Homemade Platform Feeder

[texasryan9]

I found myself in need of a new feeder at the lease to accomodate my ideal tree stand location.

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on some wrought iron gates, starting with this:


Here's the early stages of the frame:


Leg brackets on:


Barrell on:


The first mock up with the legs:


Now all I have to do is add the expanded metal to the top for the platform and add a ladder on the end and we will be ready for some paint!!! Obviously, once the paint is on I can add the motor and solar panel.

What do you guys think?

[windwalker]

Looks good so far

[zcole04]

Looking good.

[Reaper]

lookin good

[Lethal Injection]

So far looks good, I would make it taller and what are you going to use for a ladder?

Also what did you use for legs, from the pic it looks like perforated galv angle iron and if that is the case it will not hold much weight without twisting as I have been down that road before.

[TexasAggie04]

Looks good!

[texasryan9]

So far looks good, I would make it taller and what are you going to use for a ladder?

Also what did you use for legs, from the pic it looks like perforated galv angle iron and if that is the case it will not hold much weight without twisting as I have been down that road before.

The platform is right at 5' high - what I was aiming for in order to get the bags of feed up on the platform from ground level (I am a bit on the short side).

I plan on fabricating a ladder to be removable for transport (like the legs are).

Legs are made from 2" galvanized perforated square tubing. I used the step ladder to get up there for the mock up and it held my 200lb. self with no problem. Now I know that the 55 gallon barrel will hold 6 bags of corn @ 50lbs. each - that's 300 lbs.

I'm not worried - she's definitely sturdy enough.

[Lethal Injection]

Legs are made from 2" galvanized perforated square tubing.

If it is the square tubing it should be plenty strong, we used to get alot of 2" perforated galv angle iron on one of my previous jobs for cheap. The angle iron was just too thin and would twist and collapse.

[blacksunshine]

looks good but wondering about the stability with the legs being flat on the ends instead of pyramidical...or however you want to describe it...I would flare them all outward which would make it more stable than it is with all the weight being on that one end...or just pull those legs out....did that make sense?

[crunchtime]

Nice.