# Home made ladder stand



## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

Built this 18' ladder stand last week out of 5/8" O.D. 16ga wall round tube. The platfortm is out of 1"x 1-1/2" rectangle tube. Its super light weight, had to truss the ladder to stiffen it up, that allowed me to not need the brace from the ladder to tree. 



Went up easy.


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## Jeremy K (Oct 16, 2013)

Is that a one piece unit ?


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## 1313nortac (Feb 14, 2016)

Nice work

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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

I made the ladder in two sections to haul to the location, then finished welding it onsite. Dont have a trailer at the moment and didnt feel like making it breakdown.


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## Shawndeer (Jul 19, 2011)

Looks good.

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## Clink (Aug 21, 2016)

Good work. Go into business


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

I like your ladder stiffeners struts!! Nice work!! I will be building two ladder stands in the coming weeks but mine will be a little higher, need to be 20ft in the two spots I have to hunt.


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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

The truss made a world of difference. I smashed all the end of the round tube flat so it was quicker to weld up. Its super solid climbing up it.


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## Cderuiter (Jul 1, 2016)

real nice work, nothing better then one you build yourself.


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

Did you use 1/2" EMT conduit??? I use either 1/2" or 3/4" depending on what the tube supports. Also, what did you use to weld it with???


widow maker 223 said:


> The truss made a world of difference. I smashed all the end of the round tube flat so it was quicker to weld up. Its super solid climbing up it.


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## psekid81 (Jun 3, 2003)

great job looks sweet


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## RTILLER (May 4, 2009)

Nice!


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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

Its boiler tubing with 16ga wall. Conduit is more like .040 something wall. I used a angle grinder with cut off wheels to cut all the tube and a 90amp harbor freight flux core wire welder. Im a fabricator by trade so I can make that little welder do some amazing things. Most people think they are junk but its all in the technique.


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## Fla.hunter (Jul 17, 2016)

Looks good


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

I am also a fabricator widow maker but use a tig welder and silicone bronze wire for the conduit, it doesn't overheat it like hard wire. Also eliminates the popping and spitting from the zinc. We just don't mig weld enough here for me to go that route as I would need to set up the mig welder each time I need it.


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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

Well you should be able to build one no problem. It will just take longer needing to get a tighter joint fit up for the tig. Iv tigged a ton of stainless over the years but not a lot of steel really. I will have to scrounge around to see if I have some of that silicone Bronze filler to test out. 

Now that you mension Silicone, I know mild steel with too high or low of silicone content when galvanized the galv flakes off. Had that problem on a job. Does that rod blow the galv off the tube when tigged?


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

it is basically like a brazing rod for TIG, doesn't require as much heat to melt which keeps the popping/spitting to a minimum. I use 1/8" rod to handle any gaps I might have but have tricks up my sleeve to birdmouth close enough for a strong joint. FYI- the metal rips away before the weld cracks incase anyone is wondering.....I have tested and used my creations for many years!!!!


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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

Post pics when you get it done.


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

will do!! sounds like we are going to build one Saturday morning?!?!


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## plankspanker (Jan 29, 2016)

that's excellent work! as said before here, go into business!:thumbs_up


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## QSA01 (Apr 28, 2016)

Very nice. I like the idea of the truss.


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## Airrichbows1 (Jul 23, 2016)

Nice job.


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## LASTINLINE (Jun 24, 2016)

very nice looks great!


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

*my ladder*

Here are two pictures of my ladder, each are 10 foot long and we will use two per stand. I will take more pictures later but this will give you a sense how I build my creations. The end view of the tubing shows how we press the conduit to add strength and give more weld surface area. ALSO NOTE: these are only tacked together and not all the rungs are installed. I used a 12" spacing for the older gents on our lease.....


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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

Very nice


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## slinginarrows4 (Sep 8, 2014)

very nice work! I made a lock on stand the other day maybe ill put some pics up of it.


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

Yes please do, nothing like sharing ideas with other DIY'ers!!!


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## tedtf (Dec 20, 2009)

Very nice work!


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## nolan outdoors (Jul 17, 2016)

Very nice.


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

Nice work


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

*ladder stand progress*

Finally getting back to this build...
Pictures are of the two ladder sections, 10 foot each, and the platform in its current state. The unistrut brace is just to temporarily set the angle of the platform, it will be supported by two braces that will be incorporated into the platform shooting rails. The "rails" will surround the entire platform so we can install skirting material to make this sort of a blind. We will use a Summit sling seat to set on which will be removed after each days sit. You can also see I am using angle flanges to connect each section together. Each flange will have two (2) 5/16" hardened bolts with locking nuts.
More progress pictures to follow...


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## buckeyboy (Feb 6, 2007)

RatherBArchery said:


> Finally getting back to this build...
> Pictures are of the two ladder sections, 10 foot each, and the platform in its current state. The unistrut brace is just to temporarily set the angle of the platform, it will be supported by two braces that will be incorporated into the platform shooting rails. The "rails" will surround the entire platform so we can install skirting material to make this sort of a blind. We will use a Summit sling seat to set on which will be removed after each days sit. You can also see I am using angle flanges to connect each section together. Each flange will have two (2) 5/16" hardened bolts with locking nuts.
> More progress pictures to follow...


holy need a crane batman LOL whats it weigh


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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

Shouldnt weigh much at all, conduit it light stuff. The ladder stand I made was lighter than a store bought and a lot sturdier.


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

Never weighed it but I'll put it up against a 25ft factory built ladder stand any day!!!!! I am more worried about rigidity than weight.
I HATE when ladders flex when climbing for the first time to install the platform ratchet strap, problem should be solved with this bad boy...


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## ozarkmtnhunter (Jul 17, 2005)

I am thinking about copying the new x stand attatchment system for my next ladder build. Have you ever looked at that design RatherBArchery?


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## longshotz (Sep 19, 2010)

Some one needs to make a portable ladderstand . Fell out of a climbing standat 28 feet . Never will I use one again


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

I have but haven't thought much about building one..........yet......ha,ha


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

longshotz said:


> Some one needs to make a portable ladderstand . Fell out of a climbing standat 28 feet . Never will I use one again


I found some NEAT portable ladderstand designs on the texasbowhunter.com forum in the DIY section. you may need to search or dig around a bit though.......not sure about those pole stands folks build and use???!!!


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## ozarkmtnhunter (Jul 17, 2005)

RatherBArchery said:


> I have but haven't thought much about building one..........yet......ha,ha


I had a ladder roll around the tree on me last year while trying to attach it to the tree. Woooo had to clean out my shorts. luckily it held me up while I climbed down the ladder all upside down. I have been studying this design since. I had a buddy who had a home built stand with a similar design but just had one jaw on a spring loaded trip design but it worked pretty good for holding it to the tree while you strapped it down.


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

we always add ropes to crisscross the tree, like the newer ladders have included now.


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## jimmyfunk60 (Nov 11, 2014)

Very cool


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## gmwilkes (Apr 14, 2010)

Looks great for both designs. Saved this for later, eventually wanna get one of the HF welders for some projects I have in my head


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## Fla.hunter (Jul 17, 2016)

Nice job


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## GordysHGH (Oct 5, 2014)

Thats awesome!


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## flpickrel (Jul 12, 2015)

looks strong nice job


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## lehmbeezy (May 26, 2019)

looks awesome!


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## Conquest0901 (Jun 28, 2013)

awesome job! looks good


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## Kevlarmonkey00 (Jun 17, 2019)

Nice fab work


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## Mr.R (Dec 22, 2017)

What was the final weight of the stand?


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## beauleyse10 (Sep 13, 2012)

We made similar stands when I was younger! Very effective.


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## ebs (Dec 8, 2017)

That looks great!


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## widow maker 223 (Sep 7, 2011)

Mr.R said:


> What was the final weight of the stand?


Mine was around 50-60lbs. 

A store bought 2 man ladderstand is around 80lbs.


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## ricky530 (Aug 27, 2014)

Nice work.


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## Macwas (May 26, 2019)

whats it weighing in at?


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## steelhorse (Feb 5, 2008)

Looks Great ! Just be Safe


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## Danmielke (May 27, 2019)

Sweet!


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## browntd (Nov 27, 2017)

pretty cool idea


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## Billie338Rum (Jun 23, 2019)

well done


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## apsudderth (Jun 14, 2019)

Better than store bought!


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## Devious303 (Feb 10, 2017)

Nice work


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## ebk04 (Jun 24, 2019)

I built one once. it weighed a ton, still standing but ive since started buying stands, they are a lot easier to set up. nice work on yours


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## Wihunt608 (Jul 1, 2018)

Nice work! Nice to see good quality homemade stuff


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## coug_guy (Aug 3, 2008)

Sweet!


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## DentTek (May 7, 2019)

Nice


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## BNel (Jul 24, 2014)

Well done, looks nice and stable


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## RLWilkins (Feb 27, 2019)

Well done


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## thodosi (Jan 7, 2010)

Very nice!!


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## zfish11 (Jun 30, 2019)

looks legit


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## predator94 (Dec 23, 2018)

Looks pretty good!


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## RatherBArchery (Oct 31, 2006)

Now that this has popped back up a little update...
What I built was actually converted to a tri-pod for a spot that doesn't have mature enough trees for a standard ladder stand. It measures 14ft to the platform and we added 1-1/2"EMT with 1-1/4" slider/adjustable legs inside. The ladder itself is the front leg and the others mention are the back two. We also added a shooting rail about 34" above the platform. Sorry no pic's though...….


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## dbowhunter31 (Mar 8, 2009)

looks good


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## Ranger0270 (Jan 11, 2018)

that's a good looking stand!


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## Sean1684 (Jul 27, 2019)

Good jon


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## Burnettcj (May 1, 2019)

good work


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## CaptStephen73 (Aug 24, 2018)

Very nice solid looking stand


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## Rabbitdog33 (Jun 14, 2010)

Great work


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## nitr027 (Apr 11, 2019)

cool


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## Guesty33 (Jul 29, 2019)

Fantastic! I need to do something similar.


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## ol desertrat (Oct 6, 2013)

nice


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## tennman68 (Jun 9, 2015)

Nice!


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