My tale of whoa, woe, wow

[Omega]

So, I started noticing some leaking in my deer stand last season, it is a shingled roof so looked for obvious roof issues and only seen some sag.  So I decided to put some corigated metal over it after fooling around with different ways to stop the leaks.  While installing I noticed I was receiving some electrical shocks, not static but continuous while touching metal.  I must explain, I am under a 500kv line, largest TVA runs so naturally I deduced that was the culprit, sure enough, I was told it was induced voltage and nothing I could do about it.  

Anyway, while installing the panels, I placed some water on the panels to make sure I had lifted the front enough for water runoff and the water just stayed there.  That was even after raising the front another 5 inches or so.  That is when I decided to check level.  It was over 6" low in the front, so I decided I would raise the front and add blocks underneath.  When I started raising the first corner I realised the leg had rotted out and sunk into the hole.  I stopped, ran more corner bracing and went home.

 

I decided I would try and replace the legs and raise the stand another couple/three feet instead of rebuilding it.  I made some supports with some 4x4s  drilling holes and using 10in nails as pins.  The thought was, that I would raise one corner at a time a couple inches until reaching the height I wanted (8').  It started well...

I managed to slowly raise the front and remove the old legs and get the supports under it.  I had the corners anchored and watched the straps for slack, indicating that it was leaning in that direction and tightened the opposite strap to bring it back.  When I began working on the rear, that was when one of the other legs decided to let go (it was rotted out in the cement).  The force was enough to send one of the pins sailing about 15', the stand went left, I dove right.  The stand did a pirouette and instead of landing on it's left side it landed on it's back.  So, luckily I foresaw the need for clear lanes of escape and I never got under it, always staying near a corner to have a way to move out of the way.

So, now, the roof is accesible so I can take the old stand apart and reassemble a new one.  This one lasted 5 years with the skinny legs, I already put in 4x6 for the new ones, going down 2' on each.  This one will be a 6x6 instead of 8x8 and will fix the things I seen wrong these last 5 seasons:

• Stronger legs, sunk deeper..obviously
• Smaller size, 8x8 was just too big
• A bit higher, 8ish feet vs 6', I think I'll get better vantage points.
• Plywood floor, no air from underneath 
• Tin roof over plywood vs shingled, it made a mess in my water barrels 
• Sliding windows vs raised
• Outside walls overlapping the floor so no water gets underneath 
• Painting everything before assembly, 360deg paint for better weathering and less ladder work. 
• Normal door vs hatch underneath...just too cumbersome 
• Bracing...haven't decided, the wire corner method actually did real well, the original wooden braces flexed too much
• Gravel or possibly slab underneath,  I sometimes shoot under the stand (100 yard hill to hill)

So, now at just about $400 for replacement lumber and other supplies, this one better last at least 10 years. As i said, it started well.

[RED333]

Glad you are OK and not under that thing! Get you some blocks to raise up the stand.

Remember where Service Merchandise main office was in Brentwood? Well there are parking lot light poles there under the TVA lines and if the ground went bad the induced voltage would get you every time.

[Ronald_55]

So is this on your own property or a lease?

[Omega]

19 minutes ago, Ronald_55 said:

So is this on your own property or a lease?

My place, it's only about 8 acres with the TVA line running the length of it and a gas line also making a v from the road.

[Ronald_55]

3 minutes ago, Omega said:

My place, it's only about 8 acres with the TVA line running the length of it and a gas line also making a v from the road.

So TVA and the gas company do your brush cleaning for you. lol Glad you did not end up as a pancake. Have you thought of putting metal roof as your walls? It might make it lighter overall. 

[Omega]

TVA used to bushhog every two years, maybe three but has since stopped doing it.  Now they just spray the trees that get too close to their demarcation line and the line guys (separate crew) spray around the towers.  So I bushhog my own place but mainly just down the access road, the two flatter spots at the entrance and down at the bottom where I have a shooting lane/food plot.  The place is overgrown with blackberries which I am trying to battle in the areas I want clear, but so far it is a losing battle.  If I come across a DR brush mower type thing I may have to give it some consideration, there are places I would like to cut a trail but it is too steep for my small Kubota.

 

Add:  I have decided on 1/2" plywood for the walls, not pressure treated but will be painted real thick.  The compressed wood panels lasted all this time and show very little wear, a few flecks here and there, but otherwise intact.  The Cabot paint is highly recommended, I got some mistinted for $10 a gl, best $10 bucks I have ever spent.  The metal might of worked but I am already leery of having too much metal out there due to the floating electricity. 

Edited June 8, 2017 by Omega

[Ronald_55]

3 minutes ago, Omega said:

TVA used to bushhog every two years, maybe three but has since stopped doing it.  Now they just spray the trees that get too close to their demarcation line and the line guys (separate crew) spray around the towers.  So I bushhog my own place but mainly just down the access road, the two flatter spots at the entrance and down at the bottom where I have a shooting lane/food plot.  The place is overgrown with blackberries which I am trying to battle in the areas I want clear, but so far it is a losing battle.  If I come across a DR brush mower type thing I may have to give it some consideration, there are places I would like to cut a trail but it is too steep for my small Kubota.

Guess it is cheaper to fill the ground full of chemicals than to cut the trees.

My dad bought one of those a while back to do some of the work on his land and on landscaping jobs. He loves it. I think he got it at tractor supply.

Equipment is expensive and having something you only need a few times a year is a pain. Thought of trading someone a few days hunting (or something else) to do the work with bigger equipment? Or do you not want anyone on there?

[Omega]

1 minute ago, Ronald_55 said:

Guess it is cheaper to fill the ground full of chemicals than to cut the trees.

My dad bought one of those a while back to do some of the work on his land and on landscaping jobs. He loves it. I think he got it at tractor supply.

Equipment is expensive and having something you only need a few times a year is a pain. Thought of trading someone a few days hunting (or something else) to do the work with bigger equipment? Or do you not want anyone on there?

If I know the person, no problem but would rather it stay relatively private.  That said, I do know some guys with tractors, I worked at Hutson, a JD dealership, for about a year.  Just never put much thought into it as I was busy doing other projects there.  I had a dozer plow the bottom two blades wide for the foodplot/shooting lane, flatten the spot for my stand and carve out a couple of pallet size niches into each side of the hills so I can leave stuff down there out of the dirt.  I also had some river rock dropped where I park my travel trailer because the leveling jacks froze to the ground last year.

I erected a metal tower for a gambrel adding a stainless steel shelf on one side, and a water barrel on a 3' table on the other as well, got tired of not having a built in gambrel.

[KahrMan]

There are places that rent the DR type mowers.  Pretty cheap way to get some work done if it is only going to take a day or two.

[Omega]

1 hour ago, KahrMan said:

There are places that rent the DR type mowers.  Pretty cheap way to get some work done if it is only going to take a day or two.

That is definitely an option if I find a local place, I would like to cut some trails for the deer to travel through to get me a better shot.  I only plan on cutting a few, and only once as from then on I will likely just spray the trails.  I'm torn about the berries, I really hate to maneuver around them but they do get eaten by animals, it's just that they don't stay put, they will take over the entire place if I let them.

[DWARREN123]

Because of the induced voltage any metal may corrode faster.

Hope it last 10 years or more for you.

[gjohnsoniv]

You could always spray with Triclopyr 4, it's good for woody plants, and I think it's good for blackberries. Never put it on them before though. Though you're still left with the dead plant so maybe it doesn't do you much good. 

[Omega]

Well, I'm about finished with the rebuild.  Took me awhile due to the heat and working alone but it was gratifying getting it done.  I sunk the 10' 4x6 legs 2' each using a bag of quick set cement and then topped it off with some old cement I had.  The old cement didn't set so had to dig it out, was like powdery gravel.  So I used some diy footing forms to put more cement around the legs, at least 6" above the ground.  

I used some large deck screw which are advertised as stronger than lag bolts on the corners and joists hangers for added strength. 

I decided on 42" wide windows on three sides and a 2'x6' door with a smaller window in the back.

Framed in the corners to hide the seam and further waterproof them, also framed in the window, mostly for esthetics but helps hold the rain guards too.

Wider windows and reducing it to a 6'×6' gives me a better view overall, should also help keep it warmer in there.

The metal roof, gutter and stairs still have me a bit worried, the downspout actually arcked across to the ladder but it didn't shock me, so I will probably run a ground wire to a rod.  There is a plywood layer under the metal roof so should stay dry inside, and keep the water cleaner in the barrels.

Now just have to finish cleaning up the debris around the stand and maybe pour cement footers for the metal staircase (on pavers now).  I might also add a small retaining wall behind the foot of the staircase to prevent erosion, should know more after all these rainstorms go by.

[Sunfish]

It wont be hard to direct the water around your stairs

[RED333]

Where is the kitchen sink? Nice job, keep the pics coming.

[jpx2rk]

Looks like you have been busy, hope you enjoy it for many years.

[monkeylizard]

Where's the hot tub?

 

Looks great!

[Omega]

Thanks guys, I too hope it lasts.  The last one was 5 years old, and if the posts would not of rotted out I bet it would of lasted at least another 5.  But it did have a few things that I wanted to do better so in the long run it worked out for the best.

As for the hot tub, my truck's temp gauge read 114deg so I bet I could of opened up one of those drums.

This project did give me some education though:

• Cement goes bad, even if it doesn't harden.
• My 5k generator won't run my 6gl air compressor.  I don't know which is at fault yet.
• A 7gl air tank at 120 psi will give me over 50 shots on an 18 gauge nailer.
• Lumber quality has greatly diminished lately, warped and cracks.
• Induced voltage, well, still learning more about that.