Building Hang on Tree Stands

[twostrings]

Hey Do-It-Yourself'ers,

Years ago, probably 10+ years ago, I came across a set of plans to build your own hang on tree stands out of wood. I know it sounds a little sketchy and unsafe, but from my point of view, they were pretty solid. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get my hands on them because they cost 20-30 bucks, and as a poor college student I just couldn't justify spending the cash.

Does anyone currently build your own hang on tree stands? If so, any chance you could point me in the right direction to building my own?

Thanks!
Matthew

[Cootling]

I used to build them.  They worked well.  Still, I feel a lot safer with my Lone Wolf stands and will not use wood again.  Can't afford even one failure!

[Gen273]

Just say No, to homemade treestands. Not trying to be mean, but I have always been afraid of homemade wooden stands.

[tracker12]

No home made for me.

[glenbo]

Love to make my own gear,but I can buy hang ons for thirty bucks at the end of the season . With ratchet straps. If you enjoy doing it I say good for you. By the time it takes to obtain material, fabricate,then paint,thirty bucks is a wash.

[bigb3303]

I have made a few in shop class welded up metal hangons , but wood scares me.

[twostrings]

Thanks for showing such care friends! Please understand that I'm careful by nature and pretty competent with my hands. I understand that wood isn't for everyone, but if there is anyone that has been successful in manufacturing your own, hit me up!

In the meantime, know that I'm hunting out of a few different commercial hang-ons, tripods, ground blinds, and a TreeSaddle.

Thanks,
Matthew

[edge2009]

Made my own out of conduit. Granted its got a huge platform with way overkill for bracing and cross members. As said before... Be extremely careful. The one I made is for at home, I wanted something "roomier" then anything you could buy. It stays I'm the same tree year round and I always weary muddy harness.

Good luck and be safe.

[Pat B.]

I'm a decent welder and have made a lot of hang on stands.. Always used square tubing and way back made some out of 5/8" round stock.. Many of them are still in use 30 years later but not by me.. I can't sit for any length of time so I just use platforms that I can stand on...

Never made any of lumber..

[KSdan]

You can buy stands cheaper than you can make them! As an example- here is one for $40

http://www.rogerssportinggoods.com/ameristep-ameristep-challenger-hangon-tree-stand-51004-p-4104.html

[LB_hntr]

I built 2 stands out of wood over 20 years ago. Cost was more than I expected them to be and never made another one. But the worst part was the "squeak and creek" the wood against the tree always creeked and anytime you shifted your weight it squeaked.
One very cool thing you can make out of wood is tree steps. If you take a 4x4 and cut into 12 inch sections then split the sections corner to corner you end up with 2 steps from each section. Each step has the flat 4x4 top and the flat back goes against the tree. Then just drill a hole thru step and tie on with rope. Used to use these a lot as a cheap way to have a bunch of stand locations. Worked great for many years. I think now with the cheaper prices of steps and stands I would not make anything of that sort myself. Bit the steps I made like above were great.

i built some years ago, using 3/4" plywood and old car seatbelts to strap to tree with 3/4" square steel tubing for bracing under the platform nothing welded just bolts and nuts, must have been pretty good( cause somebody stole them) they musta been porer and dumber than me.

  just buy a cheap one! be safe.

[Bobby Urban]

as mentioned - cheaper to buy than build anymore.  Back when it was illegal to hunt elevated with a firearm in many states(Michigan included) stands of any value were in the $100 and up range.  As a welder and fabricator I built plenty of my own that were equal or safer than any mass produced model.  Since they have become gun legal and more are produced the price has dropped to the point that they are cheap.  I still do plenty of mods to some I buy to get them to fit crooked trees and make them quieter but at $30 a pop you just cannot fab one up for that even with free materials unless your time has no value.  

I do have a couple of plans that make very solid and safe plywood platform stands that use steel to attach to the tree with a wrap around chain and are fabbed w/o welding if you like PM me.  I just think plywood sucks compared to expanded metal for a myriad of reasons and, again, you can buy them cheaper than making them.

[JAG]

Check the TMA website.  (treestand manfacturer's ass.)  http://www.tmastands.com/index1.html
  It will open your eyes to how they test treestands.  Not all stands are equal.  
Be careful out there!
Johnny/JAG

[Bill Carlsen]

I had a friend many years ago who made his own ladder stands....not hang ons.They worked pretty well but taking them down and putting them up each year was a chore.  I had another friend who made a wooden one from some plans he got from Sports Afield, I believe, and is probably the one you remember. It was very heavy and is now sitting at the base of the tree he tried to put it in over ten years ago.

[Hoyt]

Back before commercially made loc ons we made them out of everything from basketball rims, plywood and chain to conduit and square tubing. Never made the wood one's we called permanent stands, but hunted out of my share of them.

Cheaper to buy nowdays.