fills with water.

naa im too dumb for that and i like to have dry feet.
fuel filters who needs fuel filters; a roll of papertowels and your all
set.