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Monkey F#@%in a Football (stick with platform build)

For the angle of the standing platform what I did with mine was set up in the saddle on the ground, find your sweet spot, put the angle finder on either your back or chest, record angle, mathematics, fabrication, prep, weld,and enjoy. 15 was too shallow for me but could be right for you.....

Good job on the preheat.....almost sounds like u know what ur doing
So, your professional opinion needed. I know you loose some strength on 6061 when you heat it. Do you think I should add gussets out to the sides of the platform?
 
I put a scooter platform on my one sticking stick I built. Haven’t climbed with it yet though. And right now I’m sitting in a dark house because a dang tornado knocked out my electron flow (or hole flow if you’re so inclined).

P.S. mine will be canned over, not solid. Packs much better that way.
 
I put a scooter platform on my one sticking stick I built. Haven’t climbed with it yet though. And right now I’m sitting in a dark house because a dang tornado knocked out my electron flow (or hole flow if you’re so inclined).

P.S. mine will be canned over, not solid. Packs much better that way.
I considered something like that, but the fiddle factor seemed high in my mind. Since it's for one sticking, I'm assuming the platform is on top? How do you secure it while climbing? Would love to see a pic.
 
I took @Weldabeast advise and added gussets. Still under 3 lbs.

Ran out of argon mid gussy...got some repairs and welds to finish up
 

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It probably doesn't matter, with the way you'll be using it. But I'd put those gussets where the stress is on the spine, not the face. They won't offer nearly as much strength and support in the orientation you've got them. Again, it may be plenty strong. But I would imagine you're not getting nearly the utility out of them as what you intended.
 
It probably doesn't matter, with the way you'll be using it. But I'd put those gussets where the stress is on the spine, not the face. They won't offer nearly as much strength and support in the orientation you've got them. Again, it may be plenty strong. But I would imagine you're not getting nearly the utility out of them as what you intended.
I think its an optical elusion @kyler1945 . The gussets run from the spine towards the front of the platform. My welding skills are so awesome, the seemless junctions all run together...or the picture is to small to zoom in and see the errors!
 
I think its an optical elusion @kyler1945 . The gussets run from the spine towards the front of the platform. My welding skills are so awesome, the seemless junctions all run together...or the picture is to small to zoom in and see the errors!

I'm saying rotate the gussets 90* axially. Think about your flat bar in your hand. You can easily flex it along the face. Turn it on the spine and you can't flex it.
 
I'm saying rotate the gussets 90* axially. Think about your flat bar in your hand. You can easily flex it along the face. Turn it on the spine and you can't flex it.
Gotcha. I think its plenty strong considering the short runs on the gussets. It only has to hold 250 lbs. I do appreciate the input!
 
I considered something like that, but the fiddle factor seemed high in my mind. Since it's for one sticking, I'm assuming the platform is on top? How do you secure it while climbing? Would love to see a pic.

I’ll get one, but in the meantime I’ll describe it and try to answer your questions.

Picture a 22” stick with a versa button. I added the scooter platform below the versa button just far enough that it can be folded flat so the overall length doesn’t change AND the top of the platform when folded is just below the top step. This allows me to use the top step if need be (which I only ever do to set my final tether height).

I use woven daisy chain and do not remove it while climbing. I just reach down, pull up the stick and slide the strap along with it. Since I don’t undo the strap to move up the tree this allows me to have the platform folded up covering the versa button while I climb.

The other bonus to this method is my stick is already snug to the tree when I go to cam over my platform. Yes, I do both.
 
I’ll get one, but in the meantime I’ll describe it and try to answer your questions.

Picture a 22” stick with a versa button. I added the scooter platform below the versa button just far enough that it can be folded flat so the overall length doesn’t change AND the top of the platform when folded is just below the top step. This allows me to use the top step if need be (which I only ever do to set my final tether height).

I use woven daisy chain and do not remove it while climbing. I just reach down, pull up the stick and slide the strap along with it. Since I don’t undo the strap to move up the tree this allows me to have the platform folded up covering the versa button while I climb.

The other bonus to this method is my stick is already snug to the tree when I go to cam over my platform. Yes, I do both.
Now I get it. Sounds great!
 
Finished it up today. Didnt make my under 3lbs mark. 3lbs 7 oz. Still, I'll take it.

c49a2def27847c0ae4c9d1ef0eaeada7.jpg


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Looks good and glad the tourniquet went unused. When one-sticking, do you use your top step going up the tree to set your tether or do you only use the bottom step? I started one-sticking with a ROS and would love a platform on my stick as I use it as my step at 6 o'clock. But climbing up I'm either on the bottom step with my calves tucked in behind my double-step or on the top stop trying to get my tether as high as possible.
 
I basically use the method that @boyne bowhunter did a video on (https://saddlehunter.com/community/...-me-this-year-single-stick-climb-video.11747/).

I stand on the bottom step and move my tether as high as I can, then tighten it up and sit off to the side while I move the stick up. If I stand on the platform to move the tether up, I can reach the rope to undo the stick.

Whenever possible, I try to throw my tether over a limb above me (almost like setting up for SRT). That way I dont have to fool with the tether onthe way up.
 
Great job. My you are industrial, between this and the saddle build you've been busy.
 
Looks good and glad the tourniquet went unused. When one-sticking, do you use your top step going up the tree to set your tether or do you only use the bottom step? I started one-sticking with a ROS and would love a platform on my stick as I use it as my step at 6 o'clock. But climbing up I'm either on the bottom step with my calves tucked in behind my double-step or on the top stop trying to get my tether as high as possible.

I use only the bottom step and a one step aider. For me, the length of the aider is what makes or breaks one sticking. The longer the aider the greater the effort required to climb. I would recommend starting around 15” and lengthen until you reach the point when it begins to take you some effort to get to the bottom step then back off an inch of you feel like it and stay with that.

I started with a longer aider, right at 20”, in 2018 and it wasn’t bad. Then this past season rolled around and it sucked ass. I couldn’t figure out how it got so difficult all of a sudden. Then I realized I had given my aider to a friend and the one I put on the stick was just put together and not measured. Well it was 26” from loop to step. Way too much. Add in that it was September in SC, read “hot as blazes and humid as words I can’t say on here”, and it was miserable. So I ditched one sticking and decided to wait until it cooled off.

Before it cooled off I discovered the issue, shortened my aider to 16” and was right back to going up the tree effortlessly in 90° weather.

Morale of the story: short aider.
 
Thanks for the answers, guys. I have been using a 2-step aider and while I can gain a little more height each time I move my stick I'm wondering if a single aider and more, shorter sets would be less effort and smoother/quieter. I'll try that out and see which works better.

Now back to whatever @always89y was doing to that poor monkey.
 
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