M.Magis

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?
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.

Critr-Gitr

I have welded quite a few stands myself, ladders and hang-ons, all out of steel. They are very solid, if heavy, but do not have any fear trusting the life of me or my sons to them. I do not use climbers and have never attempted one, they don't fit our MO.

Welding aluminum is very different from welding steel, we do both at the plant I am production mamager at. Steel is easy, aluminum is tricky. If you are planning on trusting your life to it I would really reccommend getting someone to weld it for you. I'm not saying you can't do it, because I don't know you or your skills personally. I'm just saying don't take it lightly and do quite a bit of weld testing before you do it for real. I wouldn't trust my welds on light wall aluminum 30 feet in the air, and I have welded a fair bit of it. Aluminum also work hardens and stress cracks, which is something your design will have to take into consideration as far as where it flexes.

Be careful and safe. Good luck.

Hoytail Hunter

WOW, that was kinda harsh.

Theother 9/10of your post is appreciated though. No, not a structural engineer but also not as dumb as you make me or us. I'm not gonna try to weld cast aluminum cause well, it can't be done. I'm not gonna try to support 300lbswith drywall screws. I'm not gonna do whatever half ass incomp thingit is that your post seems to imply.This is just an idea being knocked around insofar. Chances are moreit wont go anywhere. Chances are less it will.

Mr. Summit and Mr. Wolf had to have notagreed withother people's designs to begin with too.

dandbuck

Hoytail Hunter

Just a small item to add for you. I own a metal fab business, we weld aluminum everyday, buy aluminum everyday, and have access to extruded aluminum that you may not be able to get a hold of. That being said, i will not make my own. I have in the past, and I have some stands that are unlike any on the market. I have not had a stand fail yet, but---------you WILL NOT be able to make one lighter and as safe as the ones being made out there. My advice, with a grain of salt, is get one close to what you want and make a couple modificaations. Good Luck though, and Iwant pictures of what I believe will be a $500 stand after you get your welder!
Dandbuck

M.Magis

I didn't mean to imply you were dumb,just not familiar with what is involved. Also, it wasn't all directed towards you. I could have politely suggested it wasn'ta good idea, but others already have and have been ignored for the most part. Some of the ideas posted here are just scary and could very well result in someone being killed or paralized. I didn't feel like this was the post to be PC, though I seldom do. And in fact cast aluminum can be welded, but again, bad idea for something you trust your life to.

bloodcrick

Im not trying to crash your plans or insult you so please dont take this the wrong way. If you have not had much training/experience in welding,especialy aluminun, dont even attempt this. I was a certified welder for a long time, and did make my first two climbers. I have alot of experience in fabrication with metal and i can tell ya, your not going to be able to makea climberthat is even close to being better than the ones on the market. most of the materials they use are not readily available to us. They are cut, shaped, bent and welded with machines. We have access to mainly aluminum angle, flat stock,and square stock.thereare many years of development on these stands to get them where they are today. I understand your desire to make your own, im a fabrication nut as well, I make alot of my stuff to Trust me, if you have never done aluminum welding, you dont want to even attempt it on a climber,,to risky. There is an art to learning it, and without a foot pedal on your welder to control your heat/amps its not recomended to try on a climber.

Hoytail Hunter

Thanks for the insightful input guys. The majorobstacle in my head has been weight -vs- structural integrity from the very beginning. I'm not trying to make a stand that is better or lighter than anything on the market. I just want one that is more suited to my liking. I do believe I will be nut and bolting this thing together instead of welding. Aluminum is not a very strong metal to begin with and welding it together furthers that weakness.

Specifically with my LW, I don't like:

1) how on small diameter trees the belt rubs against the tube housing when you sit down or stand upcausing creeks. This will eventually cost me the big buck that snuck in behind me and I have to slowly stand up.

2) the flat crossmember on the bottom platform as it forms a wedge against the tree when you have to set up to anticipate tree diameter change when climbing.

3) how it's hard sometimes to get my fingers into the clamping jaws to undo them. That tab should've been made to angle out a little more so you can get your fingers in there to unclamp.

4) how those clamping jaws rub against the seat cushion when packing up. This rubbing will eventually rip holes into the cushion. -another design flaw overlook

magicman54494

Nuts and bolts are going to be spots where squeaks are going to happen!

nodog

You guys kill me.

These stands today don't even go by the "3" rule. They go by "2".

Make the thing and pile 3 times the recommended weight on it (While standing on the ground as if I needed to mention it but aparently it does need to be mentioned) and it'll be 33% stronger than any made. You'll be happy to know your house does follow the 3 rule.

You guys put a lot of faith in these mass produced stands. My mass produced "certified" stand took a dump on me this year. No miss use, no abuse, just a poor STRUCTURALLY ENGINEERED DESIGNED stand. That right there should tell everyone that if they can't do it no one can. YA RIGHT.

The real problem is way to many people have no business being in a tree.Some do need a house 20" up to keep them safe and the rest are just careless. Another harness failure happened. Kid was 20 feet up. She went to school here. Trusted that StRUCTURALLY ENGINEERED PIECE OF... equipment with her life.
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Christmas-Show-Performer-Dies-After-Fall/q7y2EcSYhEOfbrXReykeYg.cspx

You can keep that "Certified" lable, it's only there for legal purposes. It's your butt, protect it. No one else will.

I know I can make a better one. Better isn't stronger per say, better is something that doesn't hinder me in all aspects of hunting. Better is something that helps me disappear. That's "better".

Make your stand hunter and the one after that and the one after that. Even if it never works out you'll be leaps and bounds ahead of most people who blindly hang their butts 20 feet in the air. Illumination is the real goal in life!

BowHuntingFool

That why I wear a harness! What kind of stand were you using when it failed???