Pole ladder

[HillCountryHoyt]

OK...fellow TBHunters, I need a little help. I want to build the lightest weight Pole Ladder I can to fill feeders with, lean up against trees, etc...but I need it to be safe. I have attached a sketch of the ladder, but I need to get these questions answered before I start.

1. What is the lightest gage metal (alum or steel) can be used to hold 300#. I do not weight 300#, but I am 6'2", 250#...so with a bag of corn I will be pushing limits.

2. Pipe or Tube Steel?

3. What is the max angle it can lean...I assume 45-degrees or less.

4. What is the best rung material? Size? Spacing?

I can weld and have access to alum or steel pipe / tubing.

The last thing I want to do is build it, lean it up to a tree, start to climb up and it folds like a taco.

Any Structural Engineers out there? Thank you in advance for the help.

[Wayno]

I would get a joint of electrical conduit (1"-1.5") or chainlink fence top rail and weld flat bar or small angle iron for rungs. We've done this in building tripods. The biggest thing for you is going to be having a longer rung at the bottom to stabilize it and keep it from trying to spin on you.

[HillCountryHoyt]

Thanks...do you think it will hold 300#?

[Wayno]

I'm very confident the tripods we've built would hold 300#, of course they are braced at the top and middle and grounded at the bottom. I still think they would hold it in your case as long as you can take care of the stabilization issues.

[mpotts]

put a foot across the bottom so it wont turn and throw you off

[kmitchl]

Looks like the best outcome of this design is a trip to to the ER. This type of ladder is found on tripods but they are anchored where they will not rotate. This allows them to be very light. I would not consider using one as a stand alone ladder.

[Wayno]

Looks like the best outcome of this design is a trip to to the ER. This type of ladder is found on tripods but they are anchored where they will not rotate. This allows them to be very light. I would not consider using one as a stand alone ladder.

I definitely agree with this comment, and being an engineer, for liability purposes, let me clarify my comments above. In no way was I trying to provide a design especially regarding stability. Also, I'm a civil engineer, not a structural engineer.

[HillCountryHoyt]

Thanks for the input. I would never hold anyone accountable or liable for some friendly advise.

[Ol Thumper]

What's missing from that pic is said 300 pound man laying on ground with 50 pound bag of corn on his head.

However if I was heck bent on building one it would be out of 2" 14g square tubing with a triangle build on the bottom 3 feet for stability.. And then I would recruit someone else to fill my feeders with ladder

[Muzzy4blade]

What's missing from that pic is said 300 pound man laying on ground with 50 pound bag of corn on his head.

However if I was heck bent on building one it would be out of 2" 14g square tubing with a triangle build on the bottom 3 feet for stability.. And then I would recruit someone else to fill my feeders with ladder

Was thinking the same thing. With what corn cost these days don't open the bag until you are ready to dump it....lol