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Showing off my machined platform

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Huntingbob

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Sep 8, 2017
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Ive been following this forum for some time and am going to start saddle hunting this year. I decided to go all out and machine a post and claws at work from solid aluminium. Thought you guys might like it. I'm a precision machinist by trade and have access to some high end machines. I wire EDM'd the claws out of a pc of scrap aluminum. Then I designed a post that thought looked cool and milled it out of 1.25 square stock. I know its overkill but im pretty happy with how it turned out.
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kyler1945

kyler1945

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Very nice work. Do you intend to add a striker plate for your seat adjustment bolt? It's going to eat up your post pretty bad when you load it a handful of times and move the load around on the platform.

Also, are you interested in making some things like this for others?
 
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Huntingbob

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kyler1945 said:
Very nice work. Do you intend to add a striker plate for your seat adjustment bolt? It's going to eat up your post pretty bad when you load it a handful of times and move the load around on the platform.

Also, are you interested in making some things like this for others?
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I could add one later. I will see how it holds up the way it is. The xop replacement seat came with a plastic cap on the adjustment screw and if it stays on I think it will be ok. But I've never tried it so I'll probably change things as I go.

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Huntingbob

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As far as making them, there would have to be a lot of interest in them to offset making larger quantitys. That first one probably cost my work a couple hundred. Lol. It's defiantly better to just buy the XOP 6 point bracket. But the post wouldn't be bad to make a batch.

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kyler1945

kyler1945

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Huntingbob said:
As far as making them, there would have to be a lot of interest in them to offset making larger quantitys. That first one probably cost my work a couple hundred. Lol. It's defiantly better to just buy the XOP 6 point bracket. But the post wouldn't be bad to make a batch.

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Click to expand...

I would think you could sell 20 of the posts right off the bat here. Another market would be dual steps for sticks people are making. check out the diy forum.

This wouldn't get you rich, but you'd make a lot of friends here!
 
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Huntingbob

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kyler1945 said:
I would think you could sell 20 of the posts right off the bat here. Another market would be dual steps for sticks people are making. check out the diy forum.

This wouldn't get you rich, but you'd make a lot of friends here!
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I will have to get some time on it to see what I need to modify. I'm concerned about the cutout behind the adjustment bolt making it weak now that I see it. I Did make the pivot hole offset so the platform will lay perfectly flat when folded.
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DaveH

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Very nice, Huntingbob! With your skills and machine access, you're going to make a lot of folks around here envious....including me!
 
Holt

Holt

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Love it man, looks great! One thing that stands out to me is you might need to cut out a 1 1/4 recess on the back of 6 point bracket. Were it attaches to the post, to keep them from spinning on the bolt under pressure. Other then that might be a problem there Awesome looking, I love fresh milled aluminum.
 
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g2outdoors

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So awesome. We'll done!

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Huntingbob

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Holt said:
Love it man, looks great! One thing that stands out to me is you might need to cut out a 1 1/4 recess on the back of 6 point bracket. Were it attaches to the post, to keep them from spinning on the bolt under pressure. Other then that might be a problem there Awesome looking, I love fresh milled aluminum.
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My original design had the recess, but then I started thinking about how the lone wolf stick brackets rotate to help it grab a crooked tree squarely. I can always add it later if its a problem though.

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Huntingbob

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I'd be willing to do some trading with someone if they wanted a machined post. I would trade a post for a ropeman a carabiner and enough quality rope for a tether. Had a chance to try mine out and it's very solid. I am going to add some something were the platform adjustment hits the post though.

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Huntingbob

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Redfeather said:
How much does the post itself weigh in at....??
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According to my bathroom scale the whole thing with a xop seat and my brackets is 4 pounds. With no rope attatched. I will have to take it apart to weigh the post alone.

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sb220

sb220

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can these machines cut the actual platform/seats?

not necessarily the xop seats, but this

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Huntingbob

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sb220 said:
can these machines cut the actual platform/seats?
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Yes, you could mill one out of solid aluminum plate, but the raw material would probably cost more then the $29 you can buy one for from xop. There's is cast from molten aluminum so there is no wasted material. Then you have to factor in machine time. If you had some crazy design and didn't mind paying for it it's possible.

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sb220

sb220

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Huntingbob said:
Yes, you could mill one out of solid aluminum plate, but the raw material would probably cost more then the $29 you can buy one for from xop. There's is cast from molten aluminum so there is no wasted material. Then you have to factor in machine time. If you had some crazy design and didn't mind paying for it it's possible.

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Click to expand...

What kind of cost do you imagine it would be....and strength/weight is same as casting?
 
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Huntingbob

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sb220 said:
What kind of cost do you imagine it would be....and strength/weight is same as casting?
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If your talking about the platform itself. I'm not an engineer, but sometimes cast is actually stonger than billet because the grain structure in cast material flows with the contours of the shape. As for cost if we were to quote something like that at work it would probably be a couple hundred dollars for 1 pc. I'm just guessing, but the raw material is probably around $50.00

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