@Onoff an Onoff sketch.. makes me all confident & revved up ready to go, thanks for this. Even tho I don't quite get it.

 

Is the flat bit its sitting on.. there to aid plumb/ levelling? 
 

I think my galv shoes here tomorrow, so can dig me holes.

 

(Btw what happened to Sh*g lager & PussyBeer pics.. mods pulled them? Killjoys! Made me chuckle).

 

Zoot.

Edited August 17, 20224 yr by zoothorn

@Simplysimon sorry your profile shows you're from ayershire of course.. I didn't spot this. Looks gorgeous, really my kind of place: few people, coastal rugged rocks.. ace.

 

zh

2 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

Even tho I don't quite get it.

 

Right, the shoes have a pointy spike on. The flat bit of "rubble" is for that to bear down on. If you put your spike into the rubble, even if it's tamped down, the spike might slip or go into a void chucking your level out of whack. 

 

Rest the spike on a flat bit of (Welsh?)slate, quarry tile offcut etc then slide another bit under to level it etc.

3 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

Right, the shoes have a pointy spike on. The flat bit of "rubble" is for that to bear down on. If you put your spike into the rubble, even if it's tamped down, the spike might slip or go into a void chucking your level out of whack. 

 

Rest the spike on a flat bit of (Welsh?)slate, quarry tile offcut etc then slide another bit under to level it etc.

Gotcha, but presumably I'm ( somehow) first attatching the notched post top to the front " ledger" beam.. which will prevent the spike going downward, then I thought it might be  a case of like my gate posts, using 4 long thin timbers bits screwed in each side of a post.. to secure it in place?

 

The flat whatnot is another way of doing the same job-? Zh

6 hours ago, zoothorn said:

Gotcha, but presumably I'm ( somehow) first attatching the notched post top to the front " ledger" beam.. which will prevent the spike going downward, then I thought it might be  a case of like my gate posts, using 4 long thin timbers bits screwed in each side of a post.. to secure it in place?

 

The flat whatnot is another way of doing the same job-? Zh

 

I presume you'll have worked out your post length already, that it's long enough or that you'll have to cut it down? 

If it were me I would put 2 diagonals across the deck to keep it square, make sure the deck if flat (or a slight slope to dissipate rain) with temporary props, put the pointy bit in the hole on the stone bit to stop or sinking, mark where you need to cut the post and rebate, after cutting fit and bolt after checking vertical then pour concrete in hole 👍

4 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

I presume you'll have worked out your post length already, that it's long enough or that you'll have to cut it down? 

Yes today once shoes here, I can determine this. Thanks.

 

---

Btw a bit late now, but a sudden thought/ concern: is my frame ok made from 6x2 ?? I have a feeling I copied the 'mericun deck build wrong, & they used 8x2 & used 10x2 for the front, doubled-up, which sit on the notched posts. 

 

I'm stuffed if the BCO says "no good- should all be 8x2". @PeterW I wonder if you'd know?

 

[I think I sort of copied my cabin joist height, @ 6" ( 6x4 maybe the outer frame, with 6x2 joists & nogs].

 

Thanks, zoot.

 

 

1 hour ago, zoothorn said:

I'm stuffed if the BCO says "no good- should all be 8x2". @PeterW I wonder if you'd know?

 

 

A structural engineer would know! What did yours say? 😂

 

 

6x2 is fine !!! Spans are nothing ..!

42 minutes ago, PeterW said:

6x2 is fine !!! Spans are nothing ..!

Phew thank gawd for that. Woke me up sweating about this!

 

@Onoff I'm the structural engineer..

 

Zoot

Chaps, brace yourselves dim witted Q's still incoming..

 

Galvanised post shoes here, sturdy, fit great. They have 3x 10mm holes each side.. so seem to suggest something spans each pair of holes.. but screws as SS suggested, well I can't think of a head big enough.

 

Are they designed with say rod & nuts in mind then? Am I being thick? Well yes, I can answer that for you
 

Thx Zoot

 

 

Where did you get your post shoes?  Custom made or off the shelf?  I will be needing some.

 

I would expect threaded rod with a nut and washer each end.

Are they U shaped ?

 

Drill through the shoe from each side and the holes will line up.

 

Knock through a bit of stainless steel studding. Put a flat washer, spring washer and full nut each side. Leave 3 thread pitches projecting out of the nut either side. Finish off with a plastic nut cap. 

 

I could probably send you some M10 bolts but they won't be stainless. How wide is the shoe?

Something like this. This is the foot of the kid's spiral staircase. The timber is up off the ground by +6" 10/12mm thick galvanised shoe (had these made special years back). 

 

 

M16 stainless stud goes through the 4x4 post. 

 

I didn't have any long bolts so I made some by permanently fixing a nut to the stud. I "just" drilled through and fitted a stainless scroll pin. You'll note the white nylon washer between the stainless one and galvanised bracket. This done to isolate between dissimilar metals.

 

 

The other side. 

 

 

All the bolt heads and nuts were once capped with white plastic caps. Most have disintegrated now. This the foot of the spiral staircase. It was a couple of inches off the deck but the soil / veg had grown up around it. Note how it looks a bit "rotten".

 

 

We now print our own nut caps here. 

 

 

 

Could even do you an audio amp related nut cap shape! 😂

 

 

Edited August 19, 20224 yr by Onoff

@Onoff hi there, finally done ( paid work) for the week. Ok..

 

Thanks for the pics. In town Am I picked up 1m Stainless Steel 8mm rod ( same guage as cabin pad brackets > concrete).

 

Got back & then saw your replies above. So I was on same page, just have thinner rod. Still ok? & SS std washers/ nuts.

 

I've got my post heights, about to start me holes. So apologies- I'm behind where you expected probably. 

 

Thanks, zoot

 

 

 

 

8mm st/st rod will be fine with stainless nuts and washers.

You only want / need like 3mm of stud projecting out of the nut and don't forget to take the burrs off.

47 minutes ago, Onoff said:

8mm st/st rod will be fine with stainless nuts and washers.

Good ok. Right dug one hole. Is the approx idea, once shoe on, that the spike (8" long) say aim to go into concrete 6"?
 

I don't think I'm aiming to get the full 8" in, & the shoe bottom to touch the top of concrete.. I can't do this as my bucket's a bit deep tbh.

 

And is it ok slightly off centre into the concrete pad? I'm up against a huge stone one side of me hole. So my post spike will be 1/3rd point in, instead of centre. 
 

Thanks, zoot
 

 

Point of spanner, as it were, is plumb line.

My huge stone hampering getting bucket ideally over 3".. & the tape mark is both the extent of post (& fairly accurate spike position). So Tape end/ btm of galv bracket is 2" above bucket rim.
 

Concrete will need to go right up to bucket rim.

 

 

 

Chaps, is there any reason I can't cut my notches in my 6x6 posts, across the width, using my mitre saw?

 

Guaging the depth tricky tho. I just saw the 'mericun on my clip simply use his battery skilsaw, by eye, to do all 3 cuts for his notch, then finishing off with an electric saw thing ( Id use a handsaw to finish off).

 

I can guage depth better using a my railsaw, but quite a strain on it, & a new dewalt Im not thrilled with the idea. 
 

Thanks, zoot.

My mitre saw has a depth stop so you can cut depth accurately, does yours not?. I recently built this for my nephew, trenching fir the cutouts , what mitre saw do you have?

@joe90 Hi J, yep has a depth thing.. nice one/ set ready.

 

And it's then if my skilsaw can cope with the crucial vertical cut, with a guide rail nailed temporarily onto the post, quite a strain tho surely @ 2x timber thickness deep.. 90mm D cut. (Two timbers being my frame one already up, plus another front board to 'double up' is going onto the notch).

 

Washout today. Y'day tho: holes dug, buckets in, hardcore ready, galv shoes onto posts.
 

So it's this crucial notch next to cut you see. Then clamping it up in position 'hanging'.. somehow, without it falling.
 

Thanks, zoot.