New deck for the front of the house!

What the heck, figure I'll post some pics of my latest project. I scored a load of 2x5" 1/8" wall rectangle tubing a couple of years back with the intent of doing this. I got 54 20+ ft pieces with a couple of shorts and one almost 25ft long in the pile, well over 1000 linear ft all up. I hate wooden decks with a passion, even more so now that the pressure treat wood is getting so sorry. Decided to go at it and see how much of this old school fab work I remembered.

I built the first one a year ago. It was all done in my shop, as it was only 6x16ft. It's the one with boards on it. The new one was 10x14, so too damned big to flip over in the shop. I welded the top of the perimeter on the shop floor to get it straight, then dragged it outside to finish.

I tried to set up my bandsaw for all the cuts, but it was taking forever and cutting crooked, so I drew off the lines in chalk, fired up the old Airco cutting torch with a #00 tip and started whacking away. MUCH faster and that little tip is like a scalpel. Very low oxygen use, so probably cheaper than buying bandsaw blades.

Welding on the first one in the shop and the perimeter on the new one was done with my Hobart Tigwave in stick mode. 6013 rods running DC on almost everything. Not enough leads to make it out in the yard, so I fired up the old 1974 Hobart GR303. I had forgotten how sweet an old DC engine welder runs a rod. Vertical, overhead, all a breeze with that old beast. Must have had 3 gallons of water in the fuel when I started, but it finally cleared up.

Raising to vertical the first time was with floor jack and engine hoist. Slow and NOT fun. Plumber friend loaned me a little JCB mini excavator to handle flipping and moving it for final installation, which made things a lot smoother.

Have concrete this one in place, remove the four temporary legs, then build and attach another 6x16 around the corner of the house to catch another door. Just get to work in my spare time and weekends. Hoping to be finished in a month or two.

Couple more pics due to limit on the first post. Here it is in place in front of the sliding glass door, still had to come up about 8" (I am leaving it a 7" step down so the splash doesn't rot out the floor at the door). Once up in place and leveled, I welded temporary legs onto the frame to hold it in place for pouring the footings for the columns. These are free standing decks to prevent penetration and rot of the wall and/or band, so no connection to the house and they are about 1" off the wall. Second pic is the hole under the column. The two columns will be set in concrete blocks about 2'x2'x18". It would probably be plenty stable this way, but with the wrap around, it will have two more columns running perpendicular. Can't imagine it ever going anywhere.

Decking was originally to be 3" angle welded to the top perimeter, scrap metal roofing thrown in and poured concrete floor. SWMBO changed her mind last minute and wanted something "warmer" (grrrrrr), so it gets pressure treat wood decking. Seeing as how PT 2x6s are $1 a board cheaper than 5/4 PT decking, that's what I went with. It's basically like standing on a real good 10 ton flatbed trailer, set in concrete.

Are you sureit is strong enough? What if the aliens running strafing attacks have plasma discombobulaters on full auto? Have you considered the possibility, remote to be sure, that they are armed with the dreaded sub-space oscillators? What ya gonna do then!?! I'd beef that deck up a bit , was me.

Heck, we've got woodchucks up north here that would chew right through that thing. But I think stoneaxe is full of baloney.
Use caution while stepping on it. It may rust out in a 100 years! Nice job.

Nice job. That thing will be fine I would not worry about the impending air strikes. Nice work very inspiring.

Ron

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...-new-deck-front-house-2014-08-31-11.23.41.jpg

How did you calculate the angle for the mortar launcher?

If this was 8' off the ground (as in a second floor deck) the underside would make
a nice welding area, complete with crane service.....just add some trolleys to
the underside of the deck.

That's a nice one. Exactly the kind of thing I like, from a permanence and rigidity standpoint. I hate attaching stuff to the house, where you know that in 6 or 10 years, you're gonna have to come back and fix something where the stress/weathering has found the weak point somewhere. Freestanding is the way to go, for deck or overhead.

Did you look at the "synthetic" deck planking? Might turn this into a 200-yr lifetime. ;-)

He's gonna have to deck it with corrugated "b decking" and topped with 4" of concrete.
just like in commercial buildings....

digger doug said:

He's gonna have to deck it with corrugated "b decking" and topped with 4" of concrete.
just like in commercial buildings....

Click to expand...

Well, there is something to be said for a deck with strength to resist catastrophe- I mean, you are out there having a cold one , feet up in your lounge chair and you see the bright pin points of incoming ICBM warheads glowing on re-entry... No fuss mate, just roll under the deck with the rest of the six pack.

stoneaxe said:

Well, there is something to be said for a deck with strength to resist catastrophe- I mean, you are out there having a cold one , feet up in your lounge chair and you see the bright pin points of incoming ICBM warheads glowing on re-entry... No fuss mate, just roll under the deck with the rest of the six pack.

Click to expand...

Tornado country down in these parts, Stone. When the sirens go off, just ease under that deck and finish the cold ones.

~TW~

I bet you're the guy who wrote this article: Articles : Aircraft Interiors International

Nope, the guy that wrote that article could pay me to build him a nice deck, though!

Now to outfit this little deck.....

I suggest welding 2" reciever hitch's around the underside so you can plug in the grill, some chairs, etc.

(and a bench vise too)

A quick change system.

Some well tender trucks use knock unions though.

While your at it you might as well make up a plate with your name and the date built
Its going to be there a long time

hmmm, no hydraulics

Curious -- are the plural you (aka your wife?) planning to put a prime coat on this or just let it take its time rusting?

".............. just let it take its time rusting? "

I think its called a patina to highlight the creativity of using ferrous materials instead of chemical laced pine that will deteriorate in a couple years

But yeah, maybe should have powder coated it before planting it in concrete

Yes, natural rust finish. Only paint will be on the top and inside surfaces to be hidden with wood. Easier to paint in place once the other part is attached.

Not a bad idea on the reciever hitches! I am actually going to have a couple of sections of removable handrail. That is my music room and it's a lot easier to back up a truck, van, or station wagon and be at bed level than trying to carry gear up and down stairs.

No hydraulics yet, but who knows?

................."That is my music room"
the real truth comes out

The deck will really be a stage for a massive stack of Marshalls and overhead spots......