RE: Homemade tree stands.
When I lived in Georgia we made some ladder stands out of conduit, but they were mainly for gun hunting and weren't more than 12 feet to the platform. As someone has said, you're better off just buying some cheap ones that will hold you. Cheaper, more portable and all that. You'll use a zillion welding rods and cut andpound conduit until your blue making a stand. Just buy 'em on sale.