Thank you all for the replies and information. At this point I am leaning towards trying the 1-1/2" EMT. According to their website, big orange has those in stock at the 10' length, so hopefully I will have an update tonight. Thanks again!
Thank you all for the replies and information. At this point I am leaning towards trying the 1-1/2" EMT. According to their website, big orange has those in stock at the 10' length, so hopefully I will have an update tonight. Thanks again!
This is the key to avoiding the flex. The one I did with EMT where I hung it with an eye bolt and then hung my hammock right at the eye bolt doesn't flex at all.
If you're going to leave it 10', EMT will be fine. If you're going to cut it, I'd still do the fence rail as it has the built in connector. Don't know a solid way to join two pieces of EMT...
Some say I'm apathetic, but I don't care. - Randy
The fence rails are about $8 to $10 , so not too expensive they are 1 3/8" diameter. And if you do like hppyfngy said, keep the toprail and hammock close and there is no flex to worry about. I wouldn't trust the gal pipe with a threaded connector. When the threads are cut, it makes the pipe thinner at the connection, which equals a weak spot and possibility of failure.
With this set up, I have no flex, or at least I don't notice any when I get in.
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Very interested to hear how your top rail works out. I too am 300# and tried a 1 3/8" top rail in 3 4' sections connected with the top-rail connectors. Was not confident it would work but was shooting for portability. MAJOR FAILURE immediately when I got in my hammock - one of the metal connectors snapped in half. Back to the drawing board but am out of ideas on cost-effective solutions.
Sorry you had a failure. Can you say why it failed?
I know the act of swaging the pipe creates a definite weak point, but if you keep the hammock connection right at the hang point of the top rail, as we've just been talking about, there is really practically no deflection.
Maybe you big boys are going to have to use a solid iron pipe?
Whatever you do, be careful!
Some say I'm apathetic, but I don't care. - Randy
I was using the connectors sold separately and the sections were loose to begin with. Like I said, I was not confident it would work and did not even take pictures before I got in it because of the amount of "sag". I held the pipes when my daughter tested it (approx. 120#) so I would have been shocked if it had held me - was just so excited about adding another to the list, ha! Definitely need something stronger especially if I stick with the 12' to accomodate my tarp.
Two additional points. Old4hats is correct concerning the weak point in the connectors. It snapped right in the middle. I would strongly recommend against using the connectors for anyone really - they simply do not hold the rail tight enough and are really week in the middle. Second point on safety and although it is embarrasing to admit - do not take chances like I did. While I was miraculuously unscathed, my daughter was hit in the back of the head by one of the flying pipe sections. Fortunately she was not seriously hurt and was laughing so hard she will never forget the experience. So, for any other newbies out there, please be careful.
I'm working on another outdoor stand using two 10 top rails. I cut the swaged ends off at 3' and 4' and am using them on the ends, inserted into a 6' piece for the middle. (And I have a leftover 7' middle section too.)
So with that combination I can get 9', 10', 11', 13' or 14' out of two poles.
Oh and old4hats is right, the separate connectors are way weaker than using the swaged end of the actual pole.
Some say I'm apathetic, but I don't care. - Randy
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