Turtlelady/turtledog stand safety question

[rossila]

Hi everyone!

I have just recently discovered the wonderful benefits of sleeping in a hammock for myself and my son who is mildly autistic. Prior to the hammock he has had a really difficult time with sleep and we found out over the summer in his grandparents' hammock that he was able to fall asleep very quickly and was actually able to take a nap - something that he was hardly able to do in the past. So we used the hammock for naps outside in the summer but now that it is cold outside I bought us each our own Brazilian hammock to use indoors. Long story short we are not able to hang them inside from any structures in the house like we have planned so I have convinced my dad to build us a turtledog stand using 2x2s. At the moment, he has the tripods build but is hesitant to finish the stands because he does not feel that it is safe. He is concerned that if the legs break that the pole is going to fall on top of us. So my question to everyone is for those of you who have these stands - has anyone had any problems with the stands breaking or any other thoughts regarding his concerns?

Thanks!

[olddog]

I'm sure there have been failures on a few of the TL/TD stands. Start with good clear 2 x 2 lumber with no knots. I used clear Fir. Use lock nuts and washers on all bolts. Use a means of controlling the spread of the legs, cordage, straps etc. On hardwood floors some type of nonskid feet may be necessary to prevent the legs from sliding. crutch tip type feet have been used. Insure a secure strong connection between the hinge and ridgepole. These steps should be enough to prevent any accidents from normal use. Good to hear your son is enjoying the hammocking.

[Beast 71]

My eldest boy is autistic too and being in the hammock really soothes and centers him. Rolling him up in a blanket, sleeping bag or ccf pad like a burrito helps a lot too. I'd be careful about a stand if he likes to rock and would consider using pad eyes from Bosun Supply attached directly to the walls for inside use. In my experience, unlike my two other neurotypical kids, The older he gets the more work he is to watch and handle. He's bigger stronger and smarter (sneakier), but he still lacks the social component that makes a kid want to behave and not break all your stuff, so make sure what ever you do, build it strong !

[swoody126]

I'm sure there have been failures on a few of the TL/TD stands. Start with good clear 2 x 2 lumber with no knots. I used clear Fir. Use lock nuts and washers on all bolts. Use a means of controlling the spread of the legs, cordage, straps etc. On hardwood floors some type of nonskid feet may be necessary to prevent the legs from sliding. crutch tip type feet have been used. Insure a secure strong connection between the hinge and ridgepole. These steps should be enough to prevent any accidents from normal use. Good to hear your son is enjoying the hammocking.

as an OLD shop teacher i can +1 OLDDOG'S advice above when talking about knotless materials

in reading the original TURTLEDOG thread i have seen several pics of folks who did not follow this advice causing me to cringe

ample hinges w/ proper sized bolts AND LOCK NUTS are at the top ( ) of the stability equasion

too many folks ( IMHO ) scrimp everywhere they can thinking they are saving money when they are actually asking the system to fail w/ that horrible BUMP IN THE NIGHT

avoiding all knots and cheesy hardware while physically restricting(w/ cordage or strapping) the splay of the legs should be a good recipe for success w/ the stand


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rg...1w=w186-h66-no

sw

[West michigan]

It’s getting in and out that’s the tricky part of the turtledog stand
Mine is my primary bed now
My son is autistic and he loves the stand but needs me to steady the stand when he gets in and out
So he can’t use it unattended
So my idea is to use 4 4x4’s standing vertical and 4 2x4’s connected to the 4x4’s on top all the way around and he’ll have all his floor space
So nothing will be bolted to my walls because I’m in a mobile home
Will let you know how it all works

[Heydad!]

I used 2" x 2"'s and if good clear wood (no knots), given the angles of weight distribution and the fact that there are 6 legs total even if it needs to handle someone weighing more than me I just don't see it as an issue when divided out (160/6 = 27 lbs). Even at 8' length and placed horizontally between two stands a 40 lb weight placed in the middle won't break it....