If you want something that can be errected by two or three people with no
heavy equipment, is a proven design, is cheap and you can claim to be
"historic preservation" when the neighbors start griping, check with your
state Forrestry Department or the local USFS office and see if they have a
surplus lookout tower. They are all being decommissioned.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"Jess" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I'm considering building a tower.

The intended purpose of the tower would be two-fold:
An observation deck just below the top, for drinking refreshing
beverages, and taking in the view...and a mounting at the top for tv
and radio antennas, a web cam, etc.

Needed features are a fairly low challenge way of ascending the
tower,(stairs with landings?)
Height of the tower at its top needs to be around 60' above grade,
with the observation deck at about 50'.
It would be good if it looks interesting or artsy so as not to offend
the neighbors (although except for the top 10 to 15 feet, it will be
obscured by the trees).

I have as resources:
several hundred feet of 3" structural steel I beam S3x5.7
around one hundred feet of 6" structural steel I beam S6x12.5
I have some good local sources of recycled steel angles and plate for
gusseting and bracing, etc.
SMAW welder and electricity to run it at the site
Oxy/Acetylene torch and the usual grinders / metal saw etc.
Water at the site.
Friend with a digger truck to dig piers
Sandy soil with a heavy rock base a few feet down (rock base is within
depth range of the digger truck).

Questions I have a
(Just looking for some broad scope suggestions / ideas here).

1. Legal issues - what should I consider as far as State, Federal and
/ or FAA regs? I'm in a rural county in north Texas, there is no
local building code or inspection required for building a home, for
example. If necessary to avoid regulation, I could reduce the height
of the tower, but if I come down much from my goals stated above, the
view and the reception go away, making it a pointless excercise.
Some of my neighbors houses look to be 50' or more above grade - at
their roof peaks (very steep pitches are popular around here right
now).

2. Design - any good examples or ideas come to the fertile minds of
the metal butchers here? Would something with a tapered triangle as a
cross section work well? Like a first stage with three legs of the
S6, or? Maybe a scaled down version of some historic American tower?

Your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jess