[TowerTalk] re: mast steps

[Hawkins, Bill]

There's not enough money in the world to get me to climb one of these!
The older you get, the more you love life.
Bill


At 09:25 PM 4/26/97 EDT, you wrote:
>                               MAKING MAST STEPS
>
>There are a lot of pro's and con's about climbing a mast with steps.  
>Here is what works for me.   My masts are all half inch wall.    The
>steps are cut out of 2" channel iron 15" or 16" long.  (Channel is more
>secure to me than angle.)  
>Round out semi-circles in both flanges to match your mast diameter but
>don't cut all of the way to the flat part.   Drill holes for two U-bolts.
>(second one is for safety).   Cut along the flange bend about 3/4" from
>each end on the top flange only and bend the ends of the flange  (about a
>half inch)   up 90 degrees (keeps your foot from sliding off of the end
>of the step)   Take a cold chisel and using the corner, beat a huge
>number of indentations into the top surface of the step to make it less
>slippery.  If you can actually turn up some slivers of steel by
>increasing the angle of the chisel all the better.  
>
> Buy the U-bolts just long enough to pass through the step or cut off the
>excess so your cloths don't catch on the ends of the bolts.   Mine are
>painted with three coats of RUSTOLEUM and stay on the mast all of the
>time.  I have four on each mast and use the lower antenna boom as the
>first step.   I climb as close as possible to the mast and never lean out
>in the normal way you would on a tower.   One side of the top step makes
>a pretty good seat and the next one down a foot rest.
>
>I hope this info helps someone.   Safe climbing and good dx.
>
>73, Jerry   K0GUG
>
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