Just for ha ha’s mostly. Firewood is fun but every once in awhile I like building things. Had cut and moved the logs last week. Got them situated and all that jazz. Rain in the forecast. Wanted to get the wood off the trailer and the tractor out of the woods. Wasn’t easy getting it in there so I wanted it off loaded. Decking is still just laying on top. Need to cut square and to length yet. Then screw down. Trying for just one screw in the boards. Crown up one screw in the middle. They’re green and frozen so I want to give them some room to shrink. Did a little diagonal pattern on the end board to make it sit flat. Need to build ramps yet but the good news is I’ll have enough decking.
Do you just leave the concrete in the bags. It soaks up water and sets up for the support? No muss.....no fuss?
My intention was just to get the bark off the tops. While looking for an axe which is something I don’t use I found a meat cleaver. It did the job. The middle log had a flare on the end so I used the chainsaw for a board or two. The angle is cut with a chainsaw too after screwing the ramp board to it.
Yep. 2” White Oak. I have 12” and 14 1/2” alternating with 3/4 space. Worked out well with no ripping. Might replace one of the 12” as there’s a little too much sap wood on it. That would allow me to shrink the gaps a little. They should open as they dry anyway. Heavy dang things. That’s why I just set them on the logs. Didn’t want to move them twice LOL
I like it! You and I went different ways; I went with less decking strength. Well worth the effort, having access. I think you’ll love it.
Very nice! That's the stuff that separates the men from the boys. 2" White Oak decking... That should pretty much last forever. At least into your grandkids days. The log supports White Oak too?
It actually works surprisingly well. I might have put a sheet of heavy tar paper between the log and the concrete sack but the paper sack may work just as well.
Yes white oak beams too. Your correct about the tar paper. Should have run a strip between the logs and decking too. I read that with white oak it will last years, the first place it will start to rot is where wood contacts wood. Was gonna uses strips of EPDM rubber but my roll is under snow and still heavy. At the last minute I decided to skip that step. I’m old enough I don’t need to worry about it too much White Birch would probably outlast me LOL
Nice work Joe! Looks like a professional job! ice and water shield roofing underlayment works great as well for that purpose too. Ive used it where wood contacts masonry and/or wet wood. Did you consider excavating a bit and setting the logs deeper so no ramp was needed? Frozen ground? Have the tops of the planks at grade level basically?
Well,,,,,,it’s not a very deep brook. If I sunk it in it wouldn’t be a bridge it would be a dam Hahahaha For all intents and purposes I could have tossed some flat stones in and drove through with the log arch. It’s the arch and the weight of the logs that require a modicum of gentle path. Broke it once already when both tires were on a lip of stone at the same time and I gunned the ATV. Rebuilt it stronger than original but don’t wanna see that happen again. Besides, I just wanted to build a wooden bridge Had a shovel along. It’s wetlands. Lots of roots on top and muck underneath. Gave up with the shovel quick which didn’t surprise me in the least. The only shovels I like have big hydraulic rams attached. It’s Ct anyway. Need the approach ramps to slow traffic for the toll gantries. Wait till you see the one on the other side. That ones gonna be funky.
Rain stopped, snow is gone and I got another three hours or so in. Cut and screwed the decking. Left the middle screws out for now. Size is more important on the ramps and the deck can be 6” or 4” whatever’s left over. Started on the ramp on the steep side. Put a little flare to it to help line up the approach. Didnt get much accomplished but I won’t lose sleep over wether that decking is twisting itself into knots at night. Stuff seems pretty stable I must say. Saw no evidence it wanted to twist.
Thanks Stinny. Yeah it’s coming out well considering I had thought about hand splitting the decking myself. Happy I decided to have it sawn. I’ll be beefing up that ramp too once I get the shape figured out. It’ll get a curbing which will also act as a joist. From that I’ll run another joist crossways to the ground again. I’m one of those backwards people who like to build the finished part first then decide how to support it will be bringing in some processed driveway stone to do a little filling on both sides too. Try to keep the ramps on a little more stable ground.
I love threads like this this, when we were "Mountain Men" back in the 70's, we would build build bridges across streams and brooks to get to hunting & fishing grounds on the the other side. Anything we could find, logs, branches to get us across. It brings me back...........
