Recycling igloo blind build 1

[3rdShot]

From the thread about a month ago, here is my build along for the first of two blinds made from the City of Dallas surplus recycling igloos.

The shell of the igloo is just over 5' in diameter, and a little over 5' tall.

Originally they had big steel rings at the top, with a cable running down to the bomb-bay style doors as the bottom/floor.

[3rdShot]

First thing done was to strip all the hardware off the shell, leaving just the shell with no bottom and the open holes in the top.

[3rdShot]

Next was to build a square base of treated 2X10's to lift the shell up to make it a bit taller inside, I'm 6'2". I used my skil saw to cut the angles into treated 2X4's to cover the half moon shape gaps created when the shell was put on top of the 48" square base.

[3rdShot]

Next up was to seal the holes in the top. Cheap and ugly...sheet metal screwed over the holes with almost 2 tubes of silicone caulk around the edges. On the next build I plan to try my hand with a fiberglass repair kit to make that one pretty. A couple of days after applying the silicone, I used a can of the GreatStuff expanding foam and a putty knife to put a coat over the edges of the sheet metal.

I also started spray painting the shell to cover over the original blue color.

[3rdShot]

Next was to start cutting the door and shooting windows. The abrasive blade I put on the skil saw cut through the shell like a hot knife through butter, leaving a fairly smooth edge. I cut the hinge edge cut first, then screwed on the hinges to make sure the door would open and close to it's original position once the remaining cuts around the door were done.

[3rdShot]

I forgot a step...in talking this build over with the other guy on my lease, he said it needed a floor to keep snakes out (he's petrified of them), so as seen in the picture above...I made a 2X4 frame to match the measurements of the 2X10 base, and installed a floor that is supported on 2X4's on 12" centers.

[3rdShot]

I decided on shooting windows measuring about 14" tall by 10" wide, hinges at the bottom and eye hooks at the top.

[3rdShot]

Finished the outside painting a couple of days ago, and put it in place at the lease this morning, at the base of a hillside that comes down to a pond, put the blind on the SE corner of the pond dam.
A trail runs from the NW side of the pond, to the SSE past the feeder, there is heavy brush behind the blind, 22 yards to the feeder, about 65 yards to the far edge of the pond (easy shooing distance for my son and his .243). Any wind except a rare NE wind will work for this setup.

On the next trip up there, I may shoot some paint on the base boards of the blind, but that's about it for this one.

Can't wait for bow season!

[coachwhip]

Looking good, well worth the effort!

[perow]

Thanks some good ideas for mine-did you sand it down before paint?

[AndyRealtree]

I can dig it

[3rdShot]

Thanks some good ideas for mine-did you sand it down before paint?

No, just wiped it down with a rag to get the dust off, and shot the brown and black primer spray paint on it. I needed to get this one out of the back yard, so this was a quick and dirty build. The next one, that is sitting on my trailer now, I will be able to spend a little more time on.

[windwalker]

Looks good. Would also make a good in ground blind

[brrdnk]

Outstanding job.

[Mayhem]

Just got mine today and I will start working on it Friday night.