What size box section do you use for steel highseats

geoffrey

Well-Known Member
Hi all, i have been making wooden high seats for some time now, and having just purchased an old oil cooled pickhill arc welder i fancy making some steel seats, i have not used a welder for many years but in the past i did a lot of welding when i fitted out a steel dive boat, so today i did a few practice welds on some square box section and the results were acceptable, my question is what size and thickness square tube do you use for a strong double high seat, thanking you in advance, Geoff
 
Send a PM to, NDTman feller he makes em

Hi all, i have been making wooden high seats for some time now, and having just purchased an old oil cooled pickhill arc welder i fancy making some steel seats, i have not used a welder for many years but in the past i did a lot of welding when i fitted out a steel dive boat, so today i did a few practice welds on some square box section and the results were acceptable, my question is what size and thickness square tube do you use for a strong double high seat, thanking you in advance, Geoff
 
you could use 1mm 10mmx10mm if you used enough of it!

depends entirely on your design I would have thought
 
25mm square and 3mm wall

yes. Ive used this. Its the same stuff they use for market stalls.

highseat_resized.jpg


Just double the widths for a double
 
Last edited:
As said above 25mm x 3mm box section would be ample. Quite a good example from pete evans. Only thing I would do different is make the bit where the rifle will rest when in the shooting position slightly further out.
 
Ius of curiosity Pete how heavy is that highseat? Light enough for one person to carry/drag into position and mount?
 
I just made my first one from 30mm box, and although It is a bit weighty at 4.8m high and one piece, I can still just about erect it on my own. The plus side of being heavy however is that it is extremely stable. I made my gun rail 1metre square and used an old plastic office chair mounted on a thick piece of pine, and even made a shelf behind the seat to store a bag, flask etc and used foam pipe insulation all around the rail.
if anyone is interested in the design I will happily post pics and dimensions etc.
FYI it took me about 3 hours and I used 2 lengths of 30mm box (ladder and seat frame) 1/2 length of 20mm box (gun rail) 2 metres of 12mm round bar (ladder to gun rail support struts) and 1 metre of 50mm x 4mm flat bent into a curve for the tree rest. Finally a 50mm webbed ratchet strap to strap the seat to the tree (I would not use a cheap ratchet strap as I really don't want to end up on the ground followed by a loaded rifle !!
 
A while back I made a couple of free standing two person seats from 50mm square box - think it was 4mm or so in the wall, These seats are very heavy - they come apart into two back legs, a ladder front leg and the seat part - the legs slot in to tube stubs on the seat. I had them galvanised and there was quarter of a ton in the two of them over the weighbridge so they are a real bugger to move - but the upside of this is that when seated they are really stable - they don't move a millimetre.

I think as above 30mm might be a better compromise. I have sat in a few made up from 25mm box and to be honest wasn't that happy.

I guess like many things its a compromise - also I suggest you should ask yourself how often you are likely to move them - does the weight really matter?
 
just my 2p worth all mine are made from 25x25 box and 2mm wall thickness with the 2mm wall thickness you can then use 20x20mm box for spigots to fit it together so it can be made in sections that will fit inside my truck. if you make it from 25x25 with 3mm wall it will weigh a fair old bit and you will not get the 20x20 box inside the 3mm walled 25x25. and if your going to stick weld it together make sure you have good fit ups on your joints or you will blow holes in the box sections use 2.5 electrods with about 70-85 amps something like fastex rods. (don't ever use the devils own rods vodex fu***** awful welding rods your weld will look like crap) . if your design is a good one 25x25 is more than up to the job I have made doubles and free standers solid all as a rock .
 
Thought about making one of these with weather protection IE, pvc / canvas roof and sides. Any thoughts ?
 
Back
Top