This is where I'm at for now.

Will probably go get the siding, and the rest of the materials I need tomorrow.

I used the cheapest, and smallest lumber I could for the frame in order to cut down on expense, and weight.

The hexagon floor base is made from 2"X2" pine boards, and all gusseted.

The deck is made from 3/4" sub flooring plywood.

The wall studs are 1"x2"X8', and double set at each corner.

The top hexagon is the same as the bottom

Sides - 4 ft

Height - 8 ft

Side to opposing side - 6.9282 ft

Corner to opposing corner - 8 ft

Area - 51.5692 ft

More to come as I get the siding, and roof materials for it.

Rick

Hunting gazebo;)

That is going to be a dandy.

Got the side panels on today.

It's solid as a rock.

Probably won't take any more pictures, until I get the widows cut in, and them & the door framed.

Rick

The door is 2ft wide X 6ft tall.

Rick

You can see, that I added one more 1" X 2" stud right in the corner where the plywood siding come together. That added some serious stability, and allowed me to pull all the siding seams together real good.

Rick

This is hands down the sorriest wood I have ever worked with, but it saved me a little over $100.

Rick

Looks good Rick.

What size windows are you going to put in it?

Thanks Frank.

Windows will be 18" wide.

The bottom of the windows are going to start about 4" above setting knee level, but I haven't decided on how tall yet.

I've got a plan for how I am going to paint it, that will help hide the windows real well even when open.

Rick

I'm interested in seeing it completed and setting in place.

You going to brush it in or try to camo paint it or just set it up in the Home Depot lumber isle and hope it blends in???

[[[ You going to brush it in or try to camo paint it or just set it up in the Home Depot lumber isle and hope it blends in??? ]]]

Both camo paint, and brush.

Rick

Thanks for posting Rick. I have a few to build and am taking notes.

Rick- here is one we did a long time ago

to take up the mountain in the cold late season

mr buddy heater

worked ok

rick here is my old blind i made for along our creek , not fancy and could have been bigger but i've taken 3 deer from itin the last 4 years. i sure wish i'd have made it 6x6 instead of 4x4, but it works with my bear super mag.

My exterior camo paint will be something similar to this.

The interior will be all black.

The dotted line rectangle shows where the actual widow will be.

I am also going to put black see through netting split curtains over them on the inside.

It will be set into a tree mot, and I will probably brush it in some as well.

Rick

Damn those are houses. LOL

wouldn't want to be anywhere else in iowa late season. my little buddy heater in there is a life saver! lol

I saw one similar built right on the trailer frame. He gun hunted out of it & hooked up and moved it now & then to cover different roads & senderios. I could have camped in it & not left a sent trail coming & going. >>>----> Ken

I'll be getting a buddy heater for sure.

AND, I may be getting a battery power evaporative cooler. :-D

Rick

Rick, that heater may get used 1-2 times a year, but that cooler... EVERYDAY you sit. My boss had Boss blinds build us a few taller boxes. They are nice, but you could cook a whole side of beef in those things. Let me know how the cooler works out. Still looking for that solution myself.

-Bones

It appears you have constructed the perfect Texas deer stand. A cooler for October and heater for December, outstanding.

how much $ do you have in materials nowadays?

[[[ how much $ do you have in materials nowadays? ]]]

All toll for the whole build is a little less than $500, but I went really cheap on most of the lumber.

The cheap lumber is no big deal due to the way I built it. It's plenty stout enough to survive the weather, and other elements for the rest of my life, excluding of course any major weather events like a tornado. Plus, it will be easy to repair if anything minor happens to it.

Since the popup blinds I use are almost always around $300, and only really last a couple of years, I figure I'll be saving lots of money over time.

Rick

Progress update: Got all of the framing done, including the umbrella trusses for the roof.

Got the door, and all of the windows installed, and trimmed. Got it all caulked up inside & out.

Now it's time to paint. I won't put the roof covering on until I have it all painted both inside & out, including the bottom. Not going to leave any exposed wood at all.

Also installed some lifting handles on opposing sides, and my Son & I can lift & carry it fairly easily.

Rick

Pretty slick.

What are you going to use for roofing?

[[[ Pretty slick.

What are you going to use for roofing? ]]]

Thanks Frank.

I am going to stretch 4 layers of 12 mil black plastic over the trusses (seamless), and down over the sides about 6 inches creating an umbrella style roof. It don't look it, but there is a 6 inch drop/grade from top center to the top of the walls, so it will run water off nicely.

Going to staple some carpet pieces on the corners to keep them from digging into the plastic. Once I get the plastic all stretched tight, and stapled down I am then going to trim it with a 1" X 2" board on the sides all the way around for added security in the anchoring of the plastic.

Once I have the plastic roof on I'll do the last bit of painting, which will include painting the top of the plastic green, to add some stability, and hopefully cut down on the heat the black would produce.

Rick

I wonder if pond liner would last longer?

You used to be able to buy hete at Lowe's by the foot.

Are you going to put foam insulation in it?

I'm also looking around for a small solar generator.

Going to use it for permanent installed lighting, AND I may put one of those little battery powered portable evaporative coolers in it.

Reminds me of that topic titled: "All Day Set" :-D

Rick

[[[ I wonder if pond liner would last longer?

You used to be able to buy hete at Lowe's by the foot.

Are you going to put foam insulation in it? ]]]

A pond liner would work real well, but very expensive. 12 mil plastic is some tough stuff also though.

No insulation for now. I'm gonna wait to see how comfortable I can be in it. If not comfortable enough then I will panel the inside with foam sometime down the road. I was able to stay plenty comfortable in my popup blinds though, so I doubt I'll need the insulation.

Rick

Lol!

12mil. plastic is tough. And if you put multiple layers....then it likely will be a better bang for the buck.

Pretty nice, I dig it.

Got it all painted.

Outside green, with a black broken pattern covering the window openings, and all black on the inside.

The idea there is, that when a window is opened, the appearance isn't changed any.

Got some good thick foam stapled onto the sharp corners to keep them from ripping the plastic roof.

Roof goes on next.

Rick

I was running out of black paint, so the inside coverage is thin & streaky. Won't matter. :-)

Rick

Looks good.

Roof is on. It's multiple layers of black plastic. All trimmed, caulked, and anchored with 1" X 2" boards around the sides.

Also did a little final contrast/breakup pattern painting.

All I have left now is some interior work such as window shades/curtains, some window gaskets, and some draw cords for opening, and closing the windows easily from a setting position.

Rick

Some fellers build them a man cave to drink beer, and watch TV.

I build mine to hunt from. :D

Rick

I know a guy who builds these, he uses a 7 foot satellite dish for the roof of his six footer.

I have an end of a 7' fiber glass tank that I plan to use. And I have a spare boat trailer. to make it portable.

looks pretty cool

Got the widow curtains done. You can see out from the inside, but you can't see in from the outside. :-)

Widow seals, and rubber floor mat, and she'll be ready to set.

Rick

I used black lawn & garden shade screen for the curtails. Works even better than I expected it to.

Rick

"Curtains". Not curtails. LOL

Rick

You did a great build along, wish I lived closer or you lived closer so maybe I could test it out, But you will have to show how well it works on the game you hunt, looking forward to your hunts Rick

Looks like that'll work.

When are you going to set it out?

Thank Wayne. I'll get pictures of it set in place, and of course will be taking pictures & video when hunting.

Hopefully next weekend Frank. Want to get it set, and a feeder going so I can start sticking some pigs.

Rick

Rick, you've inspired me to get off my butt and start working on my 3 blinds. I'll admit my wife has completely different names for them but she just doesn't get it since she's not a hunter. I was hoping you might give me some ideas on how to finish them out cause so far your's looks great. This first one, she calls the bunkhouse, something about where we have lots of bunkbeds and the family stays there when they visit...we know the real purpose, its a blind! So far the pink flamingo is all I've done, sort of a confidence decoy if you will...Any thoughts on improving it?

This next one I think will be a bit easier. Silly girl calls this our home but what does she know! Thinking I may just let the bushes grow for a few years and set a tree stand on the front porch looking thing on the front. Any thoughts?

Craig - TV, Wet Bar, and Snack Bar.

Heater, and maybe a cooler if it gets hot there.

:-D

Rick

But you haven't seen the last one, its a real mess! This thing is just a standout mess and really needs work. Only possible redeeming quality is the inside, notice how well it hides the springer spaniel and bull terrier? The outside needs some serious help, what ya got?

You're a good sport Rick...truth is all the animals around my place are more like pets than prey. They have a safe place with me, they make this place worth living in.

Beautiful place.

The animals are definitely pretty domesticated.

The deer that come to my free feeder here behind the house aren't tame, but they aren't as wary when there as other places. They know we aren't any danger to them, and that's why I don't shoot deer there.

Grandson took a watermelon rind down there earlier, played around a bit, then came back to the house. Deer were there not 20 minutes later, but they didn't stay long. They didn't like his smell, and left in just a couple of minutes.

Pigs are still very wild, and wary, but they have good reason to be. LOL

Over at the farm everything is wild, and jumpy. Real challenge to get a shot there with a bow.

Rick

I would say you just need to get you some driveway camo, and hunt outside of the blinds. :-)

Rick

Pouring rain this morning, but I managed to get the rubber horse stall mats cut, and onto the floor. Makes it real quiet to walk & move around on.

Now all I have left to do is the weather stripping on the windows.

No more pictures until I have it set in place over at the farm.

Rick

Got it set.

I might do some brush in later on, but I don't really think I need it.

Rick

That looks good. I don't think it needs brush either, but hey, it won't hurt it either.

That more open side is where we had to cut brush to get it into the spot. It opens to the field.

The feeder is on the opposite side with lots of trees, and brush between the feeder/feed area, and the blind.

I can easily shoot out every window.

Rick

Looks good Rick. I'd bet once they get used to it it will just be another rock or tree in the landscape. The deer around here are very wary of anything new, even a basketball size rock that wasn't there before will put them on edge...but just till it becomes normal. I think you're going to stick a lot of pigs with that setup.

Got the feeder set today.

I'm going to go do some final shot window clearing, and curtain work.

Will take more pictures at that time.

Rick

The deer, and pigs are already sucking up the corn at the feeder. I ran it a lot yesterday when I set it, and then it ran again at 7 this morning.

When I got over there earlier today to do my last minute fixing there wasn't one kernel of corn on the ground. I'd say they aren't paying any attention to the blind. :-)

Rick

Got my roof coated with white flex seal. Makes it stronger, AND makes it a lot cooler inside the blind.

Rick

These first three widows open up to the north X west, west, and south x west. They are my primaries.

The feeder is only 12 yards from the blind, but it throws directional, parallel to these windows, and up a 3 trail spearhead game trail.

The blinds/curtains work fantastically, and have draw strings to hold them open just enough to shoot out.

Rick

These next three windows open up to the north X east, east, and south x east.

They are my secondaries looking out into the cultivation which is opposite of the blind from the feeder.

Rick

A cheap $30 black office chair rolls around in the blind easily, and very quietly.

Rick

The next pictures & (video) will be of me shooting a pig from it. Hopefully sometime real soon.

With what I saw from the goings on around it today, I could probably successfully hunt from it this evening.

Rick

Now I just need my new super hook limbs to get here next month from Backwoods Composites, and I can really get set up for some pig stickin. :-).

Rick

looking good rick! a blind like this takes a little getting used to. especially after hunting from treestands for many years but i really enjoy it, specially here in iowa when the cold winds are blowing!

Turned out darn nice.

Very cool Rick.

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