# Gen I climbing sticks



## Ottoda6 (Dec 26, 2013)

Sounds like a great idea and would be interested in seeing the cut list and assembly. Do you have any picutes? If so would be interested in seeing those as well.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Ottoda6 said:


> Sounds like a great idea and would be interested in seeing the cut list and assembly. Do you have any picutes? If so would be interested in seeing those as well.


Sorry I forgot to add the pics, here they are.


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## Grizzlemethis (May 10, 2014)

Nice! I like it.


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

That would scare me, trusting my life to plywood. Plywoods strength is not on a lateral level, but perpendicular, as in stepping of a flat side, not an edge.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

handirifle said:


> That would scare me, trusting my life to plywood. Plywoods strength is not on a lateral level, but perpendicular, as in stepping of a flat side, not an edge.


I am trying very hard to not take your comment as in insult to my knowledge or skills. This is not just ply wood. This is the stuff that gets used for the CNC milling of prototypes, molds and forms. There are no voides and the layers are alternated when it is laid up. It runs about $300 for a sheet. As for trusting your life, I would expect that any sensible person would be wearing a tree belt.

As for your comment on plywood in general, it is much stronger in edge due to the torsion load on the glued layers. Think of a card house.

I understand you are entitled to an opinion and that is fine but in the future you may want to find out a bit more about a person or their design before you make a negative comment.


I went and did some looking. I had my numbers all wrong. These are much lighter than the Muddy sticks and the LW's and over $100 less.


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## jetech (Oct 14, 2010)

They look great. Aircraft grade plywood is an awesome material. You could bend aluminum channels and bond them where you step just to protect the edges of the plywood, then wrap the aluminum with an anti-skid tape.


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## DrenalinHntr (Mar 10, 2011)

looks great, only thing i would do to change them is add some grip strips to the steps for when it gets cold/icy/rainy.

what was the pricing on the materials to make the set?


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

jetech said:


> They look great. Aircraft grade plywood is an awesome material. You could bend aluminum channels and bond them where you step just to protect the edges of the plywood, then wrap the aluminum with an anti-skid tape.


Thanks I like that as that is my only concern is just the wear and tear. They came out so nice I really want to keep them around.

Here are some detail pics. Everything was glued and clamped, the screws are really a placebo at this point. The extra hole in the one pic is where I broke off a #8 wood srew because I had not made my countersink deep enough. That was even predrilled hole and the screw snapped.

I have sorted out the rope attachment system. Atwood makes this really cool little Nylon cleat for boats. It is a zig-zag style cleat that accepts 3/8" rope and they are nylon. I will pick up some of those in the am.

The main riser is 1.5" wide, the spine is 1" wide and 13" long, steps are 2" wide and 6" long, top step is 2" by 11.5"

Each stick requires 1 riser, 1 top step, 2 lower steps, and 2 ribs. Pretty simple design really. Glue it all up using C-Clamps and they are rock solid.


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## Pittstate23 (Dec 27, 2010)

do they go flat against the tree or is there a cleat?


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

I made the cleats today. They came out really nice. I have started painting them so I will shoot some pics once the sticks and cleats are installed. My buddy had the plywood I used so they will cost me about $25 in the end. I just looked and one place had Baltic Birch plywood in a 3/4" 12" by 48" was $30. This is probably enough to make a couple of sets.

Here is basic list of materials I am using. Zig-Zag cleats from walmart for locking the rope ($5.00 for 2), Cleats are 3" black PVC coupler cut into 4 pcs. they are $1.68 ea (need 2), I ordered some Blue Water accessory cord off e-bay for $15 (.375" by 30'). paint, I spent $7 for two cans of the good stuff. The total price per stick works out to be much less if you make two sets.

15.00 for wood
7.50 for cleats
3.00 for cleats
8.00 for rope
6.00 for paint
6.00 misc screws and bolts

We are up to $37.50 for a really nice set of sticks. They are very light and I did step on them last night, not a single creak or moan from them. I am well over 200lbs. I am really thrilled with this project !! The whole set with cleats and all should be right at 6lbs and on top of that I made them. I no longer have any plans to buy climbing sticks.

One of my buddies gave me the idea of adding some fiberglass to the top of the steps to increase durability. I am going to do that or add tread tape. None of my commercial ladders have that type of stuff so that alone will make them safer.

I am really excited, I made a really nice saddle that weighs about 2lbs and now my sticks are coming in at 6lbs. This gives me more funds to buy the stuff I cannot make.......


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## DrenalinHntr (Mar 10, 2011)

would they hold people of fatter stature?


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

what offsets them so they are away from the tree to leave room to get your foot on them?


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

As far what they can hold I have no idea. They hold me and I am about 230lbs. In the pics you can see there are cleats that hold them off the tree. That is the only part that needs some work. The PVC flexed more than I had hoped. I am going to look for aluminum tubing, double up the PVC or mold some out of fiberglass. I simple aluminum U-channel would also work well. I am open to ideas if anyone has a good one !!!!!!

I did get to climb a tree with them today and they do indeed work very well. Like I mentioned the cleats flexed more than I wanted but overall I am Very Happy with them.

Grizzle was by today and he was pretty stunned by how light they were. Combined with my tree saddle the whole set up is under 8lbs.


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

OhWell said:


> As far what they can hold I have no idea. They hold me and I am about 230lbs. In the pics you can see there are cleats that hold them off the tree. That is the only part that needs some work. The PVC flexed more than I had hoped. I am going to look for aluminum tubing, double up the PVC or mold some out of fiberglass. I simple aluminum U-channel would also work well. I am open to ideas if anyone has a good one !!!!!!
> 
> I did get to climb a tree with them today and they do indeed work very well. Like I mentioned the cleats flexed more than I wanted but overall I am Very Happy with them.
> 
> Grizzle was by today and he was pretty stunned by how light they were. Combined with my tree saddle the whole set up is under 8lbs.


Nice Job. where do you buy aircraft plywood?


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

buckeyboy said:


> Nice Job. where do you buy aircraft plywood?


Most decent lumber companies and wood working stores have it. You can also find it on line. It may be listed as Baltic Birch Plywood. 

I also found some aluminum to make the tree cleats out of so if you decided to make some let me know because I am going to order plenty of the aluminum. It will bump bump the weight just slightly but the stiffness will be worth it.

The cleats will be 4.5" by 1" by .25" thick. Those will be ideal.


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

OhWell said:


> Most decent lumber companies and wood working stores have it. You can also find it on line. It may be listed as Baltic Birch Plywood.
> 
> I also found some aluminum to make the tree cleats out of so if you decided to make some let me know because I am going to order plenty of the aluminum. It will bump bump the weight just slightly but the stiffness will be worth it.
> 
> The cleats will be 4.5" by 1" by .25" thick. Those will be ideal.


I found some aluminum square tube online for $8.33 for a 3' X 1" square stock so I may make some out of aluminum, I have a couple of sets of LW but they are pricy.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

buckeyboy said:


> I found some aluminum square tube online for $8.33 for a 3' X 1" square stock so I may make some out of aluminum, I have a couple of sets of LW but they are pricy.


 The LW's and Muddy's are very nice but now I can put that $$ towards other stuff. These definitely have me sold on climbing sticks. Last year I used the sectioned ladders with my hang-on stands but that is deff a thing of the past. I use my hang on stands though as more of a seasonal set though. If you need a nice tree cleat though let me know. 

I found a welder that does a very nice job on Aluminum and most other metals I plan to pick up in the spring. I will be knocking out stands and other goodies in a big way once I get my hands on that welder.


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

OhWell said:


> The LW's and Muddy's are very nice but now I can put that $$ towards other stuff. These definitely have me sold on climbing sticks. Last year I used the sectioned ladders with my hang-on stands but that is deff a thing of the past. I use my hang on stands though as more of a seasonal set though. If you need a nice tree cleat though let me know.
> 
> I found a welder that does a very nice job on Aluminum and most other metals I plan to pick up in the spring. I will be knocking out stands and other goodies in a big way once I get my hands on that welder.


I can weld aluminum , its awesome to have a welder. here are a few pix of a timbertall stand I just modified
here is the original part that gripped the tree .. way to small so I did this,


then I cut some aluminum and welded it all up


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

buckeyboy said:


> I can weld aluminum , its awesome to have a welder. here are a few pix of a timbertall stand I just modified
> here is the original part that gripped the tree .. way to small so I did this,
> 
> 
> then I cut some aluminum and welded it all up



That is really nice, what did you use for the grippers. I am going to jump over and send you a PM with a link, can you offer me your thoughts?


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

OhWell said:


> That is really nice, what did you use for the grippers. I am going to jump over and send you a PM with a link, can you offer me your thoughts?


Flat stock aluminum I just cut notches out.


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## sc4x4truck (Mar 10, 2009)

Well Paul those sticks look good maybe I will get to use them this year lol


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

sc4x4truck said:


> Well Paul those sticks look good maybe I will get to use them this year lol


Oh Yah Matt, I can put you onto some nice NC deer when you come over. I have three diff areas scoped out and they all hold quite a few deer and some of them are nice bucks.


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## Don Schultz (Jul 5, 2002)

IMO you need a better finish than spray paint to keep that nice workmanship together.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Don Schultz said:


> IMO you need a better finish than spray paint to keep that nice workmanship together.


I am been thinking about shooting some mat poly over the paint. I used a water proof wood glue so a couple of coats of good paint may be all that is needed. I used an outdoor paint.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Heading up a tree. My next set will have steps on both sides simply for coming down so I don't have to remember which side the steps are on. I wanted to hang in my saddle but I forgot my other carabiner.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

And a couple more. This will be my set when I want to get into really thick areas where I cannot use my climber and I am carrying my gear in and out. basically I will use this rig to get up into the branches of small threes so I can hide in the leaves. Above the last stick will go four or five pegs to use with my saddle. I chose a really small tree just to see how well they worked in this situation. The stiffer tree cleats will keep them off the tree further and they wont slide down as far before they are set.


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## sc4x4truck (Mar 10, 2009)

Man I jealous its not raining there. Come on down to the coast and I can put you in the swamp lol. looks like they work great.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Thanks Bud, we had our rain last week. It has been cool and dry for a couple of days.


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## letsgobowhuntin (Aug 4, 2009)

OhWell said:


> I am trying very hard to not take your comment as in insult to my knowledge or skills. This is not just ply wood.


Not an insult, but it would scare the willies out of me too. Tree belt or not. They do look good asumming the strength is what you estimate.


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## mpetrozza67 (Jan 9, 2005)

buckeyboy said:


> what offsets them so they are away from the tree to leave room to get your foot on them?


seriously, do you people not know how to read. In two different posts he said he made cleats to get the sticks away from the tree


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

letsgobowhuntin said:


> Not an insult, but it would scare the willies out of me too. Tree belt or not. They do look good asumming the strength is what you estimate.


Thanks, they really are Very strong. The wood I chose is almost as much glue as it is wood. I would never try this will your basic off the shelf plywood from the home improvement center. I am not sure if you saw where I posted about snapping off a #8 wood screw. The hole was predrilled but the counter sink was not deep enough. When I tried to make the head bury itself the screw snapped. In most woods the screw would have simply sunk in or stripped out the hole. This wood is pretty amazing.


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## swampboss (Sep 8, 2009)

handirifle said:


> that would scare me, trusting my life to plywood. Plywoods strength is not on a lateral level, but perpendicular, as in stepping of a flat side, not an edge.


x 2


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

swampboss said:


> x 2


I guess I understand some people's concerns. If someone does not have my background in materials and methods or fabrication you would not understand how strong this material is or how strong this glue joint is. As I have mentioned I would never do this with standard ply wood. This material is very comparable to aluminum, it has no grain direction, is very stable and easy to work with.


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## Tunaboy (Oct 3, 2004)

OW, I do some woodworking. I have used Baltic birch ply. So Baltic and Aircraft ply is the same material? How about marine plywood? Marine might be a better choice. Not effected by rain/water.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Tunaboy said:


> OW, I do some woodworking. I have used Baltic birch ply. So Baltic and Aircraft ply is the same material? How about marine plywood? Marine might be a better choice. Not effected by rain/water.


The big thing is the number of layers and how it is constructed. Baltic Birch and Aircraft ply are basically the same thing. The key is that it be void free and have a high ply count. I had to measure again and this stuff is only 5/8" but has 12 ply's. What I am using was actually made for a company that used it to make molds and forms. It was designed to be milled and come out very clean and accurate. I am sure 5/8 or 3/4 true Baltic Birch would work. if you can find a water proof ply with the same mechanical characteristics it should work very well. True Baltic Birch normally comes in 5' by 5' sheets or smaller, if someone tries to sell you a 4X8 sheet there is a very good chance it is not what you want. I have heard there was a marine version of ply wood similar to Baltic Birch but I have not used it.


I designed a new standoff to go against the tree today. I cut enough to retrofit my existing sticks and to build the new set I cut today. This new set will be a bit heavier. I am making the spine full width to decrease the areas water can collect. I am also making the steps all double so I don't have to keep track when coming down. I am figuring this set will be 6.5-7lbs for the three sticks. I also got some cord today made by BlueWater. It is only 5mm or 3/16" but has a breaking strength of 1300lbs. I think it will be perfect for these.

This project has gone further than I had originally hoped. The sticks work very well, are easy to climb (even for my fat butt) and they are very light. Obviously climbing trees has some risk simply due to gravity and us being clumsy but these climbing sticks are deff not a weak point in my climbing system for this year. It would be great if some of you would build just one and play with it. Give it your own twist but do try it, you will be able to put up more stands for a lot less $$$. I really like the commercially made climbing sticks but when comparing costs it is hard to fork over $100 or more for a nice set when kids need to eat, bills need to get paid. Even if you have a nice archery budget this lets us put our funds into stuff we cannot make like arrow shafts, boots, or other things we need to get in the woods.


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## sc4x4truck (Mar 10, 2009)

Oh by the way your mailbox is full.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

sc4x4truck said:


> Oh by the way your mailbox is full.


I fixed it


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## hoyttech13 (Feb 3, 2010)

so how much total do you think you have for a set of 3?


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## Tunaboy (Oct 3, 2004)

OW, how about making your sticks out of the solid? You could make a simple pattern and follow that pattern with a pattern cutting router bit? I would allow you lots of design flexibility and I think a stronger unit.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

hoyttech13 said:


> so how much total do you think you have for a set of 3?


A good friend gave me the plywood so I have about $15-$20 for a set of three including the rope, cleat, and paint. If you plan to use Baltic Birch Plywood the best way to go is to build multiple sets so the cost gets spread out. I also have a design using Poplar or Oak boards from Lowes. Doing them this way you can buy pretty much what you want.

When doing them from a hardwood I would make the spacers and the steps from .75" material. Make the steps from 2" wide material and the spacers from 1.5" material. They get glued together just like the original design. Now put .25" thick by 1.5" caps on the front and back of the sticks. I did price those out and they can be done for less than $40 even in Oak.

For the rope jump on E-Bay and look up accessory cord made by Blue Water. I got 30' for $15. I found the rope locks in the boating dept at Walmart, they are $5 for two.


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## hungry hollow (Apr 19, 2008)

I think the wood steps would be quieter than the metal ones.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Tuna, Since you have the skills to do so you could cut them out that way using .75 Baltic Birch and then do a .25" skin on the front and back to give the verticals the stiffness it needs. I have been doing them on the xtreme budget using the plywood my Buddy gave me. I believe the poplar or Oak design would look really nice, be just as strong and may even be lighter. I will end up doing a Poplar set at some point but right now I am working another set done in plywood with double steps all the way up.

HH, I have noticed they do not creak or make any noise when going up. I intentionally made every effort to no have any metal exposed where it can make noise. The "dead" sound of wood is quite a bit different from the "crisp" sound of metal so you are quite right.


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## Tunaboy (Oct 3, 2004)

OW, so you use a 1/4" hardwood strip on the center of both faces of the sticks to stiffen the sticks?
The true Baltic birch I think is only made in Europe and hence the unusual thickness. And like you said is strong, void free and unfortunately expensive. You sure a "buildin"kind of guy. Be careful up there, I am still gonna need that string making info from you. LOL.
Tuna


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Tunaboy said:


> OW, so you use a 1/4" hardwood strip on the center of both faces of the sticks to stiffen the sticks?
> The true Baltic birch I think is only made in Europe and hence the unusual thickness. And like you said is strong, void free and unfortunately expensive. You sure a "buildin"kind of guy. Be careful up there, I am still gonna need that string making info from you. LOL.
> Tuna


Thank you Sir for the Compliment, it's what I am. I would be happy to help with string building. You are quite correct about the Baltic Birch on every count. 18mm is Very close to .75", I believe the difference is measured in thousandths. You got it, a hard wood strip on the face would really stiffen the vertical component if you wanted to cut them with a pattern bit. I would say the most economical way for the average person to do this is with hardwood.

Think of them as a three layer sandwich with the center section being .75" material. Cut the steps from 2" stock and make them 10.5. The spacers should be 1.5 X 13. The outer skins are .25" by 1.5" by 32. The nice thing is Lowes sells Poplar and Oak in >25 by 1.5" as well as the .75 by 1.5". The steps could be done with 1.5" as well but I am a fat boy so I do 2".


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## 30feetup (Dec 14, 2008)

Very clever....nice sturdy design.....better put a patent on it!:wink:


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

OhWell said:


> I am trying very hard to not take your comment as in insult to my knowledge or skills. This is not just ply wood. This is the stuff that gets used for the CNC milling of prototypes, molds and forms. There are no voides and the layers are alternated when it is laid up. It runs about $300 for a sheet. As for trusting your life, I would expect that any sensible person would be wearing a tree belt.
> 
> As for your comment on plywood in general, it is much stronger in edge due to the torsion load on the glued layers. Think of a card house.
> 
> ...


OK first off that wasn't meant as an insult, it was my opinion, and still stands. No need to be so touchy. I wouldn't trust a deck of cards either. :wink:

My issue isn't with the type (aircraft grade, thus void free) but rather the amount of material. Plywood is designed to spread the load out over a large area as well, and you have a very small surface area.

And if you think having one snap under your weight, and wearing a climbing belt will protect you from any serious harm, enjoy. I have seen some serious injuries to folks wearing all sorts of protective gear, like having a stub branch stab someone when their step breaks and their body weight slams them into that "little branch they trimmed earlier". I guess from now on I will stay silent and wait to read of injuries later. Not!

I hope yours does not fail you. They LOOK fantastic, I am just leery of the materials.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

I did indeed find a local supplier for a marine grade Baltic Birch plywood. It is not cheap by any means but would be worth using if I was going to build a bunch of sets.

There has been a fair amount of interest in these so, I was kicking around the idea of cutting some kits. All the parts would be cut and ready to be glued up. Basically everything but glue, sandpaper and clamps would be in the kit. The clamps needed would be five 2" C-Clamps and a simple 3' pipe clamp. I use clamps from Harbor Freight for this kind of stuff.

If this interests anyone let me know. As with most of my other projects I would do this to help out some folks who would like a nice set of climbing sticks but simply can't drop $120 or more for Muddy's or LW's and don't have access to a wood shop.

I decided to test the new stand offs tonight so I set a stick on the floor so the stick was resting on the stand offs and I stood on it. It didn't flex anywhere. Can someone with a 32" stick from another company do this and tell me how it reacts, I am curious.


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## hoyttech13 (Feb 3, 2010)

yea not trying to be rude here but my life and family's future is not worth trying to save a few$ on a set of approved sticks. but good luck and wish you the best. they do "look" good


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

hoyttech13 said:


> yea not trying to be rude here but my life and family's future is not worth trying to save a few$ on a set of approved sticks. but good luck and wish you the best. they do "look" good


I understand completely. For me I trust what I build more than what I buy. There was a time when most people did for themselves and we didn't need a special group to approve how we did it. I am not saying you are wrong in any way. Not every person is made the same way, most people these days don't work with their hands or understand how materials work together. I could never work in an office or behind a desk. When I build something I know exactly how it was done and with what materials.

Guys please understand if you are not comfortable with something please do not use it whether it is something you buy or you build and always test your gear at lower levels first. On the flip side so many people post like we are using our gear to climb the highest peaks. Most of us climbed trees as kids with none of this gear. I am trying to convince someone to build these, the commercial versions are very nice, but to condemn them without proper knowledge of the materials or methods is narrow minded and ignorant.

I really did anticipate folks not liking this project but I never thought it would be based on safety. I figured it would be, the weight, the wood rotting, steps not the right shape or who knows what someone would come up with. Given the use of screw in steps, the Ameristep ladders with pointed steps, folks who don't wear a harness, improperly used climbers, safety recalls, and all the other craziness I really didn't think people would find a safety issue.

Quite frankly these are far safer and nicer than the Ameristep ladder I used last year with one of my hang on stands. The ends of the steps could cut someone wide open and the steps were only on every other side which when coming down in the dark can be an issue.


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

mpetrozza67 said:


> seriously, do you people not know how to read. In two different posts he said he made cleats to get the sticks away from the tree


I wanted to see them in the pix 
No need to be a smartass


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

buckeyboy said:


> I wanted to see them in the pix
> No need to be a smartass


I made some new stand offs so I will shoot some more pics tomm.


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

OhWell said:


> I made some new stand offs so I will shoot some more pics tomm.


Thanks man..


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## rutnstrut (Sep 16, 2003)

Wow, these are way nicer than you described them Paul. You really do great work.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

rutnstrut said:


> Wow, these are way nicer than you described them Paul. You really do great work.


Thank you sir. Well I went out this evening to shoot some pics and test the new cleats. Well it was pretty awesome and also very funny. I thought the cleat folded towards the telephone pole. I thought for sure the wood had cracked. NOPE, the wood is so strong it bent the 1/4" bolts I had them held on with. If you want to use this design simply glue them in place but add a small triangle on top to act as a truss. However earlier today as I was working on a way to stack them neatly another idea came to me for the stand offs so I will be working on those over this next week.

If someone is looking for a way to have nice sticks without spending a fortune call up your local lumber places and get your hands on some Baltic Birch ply. These things are rock solid !! Here are some images. The last photo shows the bent cleat. It is clear to see that if there was a small truss it would not have happened. I do have an even better idea so if you want to build some follow my design up to that point and by the time you get the rest assembled I will have the new cleat ready.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

I figured out the problem with the cleats, I radius-ed the side that goes to the stick and I made them too thin. They are plenty strong but being thin lets them roll. I have already drawn up a new design and will have some done tomm. I cannot let go of this project because it is fun and on top of that the rest of the stick is so solid AND much lighter than most of the commercial sticks I see.


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## Jovush (Sep 28, 2006)

Keep up the good work! Everyone should always focus on safety. We all know some that continue NOT to wear safety gear. You may satisfy some if you were to test a ladder to destruction ...... But then again you may put a whole sector of the tree stand industry out of work. Continuous improvement, never give up


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

My camera has decided to not function so I cannot shoot pics right this minute but I really like the new cleats. I have also changed out the bolts to something serious. The bolts that now hold the cleats are rated for 170,000 lbs.


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## matlocc (Sep 29, 2009)

How solid is the rope connector, seems to me that would be solid and silent. would a metal strut work better than the wood one or are you sticking with the wood theme?How do they stack?


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## CarbonTerry (Jan 8, 2003)

If you are going to sell or give your product away, please think about product liability insurance. All it takes is one accident and before you know it some lawyer owns everything that you have worked for.


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## matlocc (Sep 29, 2009)

I don't think he ever mentioned giving it away?


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## toddt (May 14, 2011)

It is great that you enjoy building stuff, I do as well. BUT, and I realize that you trust them, be careful. Personally, I am hesitant to get very high with anything without a quality safety harness. Again though, even if you stop your fall, you can still be very seriously injured. Anyway, at first, you seemed pretty offensive, but then I was happy to see you didn't take it so personal. It isn't now, or I don't believe it was then, meant to degrade your abilities or knowledge, I guess, really just our thoughts. As for saving money, I bought three sets of some steel ladders last year, off of ebay, for something like $28, including shipping - as I ship a lot, and shipping is expensive, I still haven't been able to figure that one out. Anyway, as you mention, they can fail just as easily, but when they do, I, or my wife, can have someone to blame - not that, that is our goal. Plus, you mentioned something about in the past, not having to have our products endorsed or passed by some organization. On the bright side though, those tests are pretty danged accurate and expensive, and they do keep us safe. 

Now, I am not in the least trying to talk you out of using these - which I know that would be fruitless anyway, because you are adamant that they work very well. But, what I would suggest you do, is attempt to find, some kind of weight limit. As crafty as you are, I am certain you could come up with a manner in which to do this. Off the top of my head, I would probably mount one to a tree near the ground, then attach cables or ropes to each side of the ladder, at the top, and then in the middle, someway, load weight, until one actual breaks - but obviously, again, be careful here. You may have a better idea though.

But by doing a test of some sort, you will actually know, how much weight it will take. I think it would be very interesting to you, as well as those here as well. It may also shut us naysayers up. If you do attempt something like this, please let us know - I would be very interested in seeing the results. As mentioned, if it does take enough stress, you may have a possible product to build a business off of. 

Good luck.


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## Scottie_p74 (Oct 29, 2012)

what about wear and tear of weather on them? is it pressure treated or no?


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## madarchery (May 28, 2003)

Guys relax, first the plywood he is using is plenty strong, the only flaw in this would be the weather ability. Other then that great idea!!!!!! Maybe layup some fiberglass or at least seal with the epoxy to seal them up and then you have an all weather stick.

You guys that want approved sticks - did you ever look at the Chinese welds on the thin metal tubing that your standing on???? This plywood the way he has constructed I would bet beats them on load.


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## OhWell (Aug 21, 2013)

Wow so much interest and comments. I am flattered. These do not stay out in the weather unless I am in the weather and then they get wiped down just like my bow when I get home. These are designed for run and gun style hunting. 

Those cheaper ladders that can be found after the season and not nearly as strong or light as what I built. I know this because I have one or two out in the woods right now. I use them for seasonal stands and I may or may not take them out at the end of the season. They are simply a night mare to move into the areas I like to hunt, even with a buggy.

They do have 3-4 coats of very good spray paint on them and right now water beads up on them when I am out in the weather.

I never said I planned to sell them or give them away. I built these for myself and shared the ideas in hopes it might inspire some of you to think outside the box. Just because we have been told by companies this is the way to do things does not mean it is the only way to do things. Keep in mind they are about making money and working with wood is more expensive than working with steel. Something like these sticks need to be built by a craftsman where a basic steel ladder can be done by a machine.

Sometimes I feel like Tucker....

Final version

http://http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2302303


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## mainehunt (Sep 11, 2006)

buckeyboy said:


> I found some aluminum square tube online for $8.33 for a 3' X 1" square stock so I may make some out of aluminum, I have a couple of sets of LW but they are pricy.


Not sure where you all live, or what businesses you have around you, but I have a "metal place" where I buy all my steel, aluminum, SS, etc. that I weld. That square tubing you mentioned could be bought much cheaper. However. I realize that if you only need about 3', then your source's price is possibly worth the convenience.


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## Fauxfly (Apr 19, 2011)

tagged


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## gutshotem (Aug 8, 2008)

mainehunt said:


> Not sure where you all live, or what businesses you have around you, but I have a "metal place" where I buy all my steel, aluminum, SS, etc. that I weld. That square tubing you mentioned could be bought much cheaper. However. I realize that if you only need about 3', then your source's price is possibly worth the convenience.



You're about 3 yrs late to the party.


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