Using metal light poles to construct an elevated box stand?
#13
6ft into the ground will be fine, I would grind the rust off the embedded portion and apply coal tar epoxy to said embedded portion and then you should be good to go. the poles taper at a rate of .14 inches per ft....that will help you determine your tip diameters. Don't remove the bearing plates on the bottom of the poles, they are there to keep the poles from spinning or pulling out of the ground.
#14
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Lee , New Hampshire
Posts: 312
we are a building and electrical contractor and at first my thought was ...good idea but tons of work for a stand. Then I started going through the structural process...cross bracing is a must...10 feet high is plenty to base of platform. Why not make the poles part of your four corners? Build your blind within the four poles not on top. still bracing 1/2 way up would be required. Secure 2x6 through bolted into pole as a frame (or box beam) around four poles and place floor rafters with hangers 16 o.c..... if your poles still have the mounting bases attached they can be bolted to a sonotube , concrete poured and have threaded rod (5/8" min) and just bolt them to your poured sonotube 36" deep minimum...48" if you want to beat the frost...Last and most important item...brass bolt mech connection or weld or thermoweld a ground wire #6 copper from each pole without cutting the wire and connect to 2- 8' ground rods (5/8" ) $12.00 bucks each...so it runs as a complete circuit to the first ground rod then to the second ground rod...no breaks in the wire! Rods are driven straight down flush with ground...
Wow lots of work...what if this stand location is NG...hope you though of that
Wow lots of work...what if this stand location is NG...hope you though of that
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
Saying that, it should work well, way over kill. I'd scrape the steel and build some less permanent ones out of wood with the money. Lighting is definitively a concern. Things elevated and made out of steel.
#16
not that it matters (because his poles are embedded not anchor bases) but 5/8 bolts are not acceptable for the poles he has. If they had anchor bases on them a minimum anchor bolt size of 1" dia would be required.
#18
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
Just trying to get some perspective out there on what this "little" project is becoming. This is no blind. What about it is blind to anybody anyways.
#19
It's not a deer blind, it's an obsevation tower. A deer blind would be just fine, this is a tower, like a water tower. Powerful structure.
Just trying to get some perspective out there on what this "little" project is becoming. This is no blind. What about it is blind to anybody anyways.
Just trying to get some perspective out there on what this "little" project is becoming. This is no blind. What about it is blind to anybody anyways.
#20
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876