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2022 Deer Stand Project New Craig's Stand Part 3

 

September 26, 2022

  Step 3  New Craig's Stand

Construction

With the base on the back of the trailer, raised up about 8-inches, I inserted the two lower legs.

   I raised the base about 8-inches off the end on the trailer. Using a spare length of 2x6, wedged under a 2x4 spanning the width of the trailer perpendicular to it, I screwed it to the base so it wouldn't fall forward from the weight of the legs nor fall backward as I maneuvered legs into it.

   Using two drill guns, one to drill holes and one to drive lag screws, I drilled a 5/16th inch pilot hole for each of the 3/8th inch diameter two-inch lag screws to secure the legs to the risers. Then doing the same thing attached 2x4x10 cross members top to bottom of each. Below.


   A few days earlier, I had watched the video I had linked in the first blog post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TPDGaIj4sY  and remembered the trick they used to perform the next step of the process of putting on the overhead third and fourth legs. They had screwed a loose 2x4x10' to the 4x4 leg that would follow the leg up as they lifted it and then temporarily support it as it was lagged into the riser. It worked after the second try; when, during the first attempt to lift the 50-60 pound post and position it in the riser, it pulled out of the riser and pinched the middle finger of my left hand. The old guy had to use another band aid ...

  
Coulda been worse. Now, where was I?

 
 

Secured with the support and lag screws into the riser, I set to attach the cross members.
   
A good place to quit for the night, even the geese have stopped flying overhead.


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