Just finished my DIY Hammock Stand

**oldgringo** · 05-10-2011, 19:14

Originally Posted by samjaynes

Looking at making a hammock stand, and great information gathered here. My question to you... or idea to ponder and give me your feedback... What if you offset the diagonal supports on the bottom by 3" (putting a 2x4 space between the left diagonal and right diagonal? Why you may ask, I was thinking of making one that collapses inward for storage, and if the supports are offset, it would fold in. Thoughts?

The original plans for this stand allowed it to fold. Here it is:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=8758

**jjthedog** · 05-10-2011, 19:25

The folding stand is one I looked at before building mine. Looks to me like that design works really well. Seems very easy and portable. My stand isn't portable. Moving it around the yard is one thing but if I wanted to take my stand to another location, I would have to completely disassemble it and use a car able to carry 8' boards. If I was building a portable stand, I would definitely build a stand that was lighter and more compact than what I built. Like the one old gringo linked to.

**Primitive BowMaker** · 05-11-2011, 01:03

Originally Posted by samjaynes

Looking at making a hammock stand, and great information gathered here. My question to you... or idea to ponder and give me your feedback... What if you offset the diagonal supports on the bottom by 3" (putting a 2x4 space between the left diagonal and right diagonal? Why you may ask, I was thinking of making one that collapses inward for storage, and if the supports are offset, it would fold in. Thoughts?

I had initially thought about sandwiching the diagonals between each of the bottom parallel 2 x 6 boards to allow me to collapse the whole stand. I was going to bring each pivot point in about 8 inches off the end of each board so the top part of the diagonal would clear the opposite end of the board, then the issue of the 6 ft. cross braces for the diagonals came into play in regards to how each of those would fold down for storage.

I did not have the free time available to get beyond that problem, so went ahead and built it for robustness instead.

Maybe building a small scale model out of pop-sickle sticks and straight pins would allow some low impact trials regarding how to overcome these types of problems.

If someone really wanted to make a pair of these stands portable, they could mount two of them on a single axle flat bed trailer with a chuck wagon kitchen up front, or in back near the drop gate, head to the state parks, and extend the ends out for some hammock camping without the state park rangers going ballistic over hammock campers using the park's trees.

This design could be modified so that everything fits cross-ways on one of those low side rail landscaping type screen trailers. A chuck wagon type of pop-up lid cook station is pretty easy to build. . .

Can you tell that the ole noodle has been working on this very idea ever since I finished building my version of the hammock stand a few posts back ?!?

**griesl** · 05-12-2011, 21:57

ok, this just looked too good not to try. just finished mine and rigged up my WBBB to it for a test hang. with the eye bolts at the top of the outposts, i can't get a nice firm ridgeline unless i pull it up real high, like high enough where i need a small footstool to get in, and i'm 6,1.

soooo, quick question, what kind of hammock you guys got in yours, and what would you guys think of me lowering the eyebolts? would that compromise strength, stability? thanks.

**jjthedog** · 05-12-2011, 23:26

I'm using a ENO doublenest. Mine hangs at a nice height, as you can see in some of the original pictures. I think you should be able to put the eye bolts wherever you'd like without compromising anything. Hope you get it worked out.

**griesl** · 05-13-2011, 08:17

thanks. i had an idea this a.m. i was going to remove and lower that spacer with the eyebolt, but then it occured to me, i could just drill and put a bolt through the outpost about 14 inches lower, and use that as my attachment point since i'm using biners. then i could leave the upper eye bolt for my tarp attachment. what would you think of that? if i were to do that, what size bolt would hold 185 lbs in a hammock? 1/2" ? also, if that worked, i could drill a couple at different heights, and make the stand kind of adjustable. thanks.

**oldgringo** · 05-13-2011, 08:58

Originally Posted by griesl

thanks. i had an idea this a.m. i was going to remove and lower that spacer with the eyebolt, but then it occured to me, i could just drill and put a bolt through the outpost about 14 inches lower, and use that as my attachment point since i'm using biners. then i could leave the upper eye bolt for my tarp attachment. what would you think of that? if i were to do that, what size bolt would hold 185 lbs in a hammock? 1/2" ? also, if that worked, i could drill a couple at different heights, and make the stand kind of adjustable. thanks.

If you're talking about looping your webbing around the 2x4, and then clipping the biner back to the webbing, just about anything will be strong enough. It's just setting the height of the webbing if I understand you correctly, and is not bearing any load. Multiple holes is a fine idea.

**G.L.P.** · 05-13-2011, 09:01

Originally Posted by oldgringo

The original plans for this stand allowed it to fold. Here it is:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=8758

Hey...havn't seen you on in forever...how are ya

**oldgringo** · 05-13-2011, 09:13

Originally Posted by G.L.P.

Hey...havn't seen you on in forever...how are ya

Fine as frog's hair.

I may have misunderstood the above question...forgot this is a double upright version of the stand. If the bolt is to go through both 2x4s, and the intent is to clip on to the portion of the bolt that is exposed between them, then, yeah, 1x2" would be a safe choice.

**griesl** · 05-13-2011, 09:17

Originally Posted by oldgringo

If you're talking about looping your webbing around the 2x4, and then clipping the biner back to the webbing, just about anything will be strong enough. It's just setting the height of the webbing if I understand you correctly, and is not bearing any load. Multiple holes is a fine idea.

my webbing has a loop sewn on one end where i have a biner. and i was thinking more of clipping that directly to a bolt that would run through a hole in the 2x4 risers, because if i drill through both of those, there is about 1.5" exposed inbetween those two 2x4s. thanks for the input. what do you think?