Bought a welder Climbing stick project

For all the things we make ourselves for the outdoor world that are not covered in the other specific DIY area.
Message
Author
Ron Kulas
Posts: 657
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:33 am

Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#1 Post by Ron Kulas »

Not every project needs to be a sewing project. Some projects have a little more testosterone. I have several projects requiring welding so when welders went on sale at Farm and Fleet I was all over it. I got a tank of 75/25 gas as well. There is a local steel place that sells every shape and size imaginable and at reasonable prices.

I bought up some 1/8 inch sheet stock to make a suitable welding surface framed with 1 ½ x 1 ½ x 1/8 angle and converted an old gas grill cart/frame into a welding table. I bought some 24 foot sticks of 1 x 1 16 ga square tube and a bunch of angle and rod.

Image

Image

The first project was making more trail cam boxes. So that’s what I did. I made a few last year by borrowing a friends welder. Those cams and boxes are up north on bear baits right now.

Image

The next project is climbing sticks. I bought a set last year and found them perfect for one of my leases and since I like making stuff and wanted more of them, I copied the ones I bought. Each section is 4 feet in length.

The steps will have drain holes at the weld joint to let ran water out since the tube ends are not sealed. The sticks I bought last year did not have this feature.

Image

Since the tubes insert inside one another as you climb I had to make a tool to crush the tube ends in my vise.

Image

Image

Image

The brace from the sticks to the tree is ½ rod and ¼ rod.

Image

After welding the sticks are cleaned up to remove all the hot rolled mill scale prior to painting.

Image

The sticks will be attached to the tree with webbing a cam buckles. I found a low cost source online as well as 50 feet of webbing.

Image

Ok so I guess every project ends up as a sewing project. I get a lot of use out of this machine for hunting gear.

Image

One down, lots more to go. 5 Sticks will get me up 20 feet.

Image

Image

Image
The Joy is in the doing.

Carpdaddy
Site Admin
Posts: 9469
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:36 pm

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#2 Post by Carpdaddy »

Nice! Untelling what you will come up with now that you have a welder!

Captainkirk
Site Admin
Posts: 12787
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#3 Post by Captainkirk »

Leonardo strikes again! A true Renaissance man, I tell ya!
Nice work, Ron!
Aim small, miss small!

User avatar
White Falcon
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 11:47 am

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#4 Post by White Falcon »

Nice! Got a pic of the shrinking tool you made?

User avatar
Shadowhntr
Posts: 4614
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:47 pm

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#5 Post by Shadowhntr »

Ugh....more welding. I do it so often at work its hard to get excited, but making hunting stuff (or trapping stuff) certainly helps.
I'd like to see how you crushed the tubing as well.
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

Captainkirk
Site Admin
Posts: 12787
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#6 Post by Captainkirk »

White Falcon wrote:Nice! Got a pic of the shrinking tool you made?
Dunno...mebbe he shrunk himself! He's been AWOL quite a while now...although with everything he's got going on I don't know when he finds time to sleep...
Attachments
Honey I shrunk the kids.jpg
Honey I shrunk the kids.jpg (14.47 KiB) Viewed 2433 times
Aim small, miss small!

Ron Kulas
Posts: 657
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:33 am

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#7 Post by Ron Kulas »

I do not have a pic. I simply made a welded set of crushers that look like the letter "L" with a blade welded to the vertical leg of the L. I put the two in my vice so they hang on the jaws and placed the tubing between the crushers and cranked the vice closed and then opened the vice and turned the tube 90 degrees and crushed the other two walls. Hydraulics would have been better but I made do with what I had.
The Joy is in the doing.

Captainkirk
Site Admin
Posts: 12787
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#8 Post by Captainkirk »

I worked pretty well, obviously!
Aim small, miss small!

Carpdaddy
Site Admin
Posts: 9469
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:36 pm

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#9 Post by Carpdaddy »

Ever since Ron has been on here I have just wanted to move next door to him, he is handy as a pocket on a shirt!

Ron Kulas
Posts: 657
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:33 am

Re: Bought a welder Climbing stick project

#10 Post by Ron Kulas »

Thanks but he is so damn busy even his wife has to schedule an appointment to see him. Ive been feeling a bit guilty about my work load so for our anniversary, I told her I'm taking her to Hawaii for a week in Feb of 2018. She loves the sun and the beach and the water. I do not but did you know you can bowhunt year round in Hawaii??? We will be on the island of kuia so I will take a few days to target the local critters.
The Joy is in the doing.

Post Reply

Return to “DIY section”