Portable tower stand

[chickenlittle]

Here are some photos of a portable tower stand we made 5 or 6 years ago. Much of it was made with stuff we had on hand. 2 telephone poles are the skiddable base. The tower sits on pressure treated 4x6 cross-pieces. The 4x6 sit in notches in poles and are bolted through the poles. At each end, the poles are also tied together with tension cables and 4x4s. Uprights are 4x4x16' with 2x4 diagonal bracing. Simple building with 2x4 and OSB sheathing and tar paper exterior. Old windows flip up on top-mounted hinges. String runs up to the rafter and into the building for lifting the windows and tying off. Plastic roof panels. Many simpson strong-tie brackets used for good margin. Floor and walls are carpeted and shooting rails added later. There is a trapdoor entrance in the floor. We put a door in on end but decided it did not work well and it has never been used.

We do not move it much, once every year or two, jack it up and level it on some blocks. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the center of gravity so it was safely portable but still add extra weight low when moving it. We usually have it situated so the low side of the roof faces the prevailing wind.

Generally happy with it. We went a little cheap on things like using an old roll of tar paper instead of figuring out a better solution. It tore off one side this summer. I think sliding windows would be better. The roof was hard to install. I initially thought we'd build another but we have not gotten around to it. Was thinking about make a stationary tower this year but got too busy with tree planting.

 

[tooln]

Looks good.

 

[dipper]

I get a little overhang but that roof is huge. Is that string on the windows hooked up to some pulleys. I have stand I rigged to pulleys on the inside, with scrape metal on the ends. When the window is unlatched the weight of the metal opens the window. It's slick

 

[phil@thesidehill]

looks great especially for materials you had laying around and repurposed material.

 

[tooln]

Do the windows open up and out with the rope?

 

[chickenlittle]

Since the exterior was just old tar paper, the roof overhang helps keep it a little drier. Also we didn't need to cut down any of the 2x4s or the plastic roof panels this way. It was more weight and wing up top that I would prefer but it has done ok.

The windows are hinged along the top on the outside. The string at the bottom of the window runs up to an eye hook at the end of the rafter and through another eye hook at the gap between the roof and sides. So eye screws instead of pulleys. We unlatch the windows from the inside and pull the string in to raise the window. There are some hooks in the ceiling that string can attach to. Easy enough to change the angle of the window by tying a new loop in the string. We initially used some baler twine but that only lasted a year and we replaced those heavier string. I think sliding windows would be better and we might get around to changing the windows someday.