Plans for building a ladder stand????
Does anyone have any plans for a sturdy hamemade ladder stand that they would be willing to share? A friend of mine gave me permission to place a stand on his property. I'm a big guy and would prefer to build my own ladder stand. Could someone point me in the right direction. thanks Tom Hey Tom, how's it going? Are you talking about making a metal ladder stand? If so, I would just head to a hunting shop, take a look at what they got. You've got a good friend there. I'm sure you'll be tossing a couple of t-bones his way. Good luck in whichever stand you make, and in the upcoming season. Jay I would like to get plans for a good permenent wooden stand, Portable ladder stands seem to come up missing a lot in my area :mask: Cables, chains, locks, it doesn't matter, put them out on a Sunday, come Monday morning, It may not be there. A permenent stand would be harder to cart off thanks anyway! While being able to say I made it myself when speaking about the stand you bagged a deer from is self gratifying, it could also be self endangering. Wood deteriorates rather quickly when left in the outdoor elements(rain,wind,ice,snow). If not checked rather often to insure stability and good condition, the next time you used it could be your last. Any time you place yourself any distance off the ground you want to insure safety. More hunters are injured by falling from their deer stands than other hunting accidents. This is the main reason most all professionally or commercially built units are made from metal or fiberglass. If you google for homemade deer stand plans or homemade hunting stand plans you will come with a bunch. Add the word free and you will come up with a little less but still enough to choose from. You can also look at pictures of stands and make something that will suit your needs. Just remember that when you build something to hold you in a tree, you are backing your life/health with the guarantee of your workmanship. Is it worth the risk?????? Hey Big Tom, I have seen these plans before, but never have tried any of them, hope it helps http://www.angelfire.com/sc/huntingstands/index.html Sorry I don't have a picture but I'll try to explain how I build my ladder stands. I only use pressure treated lumber and plywood and ring shank 16penny nails or 3inch sheetrock screws (galvanized is best) for the body of the stand and I attatch to the tree with 40 penny spikes. Staring with the seat I use a 2ft by 2ft piece of 3/4inch pt plywood that I paint with some kind of waterseal product until it will no longer suck up anymore. Cut a 6 inch v notch in one side (this will go up against the tree) mount the seat on 2 parallel 4ft long 2X4's leaving 4 inches of the 2x4 exposed on the front (v on the back) with the narrow side of the 2x4's against the plywood. Now get 2 16ft long 2x4's and place them inside the 2x4's holding the seat (agian narrow side up) to get the spacing for the ladder rungs (should be around 18 inches) now square up the 2 16ft 2x4's and starting from the top measure down 18 inches (this is the most comfortable distance I've found) for the top rung. Then just place a step every 18 inches til you get to the bottom use 2 nails or screws in each side of each step (if the pt is old and dry it helps to predrill holes to keep down splitting). Now you have a top piece and a ladder lay the top piece on its side and place the ladder inside the 2 2x4 with the notch in the back and the ladder at about 10 degrees off vertical (makes for easier climbing if not straight up) now use nails or screws to attach the ladder to the seat assembly (I put 3 or 4 from each side and cinch them down by bending the points over) now you have a basic ladder stand. The best way I've found to put them on the tree is to use and extension ladder. Get a friend to help you lean the stand up against the tree and move the legs out until the seat is level (the 2 ft legs behind the seat should extend past the tree that you are mounting it on) now climb the ladder and attach a piece of 2x4 to the top of the seat rails with nails or screws so that the board is tight to the tree. then drive a 40 penny spike thru the short board into the tree, this will hold it to the tree . Sorry I forgot you need to make 2 braces. You'll need 2 4ft long 2x4's these are to be nailed just forward of the back of the plywood and down to the ladder on either side to give the stand support (make a triangle several steps down with these and attach inside the seat 2x4's and outside the ladder 2x4's again use several nails or screws from each side. Now with the stand attached to the tree if you would like you can make a shooting/safety rail by attaching 2 4ft long 2x4's at the junction of the ladder and the seat down to the braces . I've found that by angling them slightly forward with 21 inches above the seat level and the bottom (or excess attached to the braces and then putting another 4ft long 2x4 on the top then take 2 more 4ft 2x4's and attach them back from the front rail to the tree (it helps to hold the side rails against the tree and cut the front rail at an angle to make the joint tighter) then use nails or screws to attach to front rail and 40 penny spikes to the tree. Now all you need is a back rest- 12inch by 18 inch piech of plywood placed at a comfortable angle and attached to the seat and the tree and you have a tree stand. I hang camo cloth from the shooting rail all the way around for conceilment and use a boat cushion for comfort and a pull up rope for my gun and I'm ready to go. Hope this helps. rugerman the best stand i ever built was out of some damaged construction scaffold. safe to use but not liability proof. painted green, 3 ea 5' 6 sections with the top wrapped in a cammo crop cloth. safe, comfortable for two, and damn hard to steal. rugerman spelled out a pretty good stand, his description is very similar to those that I used to make. I gave these up for a couple resons, lumber cost vs. the cost of a 'store bought' metal stand and lack of portability. Those wooden stands get heavy and a real pain to relocate!! If you opt for wood though, do yourself a few favors, 1) put the seat/platform angle a little more than 90 deg to put a slope on the ladder (much nicer to climb) and 2) completely glue everything, over time water and wind swaying your tree will loosen all the nailed together boards. -- Not fun having a step come off either under foot or in your hand. Big Tom, I know what you mean, I'm 6ft 5 inches and 350lbs. I bought myself a buddy stand. They are made for two average size people, more like a dad and son thing. Anyhow mine is rated for 500 lbs but the best thing besides the load rating is the room. I can set sideways and lean against one side, stand up, etc. because it has a railing all the way around it. I actually bought another one this past fall that the front railing folds back for bow hunting. Plus the railing makes a fine gun rest. Here in Central Illinois I can buy them for $100-$120, you'll have at least half that or more in materials trying to build it yourself. The only problem I had is where some of the tubing was butt welded on one end and open on the other, I had some rain water get inside the tube and freeze. It cracked some of the tube. I think I have that solved by spraying the foam in a can (Great Stuff) into the tubing voids. So this spring I'm heading down with my new one, replacing the old one and fix the tubing on it. Then take it back down early this fall and set it in a different location. Mine are chained and padlocked, plus they are on private ground. I've had no problems for the 5 years I had it up. Good Luck I Need Some Help. My Brother And I Want To Build Some Permanent Deer Stands On Some Property But Don't Know Where To Start As Far As Building The Deer Stands. If Somebody Can Help Me Out That Would Be Great. Type 'building deer tree stands' in your Google search box for lots of links for ideas and plans. It is important that you heed safety precautions when it comes to construction. I know someone whose faulty construction resulted in his falling. He laid on the ground all day with a broken back. Finally, after dark, family members got concerned and went looking for him. Now, he is disabled. I've built stands bought stands. Older wiser, I'd go with a welded steel or aluminum commercially made stand. There are some very good well made stands on the market. Saftey should be first foremost on your list of features. Would like some plans on build a Tripod stand at least 10' or taller i am tired of all these plans on the internet that you have to pay for.so can anyone help me with some free tripod plans please There is a lot of good info here already. I have looked myself and I personally have not found any free plans online. You do not say if you want metal or wooden ones but if metal you could buy one for less than the cost of buying your own steel. Also, if you already have structural square tubing or pipe the weight of this to carry into the woods would be many times heavier than a pre-made one The construction of stands is fairly simple and if you have the needed welding experience to build it safely you should be able to look at pictures and draw up your own plans. If you do get or make a stand make sure you have a good safety harness..............There are deaths and injuries every year from falls.
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