Started my tower stand today

[Robert_in_NY]

Most of the time when somebody mentions a wall hanger, I just smile and figure it could mean anything. With you and from the pics of the deer that you raise, I know that if you say it's a wall hanger, it's gonna be a real nice buck!!! Nice to know that you have deer of that quality on your land. I'm pretty excited about deer season here, but don't know of a single buck that I'd bother to shoot here. I'm going to be out there strictly on hope. With what you have running around, openind day and every day after is going to be amazing!!!!!!!

Eddie

I know exactly what you mean. Both my father and I measured for Boone and Crockett, Pope & Young and the NYS Big Buck Club. You have no idea how many times we have measured "new state records" for people only to have them not even meet the minimums for any of the clubs. I have been raised around big deer my whole life and had 3 of the 4 NY states biggest bucks hanging in my parents house while I was a kid as my dad was setting up for a show. I am so use to seeing big bucks it is second nature now which I guess is good as it keeps me calm while hunting.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Well I have been busy helping my friends harvest their grapes so I have not had a lot of free time to work on the stand. Today I helped harvest but left around 2pm as it was too nice a day to be stuck inside a cab tractor and I was just a luxury and wasn't really needed other then to help make things run smoother. So I insulated my ceiling after finishing attaching the ceiling joists then I covered the ceiling with OSB. I also insulated and OSB'ed the wall where the door is. I put the soffit on the one side and set the exterior window trim. I also put the last piece of OSB on the exterior wall. So it was a good day. Tomorrow should be the last day of harvesting my friends grapes then I will be free on weekends again.

 

[Thomas]

No one can't say when you do job Robert you don't give it your all..thumbs up.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Thanks Thomas

 

[Tororider]

Looking good Robert, can't wait to see the finished product. Now that I think about it, you probably can't either. When does deer season start for you?

 

[charlz]

I plan on using a heavy grit sand paper to rough up the steps first then seal them for the weather. Hopefully if I can rough them up enough it will help with traction when they are wet.

Why not just use a "Non Skid" type paint on the stair treads? Most I have seen have 'sand' in the paint but a quick search also turned up this:

SKID-NO-MORE RUBBERIZED NON-SKID COATING 100854 FIBRE GLASS-EVERCOAT CO

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Looking good Robert, can't wait to see the finished product. Now that I think about it, you probably can't either. When does deer season start for you?

It starts a week before thanksgiving. I am tired of hauling the OSB back and forth every night it is suppose to rain so I spent a few hours today trying to finish insulating and installing the OSB. I was doing good and got the inside all insulated and the first sheet on each of the remaining walls. I also cut the top sheets for them too but I decided to just set them inside and insulate the floor and try to put those sheets up myself First sheet I popped my neck trying to get the sheet up. Hurt like crazy but I did get the sheet up and the perimiter screwed. The other sheet is cut but I can't lift it up now So tonight my girlfriend is going to come out and give me a hand hanging the last few sheets and if time permits the door too. I just hope my neck pops back to where its suppose to be soon as I can't stand straight

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Why not just use a "Non Skid" type paint on the stair treads? Most I have seen have 'sand' in the paint but a quick search also turned up this:

SKID-NO-MORE RUBBERIZED NON-SKID COATING 100854 FIBRE GLASS-EVERCOAT CO

It is something I have considered, I just like stain better and with a heavy grit sandpaper I can rough the steps up nice and easy. In the end I may not do either though as I just want to get this project finished right now.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Well Brandee came over tonight and helped put the last sheet of OSB under the floor and hang the last three sheets on the interior walls. We also set one window and the door and installed the handle/deadbolt so it is secured except for the unchained ladders and three open window holes. My neck still hurts but the hard parts are done. Now I just need to set the last 4 windows, wrap them and finish the soffit and wrap the facia. Hopefully I can get a stair case built but I am not sure if I will have the time before season starts. Hopefully.

Thats Brandee in the window opening.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Well today was a crappy day, we had strong winds and a ton of rain again so everything is underwater. I never thought I would have to build a tower stand just so I could hunt above water of course if this keeps up I can hunt ducks out of this stand pretty soon. Might even make a nice ice fishing hut if the water gets up high enough, just cut a hole in the floor I sure do wish it would stop raining for a few weeks so my corn ground can dry up so I can actually get on it to harvest it.

So today I didn't do anything but work on my stand. I finished the soffits and facia, installed the rest of the windows and wrapped three of them (the two new ones I am just going to J around). I caulked the small window on the back as that was the only dry side that I dared caulk. I also put some more nails in the OSB inside as its only tacked. So I guess it was a good day since I did everything on my own and I dislike bending metal by myself.

I am going to design the staircase now and figure out what materials I need. Hopefully I have enough here to save some money. I realized I don't like the ladder to the door and am not going to put up with it any longer now. So all thats left other then the stairs is to bend the metal for the door, finish nailing the interior OSB (I ran out of nails so I had to go back to the barn for more) and finish screwing the OSB to the bottom of the floor joists. Then make some extensions for the windows and trim them and the door off after I insulate around them. I am not sure if I will bother to paint it this year or next spring. Brandee is looking forward to that job but I need to get done with this for this year so I stop driving around out there and let the deer get use to the new setup.

Its looking a lot better now and I am very pleased with how its turning out.