SU2
Omono
I'm really on the fence about building this thing... I was very inspired by c54fun's (can you tag users on this board?) benches & monkey-poles that he posted mid-page here: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/s...-so-you-can-get-more-vegetative-growth.29236/
My problem is, I'm afraid that what I intend to build won't be sufficiently stable with the weight of the wood + trees, am here hoping for opinions to confirm/deny my fear!
The idea is to use (2) 4x4"s for the legs of the stand, each sunken in-ground as deep as the pole-hole cutters let me get (around 3' I think?), back-filled with rocks and tamped-down. These 4x4's would be placed 4' apart. I'd then place the 8' long 4x6" on top of the two 4x4's, and screw it down into them, leaving me with a long 8' bar upon two 4x4 posts (with the 4x6" being around 3' tall / off the ground) I'd then cut (12) 2'-long sections of 2x8 and fix them perpendicular to the 4x6, so I'd end up with an 8' long, 2' wide 'table top', each of the 2x8's across the top will have (3) screws into the 4x6 so should be solid as far as lateral pressures, my concern is with the structure itself, if (2) 4x4's is enough to be solid with all this (at ~3' depth, w/o concrete footing), the total weight is the trees on it, an 8' 4x6, and 24' total of 2x6"...
Maybe I'm worrying for nothing, would just like some opinions on whether this is a solid build or not! Would be using 3-4" decking screws probably #6 or #8, drill pilot holes/properly level/etc (ie it's not the first thing I've built ;P )
Here's the entirety of it except a 4x4 (one 4x4 is on the left, the 2x8's for the (12) slats that'd make the top are on the right, that's all the lumber only a little of those 2x8's will be excess/unused)
I'd originally planned to paint this, and my two benches, all the same color - have since learned of a 'burnishing' technique that may see me pressure-washing and then burnishing the wood with a torch, still need to learn how far propane goes when used that way, my trials weren't very efficient!
My problem is, I'm afraid that what I intend to build won't be sufficiently stable with the weight of the wood + trees, am here hoping for opinions to confirm/deny my fear!
The idea is to use (2) 4x4"s for the legs of the stand, each sunken in-ground as deep as the pole-hole cutters let me get (around 3' I think?), back-filled with rocks and tamped-down. These 4x4's would be placed 4' apart. I'd then place the 8' long 4x6" on top of the two 4x4's, and screw it down into them, leaving me with a long 8' bar upon two 4x4 posts (with the 4x6" being around 3' tall / off the ground) I'd then cut (12) 2'-long sections of 2x8 and fix them perpendicular to the 4x6, so I'd end up with an 8' long, 2' wide 'table top', each of the 2x8's across the top will have (3) screws into the 4x6 so should be solid as far as lateral pressures, my concern is with the structure itself, if (2) 4x4's is enough to be solid with all this (at ~3' depth, w/o concrete footing), the total weight is the trees on it, an 8' 4x6, and 24' total of 2x6"...
Maybe I'm worrying for nothing, would just like some opinions on whether this is a solid build or not! Would be using 3-4" decking screws probably #6 or #8, drill pilot holes/properly level/etc (ie it's not the first thing I've built ;P )
Here's the entirety of it except a 4x4 (one 4x4 is on the left, the 2x8's for the (12) slats that'd make the top are on the right, that's all the lumber only a little of those 2x8's will be excess/unused)
I'd originally planned to paint this, and my two benches, all the same color - have since learned of a 'burnishing' technique that may see me pressure-washing and then burnishing the wood with a torch, still need to learn how far propane goes when used that way, my trials weren't very efficient!