.243Heartshot

Hey guys I am going to make a few 16 foot ladder stand out of 2x4's and 1x4's can you post some ideas or pics. me and my dad are carpenters and I am his apprentice so I have knowledge of building. They are going to be placed on deer trails.

thndrchiken

Most people will blast you for making a stand. I don't think you'll have a problem if you stick to one rule, and that is: When you think it is strong enough and well designed think again. Honestly though for the money you spend on pressure treated lumber, screws and all the needed hardware it is cheaper to buy a steel stand. I have a 16' ladder stand, my climber and then I built an 8' stand for last season that will be upgraded to a blind this coming season, the platform is 4'x4' it has 4 legs with crossmembers that connect each leg on each side. I assembled two of the legs and crossmembers before bringing into the woods, then onsite added the additional cross members in opposite directions to the leg sections and secured it to the tree with two ratchet straps secured to the stand via eye bolts. Very sturdy, make sure you have extra wood and everything you may need to level the stand at the site.

Mojotex

I have made many aladder stand.Been years ago. Most are still in service. The ladder, rungs and seat frame are made from2x4 pressure treated pine. The seat and stand-up platform was made from pressure treated 3/4" ply. Put together withHD stainless screws. All of mine were about 14' to the seat. I chose to paint them cammo. I am not certain how much these would cost with today's prices . I am guessing $40 - $50 ???

For me the problems were (1) Not all that protable for one old guy !!! Tough to put up alone because of the upper frame's weight.So I decided once set, to leave them out year round. (2) Every season required a close inspection to make sure that the off season storms and subsequent swaying of the tree to which these were attached did not render them dangerous to use.That inspection and repair has never been areal problem.

I abandoned making ladder stand primarily because I can set them by myself. I've gotten some really good ones at around $100 - $125 in after-season sales. Most of mine are 3-piece designs that are about 15' - 18' tall.. Not easy on the biggre designs but doable none the less.

Rhody Hunter

I built one in my back yard , here it is this is the only pic i have




I am a carpenter also for 25 years now but i found it to be more of a pain than it was worth
I find it to be way to heavy to put in place and that one is only 140 feet from my garage and that was a bear getting it in place
As far as the cost i got the lumber for free it was a deck that was only a few years old that i had to remove for an addition.
In the long run if i had to do it again i would just buy one. that is just my 2 cents

wallhangr

Like has been said before, more expensive than buying if you don't already have the lumber. That being said, I've put up a couple because I had the lumber free. I built them on-site and they are permanent -and yes you have to inspect them every season but you can make them alot more comfortable than a steel ladder stand.

.243Heartshot

Please post more pictures I have some strong wood from an old barn and I am getting a real good deal on lumber, I will make about six of them.

UncleNorby

I have made a few. I buy 4 10' 2x4s for the ladder and overlap them by 2' so the total height is 18'. I join them with2 carriage bolts on each side, and this allows the stand to "fold" if you leave a bolt in each side, or you can move it in pieces to save on the weight you need to carry.You can use 1x4, 2x3 or 2x4 forfor the ladder rungs and space them according to your preference. I usually add a cross brace on the back of the ladder, but it's not really needed. Then decide on the platform dimensions, 2x3' seems good for me. Use plywood or boards for the platform, but I will caution you that wet plywood does get slippery. You can use a paint with grit added for traction, or attach some indoor/outdoor carpet. When attaching the ladder to the platform, I angle the ladder out slightly so you don't have to climb a vertical ladder. I use a carriage bolt on each side to attach the ladder to the platform. Then add an angle brace between the ladder and the platform with nails or bolts. Add a seat of your liking.

To attach to the tree, you can use lagbolts if legal, or ratchet straps, or both. I can build one of these in 30 minutes or so, and they cost about $20 with things I usually have kicking around or can get free. I usually paint or stain them too.

Arrowmaster

We have built 5 16ft ladder stands out of treated 2x4's. The platform is 2ft by 4ft and has a seat. We put ours up in 2000 and we treat them every year with Thompsons water seal. The stands are still as sturdy today as they were 8 years ago. I have to agree with the stand being top heavy and they are hard to put up due to the weight of the stand...

UncleNorby

The general design is top heavy, and if you try to erect them by simply lifting the platform and push it up, rotating over toward the tree, they can be hard to set up. The bottom of the ladder always wants to kick out and the stand wants to fall back on you. Not good. To eliminate that, I tie a weight like a log to the bottom rung of the ladder and this counter balances the stand. You can also tie the bottom to another tree, or a pounded in stake if there's nothing handy. A guy with average strength can set up a 16 ft 2x4 ladder with a platform this way without a lot of trouble.