I present to you my version of a DIY folding hammock stand...

The idea for this has been banging around in my head for more than a few months now and I finally got the time to put this thing together.

It is made from a single sheet of 1/2" plywood, two 2x4's, two strap hinges, a box of screws, some amsteel cord,and a bottle of titebond II glue.

When put together the tips of the uprights are just about 12' apart and 6' tall. Each leg is 8' long.

To build this thing, the plywood is ripped into 12 3.5" wide strips, leaving a little left over. The 2x4's are cut with 30 degree bevels on 12 pieces. I don't have the lenghts with me right now. The remaining 2x4 stock is cut into 5" long pieces. You'll need 14 of them.

From there it is a simple process of lining everything up and gluing/screwing it together. One trick of this unit is that the weight of the hammock is placed over the ends of the uprights and then transferred down to the base board. This results in mostly compression stresses on the uprights.

I've tested it with me in it, bouncing slightly. I'm about 220 pounds and it didn't seem like it was going to fail. Further testing is in the near future.

For size reference, the hammock hanging in the stand is a full 4-yard DIY hammock.


The base boards are not bending in this picture. That is an effect caused by the wide angle lens used to try and get the whole thing in the frame.



As you can see here, this is not a small stand.



Here is a view from the tips of the uprights. Notice that the amsteel goes from the hammock, OVER the tips and down to the base boards.



Here it is, taken down and folded up.



Detail view of the joints. Everything is cut at a 30 degree angle.

My original plans were to build this prototype and see if it worked. If it did I was going to sell the plans. However, since I have received so much from this group, I am giving away these plans for free to all members.

Please feel free to discuss....

Mike