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Grain Wagon hunting blind.

ironwood

Active Member
Ok, who has made one of these. I bought an old grain wagon the other day and want to start collecting materials.

Windows- can double hung window operate ok installed on their side. Most of the salvaged one I am seeing are to tall to install upright. How about casement windows installed sideways? Do you think they would holdup over time? I saw some nice used 20 X 60 casements and thought they would be great on both the long sides of the blind.

Roofing - What do you all think of using coragated steel for roofing? Again I am looking at salvaged materials for this.

I have no clue about framing this thing up but I want it to be as cheap as possible. Salvaged steel for siding a good or bad idea? I dont even know how I would pitch the roof.

Any photos, successes or failures would be very helpful. I will show the progress of this project as I move ahead.

Thanks
 
Mike. I think if you have a little patience you could find smaller double hungs if you keep an eye on craigs list or something like that. If your windows aren't to big you could prolly get away with installing them sideways. I wouldn't try that with casements tho. Metal roof would be OK except for the noise on rainy hunts. I saw a grain wagon blind before and loved it.
 
After I posted I got to thinking about the sideways mounted doublehung. You could have trapped water in the side channel (now on the botoom) and that would freeze your window shut.

Look for junked out trailer houses. They usually have some small sliders.
 
When in doubt check you tube. You and the family are gonna be real cozy in there. Heck Shane and I might hunt with you out of that thing. I think Perry hit the nail on the head with the windows I bet they would'nt last long with moisture sitting it the channels. I have been dreaming up a design on one as well. You make a first run and tell me what you would do different.:D
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1LWksoRATc
 
I would never consider that stile of wagon. I will take some pictures of the begining this week. Please feel free to add your thoughts as I progress.

What do you all think of home made sliding plexeglass windows.
 
Mike,

We have a such a blind, and are planning another later this summer. The wood floor of the wagon was good enough to use for the floor, and we just framed the sides with 2x4 and used scrap steel for the sides and top. I had an old door laying around that we put in, but it is something less than an air tight fit. I learned a lot about what to do differently for the next one, so hopefully the second one will be better.

We did use sliding plexiglass windows, and they work just fine. The original version slid vertically and we used a nail to hold them up in place. I have since changed them to a horizontal slide...much better! Here are a couple of shots of the windows. These are in a permanent blind we built, but the same design. We ripped grooves in the 1x4's for the plexiglass to slide, and a little weather stripping makes them very weather tight.

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I don't have any pictures of the blind itself, but do have other window pics if you want to see them. They are 1 foot high and 2 feet wide...ideal for gun hunting, but if you wanted to bow hunt out of it, would need to have more of a vertical orientation.

NWBuck
 
I would never consider that stile of wagon. I will take some pictures of the begining this week. Please feel free to add your thoughts as I progress.

What do you all think of home made sliding plexeglass windows.


I would avoid any horizontal sliding windows as they have a tendency to freeze up in cold weather. The last one I made I used plexiglass windows with hinges to swing in. They are very quiet and seal very well with a little weather stripping added.
If you are going to use tin on the outside I would strongly reccomend you put the reflectex underneath. Seals things up and makes everything much quieter.
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Hillrunner,

Do they make that stuff in a darker color? That sounds like it'd be a nice addition to a couple of our blinds, but would like to darken it up a bit if possible.
 
Ironwood: We use a vinyl window from Menards that measures 24" x 24". They used to be a 2 pane window with both panes sliding to one side the other. Now they only have one side that slides. It still gives you 24" x 24" viewing area but the shooting hole is about 12" x 24", with the 24" being the height of the opening. This works well for bowhunting since you can shoot close to the blind or out a long ways. They retail for around $ 45 but we recently bought them on sale for $ 39.00 with a ten dollar rebate. We generally leave them closed to prevent scent from escaping from the blind and then open them went a shot presents its self. If they are properly installed you can open them carefully with animals within 20 yards under the right conditions.

Keep it mouse proof.
 
Hillrunner,

Do they make that stuff in a darker color? That sounds like it'd be a nice addition to a couple of our blinds, but would like to darken it up a bit if possible.

Not as far as I know. I'm not sure what you have but I used tinted plexi glass for the windows and you can't see in from outside at all.
 
Here is the wagon I have to start with. The floor is aproximately 3'x9'. Side walls are aproximately 3' high.

Several very good ideas and as time allows I will start this and show progress.

Salvaged gray corigate is leading the way on siding and roof choice.
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I have considered taking this down to the floor boards and building it back up from there but I like the old wagon look.

Any thought on this wagon build? Ideas from past experience?
 
Looks like it could make a good portable blind.. you could maybe even wrap it with chicken wire and brush it in like a duck blind.
 
Are the sides high enough that you could sit on a cahir on the bottom, then just cut holes in the sides and do a swing in plexiglass window. Attatch a hindge to one end of the plexi and bolt to the wagon, and a block of wood with a bolt in the center that allows it to pivot at the opposite end of the plexi, like what you would see on old barn doors, I would think this would be cheap, easy and less risk of noise from a slider.
 
The sides are only 36" high as you view them here. I intended to put windows above the sides, a roof over it, and a door at the open end. Or get rid of everything except the floor and build a box on it. Looking for any ideas. It is loud as it sits. I was thinking of hauling it to the site of some foam insulation job when it is finished to have them spray the interior. I would think that would realy quiet it down make it warm and keep the mice out.
 
Mike,
Did you ever finish this? I would be very interested to see it because I have a wagon exactly like this.
 
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