I started work on a new Tower Stand. The one I put together two or three years ago was 4' x 4' with 12 foot 4X4 Legs. It needed height to see over the crest of a hill.
The platform on this stand is constructed of CCA 2x6 lumber framing with 1x6 CCA Decking. The front wall is 6 feet tall. The back wall is 5'-10" giving it a little slope for the roof to drain.
It has 4x4 legs 8 feet in length installed using a Compound Angle Elevator Leg Kit. I have four Concrete Post Bases to install under the posts.
I Framed the side walls using 2x6 lumber. Some CCA and some regular depending on the location. The reason I used 2x6 lumber was so that I could install a shooting bench centered on the wall, half inside and half outside. Using 2x6 walls and 2x6 lumber under the bench I should be able to secure it without external bracing. The shooting bench will be installed on all four sides. I plan on having a hinged drop down section of bench at the door opening.
My brother and I finished installing the legs, band boards and X Bracing late yesterday evening and got it stood up. We attached the winch on the Polarus Ranger to one side to pull it up after lifting it up far enough from the other side with the front end loader on the John Deere tractor. After the Rangers winch took over we used a ladder and reattached the rope on the tractor bucket to control the tower after the winch got it over center. This let us set it down gently. All went well.

That is where I am at so far. I am off work today so I am off to get a couple more boards, check on some metal for the sides and roof, and to check on Cee Perlins for the roof to attach to.

My math shows we have 89 days till opening morning. We are getting close. I still have loads to work up and Contenders and Encores to shoot. I was thinking the other day I have not harvested a deer yet with my 260 Remington Encore barrel or my 357 Maximum G2 barrel. I guess I could add my CVA Optima muzzle loader to the list also. Off to look for more material.

Bob R

Since the last report I have installed the rafters, and 1.5 x 3 Cee Perlins for the roof. I have the concrete leg stands in place, but they still need some adjusting with the reciprocating saw to level the stand out. I have installed horizontal 4x4's to the legs top and bottom to attach the ladder to get in the stand to. I now have the roofing and siding metal at the work site.

Hoping to get it pretty well finished today. We got two of the three sheets of roof metal on yesterday evening. We are going to need to reposition the boards we had outboard to set the ladder against to get the screws in the last sheet of roof metal. We needed it out further from the side of the stand.
We have the flat metal for the sides as well, and corner trim to install today.

The plan for today is to start out at the lumber yard getting the last few boards needed, and plywood for the bench top. We also need another #3 of 3 inch T25 Deck Screws.
I think today we will take one of the Honda Generators down to the stand site for 120V power. We can then use the Miter Saw to cut all the Bench Frame Boards to length, and use the Circular Saw, and Jig Saw on the plywood without running back and forth to the barn. We will probably use the Router and round the bench edges also. That will make them a little better not having a square top edge, especially on the interior.
We have 1 gallon of OD paint for the Bench top and bottom. With luck that will be enough to get it weatherproof, or a good first coat anyway.
We will need to work on getting the legs leveled out in the concrete leg stands. Probably do a little leveling under them as well.
We will still need to get Rings welded to the 24" Concrete Form Stakes used to tie it down. We will also need to install the four Eye Bolts on the legs for the tie down straps.
I about forgot the ladder to get in the stand. We will need to build it today as well.
I hope to get a picture posted. I will need to go through someone else to get it done. We changed to Windows 10 and it has my picture down load going to a place that I cannot retrieve them. Since my Tec Support (Kids/Grand Kids) are no longer handy to do house calls, I may need to get the local computer guy to make a house call and get the pictures back to downloading to My Pictures on the computer.

Bob R

I don't think I need a stand. I was sitting under a tree trying to call in a coyote and had a doe and fawn walk right up to me trying to figure out what I was. They stood there for several minutes and then calmly walked on.

Last deer season I shot an 8 point from a double wide on the point behind the house. When I walked back up hill to where my Polarus Ranger Side By Side was parked I had an even nicer buck looking it over, and I believe he may have even been smelling it.

It is nice to have a comfortable stand. The roof is done. We have the bench finished. I got the ladder built Sunday. I ended up bolting a couple four foot long 4x4's ontop of the ladder attachment 4x4's to get the ladder spaced off the side of the stand further. That really helped.

Today I will start out cutting a few more small trees, and sapling that are blocking the view up hill.
Next I plan to get a dozer pile burning in the valley behind the stand. I have tried to burn it two or three times in the past. I am about due for it to burn to the ground.
I still have the metal siding to attach, and I need to paint the Bench today.

Bob

Pictures, we need pictures!! 😜

I got the dozer pile burned Monday. This time (Third Burn over the years) it burned up much better. I went down after work today and started removing the Root Wads with the John Deere. I got pretty much all of the bigger stuff removed before it got to dark to work. I have a couple piles of dirt that may have a smaller root wad or two still to remove covered in dirt. I should have it leveled off and ready to put my Alfalfa and Rape Seed on shortly.
My brother was over yesterday after work. We got all the siding installed. I plan to add a few more screws around the bottom before I put my tools up.
We ordered a box of Great Stuff foam today. It is Black interior/exterior. The plan is to spray the underside of the roof. The roof metal on the steel Cee Perlins makes a Wooong sound if you bang the frame material to any degree. The foam insulation should lock it up and deaden the sound.
We are down to the little stuff now. Squaring up the legs on the concrete Post Bases. We need to get rings welded to 24" Concrete Form Stakes to tie it down with. We will add Eye Screws around the interior for 550 cord. This will give us something to hang camo to eliminate back lighting or a towel to block sun off the scope. I had to put 550 cord around the wifes tower stand to hang a towel to block the evening sun off the back of her scope. We are about done. That is a good thing as I need to get back on building fence.

Bob R

You are way ahead of me. 70 to 80 hour work weeks have hampered my shooting and deer prep. I have stands and blinds to put up and time is running out.

I cleaned up a second dozer pile Sunday. I need to get it seeded.

The truck runs tomorrow at the Hardware store. With luck the OD paint and Black Great Stuff Foam will show up. That is the last of the material we have on order.

Bob