Well it's an obsession...

[growalot]

Yesterday I got out the saw and saw horses and cut the 8 foot 4x6 legs for the pop up platform...I have had the blind there a few years actually and it's great...but very limited in sight view..Well with the guy behind us opening up his place to hunters It's a tad scary. They parked a stand directly across from it about 600ft away. Ya not That close ...but when they decide to turn with a rifle and shoot in my direction..I want to be off the ground and visible... We've had these PT timbers hanging around for years...as heavy as a VW and 16ft long...Mr B had scrap pt from  jobs and I have been collecting it since last year...so I'm all set for a 5w x 6L x 8h platform. dang the forks on the tractor came in handy yet again...I tied them to the forks lifted and set them down and positioned them on the 2 saw horses. tied them to the horses as well. Got out the square and measured and marked...then used the chain saw to zip through them. 15 mins in all. Now all I need to do is cut the rails ,joists and braises. This will lift me to see up the hill and across and more of my down hill action then there is a natural 100yrd shooting lane right down into the oak flats food plot...the deer cross through that all the time but I sat too low for a shot.

 Anyone else build blinds this year...or platforms

Edited August 29, 2017 by growalot

[growalot]

I raked the the spot for it ..right next to the blind that's there. and I taped the 2x4's together in 2's... This way its one cut ...4 pieces and the cuts are the same. I will need to put in the back up bracing for the joists on the long side rails that also allows me to nail the joists on with little problems by myself.

[DirtTime]

Grow, when you put the posts in the ground do cement them in or just fill the dirt back in?

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[growalot]

I Have never sunk the poles on any of them I use bracing. Not only leg and corner bracing but out side bracing . I Do this with black locust trees I cut and nail to the upper part of legs

When sunk they become a " permanent " structure...tax assessor uses satilite imagining a lot.. prefer to avoid more confrontation with her..she's not too pleased with me after the last go around and she was pulled on the carpet, as it were

[Adkhunter1590]

I Have never sunk the poles on any of them I use bracing. Not only leg and corner bracing but out side bracing . I Do this with black locust trees I cut and nail to the upper part of legs
When sunk they become a " permanent " structure...tax assessor uses satilite imagining a lot.. prefer to avoid more confrontation with her..she's not too pleased with me after the last go around and she was pulled on the carpet, as it were

Doesn't a structure have to be over a certain amount of sq ft to become a taxable structure? Or is that a based on what town your in type thing? Whenever I get around to building one I'll most likely sink the legs in, and I sure as heck won't be paying any taxes on it. They will take that money over my cold dead body.

[growalot]

10 x10 x 8 or10 in this town and any permiment structure that is  not readily movable. In other words anchored to the ground or another structure.

Not going to mess with possible future changes ...especialy with the number of  Amish structures being shipped in. People are collecting them like those  collectable villages.  I've seen places with 4-6  and 4-5 ..summer camps they live in them and guys that don't want taxable/ building permit 'garages'

Edited August 30, 2017 by growalot

[Adkhunter1590]

Ahh ok I gotcha. I only ask because I talked with someone in the past about kinda this same issue but pertaining to a chicken coop.

[growalot]

BTW...mine have been up for years and in high winds and never a problem. Even the wooden one thats a bit heavier...remember two of them are card board blinds 7 and 3 years old. They range from 6 to 16 ft tall and 4x8 10 to 6x10

[growalot]

I built my chicken coop up on stacked flat field stone  to level it. One end is 2ft off the ground. A 4 x 8 building with a 4 x 8 attached "porch" 10 yrs old now down in our woods...I got tired of Mr B's rooster waking me at 3am crowing in the dsrk..crazy bird!

Did I mention, besides growing stuff,I'm a frustrated carpenter.....

[Adkhunter1590]

Good to hear the winds haven't tipped them. I would imagine it would take an awful lot to tip one anyways. I do see a lot of elevated box blind anchor kits for sale now. Pretty cheap too. Wouldn't be a bad idea to use one of those in any areas someone has a blind with a lot of wind but doesn't want to sink the legs.

[growalot]

Thats why I build them as a rectangle and position them narrow end to the worst prevailing winds...we have a 20 x 12 x10 canvas "barn"  it was for hay storage when  we had the livestock. It was anchored and in one particular bad storm we found it it the trees with the frame bent broken and twisted like a tie twst from a loaf of bread. We had to buy a new one..this one is anchoed with 4 ft sunken rebar inside and 16 " diamiter telephone poles along each outside edge,with eye hooks screwed in them every 3 feet and roping tying  the structure to the poles. We get some nasty winds here.

[growalot]

What amazes me..is the card board blinds ...we've had nieghbors lose their green house to snow and wind..the fiberglass ones. ..both blinds have card board roofs and only 2 x 2 framing...never a problem nor a leak...though this week the 7 yr. Old gets a re roof...another tarp and cardboard one.....only because the over hangs have failed ( frayed edges ) and flopped down.

[DirtTime]

I Have never sunk the poles on any of them I use bracing. Not only leg and corner bracing but out side bracing . I Do this with black locust trees I cut and nail to the upper part of legs
When sunk they become a " permanent " structure...tax assessor uses satilite imagining a lot.. prefer to avoid more confrontation with her..she's not too pleased with me after the last go around and she was pulled on the carpet, as it were

Was just curious about stability.

As for the taxes, most are by county and or town in most areas of the state if memory serves me right.

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[growalot]

they are rock solid they only one I had even a  little " issue " with was Rivers blind. Remember I  erect and build these by myself. RIVERS IS 16 ft ground to platform. I Had to attatch top rails to the 2 end 4x6x16 ft legs then stand them up and keep them up inorder to attatch side ralis to either end 10 ft apart. To do this I used the Gator winch and a tree.I then put in a cross brace under each top corner brace nailed and ratchet strapped that end section to the tree so I could work on the rest. Once everything was complete..during hunting season High winds moved the tree..That was a tad unnerving for it gave a slight movement to the platform. The tree has a Y right at the brace height. I cut one half that Y Away. No more movement. The side top rails that joist tie into are 2x8's, joist are 16 " on center. Bottom of legs boxed in for no movrment then there is center boxing on the tall ones. From this I brsce from each leg toward the center on the 10 ft side to stablize not only front to back movement but the expanse of deck even for a 2x8 ,10 ft is a long expanse( ^ ). I also run decking in 2 different directions. Decking under the actual blind goes one way and the decking on "Porch'' goes the opposite. This actually makes it more stable as far as movement,front to back side to side. I don't worry about cost because most is savaged. Or Great!!! , bundle deals from Leows. Go around to the side of their building and they have them there.

This New one will have solid metal rails cut for scrap. They are just the right length and have screw holes drilled already. These will be the leg box at bottom and the corner bracings ..Eye beam shaped aliminum rails I'll paint. Very strong and rot free...also lighterweight than PT. Hauling 10 long big pieces of PT up a ladder is getting a bit more challenging for this old gal..I'll be 60 in 7 mos.

[growalot]

Wow both me and kindle this morning...that is brace,salvage, aluminum, joist, Lowes, lighter in weight,...lol I think I got them all...

I was in a hurry to get down to the swamp had stuff to do first..all packed up ..walk that 1/2 mile and ...@!$@#$ I have the wrong keys...now I'm resting before driving the car down and coming back up through the actual swamp it's self...Freaking hills killing me!...lol

[dbHunterNY]

sounds like work.

[growalot]

Character building...

[Pygmy]

I  couldn't build a decent doghouse....Hehehehe...

Fortunately for me, however, I have  friend who is a former building contractor and a very talented carpenter...When he offered to build a tower stand  for me, I jumped at the offer..

The platform is 9' high,  and sits on sunken and concreted  PT 4x4s...  He pre-fabed  The sides and roof at his house, trailered them to  my  property and we hoisted them up on the platform and assembled them...He  also pre-fabed a nice set of stairs with railing,  so old farts like me don't have to deal with negotiating a ladder..

The box is 4 x 8   and has 4 shooting windows....  All I need to do now is get chairs, a piece of carpet and a heater and it will be a nice comfy, warm stand  overlooking  my food plot...

 

[growalot]

You'll love it! Get a fold up lounge chair, they are on sale now..that way if you want to really beat a big buck in the area to your blind...you can go sleep there and have your cell phone wake in the morning. Buddy hester with two tanks...rolling office chairs are great...Mr. B keeps me supplied with them . He is very particular about his chairs..won't use them if he feels the seats worn.

 

 

[Pygmy]

You read my mind, Chris...On the lookout for the office chairs....A friend is hooking me up a 30 lb propane tank which should last all season and I'm checking prices on the Mr Buddy heater... 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

12 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

You read my mind, Chris...On the lookout for the office chairs....A friend is hooking me up a 30 lb propane tank which should last all season and I'm checking prices on the Mr Buddy heater... 

I use this one. Nice thing is it doubles as a cooling surface if you tip it back and want a warm lunch