Been working on repairing and renovating these three conduit tower stands all summer. Storms have ripped earth anchors from the ground and toppled them a few times over the past 20 years. Hurricane Helene slammed them to the ground.

I have straightened, cut out bent/broken braces, built "feet" so the legs don't sink in ground, new plywood floors, and welded in new conduit bracing. Welding the thin EMT is slow go. The stand tops (the blind) were originally built without doors. So, I'm building doors for them with latches.

They will be wrapped in black silt fence and military leafy camo netting, bolted back to the platforms, painted OD green, and anchored with 7ft t-posts.

Almost done with them




[video:youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/N1BCIHv4mVM?[/video]

[video:youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/xB_cMLkVQj4?[/video]

I’m out. Not sure I’d even be comfortable sitting under one of those.

Very common stand type in the South. They are incredibly rigid with that bracing. These were originally built/bought 20 years ago.

Legs, bracing, and platform frame are 3/4".

Blind top is 1/2".

One is 10ft.
One is 10ft 10in.
One is 12ft.

You using the Georgia measurement system? 3 heights for only 2 stands... no wonder your poll countin is a mess!

One is still in my yard (see video..can see it in background). I've carried two of em to my hunting property as they are ready to paint. Don't want to spray in my yard due to overspray on the house and vehicles.

Do they get a lightning rod installed on them

Yeah...same kind they put in all metal deer stands....lol.

Do you deer hunt in thunderstorms?

Of course I hunt in thunderstorms.
The worse the weather, the more predictable the deer are

See my username

I hurt from the ground 75% of the time

When he gets kicked out of the house haha

Very nice swampy

I'm moving in that direction myself.

But, I hunt on a river that sometimes floods 8 or 10 feet above it's banks. Gotta get stands a little higher to lessen chance of them being damaged.

so mind talking amore about these an similar? I've heard old guys on pod casts mention making lock on and climber stands from conduit, never seen them do a full stand though. are these welded together or ?
o and this is just like the electric emt conduit you can buy at lowes right ? or are these commercially made

First tower stand I ever hunted from was made of scaffolding. Was in the the early 70s. It wobbled pretty badly.

For me the point of a tower blind is the ability to be warm and dry during bad weather. That rain and snow.

I have a soft spot for hunting in bad weather. When I was young and ate up with hunting I was also a union ironworker. Bad weather ment I got off work early. I went straight to the woods so spent a lot of bad weather days hunting. That equates to a lot of fond memories and successful bad weather hunts.

I would like a few elevated box blinds on the farm. Do t need a lot of height just enough to see over the weeds 8 feet would be fine. I never thought about using pipe

One more project for me if I ever buy that high frequency tig machine.

Yes....professionally welded with MIG when originally built by a welding instructor at a local tech school (friend of mine.)

Yes....same conduit (emt) that can be bought at Lowe's or Home Depot. Again, this is emt not the thicker more expensive stuff.

All my repairs, new braces, and the new doors/latches I've done with the Harbor Freight Titanium 125 with .030 flux core wire. Have to run a very low setting on heat and wire. Mostly tack welding but done right it looks like stacking dimes and is strong.

If you're an impatient welder...go with thicker material.

PS...I would not build/hunt from a lock-on or climber made out of emt.

Subaru exhaust pipe

I hunted near one that I nicknamed Texas.
That name stuck. In bad weather they would
rotate from there to bonfire to barn to truck and back.
Those boys n girls killed deer.

Yes they need work.
When the old boy moved on the stand and an
old cherry tree became ivy choked.
The cherry kaplowied the stand.

I asked if there was cable tv in there? lol

LOL!! These made me laugh!