DYI WBBB Hammock Thoughts (Plans)

[Boston]

The size the author references in these instructions is ridge-line length. So an 8ft ridgeline is a 10ft hammock. 9ft is 11ft, 10ft is 12ft hammock. The 8ft would be closest to an actual WBBB.

Also, while these instructions are similar in style, most of the dimensions don't match an actual blackbird. I think the author indicates he never saw an actual BB in person before developing this.

[Ghillieshot]

Ah... That explains a lot. I didn't realise it was the rl. Will try it with that. How did you find out that the 8, 9, 10 referred to the body length.

[Ghillieshot]

*the rl not the body length?

[xxl_hanger]

This thread is already very old. In the meantime also warbonnetguy changed the format of the blackbird a bit. He shifted the center of the fb a bit more to the center of the hammock and the tie-out points a bit more to the head-end.

TheXringHunt's 8' (RL 96") plans show a 10' hammock and the 9' (RL 108") plans a 11' hammock. His fb/shelf dimensions never matched an actual blackbird and he made also some cat cuts which are not so pronounced in the original blackbird design.

Depending on your body size and preference I would decide about the body size of the hammock first. Then I would hang the hammock first to find out the appropriate rl length for your lay. Next I would try to find out where the lower corner of your footbox should be. Normally this should be the position where your toes lay in the hammock. Then I would decide about the fb format. Make the angle of the lower corner higher than 90°, about 105° perhaps. Make your rl first approx 1,5" longer, when you fit your footbox in. Try to pin it on only. Then go back to your normal RL length and make another test hang. There should not to much tension on our fb. But the fb shortens the length of the hammock. This could mean that you have to adjust the rl length again. When you found the proper fb-format and rl length then try to make your shelf and decide where the two tie-outs points should be on each side. Last you make this reinforcement patch. It normally overlaps the fb triangle and the shelf triangle. I found the best pictures how it should go on the website of Derek Hansen.

Please note that your fb-design has no impact on the form of your bug net. Only the shelf and the tie-out points influence the form of your bug net.

[Boston]

Ah... That explains a lot. I didn't realise it was the rl. Will try it with that. How did you find out that the 8, 9, 10 referred to the body length.

You can tell be looking at the dimensions for the hammock body.

[xxl_hanger]

I made my plans based on my body-size with a view little pseudo-hammocks. After some try and error the fb/shelf area was no problem for me any longer. I found more than one cut which would fit and look very BB stylish. The biggest problem for me was then the zipper solution. I like Papasmurf's zipper carousel for both sides of the hammock very much and also some other details of his dangerbird/thunderbird series, especially the air vent and the way he made his UQ-support and tie outs. So what I will try to do is a combination of these two great hommocks with different top covers. Maybe a third top cover will look like the Jerry 5 model and the way I do my zipper triangles and suspension could look like the one made by Xtrekker. But all these solutions will be custom-made for my body size/weight and I will make one 11' 1.9oz DL body with #5 zippers on both sides only. Maybe I will sew a slight arc in the ends. The hammock body will be completely convertible and my RL will be adjustable for all different top-covers I use.

[Ghillieshot]

I compared the plans as follows and made already a first preliminary scaled adjustment plan but that is imo not enough. I have to apply some math to figure my adjustmensts out. The adjusted 9ft plan has still the same proportions than the original 8ft plan.

                             length      interim    fb      fb     total stitching
                             of shelf               (a)     (b)    length
original 8ft plan:            64.5       ~18.5?     16      24      123 
original 9ft plan:            77.5       ~18.5?     16      24      135
adj. 9ft plan (prelimary)     72         ~18.5?     17.5    27      135

I will adjust the shelf area too. I think I will change the figures as follows (the figures in brackets are the original ones). This is the result of my proportial scale-up. The form has (or should have) exactly the same proportions than the 8ft plan. I think this ok because I will make the same scaling with the 8ft mosquito net plan too.

Shelf width: 22.5 (20 3/16)
slope: 29 (26)
slope width: 18 (16 7/16)
tie out distance: 26.5 (24)
slope width: 48.5 (43.5)
slope: 51 (45 3/4)

Total length of footbox/shelf panel: 117 5/16 (exactly the same as in the original 9' plan). Total width of footbox/shelf panel: 37.75 (33 15/16)

Hi xxl_hanger.

I have been looking at making a second DIY BB but following the PFD rather than the blackgoatgear site. I am very confused as to what your doing here? Is this correcting the dimentions? Or are you making a larger model of this? I am looking at making the 8ft *ft RL, 10 ft)version but am a little confused on the dimensions. The side that connects to the hammock is shorter then the hammock it's self. I presume this is to accommodate for the end channels. I am also looking at the blueprints and feel that the foot box is actually too far down the hammock, I am wanting it to be closer to the center of the hammock, I feel the last side of the Foot Box is too short, but I will make a mock prototype. If you have any info, help, links, dimensions to help that would be greatly appreciated. I also saw another post of yours on this thread that explained a bit, but I was very lost in the lingo. I'll attempt to re-read it again. Cheers mate. Hope to hear from you soon so I can get this new one on the move.

Ghillieshot.

[xxl_hanger]

Sorry I was a couple of months not in this forum and didn't read your post. I'm a bit out of business.

However, I just decided to sew a single-layer bb clone too. (Overland convinced me!). Bug net and fb like the xlc and only one zipper on one side. This way the zipper solution and the edge binding loop will not rack my brain and it will be a cheap solution only for the summer time. When I have finished my plan I can most like answer your questions. It can last one or two months because I have still a lot of other things to finish.

[Ghillieshot]

Any luck yet xxl_hanger? I'm still confused as to why the shelf side is shorter then the hammock body? Any tips?

[Snowball]

Any luck yet xxl_hanger? I'm still confused as to why the shelf side is shorter then the hammock body? Any tips?

Not sure if this will answer your question but anyway……
Its random numbers
Let’s say you have a hammock 335 cm long.
Then you add a triangle to one side. When you have a given length (335) and you have to follow a contour the perimeter is longer than the original length. In this case the “detour” is the triangle.
200+64+64+7=335 it’s the same length as the other side but you used some of the length for the detour. The end result will in this case be the side with the triangle will be 28 cm shorter than the other.
Triangle.png