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Nice job Dwight! My wood pier is still serving me well!

Patrick

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How much does that G11 mount weigh? Looks pretty heavy.

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Why not use an old railway tie? ..... Only downside I see is that they are heavy and require 2 people to maneuver around.

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Jeepers Dwight! I was at Lowes yesterday to buy some odds and ends and decided to take a look at the 6x6 posts while I was there. Man they are huge! And Heavy! I admit it...I was intimidated and I'm now having 2nd thoughts about handling these big pieces...John

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John my pier was made out of four twelve foot PT 6x6's bolted together. Yes the beams are heavy but I managed to move them around without much trouble. Roll, push, drag, whatever it takes to move them. Lift one end at a time and walk it to where you want it. The most important muscle required to do that sort of work is the one between your ears.

If you face a task with the attitude I can't do that, you probably won't. If you take the attitude there's got to be a way to do this, you will likely succeed.

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Why not use an old railway tie? ..... Only downside I see is that they are heavy and require 2 people to maneuver around.

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They're soaked with creosote.
Creosote is probably carcinogenic, is a well-known irritant, and it's sticky.
There are many wood species available at lumber yards that have no deleterious effects.

dan k.

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I built this pier one afternoon and I was alone so I had to have pieces of wood that I could move on my own. Also I don't need the chemical issue around the scopes or mount.

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Dwight,

How did you secure the mount to the top plate? And have you had any problems with keeping it perfectly level considering expansion/contraction or slippage of the bolts between the plates?

Michael

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Jeepers Dwight! I was at Lowes yesterday to buy some odds and ends and decided to take a look at the 6x6 posts while I was there. Man they are huge! And Heavy! I admit it...I was intimidated and I'm now having 2nd thoughts about handling these big pieces...John

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John my pier was made out of four twelve foot PT 6x6's bolted together. Yes the beams are heavy but I managed to move them around without much trouble. Roll, push, drag, whatever it takes to move them. Lift one end at a time and walk it to where you want it. The most important muscle required to do that sort of work is the one between your ears.

If you face a task with the attitude I can't do that, you probably won't. If you take the attitude there's got to be a way to do this, you will likely succeed.

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Yep! That muscle between my ears certainly needs to get to work!! Well, you all have inspired me. I'm going to go eat my wheaties, zip up my mansuit and get to it! I'll buy the posts this Sunday and I have a friend to help me run the hole digger.

Dwight...did you mix the concrete by hand in a wheelbarrow? Any troubles with that part?

Also, I could only find 1/2" bolts at Lowes in the 12" lenght. Where did you get your 3/4" bolts?

John

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Jeepers Dwight! I was at Lowes yesterday to buy some odds and ends and decided to take a look at the 6x6 posts while I was there. Man they are huge! And Heavy! I admit it...I was intimidated and I'm now having 2nd thoughts about handling these big pieces...John

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John my pier was made out of four twelve foot PT 6x6's bolted together. Yes the beams are heavy but I managed to move them around without much trouble. Roll, push, drag, whatever it takes to move them. Lift one end at a time and walk it to where you want it. The most important muscle required to do that sort of work is the one between your ears.

If you face a task with the attitude I can't do that, you probably won't. If you take the attitude there's got to be a way to do this, you will likely succeed.

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Yep! That muscle between my ears certainly needs to get to work!! Well, you all have inspired me. I'm going to go eat my wheaties, zip up my mansuit and get to it! I'll buy the posts this Sunday and I have a friend to help me run the hole digger.

Dwight...did you mix the concrete by hand in a wheelbarrow? Any troubles with that part?

Also, I could only find 1/2" bolts at Lowes in the 12" lenght. Where did you get your 3/4" bolts?

John

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I used 1/2 inch bolts to tie the 6x6 together. Lowes is the only one that sells the 12 inch length. Use a long 5/8 drill bit to drill the holes through the posts for the 1/2 inch bolts. Makes it easier to put them in. Don't let the 6x6 move around when drilling or the holes will not align for the 12 inch bolts. Even with new drill bits, it took a while to drill out the holes for the bolts. Had to use an electric drill since my battery powered drill ran out of power all the time. Make sure to glue the posts before you screw them together.

It will be heavy!!!! I used a hand truck to move it to the hole.

I used 3/4 threaded rods to tie the plates together. Home Depot sells 12 inch long 3/4 threaded rods. I cut them to 8 inchs long for my plate.

As for the hole digger, make sure you get the 12 inch bit. It will take two of you to hold the machine as it digs. I dug as deep as it could go and then finished up with a post hole digger. The hole was three feet deep. My poor back!!

No need to mix the concrete. Just pour the dry concrete into the hole to the level you want and then add water. That is how you set posts when building fences. Make sure your hole has enough clearance around the pier to give you room for the concrete.

I used 12 inch plates. That required me to move the Gemini off to the side, look at the photos to see how I had it attached.

Measure the height of your mount to determine the height above ground to make your pier. Make sure you add the height of the two plates and mount attachment. I used three feet for my G11 pier. Adjust as needed.

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