i built this stand the other day out of old scap wood and stuff i could find around the house. As i kept building it it got more and more elaborate! and heavier! after 4 hrs i got it up the tree! All 247 lbs! what can i do to make it more stable? it's about 20' up the tree. in the picture theres a 22' extention ladder next to the tree fully extended to show how high it is! i dont want this to give out while im up there!

Good job but we cannot conect ours to the tree .

200+ plus pounds nearly 250?? that thing is both an engineering and structural nightmare!!! I wouldn;t let anyone climb up in it it has no/very little support...and what it does have is not safe...you need at least 3 points of support from the ground up with that kind of weight and those supports need to be at least 4x4 and braced...next I can't tell how you fastened it to the tree but there is just not enough surface to generate the strength needed here...my suggestion..scrap that Idea and start over before you get your self dead in a pile of rubble...do a webb search for home made ladder stands...or even a tower stand...

I have left my thoughts under the post of PLEASE HELP, opened by amcquady.

More stable? Set it on the ground. I wouldn't be caught dead climbing in that death-trap.

Dude, I've got to agree, that monstrosity is an accident waiting to happen!!!!!!!

Darwin award???

AMC, all kidding aside, I can't see enough of the total framework to say for sure, but from what I do see, I've got one word for ya.

SCAREY!!!

I should add that I do respect the effort, but I'm also glad that I won't be climbing into that thing, although I probably would have at your age

Good luck brother

amc buddy, like TT's, RT, Lunker and others, including myself over the phone to you stated, that thing is D A N G E R O U S to use AS is. Do you see that? It's ALL of us wave'n  a finger at ya and shake'n our heads as in "No, No, NOOOOO!!!!" And Two Tales said it right and just like I told you on the phone, it has GOT to have at the minimum THREE more support braces. Now, all ya have to do is get the lumber I suggested along with all the supporting braces and you'll have a mighty fine stand. And DO NOT use those nailed in foot boards. Think of it this way Aaron. If you ever fall out of that tree and you break your neck or worse, get dead, what are your kids gonna do without you there. You'd like to be there for their first date, prom and wedding wouldn't you? Of course you would and so would they. I'm sure you get the message by now. And I'm mailing out that safety harness I had laying around tomorrow or Tuesday. I actually have two extra so I'm sending them both in case your better half wants to tag along on a hunt and to make sure you wear the damned thing

Oh man...  post your wifes address so we can send condolence cards. Personally, I hunt from the ground but even if I didn't, there's NFW you'd get me up in that thing!  I blew up the first shot, is that ONE 2X6 holding that up???

ok well im gonna work on it and put some more pictures on here after i get it done! thanks for the advise!

ok im gonna take it down and have a ground blind instead!!

Thank you AMC, now I'll be able to sleep during the upcoming season

If you still want an elevated box blind find some pressure treated 4x4s some 2x6s and some 3 inch lag bolts..build the tower (I recomend no more than 10 foot) and secure the box to the top of the tower then anchor the tower to the ground...make sure it sits level...using it as a ground blind should work swell for ya though..keeps the rain and wind off ya..and with a small heater (well ventialated, no, really well ventalated) it would be toasty as all get out...

That's a Darwin award waiting to happen!!! Man my you know what tightened up on that one!!!

That certainly is interesting to say the least. I am in the process of putting up a homemade stand as we speak. However I'm not a fan of nailing to trees as it can kill them and years down the road if it does survive someone will be really poed when they cut it down and either get their saw chain ruined by hitting a nail or worse yet a timber buyer doesn't want it because it is damaged. I put mine in among the trees but is built on 4x6 14' treated posts and anchored with steel posts drivin into the ground and #9 wire looped and twisted to work as guide wires. You have a good start there but I agree with the rest on here put some stilts on it at least. It's not worth risking injury and embarressment when it comes tumbling down and your on the 2011 darwin award list. If I knew how to put pics on here I would show you how mine is so far. If someone could help me there I'd be glad to share.

very cool.... just make sure you got it held togeather well! dont fall out!!!

gobrian, if you saved your pics to your computer, go to photobucket, sign up (it's free) and upload your pics to that site. Then all you have to do is download which pics you want to share here, copy it and then paste it here. That's how I do it. Or if you can send them to me thru email and I'll do it for you. I'll shoot you my email in a pm. What you say?

The simplest method to post pics here is to first hit the add reply button, rather than the quick reply. Then go under the posting box and click on the attachments button. This will bring up a browse box where you can click onto browse and access all pics that are in your personal files in your computer. You will probably have to downsize the pics in order to get them to fit the parameters of the site. Usually I will reduce them by 50%, TWICE, and that will allow them to post. After they have been accepted another box will pop up and just select the "display", and voila, your pics will show up along with whatever you typed in your post!!!!!!!

I've never been able to get the photobucket thing to work for me on any site I've tried to forward the pics to from photobucket, all I can do is send the pics in e-mails to individuals if I know their e-mail addy!!!!!!!

Thanks grizzly that would be great! Thanks also rthomas4! I'll probably try starting a new thread for mine and hopefully get it posted today. I'd love so see what fellow hunters and outdoorsman think of my monstrosity! Thanks again all.