RE: Homemade tree stands.
I would strongly recommend not making your own stands... I work in proto-type and design and have helped with some treestand related development.. When you buy a stand at the store you are buying a stand that has been tested. They test them with computers and they actually destroy stands to find out exactly how much weight and shock weight they can take. Trust me they generally find flaws in the 1st proto-types ans have to tweak the design until the stands are safe enough for sale... Also, god forbid you do somehow get hurt, your covered by the stand manufactures insurance policy. Most are covered up to 2 million dollars.
You can buy a stand for around $40... As mentioned above. You will pay $15 to $20 per stand in material, and thats if you bulk buy from a steel distributor.... My suggestion would be BUY A STAND OR TWO...