At the risk of offending some, I think this is worth mentioning if it saves someone from serious injury.
A couple of you have NO IDEA what you’re getting into. You can’t seriously think that welding an aluminum stand is even remotely the same as welding a bow press? Using cast aluminum from a scrap yard?
I'm a perfectionist and over-doer so likely I'll end up with a stand that can hold an elephant
Are you a structural engineer? Clearly not. Do you understand what it takes for a foundry to make something for you and the cost involved? Welding up a steel hang on is one thing. Thinking you can weld up a better climbing stand in your garage, when you don’t even know what cast aluminum is and having never welded aluminum is completely different. I hope you have good insurance, because your only way of finding problems will be with failure. On the plus side, you guys could be leading candidates for the Darwin awards. Good luck and I hope I’m wrong.