Skinning stand upgrade

[osage outlaw]

I built this deer skinning stand 21 years ago when I was 19.  I even set the poles by hand without any help.  I used scrap treated wood for the deck.  By my estimation, it's held over 80 deer.  It's due for an upgrade.  I figure if I build it out of wood again it will need to be replaced when I'm in my 60's.  So I'm doing my future self a favor and building it out of galvanized steel.  Even the deck.  I'm going to put down some kind of anti slip adhesive strips so it won't be too slippery when it's wet.  I was thinking of pouring a concrete pad but figured it would be cheaper and less work to use galvanized channel.


The original.  My dad hasn't done a very good job of keeping it trimmed around it.  The stand is behind his garage. 






 I picked up a load of steel today.  The channel pieces are 24' long.  I had a little bit of overhang.  I'm going to bolt the I-beams together for the uprights.

[Pat B]

That one will be around for your great, great grand kids.  Are you going to bolt it together or weld?

[Hawkdancer]

Looks like that will be good even for a moose!  And it will confound the hell out of anthropolists a 100 years from now!  Be sure to leave a rabbit bone nearby for a great false clue !
Hawkdancer

[Pappy]

Nothing like a good place to skin and care for deer, looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
 Pappy

[osage outlaw]

That one will be around for your great, great grand kids.  Are you going to bolt it together or weld?

I'm planning on bolting it together Pat.  I told my daughter if she has kids they will be able to use it until they are too old to hunt.

[TimBo]

"And it will confound the hell out of anthropolists a 100 years from now!"

Clearly it had some sort of ceremonial or religious purpose.  Perhaps the early 21st century bowyers used it to suspend themselves upside down until they had a vision of where to remove that last bit of wood for perfect tiller...

[Russ]

"And it will confound the hell out of anthropolists a 100 years from now!"

Clearly it had some sort of ceremonial or religious purpose.  Perhaps the early 21st century bowyers used it to suspend themselves upside down until they had a vision of where to remove that last bit of wood for perfect tiller...

hahahahahah!!! that cracked me up!!   

[Hawkdancer]

I think we are just getting started!  Could also serve as a swing set in the off season!
Hawkdancer

[Piddler]

Make it wide enough and you can pull engines. My A frame doubles as a skinning stand.

[osage outlaw]

I didn't make much progress today.  I had other irons in the fire.  I unbolted all of the small pieces of I beam from the longer lengths.  I'm going to cut the short pieces in half longways and use them for the side plates when I build the vertical beams.  I saved the nuts and bolts to reuse.  It's starting to look more like building supplies and less like a load of scrap metal.
 

[Pat B]

This is gonna be fun. 

[osage outlaw]

I made a lot of progress today.  I ripped out the old deck.  It was easy because the boards were rotten.  I ripped it apart by hand it was so bad.  I trimmed the area up so I could work.




Then the top steal beam came down.  The tops of the poles are in bad shape.




My Dad helped me drill all the holes in the I-beams and plates.




Bolted together and ready to stand up. 




I tried lifting one by hand.  I got one end above my head but couldn't walk it up.  It was way too heavy.  I looked the situation over and decided to use a snatch block and a winch.  It worked great.  I'm glad I didn't cut down the old poles yet.




I chained the winch to a nearby tree.  That set up worked slick.  I used the remote for the winch and had a rope tied to the beam to guide it as it went into place.  It was a fine piece of redneck engineering.




Both beams in the holes!




Got them leveled and ready to pour concrete tomorrow.  The top beam is put up but it's not level.  I need to drill a new hole and fix it tomorrow.  I tried using existing holes in the beams and it didn't work out like I hoped.  Everything went really smooth.  I think the hard part is done.  I'm going to start on the deck tomorrow. 

[Pat B]

Looking good, Clint. 

[Hawkdancer]

Nice going!
Hawkdancer

[chamookman]

Sweet ! Cool project  - Bob