U could buy a spool gun for your welder and make aluminum ones just like it.
-
The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
-
We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules
DIY Saddle Platform
- Thread starter smokeeter
- Start date
I think you had the same old timer teaching you that I had. Heavy is always better.
What welder?
I never learned how to weld. Always farmed it out. It's a skill I shout have learned 45 years ago.
Ha!! They finally decided those prolly werent all that safe and got tired of the skwerls chewing the plywood so they built a few out of steel. 2" angle framing with expanded top plus chain and boom. Had to go to a pully system to hang those lol. There was a time when I thought Ol'man climbers were light.
The crew I grew up under weren't always like that though. I mean there was one stand on the place that was a metal folding chair lag bolted into a tree. They would go up with gaffs and stand in the seat. They also used some little hang-on type stands they called pie plates but I just heard stories about them. They quit using them by the time I was hunting age. Everything back then was heavy and those men werent soft I think are 2 big differences.
Yea you can't be too soft and stand on a folding chair in a tree, probably w/no harness. I don't know if we ever had harnesses back in the old days. I like the idea though. You could sit on the ground or hang it in a beech and hunt.
My cousins had them made of plywood. And then I laid my hands on a bunch of galvanized steel catwalk grating. I made "Y" jammers out of them...just jammed them into a Y and lashed them in...all while not wearing any sort of harness of course! Then I converted a few into an Andy stand. I still use them. IMO, they are the best design. I like the design better than conventional hang ons or even the new saddle type stands. I'd just like someone to make a 3 or 4 pound version. I'll buy some.Ha!! They finally decided those prolly werent all that safe and got tired of the skwerls chewing the plywood so they built a few out of steel. 2" angle framing with expanded top plus chain and boom. Had to go to a pully system to hang those lol. There was a time when I thought Ol'man climbers were light.
We didnt have harnesses. A few guys had homemade lineman's belts to use when they were using gaffs.
Last edited:
One of my hunting buddies has an aluminum stand built along the same lines that he got back in the early to mid 90's. A scaled down version of it sounds like exactly what you are looking for. It's at camp too. Will get pics of it too when I am down next.
Now that we've stomped all over @smokeeter 's thread (sorry about that smoke) I'm wondering how an Andy design would work with the platform material smokeeater used. Is it rigid enough, and is it "workable" for attaching the post and teeth without losing integrity of the material.
Maybe put a piece of flat aluminum across the front to spread the load and make a place to attach the support arms? I think you could make that fly without much additional work.
If I was to use the fiber-grate for the base I would drill thru the center of the first section of grating with a long bit probably from both sides all the way thru until you had holes the entire width, then I would feed the brace (3/8 "rod) thru the entire cross section, this would pivot nicely . Make a couple of bends extending beyond the width of the platform and bring the two diagonals together and weld a spike to drive into the tree.
This old design worked but for a saddle platform application I don't think hanging of the side would be best, center from the front would be optimum in my opinion
This old design worked but for a saddle platform application I don't think hanging of the side would be best, center from the front would be optimum in my opinion
Small details can make a lot of difference in feasibility.
The Andy design on my larger platforms seemed to need a 2nd strap where the post meets the tree because of side leverage on the post. The extra strap ensured the post stayed put with side pressure.
However, my smaller Andy stands handle side pressure well without a 2nd strap.
There's a "sweet spot" as to the size of the platform when it comes to stability during side pressure.
Is your fibergrid true fiberglass or some other material.
I have experimented with drilling a fiberglass grating and I got a little paranoid that the hole compromised the strength integrity of the platform, but that could have been very specific to what I was working with. Your stuff might be completely different.
the manufacture states fiberglass reinforced plastic , I know it is quite dense and hard. tough on saw blades so I'm not worried about the strength. the grids are almost 1/4 in thick . I does make for a heavy platform this is the only down side. It is quiet and slip resistant, not much creaking when moving around on the base. I use a ratchet strap to secure it and it doesn't move.
Last edited:
I work with the stuff pretty regular. Fibergrate has weight span pdf available for all the different sizes and flavors they manufacture. If u handed ur platform to me and asked me to stand on it I would respectfully decline...with a redesigned frame supporting the grating as it's intended I'd jump up and down all day
Iron_llama
Well-Known Member
What about something like a Torges tree seat? There's some discussion of this item on the ground hunting thread. You could deploy it when you want to sit down, then strike it when you're done with that. Since it's a comfort (vs life support) item, it can be built lightly. Maybe have a paracord dummy string so you can hang it the right distance from your platform.