RE: Training
I have never built a metal stand, but we do have a 8x8 wooden box stand we built, and we are going to build a 6x6 box stand to bow hunt out of this year. We use 4"x4" wood posts for the legs and they are the same width as the stands. Our 8x8 is only about 8 feet off the ground, because it sits about 60 yards off of a plot and we just use it for gun hunting. It works great. I have shot several deer out of it.
Dan