How to Build a Pumpkin Tripod

1. How to Build a Pumpkin Tripod • Giant pumpkins up to 500 pounds can be lifted by a few men with the use of a lifting tarp. Once your pumpkin gets larger than that it becomes easier to use heavy equipment or a tripod to lift and load the pumpkin for transport. This presentation will show how you can build a tripod to lift ½ ton pumpkins with one or two men. Click mouse for next slide

2. First we need a vehicle (if only it was that easy) To be sure the truck will fit under the tripod we need know the maximum width Oops, but at the highest point And of course the height. With these two measurements we are ready to build the tripod Click mouse for next slide

3. Begin by laying out all the materials on the ground. I used an old walking board to represent the ground Next I made a “T” from scraps to the size I measured on the truck Arrange two of the 4x4’s so the T fits on our ground board and between the 4x4 legs Place the center leg of the tripod on top of everything and scribe a line along it to mark where to cut the other two legs Click mouse for next slide

4. Now we are ready to cut the 4x4’s Click mouse for next slide

5. I re-assembled everything on the lawn and if your setup is like mine then the cut will start 6 ½ “ from the end and leave a 1 ½” thinkness of the 4x4 Scribe a line across all three 4x4’s for the bolt hole I’m going to use a ¾” bolt so I drilled a 15/16” hole in each of them Click mouse for next slide

6. This is the layout I used to assemble the tripod in the patch. Bolt all three together with a ¾” bolt, washers and nuts. I start by lifting the tripod at the center using the bolt as a handle. My son then grabs the center leg and pushed up and in while Keeping the free end on the ground. Once its up you can use a ladder to attach a chain at the top for your hoist.