Homemade Asym Hammock with a Trapezoidal shape

**Coffee** · 10-30-2006, 16:10

I read that too. Ed Speer's book says to take your height + 2' + 24" (for the knots)+3" for seams.

The only thing that I can come up with is that the 24" includes the length of the tapering from the wide part of the hammock to the knot.

I am measuring 8' knot to knot when I started with 12' of fabric. Taking out the removed material I am using 3.9 sq yards and using the Speer equation I would need 5.9 sq yards. I'm not sure if that is helpful but I think it is telling me that I need to start with more material. I think I need to remake a Speer style one using his dimensions, then remake the asym with the longer dimensions.

**Coffee** · 10-30-2006, 16:20

I was rethinking the sq yards, the fabric weight is not telling me anything since adding the missing material will get my 5.9 sq yards. I think I will remake it starting with 14' of fabric. The 2 extra feet of material should reduce shoulder squeeze and get me a little flater. I think that I am loosing more length that I thought with the angled ends.

**Arkwater** · 10-30-2006, 16:21

Yea, I think if you make your short diagonal the same length as the diag. on a straight cut speer hammock you will get a lot less squeeze.

**Coffee** · 10-30-2006, 16:28

On a side note, do you think that 1.9 oz will hold my 220+ lbs self plus gear.

**Arkwater** · 10-30-2006, 16:32

Most likely. I have some 1.9 from walley world I have used in the past and it has never shown any signs of stress. I am currently using 1.55 oz poly ripstop. I weigh 195.

**Merganser** · 03-22-2009, 07:50

I'm new here and this is an old thread but it seems to have ended without closure. Were there any conclusions drawn from this?

I'm staring a DIY project and am leaning towards going wider than stock fabric. It would be pretty easy to add triangular edge pieces instead of rectangular ones if this would improve the asym lay.

**Hammockrookie** · 05-28-2009, 11:37

New to the hammock forums, ( or any forum for that matter ), but am trying to make my own hammock and saw the comment of "shoulder squeeze" which is the reason for visiting this site. I originally didn't have much in the way of squeeze but then i tried to fold the ends, every inch or so, instead of just bunching it together. When i tied it up and laid down it seemed to squeeze my shoulders. I allowed some slack in the middle of the folds and this seems to help but still seems to be too much. Does any of this make sense? any suggestions or pics of how to whip properly?

**Ramblinrev** · 05-28-2009, 12:13

Is your hammock long enuf and wide enuf? Too short or too narrow you will end up in the squeeze play.

**Topplestack** · 06-03-2009, 16:19

I too would like to know how this turned out. This is the first and only place I have heard of actually using a trapezoid form for a hammock. I poses several new and interesting possibilities.

I made a small model of it the other day, not wanting to waste material that could be used for something else. I may just go ahead and give it a try. I do have some heavier taffeta that I don't have plans in mind for. It does seem like it would use alot more material. I did read on here that the Hennessy does actually use a retangle instead of a trapezoid.

I also wonder if simply folding the ends different would effect the should sqeeze.