Screaming Eagle Stress cracks

[stiknstringer]

I have two screaming eaglets with stress cracks in nearly the same places, anybody ever run into this? I bought these when Bruner owned the company.

[wingnut]

Time to retire them before you end up a dope on a rope.

Mike

[dragonheart]

There time is done.    

[tippit]

Do you leave them out during the winter?  I had that happen to a stand in Wisconsin...probably do to water & ice.  Now I take every thing down at seasons end.

[tradlab]

Had the same thing happen to mine when I left it hanging all year. It's  exactly what tippet said ,water freezing inside the metal.

[Bobby Urban]

For sure ice did that.  Can you weld?  Cut that out and replace it - great stands.

[stiknstringer]

I noticed that the two 1/8" platform cable supports weren't even meaning one was slightly longer than the other which may have caused twisting when I stood on it. Between that and weather may have caused it to split. I only saw the splits because I just bought a new swage tool and was going to replace the cables and chain. It's good to inspect stands before each season to avoid catastrophy.

[Longbowcrowder66]

This is not a stress crack. It comes from leaving it in the tree and when it rains it fills with water and then freezes and causes it to crack. It happened to me with one of my stands. I had mine welded.

[Tall Paul]

I have the exact same crack on one of my full-size Screaming Eagles.  It happened one year when I was living in Montana. I took the stand down when there was 10" of snow on the ground. I think I got snow inside the shaft then.  I put it in storage in winter, and I think the water melting and freezing did the damage.

[Keith Zimmerman]

I better check all of mine.

[R.V.T.B.]

I have had that happen on several of mine over the years.  The first two I sent back and they replaced both of the vertical pieces of steel. That was 15 years ago and it cost a fortune!  I have had it happen three times since and I take it to a welding shop and they hammer it back and weld it up in no time.

That metal channel is hollow and when I drop the stand on the ground it gets plugged with mud or the tree bark itself plugs it.  When it fills with rain water and then freezes, it splits. I have 5 or 6 of the stands and a buddy has several as well.  He filled the ends of his with silicone caulking to keep it from happeneing.  I haven't gotten around to doing mine yet.

[Barney]

Same thing happened to my eaglet, just welded a patch over it. It's been fine for years now. Filled the ends with silicone as stated above also. My favorite stands.

[T Sunstone]

Even with the cracks, it's still stronger then most other brands.  I have a few with cracks and never give it a worry.

[Jim Wright]

If you get the metal at the cracks clean and use something like a couple of pairs of "vise grip" pliers to close the gap some, it would be quite easy for a welder to weld up. If the metal is very thin they may have trouble welding up the gaps as they are unless they have access to a welding machine that will "turn way down".

[stiknstringer]

I think I'll replace the nuts and bolts,chains and cables and get it welded. I really like how solid and quiet those stands are.

[Preston Lay]

Yep I have had the same happen to several. I still use them without any trouble but like has been mentioned a weld will fix them up. I drill holes near the bottom now to prevent water from freezing up.

[Brock]

not in mine but not below freezing too much here...I would think you could weld them up as long as there is plenty of metal and not full of rust....or slide some larger tubing over it and weld it in place to strengthen both side and then drill some drain holes

[thump]

I left mine out this year,I need to do some checking also.

[Fletcher]

As Preston mentioned, drill a 1/8" hole in the bottom to let the water out.

[Stixbowdrew]

I'd take the stand to a fabricator and have them build you a new one or if you have the capability you could do it yourself