Gabel
Your right that building it on the flat will lessen the exposure and liability. And we are going to hire out the actual crane operation to a qualified outfit. But thats changed somewhat now that I checked where the new footings are going. Right in the middle of where the old tower is sitting and now there is not enough room to build it on site. We are now exploring the option of building it off sight in 16' sections and trailer them in.
northern hewer
True, building a structure on its side presents a unique set of challenges . However I feel that if we use the old pieces as templates and copy their angles and bolt holes that when it gets assembled it should hold the proper angle (or close to it). Add to that that we are setting it in only 16' sections , 4 posts and 4 sets of cross braces, there is not much chance that it will be so far out of line that we cant adjust it before we set it.
Don P
If there are any old nudists still around from when it was erected 50 years ago I sure a heck dont want to strike up a conversation with them about the 'good old days'. But I'm going to do some research at the local library and see what they have on it. I'll post back when we have decided on a plan and I'll also post some pics along the way.