IanF Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 Hi Folks, Posted this else-where & thought it may be of interest! There are many of you who use high-seats for deer & fox, & I am sure you all religiously check the condition of these before each season. Errrr, yeah! Thing is, we have a duty of care and any seat erected has either got a regular inspection & report - or there is the high potential for problems. Our laws mean that any person who hurts themselves, has a claim against the land-owner - irrespective of whether they had authority to be using the seat at the time. Accordingly, all you can do is attach warning signs & have an inspection report filed against the potential of an incident. In the last five years or so, there have been a few outlets selling 'cheap' Chinese manufactured high-seats. They are cheap for a reason & may not stand up to prolonged exposure to our climate. Pity really, as that is what they are sold for! The following pictures show what I discovered when replacing a five year old 'budget' seat on a new permission. Hidden by the camouflage netting, EVERY major load bearing joint had rotted from within, the seat literally falling to pieces when the support straps were removed! You can imagine the potential for serious injury! Having quite a few seats across the country, I am definitely a fan of the robust construction and reasonable price of stands constructed of treated timber. They are not difficult to construct & I have a few favourite designs, dependent on whether a lean-to / free-stander / box-blind or low seat is needed on the ground As a company, we run regular construction and usage courses (blatant plug ) which makes for a great day in the company of other shooters. The main benefit is that you come away with an understanding of the factors that affect the siting, construction and effective usage of high-seats for deer & fox control. You also get full cutting lists for each of the different stands to allow you to construct your own as needed. A light-hearted stalkers shoot finishes an excellent day. If this interests you, do get in touch & we can discuss some dates - in the meantime, check your high-seats! Rgds Ian www.farringtonds.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 Ian I'd check your diary again, that seat looks older than the Arc !!!. Unbelievable in such a short time, I'll check mine tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clydebuilt Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 These "imports" are indeed very poor quality steel and you won't know it unless inspected regularly, especially when they rot from the inside out and by then it's too late. ...that big 6 point buck turns broadside on at 100 yards, safety off, breathe, squeeze...SNAP...foot through a rung or collapsed support bracket....a 243 100grain soft point is out the barrel & winging it's way between 3500 to 5500 metres away depending on firing angle into the air... aye, ooops, sorry officer....£99 they are a real bargain eh You do get what you pay for and we now go for 4" x 2" hand built jobs, yes, a bit more maintenance required but a sight better than the imports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 For those with existing steel structures, maybe drill some holes to let water train from vertical tubes and drill on the underside of horizontal tubes to let the condensation breathe and dry out. Get some airflow. Not an answer but it will help a little (especially for 5 minutes with a drill). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malantone Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 Made mine out of 2 x 2 x 1/4 angle iron takes two to carry them but they`re strong and safe, wouldn`t touch tube construction, you can see why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) it does beg the question as to why in the last picture you stood on the thing with both feet though! :blink: Edited June 21, 2011 by gixer1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilver Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Hi Ian Was that the £100 seat from the sportsman , I have recently bought one for next season but will treat the areas that your seat has failed before putting it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 it does beg the question as to why in the last picture you stood on the thing with both feet though! :blink: How the Hell did he manage to take a picture of the UNDERSIDE of his boots then? He didn't stand on it! He'd be risking life and limb! He sent the boy up there obviously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjimlad Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 The Datsun Cherry of the high seat world ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 The Datsun Cherry of the high seat world ! indeed looks like a job for a drill and a can of acf50 before putting them out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick miller Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I thought some 3M cavity wax instead. Good gloopy gear that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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