When hobbies intersect

[sk8rs_dad]

We recently had a sleepover at the theatre. Here's my solution for a hammock stand that takes a minute or two to assemble...



... if you happen to have a motorized lighting batten, some scaffold pipe and a couple of cheeseboroughs laying around.

This configuration can support about 4 or 5 hammocks, the limiting factor being the length of the hammock rather than the weight of the occupant. The purpose of the scaffold pipe is to eliminate sway. All the weight is supported by the batten.

Remember to lock out the motorized winch before falling asleep, lest some practical joker come along and press the UP button during the night.

[gargoyle]

Remember to lock out the motorized winch before falling asleep, lest some practical joker come along and press the UP button during the night.

Is that the voice of experience talking?

[Jsaults]

I have absolutely no idea what a cheeseborough might be......

Jim

[Hawk-eye]

I have absolutely no idea what a cheeseborough might be......

Jim

A fancy pipe clamp used for lighting and stuff ...

[Jsaults]

NM.

Jim
Non-Theatrical

[sk8rs_dad]

Is that the voice of experience talking?

Nope, but it would make a good story to tell the grandkids, assuming I recovered from the heart attack.

[TinaLouise]

I wonder if something like this could be modified to use in a treeless field??? two poles crossed at the ends with that cheeseborough thingy holding it together. Then maybe have a ridgeline running over the top and connected at the cheeseborough point then running to the ground and "firmly" staked?? Ridgeline would need to be amsteel line as this would be what's stabalizing the x'd poles on each end. Would this work for those times when you need a quick set up hammock stand???

[sk8rs_dad]

I wonder if something like this could be modified to use in a treeless field??? two poles crossed at the ends with that cheeseborough thingy holding it together. Then maybe have a ridgeline running over the top and connected at the cheeseborough point then running to the ground and "firmly" staked?? Ridgeline would need to be amsteel line as this would be what's stabalizing the x'd poles on each end. Would this work for those times when you need a quick set up hammock stand???

You can certainly use tube-and-clamp construction to make a hammock stand. The overall weight of this rig using 1.5" OD SCHED 40 aluminum would be under 50lbs, maybe under 30 if one were to use aluminum cheeseboroughs rather than the cast iron ones in the picture. The tubing in the picture is gross overkill for the application. This particular rig is rated to support 1500 lb overhead with a 10:1 safety margin. The tube-and-clamp we have in the theatre is typically used for scaffolding on major construction projects. I think 1" SCHED 20 tubing would be adequate for the job of a hammock stand.

Critiquing your design, it would be better to use a rigid ridgeline to avoid the need to solve the staking problem under varying soil conditions. The forces on the 2 uprights work to pull them together so a ridgeline designed to resist compression is more effective than an amsteel line in tension. Make sense?

[dvisic]

Nope, but it would make a good story to tell the grandkids, assuming I recovered from the heart attack.

Or the 50+ foot fall to the stage floor. The scaffolding hitting the other battens should be enough to jar you awake, at least. :P

I'm struck by the visualization of a wonderful photograph, however. A large scale group hang, taken from the house, with battens full of occupied hammocks, set up at different levels for visual interest...maybe one person sitting in their hammock, camp chair style....

Glad to find another theatre guy.