How to Build a

Note: These instructions are provided only as a guide to building a portable box stand. Anyone building this or any other type of structure assumes all liability for their own construction. If you do not feel confident building this structure, work with a local building expert to assist you. When using power tools, always follow the safety instructions provided by the manufacturer.

PORTABLE BOX STAND

othing beats the comfort of a well-built box stand. These popular stands provide the hunter protection from the elements as well as concealment. However, traditional box stands are not constructed to make tear down and moving the stand easy. The stand aired on Get in the Game is admittedly much larger than your typical box stand. You can use our basic instructions to build your own box stand. If you want to build a smaller stand simply scale down the dimensions presented here.

THE BASE (8 wide x 6 deep x 8 high)

The base is the only part of the project where light-weight materials are not used. After all, the base must be strong and stable. Materials: (4) 8-foot pressure treated 6x6 These form the legs for the stand. You can substitute with 8-foot pressure treated 4x4 if building a smaller stand. However, do not use legs taller than 8 feet. The higher the stand the less stable the structure will be, especially in high winds. Remember that building a higher box stand will not improve your hunting! (4) 8 pressure treated 2x8 (8) 5 long lag bolts (12) 8 pressure treated 2x4 (3) 8 pressure treated 2x6 Instructions: 1. Start by laying out the two 8 sides. Lay the two 6x6s flat on the floor, parallel to each other 79 apart (outside measurement). This will allow for your 2x8 to have a 1.5 overhang on each side. 2. Lay a 2x8 (called the band) across the top of the 6x6 and pre-drill a hole for a lag bolt. Make sure 1.5 of 2x8 extends beyond the 6x6. The top of the 2x8 should be flush with top of the 6x6. Screw one lag bolt through the hole in the 2x8 into the 6x6. Use four wood decking screws around each lag bolt for extra stability. Repeat on the other side. 3. Lay a 2x4 across the bottom, 1 off the other end of the 6x6 and use wood decking screws to attach the 2x4 to the 6x6s. Add in cross bracing in the same manner. 6
8 6x6

8 2x8

6x6

2x

2x4 79 1

4. Repeat steps 1-3 to build a second frame for the base. 5. Now stand up both sides of base so the 2x8s are on the outside and at the top. Make sure you have some help to keep the sides up. Position the sides 6 apart and parallel to each other. 6. Attach a pressure treated 2x8 (cut to 59 long) to the 6x6 and attach with lag bolts and screws to complete the band on one side. Attach the 2x4 across the bottom of each 6-foot side using deck screws and then attach cross bracing. Using cross bracing is critical to ensure the structure is rigid. Repeat this for both of the 6 sides. You should now have a platform that is 6 by 8.

6
5 1/2

6. Now rip a 7 long 2x4 down the middle to create your ledger strip. This ledger strip24 is attached to the inside of your band on the 8-foot side. This will provide added support for the joists that will support your floor system. Screw in your ledger strip so the top of the ledger strip is 512 from the top of your band. Remember, a 2x6 is actually 1x5. This will ensure that when you place your floor joists, the joists will be flush with the top of the band. 7. Cut three 2x6 joists to 5 9 and place on the ledger strip on 24 centers. Use 3 wood screws to attach joists to the outside bands. Do not attach the center joist until you have placed your decking. This will help you better align the edge of the flooring so each of the two sheets overlaps the center of the joist. Remember, nothing is ever perfectly square so minor adjusts are almost 4 always necessary.
4
6

24

8. Cut two pressure treated 4x8 sheets down to two 4x6 sections. Attach sheets to base using deck screws. Place screws 6 apart.

You should now have a base that is strong and rigid. The base should not rock back and forth. If it does, add additional bracing to remove any movement in your base. Constructing a strong base is critical.

BUILDING THE SIDES

The lightweight construction materials for the walls of the box stand is what allows for its portability. You will need to locate aluminum materials. We used two different types of aluminum products. Most of the project was completed using 1x2 aluminum channel. We also used 2x2 aluminum tubing on the four corners and the shooting rail. Both of these products are used in the construction of sun rooms and screened porches. To find suppliers of these products on the web, you can enter aluminum building materials for patio room into your computers search engine. Or, you can contact a local contractor and see if you can purchase left-over materials or new materials. Building the sides is the easiest part of the project. You will need a circular saw, or better yet, a miter saw, with a blade designed for cutting aluminum. Your local hardware store will have these blades available. Materials (100 feet) 1x2 aluminum channel (32 feet) 2x2 aluminum tubing (50) aluminum L brackets (10 pounds) sheet metal screws (58x 14) (8) 4x8 18sheets luan plywood The combination of thin luan and aluminum framing results in a very rigid, strong and lightweight wall. We assembled each of the four walls, including the door, in the shop. Once each wall was constructed it was a simple matter of attaching the walls to the platform once in the field. To allow for a pitch to our roof, we built the front wall slightly taller (6) than the rear wall (58). This way, the rain drains off the rear of the structure instead of dripping down on your gun barrel.

Instructions 1. Start by constructing the front wall (8 side). Cut 3 sticks of the 1x2 channel and 1 stick of the 2x2 tubing to a length of 78. One 1x2 channel stick will run parallel to the floor, the 2x2 tubing stick is positioned 36 above and parallel to the bottom channel. This second stick becomes the bottom of your shooting rail. The next stick of 12 channel is placed 12 above your shooting rail (becomes the top of your window) and finally the last stick of 1x2 channel is placed at the top of your wall (in front wall, this is 6 from the bottom of the wall). Note: You can make the shooting window taller by raising the third stick of aluminum channel. 2. Next, cut two 2x2 aluminum sticks to 6 high. These will be the ends of the wall. Use the L brackets to attach the open-back channel sticks to the 2x2 tubing sticks. Note: the aluminum sticks should be placed so the 1 side of the stick is against the wall (in other words, you will be 2 wide). Make sure that the channel stick has the flat surface toward the floor on the bottom, and flat surface facing up on the top rail that attaches to the roof. (see insets) 3. Cut three pieces of channel to 3, and attach these on 2 centers to the bottom channel at the floor and to the bottom of the shooting rail. This will allow for additional strength when resting your gun on the rail. 4. Now that you have assembled this wall skeleton, you are ready to cut and attach the luan to the sides. We recommend that you paint your luan using enamel paint (we used green) before cutting to size. Cut the first sheet to 36x96. This will cover the wall from the floor to the bottom of the shooting rail. Cut another sheet 24x96 and attach to the top of the wall. Use sheet-metal screws to attach the luan to the aluminum sticks. Attach screws every 6 to add strength and keep the walls from rattling against the tubing in the wind.
CHANNEL FACES UP

ROOF

FRONT

CHANNEL FACES DOWN

8 78 2

SHOOTING WINDOW

3 2 2 2 2

2x2

1x2

FLOOR

24x96

36x96

The process for the remaining walls is essentially the same as the front wall. Refer to the attached drawings for specific dimensions. Again, if you want to build a smaller structure, you can sketch out your own dimensions.

BACK
8 78
18 8 78 3

58

2
1 5 58

18

1
3 48

DOOR 6

58

DOOR 1

3 2 2 2 111 111 111

2x2

1x2

2x2

1x2

SIDES

1x2

58

24x96 18

2
DOOR

58

SHOOTING WINDOW 1

FILLER PANEL

3 36x96 111 111 111

1x2

THE ROOF
There are several options for the roof. We used four sheets of tin (4x10) and allowed for overhang on all four sides. This overhang provided additional protection to the structure from rain. We used roofing screws with rubber washers (designed for this type of application) to attach the sheets. There are a variety of roofing materials on the market that you can use. Many of the fiberglass and vinyl roofs are even lighter than the tin we used. Attach the roofing to two 1x4 pressure treated boards. Each board will sit on top of and parallel to the front and back wall.
ROOFING SCREW

ROOF MATERIAL

1x4
1x2 ALUMINUM CHANNEL WOOD SCREW
(FINAL STEP TO ATTACHING ROOF)

ASSEMBLY IN THE FIELD

At this point its time to load everything on a trailer and transport to your location in the field. Once you reach your location its a simple matter of unloading everything and making sure the base is level and stable. Dont guessuse a level to make sure the base is level before you assemble the sides and roof.

FRONT WALL

Although you only need two people to set up the structure, it is much safer if you have three of four people on hand to stabilize ladders and hand up materials. 1. Start by positioning the front wall and use 2 deck screws to screw down through the 1x2 tubing into the top of the band. Use a screw every 12. 2. Next, position a side wall and pilot drill a hole through the 1x2 open-back channel on the side wall into the 2x2 tubing on the front and real wall. Drill in a sheet metal screw to attach the walls to each other. Use one screw every 12. 3. Finally, and this is where you need as much help as possible, lift the roof onto the structure. Use at least two or even four people in the stand and two to four people below to lift the roof on top of the walls. Use wood screws to attach the top open-back channel to the 1x4. (see above illustration)

LUAN

1x2 ALUMINUM CHANNEL

PILOT DRILLED HOLES EVERY 12 SHEET METAL SCREW

FLOOR

2X8 BAND

Once this is complete you can attach your door and windows if you decide to use windows. Use your imagination!