Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind

   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind
  • Thread Starter
#121  
Silverdollar,

What is a childproof slide? They will be your basic, green plastic slides that you see in parks. Starting height will vary from 5 to 7 feet. Some will twist, others will be straight. The liablity issue with them is the padding on the ground. Four inches of bark or mulch is required. And of course, a railing to keep them from falling at that height before getting on the slide.

Toro,

There are a set of rules that the county has for saftey on their public parks. I'm going to copy those and then let my insurance agent make ajustments. It's like dealing with a building inspector on a home, you do it by the book, but give them the final word. If they want something different or extra, you say "yes sir" and do it like they want it. To me, it doesn't really matter one way or another.

Don,

Here's the link to the stain. Minwax® Gel Stain - Wood Stains - Minwax.com

Both the hot tub and the deer blind are done in "Aged Oak" and if you look at the colors on the Minwas website, it's a very good example of what they both look like up close. Lighting does have a big effect on the pictures. Some of them look very dark, others look like it's reflecting the sun. It might be that I don't have the clear coat on it yet.

The stain is like jello. It is kinda solid and you stick the bristles of your brush into it, then kinda smear it onto the Hardi siding. After that, you brush it around. The learning curve is very quick and in about two minutes, you'll have it figured out.

One thing that I learned the hard way is to work the full length of each board. Never go part way down a board, then go to the next board and start that one and so on. Then move over and expect to start over again on that board where you left off. Once it dries, you cannot blend them together and you create a line where you overlap the stain. You have to use a brush, you cannot spray or roll it on. I use 2inch chip brushes that are sold at Lowes and Home Depot for about a buck each, or a pack of 8 for something like $6. Then I just through the brush away when I'm done with it.

Iron Horse,

I like the deck idea. One day, it just might have somehting like that. My long term goal for the fort is to have an 8foot wall with a walkway at 6 foot. It will lead to a two story gazebo. I'm thinking of an octogon for the bottom section so parents will have a place to sit in the shade while keeping an eye on their kids, but then a square on top that resembles the deer blind, except no windows, just half walls and an open view. Since I've never built anything like this, or even seen somehting like what I want to build, there's still some fine tuning to do on my plans. I don't know when I'll get to it either, but just thinking about it and working out the details is something that I do for fun.

Thanks
Eddie
 
   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind #122  
Hey Eddie,
If you need to buy some custom slides, or are looking for some extra stuff here is a link you may want to check out.

commercial playground equipment, accessories, more - Kidstruction

The owner is actually my uncle in law. They make some good stuff and they are located in Austin, TX. Just figured I would let you know although I don't think you are close to Austin you are closer than I am.
 
   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind #123  
Thanks for the reply, I was just asking because of liability. I read all of your threads and just wish I had your talent for building things, but I don`t think that you will ever get finished so we will have a lot of good reading in the furture.
 
   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind
  • Thread Starter
#124  
Toro,

Thanks for the link, I just requested one of their catalogs. Austin is about a three hour drive from here, so it's doable for me if they have a good price. I was real close to buying two slides in San Antonio on ebay for $500 over the summer, but gas was almost $4 a gallon and when I figured in a hotel for the night and what it would cost for fuel, plus wear and tear on myself, I decided to pass. I still wish I had those slides, one of them was a nice twister, while the other was a straight slide. Close to $800 to buy them new.

Silverdollar,

Thank you. I sometimes wish that I'd finish something, but as you've noticed, that never happens. I'm always planning and designing ideas. Most are too far out there to be practical, but I still put time into seeing if they are possible. Others are more within my reach and after allot of thought, I sometimes give them a try. Fortunately I work as a home remodeler and get to spend all day doing these sorts of things for people who pay me to do them. Otherwise, I'd be in real trouble. LOL

Eddie
 
   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind #125  
No problem. I honestly have no idea about his prices, but I think a lot of it is installation, which you have covered, and delivery, which you also may have covered. I like the look of some of their tube slides. I hope at some point to get some and create a big slide that ends up in the pond that I have yet to build.
 
   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind #126  
I sometimes wish that I'd finish something, but as you've noticed, that never happens.
Eddie

I think you have done a great job at finishing the tasks you have set for yourself . That beautifull lake for one , the Deer blind another . You are like me , you take on 20 different tasks and do a bit on all of them at the same time . I started building my house , road , dams , fences , truck from scratch , restored machinery , built my hybrid F250 from scratch and got my business up and running doing all the work and maintanance myself , and did it all at the same time . Then i get people at BBQ's saying things like "hav'nt you finished that house yet ? It only took 12 weeks for ours to be built ". They do'nt realise how much work there is in all that , and you are only a single person . A person that want's a day off sometimes as well to enjoy his family . I get a little snakey sometimes when they make fun of my hard toil and ask them what they have done in the same amount of time . Thier wives usually chip in and say "absolutely nothing" he wont even mow the lawn :rolleyes: .
 
   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind #127  
Looking at your deer blind reminded me I always wanted a Lighthouse for our beach. Down below the garage. I'd better build it before they get codes up there!
No I'd better get the house built next.
 
   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind
  • Thread Starter
#128  
I think I finished it today. There is still the decorating and all that to do, but that's something that will never be done. :D

First thing that I had to do was clear coat the siding. It only took me three hours to do this, which suprised me. I was thinking it would take all day, but had hoped I could get it done with enough time to install the sign.

Several months ago, I started building the sign. Steph and I decided to name the deer blind and kids playground, Fort Peyton. He's our son and it has a nice ring to it. Kind of like Fort Bridger or something that might have been used in the "old west."

I shot a 6x5 elk in Idaho a while ago and have been tripping over the anters ever since. It wasn't big enough to get mounted, but it was big enough to keep. :) I just needed to come up with something to do with them that I liked. The sign seemed like the perfect solution!!!

I made a metal fram from one inch tubing that would fit Fort Peyton on it with three stars to mount it. I used a piece of Hardi siding for the board, and stained it to match the siding on the Fort. To protect and hopefuly, keep the antlers together, I cover the skull plate in Bondo. One full gallon of it was just right. I then drilled though it and used two 3/8 cairrage bolts to mount the antlers to the metal frame of the sign. I even used locktite on the bolts!!! The sign is then attached to the floor joists of the Fort with half inch lag bolts. It should be pretty strong.

To finish it off and protect the antlers, I clear coated all of it.

Eddie
 

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   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind
  • Thread Starter
#129  
Steph painted the walls a sage kind of green with a whitish greenish kind of green ceiling and the same dark brown for trim that I used on the exterior trim. The flooring is foam squares that interlock. I'm hoping for a level of insulation from them and to quiet down our movements while inside the blind. It's also soft to walk on!!!

I have a Carbon Monoxide detector on the wall as well as a fire extinguisher next to the door. I'm a little worried about running the heater in such a small place when it's cold out.

I still have to install the shelving unit, and some other finishing touches like a clock and some sort of thermometer. I also have an idea that might be really cool, but don't know for sure just yet.

The views are what make it !!!!! To the South, is Lake Marabou. To the North is the food plot and deer feeder. To the west is a road with lots of trees, and to the East is the rest of the pasture that the food plot is part of. In every direction, the view is amazing.

Eddie
 

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   / Creating my "Over the Top" Deer Blind
  • Thread Starter
#130  
Here's just a bunch of pictures that I took of it when I was done and cleaning up the area. You can see Lake Marabou in the background in one, and you can see the food plot in the foreground in another picture. The way it blends in, and compliments my place is much better then I had hoped for. It doesn't stand out like an eye sore, but adds to the natural beauty of my woods.

The weathervane is starting to patina, and looking better. The sign looks like it's part of the fort, which was my goal. I had a Texas Star from another project and had been trying to figure out where to put it. The temporary door looks like the perfect place. I'd like to have more contrast there, but since it's just for the time being, I'm gonna leave it be.

One of the things that I like the most about the finished stain is that it looks old. Just standing there and looking at it, I get the feeling that if I told somebody that it was over 100 years old, they might believe me.

We are very pleased with how it turned out.

Eddie
 

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