Strange question – I need to build a 6′ x 12′ deck sort of thing. It is actually part of a low ropes course at a summer camp. It is built from 2×6 joists 16″ oc and will be covered w/ 5/4×6 decking. It is balanced on a 6″x6″ and is sort of like a big see-saw. The “deck” is really just a platform. The situation is it is a summer camp with limited facilities. The final location is not near any buildings – about 500-600 feet to the closest one. We can cut the lumber near the building and nail it together on site or we can build the platform near the building using nail guns and then move the finished platform the 500ft to where it belongs.
How much does a 6ft x 12ft platform like this weigh? We will have manpower on site to move it if it is reasonable. This is in the woods so we can’t truck it – it would be carried. It would be much faster and easier to build w/ power tools but not if it becomes too hard to move the finished product.
It will consist of 8 – 2x6x12’s and 14- 5/4x6x12’s (cut in half) and the required nails.
Does anyone know what a 2×6 or a 5/4×6 weighs per foot?
Thanks for the help
Replies
CCA pine is said to be 35 to 40 lbs per cu ft. You can figure it from there. A 2x6 = ((5.5"x1.5")/144cu")*37.5lbs, which is about 2.15 lbs per foot (12*2.15=26lbs per 12' 2x6). So you have 206 lbs of 2x6. That is lower than I expected it to be.
A 5/4 x6x12' = 17.2 lbs x 14=240 lbs
Looks to be somewhere around 500 lbs to me.
Using MS's numbers, I'd build it near the main building, and make it "course" work to put into place (but, I may be biased from having been in one too many Course 0 ropes courses <g>).
You could use a rope sling under the deck, which would make it a pretty hefty 125#@ four-hand lift; put 8-12 ropes course stundent on the task, and they'll find away to make it a 40-50# each lift.
Hmm, are you going to put an eyebolt in the corners after it goes in, anyway? (Not that I know of any groups who might have complicated the platform problem with a dummy bungee cord on one corner, or any such thing . . . ) Four loop rope slings makes a 62.5# each lift with eight hands lifting.
Don't forget that you'll want a student-friendly sealer for any cuts on the PT, too. Counter sink your fasteners now, too--it's easier (unless you're planning on running a carpentry shop class through the ropes course).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Chris,
My spreadsheet gives weight by square foot. It reads, in part;
2x4 24 OC 0.99 # Based on 8' x 8' Wall
2x6 16 OC 2.06 # with single plates
2x6 24 OC 1.55 #
1/2 Advantek 1.65 # Advantech weight = CDX + ~10%
3/4 Advantek 2.42 #
2x6 framing at 2.06# and 1" Advantech at 3.3# and 72sqft =~360#. Add 10# for fasteners?
8 men = 50# each.
SamT
Why not run a long temp extension cord to the site? A 500' roll of say #12/2 with a plug on one end and outlet on the other nailed to a tree. Might only be able to run one tool at a time but I've done jobs like that when the only source of power was a small generator.
I thought about the long power cord but don't you get a pretty big voltage drop over such a long run? I wouldn't want to get set up and then find the compressors won't kick on when under pressure. Plus we would need at least 1 circ. saw or chop saw.
I think we will have plenty of hands to carry 500lbs more or less.
Thanks for the info.
I wasn't thinking about a compressor. When I did the job using a small gen we were pounding the nails in with hammers and only using small power hand tools.
Good luck with the deck.
You are a better man than I am. Since I got my first nail gun I seem to have lost all ability to operate a hammer. I lent my finish nailer to someone and needed to hang a couple of prehung doors. I figured I would just bang them in. I guess the nails nowadays must be softer because even though I was hitting them perfectly they kept bending. Or it could have been my hammer was warped. In any event we will be lazy and use the nailers especially since we use the ring shank galvanized nails with the new PT lumber. If you don't drive them with 1 or 2 whacks they bend very easily.
Chris,Why can't you just rent a generator and carry that plus the loose material on the spot and build right where you have too?Joe Carola
That's not a bad idea. Do you have any idea what kind of capacity the generator would need to power a compressor <15amps and a circular saw or a chop saw. I am concerned with someone operating the saw without turning off the compressor and then having the compressor kick on. Is this a problem or will the generator cut the power to one of the loads?
Thanks.
See if someone has a compressor... facilities/ maintenance guy may own one, or rent...
The other idea is to make it in 2 finished pieces and use the same amount of guys, and nail the 2 pieces together on site.
-zen
Chris,I did a job last winter down south Jersey and there was no power on the job so the builder bought a generator from Lowes. It was either the 5500 watt or 7500 watt but I can't remember right now but I'll call him later but this generator ran my electric compressor with two framing guns and two circular saws with no problem at all.This link is to the one I think he bought because it looks just like his but this one is the 5500 watt but the 7500 watt isn't there anymore I guess according to this sight.http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=45428-348-1919I would talk to a local rental place and tell them exactly what you want to run to see what suitable for you and I'm sure they can give you what you need. There's always been power on the jobs before so I never had a reason to buy a generator but if you don't have a gas compressor and you just have a small electric one your best bet would be to rent a generator and work right there on the spot nice and easy and no carrying a prefab deck with five guys.Joe Carola
Edited 5/24/2005 3:39 pm ET by Framer
"Why can't you just rent a generator and carry that plus the loose material on the spot and build right where you have too?"
Maybe cordless tools? Circ saw or chain saw(my preference LOL) and drill gun and screws? Works for deer blinds in hard to reach areas of TX.
mk
Edited 5/24/2005 4:20 pm ET by MiKro
"Maybe cordless tools? Circ saw or chain saw(my preference LOL) and drill gun and screws? Works for deer blinds in hard to reach areas of TX."Mikro,That's a great idea if he has all those tools. Fortunately over the course of 20 years I've collected them and this is where the gas/battery operated Paslode Impulse framing gun and trim gun comes in because you don't need the compressor or hoses and for the cordless saws and drills with extra charged batteries he would be all set.I don't know what tools Chris has but if he's short on one tool he could always rent the other tool for a day. If he has cordless saws and a drill and I know he said he owns a nail gun then maybe he can just rent the nail gun so he doesn't need his compressor. Joe Carola
Edited 5/24/2005 4:22 pm ET by Framer
My on earth would you get a generator to run a saw.If understand correctly this is a simple rectangular deck.Pre - cut all of the material BEFORE going to the site. Why carry the excess material in and then have to carry the scraps out.Then, if wanted, get a gas powered compressor.
"My on earth would you get a generator to run a saw.If understand correctly this is a simple rectangular deck.Pre - cut all of the material BEFORE going to the site. Why carry the excess material in and then have to carry the scraps out.Then, if wanted, get a gas powered compressor."Bill,I never said to rent a generator to run a saw. Chris was saying he needed it to run a compressor and a saw so I said to rent a generator and bring it right on the site and work right there. Your idea of precutting everything first is a good one which he could do at home but that would'nt help him use his compressor and nail gun at the jobsite unless he precuts everything like you said and instead of using a nail gun for the decking he could screw it down with a cordless screw gun and if he had to make any cuts for something else he could use a cordless saw if he has one.If he's going to go through the trouble to rent a gas compressor he might as well just rent a generator.Joe Carola
Cordless hand powered crosscut saws are inexpensive and downright handy to own...
Pre cut the whole project... make it fit when you get there. Round overs on the ends of the planks will help to eliminate scrapes and splinters too.
Garett
Does anyone remember the original cordless saw? Had a blade a yard long with a pretty wood handle. Not too heavy, but it sure wears a body out.
Maybe this would be a good time to buy a titanium hammer and manually pound some nails.
Just a thought, but whadda I know?
72 square feet of deck.
Precut.
If I can't beat that together by hand in less than an hour, I'll eat my Harts Handle.
SamT
Thanks for all the responses. The only cordless tool we don't have between us is the nailer. It would be no problem to cut everything and carry it to the site and do the install there. It is just easier to build it near the closest building (closer to the beverages and snax). This is an all volunteer workforce and we have like 60+ people available to help move this. Time is sort of an issue since the # of talented craftsmen is a small subset of the total group and if it takes an hour or two longer to handnail the 5/4x6 decking it is not a good thing. Last year we replaced the 5/4x6 decking on some 16' x16' tent platforms and we got it down to 22 minutes for the last one - 2 framing nailers and an "assembly line" of people placing boards and shooting nails - 3 per board joists 16" oc. Not too bad for a bunch of lazy volunteers - it seemed like the girls (it is a girls summer camp) 13+ age loved the jobs more than the guys. They couldn't wait to tell the people back in school that they got to use a nail gun. Yes, everybody wore safety glasses and we used common sense when the "kids" were helping. Who knows, maybe we got a few interested the business.
Thanks again to all for the info.
Joe,
I agree that the Paslode would be great! And you are correct about what Chris has available will dictate his course of action?
I still enjoy "BOONIE BUILDING" with a chainsaw, makes short order on the tree limbs for the shooting lanes after the blind is built. LOL!
But seriously, as you stated and others also, Check whats available at the rentals. Set a course of action and make a plan.
Goodluck on the build and please send pics when it's done.
Mike K