Started my tower stand today

[EddieWalker]

Robert,

I just found this thread!!!! Congrats on all your progress. It's looking like a great project and allot of fun. I noticed you went with the 8x8 space. What made you change your mind? I know that I enjoy that much space with Steph and the kids in there, but even by myself, it's nice to have all that room. I thought about an office chair, and still might put the one I'm sitting in right now, out there. I don't want to take up allot of floor space because I have friends and family that keep talking about coming out and spending the night in mine. Keeping the floor open for sleeping bags is part of the reason for holding off on the super comfortable chair. I did find some really comfortable folding chairs at Walmart. I had been trying out folding chairs at every store I went to before I found those. It's amazing how many folding chairs are out there, and how they all feel the same. I also just bought a Coleman propane heater for $80 that's rated for indoor use. I'm not sure how well it will work yet, but when I tested it out in my workshop, it seemed to put out allot of heat. My ceiling has two layers of R13 insulation in it, but my walls are open, and my windows are single pane. It's weather tite and bug proof, so I'm thinking that the Coleman heater should do the job. While reading reviews of heaters, the Coleman seemed like the best one out there. Mr. Heater has some too, but there are some complaints about noise with them.

When does deer season start? Do you have a food plot in? Last year, my blind was just a platform and we tried to hunt from it, but didn't have any luck. Mostly it was too cold and uncomfortable sitting up there in the elements without any protection. We'd last a few hours, but then give up and head back to the house to warm up. I know that I've been in colder weather and endured worse conditions on hunting trips, but when the house is just a quarter mile away, it's really hard to endure the cold when you don't have to. This will be our first year of hunting in comfort. While I've shot a few hogs from it and we've sent some time in there as a family, it still hasn't really been used yet.

I built a shelf for it that I've been stocking up with books, magazines and catalogs. Some of the magazines I've already read, others are brand new. I was thinking about adding a big solar panel and some 12v batteries for things like powering a laptop and 12v coffee maker, but have decided to hold off on that for now. I even found a 12v oven for heating frozen pizza and burittos!!! It's tempting, but I'm resisting the urge to get too crazy. Instead, I bought an MP3 player that has a full days worth of music on it.

I'm looking forward to following your progress. Hopefully you'll get enough done to enjoy it this year!!!!

Eddie

 

[foggy1111]

Nice blinds you guys have here. Just a quick comment on the heaters.

We have 4 box blinds. I have a couple of the Mr Heaters....and also have noticed the low "hiss" they make....and initially I was concerned about it. After using them now for a few years (and have observed several deer near my box-blind type stands when using 'em) I would not worry about the noise being heard by the deer. But, I would not use the piezzo (sp) ignition as the noise is excessive. Matches or a lighter are needed.

We use secretary-type (no arms), swivel office chairs that I found for a couple bucks at a garage sale. We also found a couple of swiveling wooden kitchen stools (with backs) that I cut the legs down. These swivel chairs really work nice...and most importantly keep noise and the movement down.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Eddie, I wanted the posts to go straight through the building and I could have done the 6x8 like this by canterlevering the 2x6 deck but instead chose to just make it 8x8 and see how it goes. From there I will use what I learn for the next tower on the other side of our property and much closer to my own house (1/4 mile). This tower is 1 mile away from my house through farm trails and old driveways. It takes about 5 minutes to drive here on the ATV and 2-3 times that on the tractor if I am carrying tools and supplies.

The Mr. Heater does have a low hiss but it isn't an issue where I am. If you walk from my tower into the woods you see you can only walk 20 yards till you find a fence for the I90, 30 more yards and you have cars, trucks and tractor trailers driving 75mph non stop. The low hiss from the heater has never been an issue as I can barely hear it when I am sitting next to it thanks to all the noise from the thruway. My tower is going to be insulated on all 6 sides and that will dampen any noise from inside. We get a little colder winters here in NY then you do in Texas so I am not skimping on insulation

Bow season started today. I am not in any mood to go freeze and haven't shot my bow at all since I fell 2 years ago. Some time I will get my bows out and start shooting again but I am not really itching to do so right now. Gun season starts a week before Thanksgiving so I will definitely have this tower done by then. I actually would be out working on it right now as its warmed up to 44 and is nice out but I am not doing well health wise so I am stuck home for now. I hope to get better soon though as I am suppose to go to the Buffalo Sabres game tonight but can't and won't if I don't improve.

There is a food plot 130 yards from this tower. The field I am on is 5 acres and we will put a new food plot on it this spring. There is another food plot 200 yards down the powerline across the field and another the opposite way as well as another spot I cleared 75 yards away a few years back that I hope to plant into corn or soybeans this spring. All together we have about 20 acres of food plots spread around the property here. So the critters do not go to one spot for food, they go all over the 200 acres here keeping things challenging and making it fair for everyone who hunts here to have a good chance at seeing and harvesting a nice animal as no one spot is really any better then the others. Where my next tower will be is on the edge of my orchard near my vineyards and food plots. I am hoping my grandfather will use that tower as he loves hunting that area.

That is a good idea about leaving reading material in there. I usually use my phone and just go online to read but it kills the battery if I am on it for a few hours in a day. It also plays music and I have 500 songs on it which will last most of the day before the battery starts to die. If you find out about the solar panels and such in the future post about it. I am not going to worry about it right now but it would be nice to have that option in the future. I figured I would just take a simple propane heater/grill if I plan to spend long hours out there and just cook on top of that like we do while ice fishing.

I have a few of those folding chairs and so far have not found one that holds up well for my uses. I used them in my pop ups and I always have one in the trucks. They all keep breaking the plastic slides when used on uneven surfaces. I expect they will hold up better on the solid floor though.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Nice blinds you guys have here. Just a quick comment on the heaters.

We have 4 box blinds. I have a couple of the Mr Heaters....and also have noticed the low "hiss" they make....and initially I was concerned about it. After using them now for a few years (and have observed several deer near my box-blind type stands when using 'em) I would not worry about the noise being heard by the deer. But, I would not use the piezzo (sp) ignition as the noise is excessive. Matches or a lighter are needed.

We use secretary-type (no arms), swivel office chairs that I found for a couple bucks at a garage sale. We also found a couple of swiveling wooden kitchen stools (with backs) that I cut the legs down. These swivel chairs really work nice...and most importantly keep noise and the movement down.

Thanks, I have a couple of the Mr. Heaters as well. They do work. I need to find a couple cheap office chairs still but am in no hurry yet as I have no place to put them yet. I will definitely have something up there before gun season starts though

 

[kevindsingleton]

How did I take advantage of anyones mistake? I talked to the manager the next day about it. It isn't the first time and it has happened both ways before. We give Home Depot over $30k every year and up to $50k depending on the year. The manager knows us and is not worried about a $60 mistake. I realized the mistake when I talked to my dad well after I left the store.

You know that you didn't pay for the material, yet you didn't return the material, or pay for it, after you discovered the mistake. It's unlikely that you give Home Depot any money, at all. It's far more likely that you trade with Home Depot, as do most of their customers, including me. It doesn't matter if the manager is worried about the mistake (although he should be, since there may be more mistakes made by the cashier that are costing him far more). It should be you that's worried about making it right, and what you're doing to the rest of us, by taking material from the store for which you didn't pay. If it's a matter of the amount, and $60 is insignificant to you, then, at what point does it become significant? You paid for the $99 door, so it must be somewhere between $60 and $99, or you wouldn't have bothered to pay for the door, right? If it's a matter of when you discovered the mistake, then we're deep into the realm of situational ethics, which is a surprising position to take for a man who claims to believe that there is a God.

I have also made mistakes myself while billing customers. If I misfigure under I always eat the mistake as I won't tell someone a price then later tell them they owe me more money if I am higher I call them immediately and explain the mistake and make ammends. It doesn't happen often but it has happened. So your more then welcome to judge me however you want but I can care less what some name on the computer thinks about me. You know absolutely nothing about me, if you did you would realize how off you are in your judgement. I do find it sad that my thread about a fun project I am working on has headed to this. Enjoy the day

We're not discussing what you've done to your customers, and your example does not describe the same situation. It's one thing to undercharge, or incorrectly estimate, and another thing, entirely, when your customer takes your products or services, and knowingly refuses to make restitution.

I do know something about you: you're willing to take merchandise for which you didn't pay, and you get defensive when it's pointed out to you that your position is less than moral.

ps, why don't you fill out your profile instead of being so secretive? It would go a long way for others to learn a little about you

I use my real name. What's secretive about that?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

So even though I brought it up to the manager and offered to pay and he refused I am still wrong and immoral???? And how did I refuse to make restitiution after I discovered the mistake? I told the manager and he refused to take any more money for it.

Here is an idea that may be new to you, maybe the manager did what he thought was right and didn't worry about this mistake as he knew I didn't steal these. I checked out, told the cashier everything I had and helped him find the barcodes and such not. He made a mistake which happens, the store wasn't too worried about this as it really is a tiny mistake in the total volume of business they deal with on a daily basis. The manager did what he thought was right after I did what I thought was right. If both the store and I are ok with this then why are YOU so upset with it? Did you need some 2x4's? They have more and if you don't see any on the floor just ask as I am sure they have another lift of them out back

Religion is not allowed to be discussed on here and I will not get into my religious views as a result but once again you are wrong in your most recent assumption about me.

I am also done discussing this stupid issue with you. You can reply all you want but you will not read any more replies to you from me. I can say I am reminded why I keep my signature and don't change it every now and then so thanks.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

This mornings progress. I brought most of the materials needed to finish closing it up down this morning. I framed up the last wall and built the roof. This pic was taken while I was down cutting the first two sheets of plywood for the roof. They are up and the rest of the pieces are cut but I am going to need a helper to finish the roof so I am home waiting for my father to get here and then I will take the shingles and a ladder down to seal up the roof permanent.

 

[Thomas]

You'll have to come up w/name after that much work.

Front tire little soft?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You'll have to come up w/name after that much work.

Front tire little soft?

I have gave up trying to name things. It is just going to be called "the tower stand on my field" and everyone will know which one it is

The front tires are set to a pressure I like for general farm work. There were 12 sheets of OSB, 4.5 sheets of plywood, 2 windows, a 50 pound box of 16 sinkers and a 25 pound box of roofing nails as well as a half box of soffit, all my tools and the insulation. So there was more weight then I would normally have up there. If I plan to do a lot of loader work I add air to the fronts but for general work I don't see any advantage of running high pressure and this year has been all general work as its been way too muddy to do any amount of loader work. In fact I took the bucket off after last winter and will finally put it on for this winter when I am done with this stand.

So I am done for the day. I have to find the rest of the shingles as I am about 10 shingles short with what I brought out. My dad finished the roof after I had done 90% of the plywood from working through the roof rafters. He also did the drip edge, felted the roof and shingled everything we could. One wall is completely covered with OSB and the other wall is half covered. I am happy with the progress today though.

 

[rgood]

Wow - That is Awesome work - How does a guy with a hurt back build that roof? - I'm guessing you are standing on a ladder with a nail gun. Still, it'd seem difficult to hold boards in place and secure them - Especially when you have a hurt back !