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  1. #1
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Footbox experiments

    Hey DIY gurus. I did a search but didn't find any hits for threads on this that seemed to follow what I am doing.

    I've been playing with creating a Warbonnet style foot box and have had some success. I've gone down two different avenues and I think I've hit on the solution. It looks like the trick is to add some extra material to the bottom of the hammock but to do so in a way that still allows symmetrical load to the bottom of the hammock or else you get a total failure of the bottom.

    I got a foot box yesterday, but it added way too much sag - totally screwed up the comfort of the hammock by making the feet go lower than the rest of the body. I've been ill, so I haven't tried to refine the process for the last 24 hours - but the last experiment was ~5" of bottom in sort of a "box" shape. So it looks like the solution is probably <5" but I'm not sure about the shape.

    What I am hoping is someone already figured out the shape and dimensions and can throw me a bone. I've got some 40D 1.1 coming in the mail and hope to have it solved before it arrives so I can finish my latest SUL hammock quickly.

    Thanks.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member angrysparrow's Avatar
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    The footbox is created by adding a triangle of fabric to the side of the bed of the hammock. Two sides of the triangle are sewn to the fabric, and when pulled tight the edge of the hammock on that side is effectively shortened by the difference between the two sewn sides and the length of the top of the triangle; which creates some sag in the material.

    Here's a pic from bankheadboy's DIY BB Clone that demonstrates that -


    I don't know that anyone but WBG has worked out specific measurements for the triangle of fabric that gets added.

    All the previous discussions and comments by Brandon have indicated that it doesn't really add comfort to a netless hammock. But, it does prevent the netting (when there is a bugnet sewn on) from restricting how much the bed of fabric can spread out.
    “I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

  3. #3
    Senior Member beep's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by angrysparrow View Post
    The footbox is created by adding a triangle of fabric to the side of the bed of the hammock. Two sides of the triangle are sewn to the fabric, and when pulled tight the edge of the hammock on that side is effectively shortened by the difference between the two sewn sides and the length of the top of the triangle; which creates some sag in the material.

    Here's a pic from bankheadboy's DIY BB Clone that demonstrates that -


    I don't know that anyone but WBG has worked out specific measurements for the triangle of fabric that gets added.

    All the previous discussions and comments by Brandon have indicated that it doesn't really add comfort to a netless hammock. But, it does prevent the netting (when there is a bugnet sewn on) from restricting how much the bed of fabric can spread out.
    AS, that's the best explanation of the "footbox" that I've seen. Thank you!
    "The more I carry the happier I am in camp; the less I carry the happier I am getting there" - Sgt. Rock

  4. #4
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by angrysparrow View Post
    The footbox is created by adding a triangle of fabric to the side of the bed of the hammock. Two sides of the triangle are sewn to the fabric, and when pulled tight the edge of the hammock on that side is effectively shortened by the difference between the two sewn sides and the length of the top of the triangle; which creates some sag in the material.

    Here's a pic from bankheadboy's DIY BB Clone that demonstrates that -
    Ahhhhh. That explains it. I've found that to make it work I had to increase the volume of the foot bottom and have tried that two ways including this way, but not exactly like that. What kept screwing me up was the shape and the placement. Early experiments found that you had to keep the sides the same length to avoid creating unequal stretch on one side. The shorter side would always rip out at one of the seams at some point in the hammock - not always where you thought it would be. My next experiment was going to be a triangle because of how I could work out the sides to match those of the hammock. Tells me I was on the right path but had yet to work out the size of the triangle.

    I don't know that anyone but WBG has worked out specific measurements for the triangle of fabric that gets added.

    All the previous discussions and comments by Brandon have indicated that it doesn't really add comfort to a netless hammock. But, it does prevent the netting (when there is a bugnet sewn on) from restricting how much the bed of fabric can spread out..
    That was the other thing I was finding. I was about to drop the whole idea all together anyway for my new hammock. But once I get on trying to figure something out I normally run it to the ground before I am satisfied with it. This saves me some time! Thanks a bunch angrysparrow.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member nacra533's Avatar
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    I've never seen one in person, but I think it's more than just a simple triangle. I mocked up a simple traingle in 1/10 scale and it seemed to create all sorts of other problems without a net in place. It might be my triangle dimensions were way off.

    Numbers simplified for math.
    Assuming a 10' piece of fabric, and a triangle with 1' on both stitched sides.
    The triangle side of the hammock is roughly 8' long (10'-1'-1') and the other side is 10' long. The triangle side is very tight and the other side is very floppy.

    I think it is something more like the image or either a good combination of triangle dimensions and the shape/cut of bugnet.

    I've seen an actual photo of someone's DIY attempt but can't find it.
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  6. #6
    Senior Member angrysparrow's Avatar
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    The left-triangle in your drawing does exist on the BlackBird (it's actually a trapezoid), but that fabric forms the shelf. It is entirely separate from the fabric bed.
    “I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

  7. #7
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    Well what I was looking at was making the bottom where one side was about 3" longer than the other, then making a "dart" for lack of a better term, that was a triangle of about 3" length on each side. The on the long side you sew the side of the hammock onto two of the 3" sides of the triangle eating up 6" of side and replacing it with 3" of side to make it the same length as the shorter side of the hammock bottom. I figured the panel should go close to the gathered end, but wasn't exactly sure on placement of it yet either, but was assuming it should be somewhere near the side pull out on the foot side of the asym hammock. Since I was only going to add one triangle and always sleep on the same diagonal, it made sense to me that I could do this without making the set up too complicated.
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  8. #8
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    This may be another way of stating the same thing, but I had the impression that the triangle of fabric that was added was simply to compensate for not shortening the side as you would in a gathered end hammock with a W fold. It lets the foot area lie a little lower so there's a bit more room, and the triangle keeps your top quilt from sliding over the edge (or your feet from poking through the netting). The actual dimensions of the triangle would need to be determined by the netting and the relation to the other side, as mentioned.

    Take this with a grain of salt. I've read about Warbonnet hammocks on the forum and been in one once for about 10 minutes.

  9. #9
    Senior Member G.L.P.'s Avatar
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    SGT i'm also working on a footbox for my U hammock....
    once i get something done i'll post some pics

    i really like the idea of the footbox...once you use one...you can never go back to not having one LOL
    It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

  10. #10
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WV View Post
    This may be another way of stating the same thing, but I had the impression that the triangle of fabric that was added was simply to compensate for not shortening the side as you would in a gathered end hammock with a W fold. It lets the foot area lie a little lower so there's a bit more room, and the triangle keeps your top quilt from sliding over the edge (or your feet from poking through the netting). The actual dimensions of the triangle would need to be determined by the netting and the relation to the other side, as mentioned.

    Take this with a grain of salt. I've read about Warbonnet hammocks on the forum and been in one once for about 10 minutes.
    I tried something along these lines, it didn't work either LOL.
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