DIY Bridge, 35 inches between rings

**Mule** · 07-30-2008, 19:34

Woops, That's 35 inches between rings not 25. I just finished except for the end caps another bridge. This bridge took me only four hours so far. The end caps will be a little tricky. I am going to put bugnet windows in them for the view and air circulation. This on is made to the exact width as a JRB. Just as in my JRB mod posted yesterday, making it five inches wider, this hammock is plenty strong. I have no sleeve on this hammock for a pad, however. Mule

**rigidpsycho** · 07-30-2008, 20:02

you are just a sewing genius

**GrizzlyAdams** · 07-30-2008, 22:33

good job neighbor.

We should get a hang going where there are nothing but bridge hammocks. You've got a couple. I've got....more.... FishinFinn has one I know, as does HC4U. Dutch is always looking for an excuse not to go to work, so he'll come with his bridgeskin. Shoot, if we do it in PA we'll get Ramblinrev. We'll take pictures and Iafte can make a calendar, "Bridges of Hammock Forums."

or not.

Grizz

**schrochem** · 07-30-2008, 22:59

ohhhhh
someone is in a hole now!
Nice to see you enjoying playing with all the bridge variants.
What a difference a year makes.........

**Mule** · 07-30-2008, 23:58

That would be great! Really fun. Mule

**Dutch** · 07-31-2008, 09:41

Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams

good job neighbor.

We should get a hang going where there are nothing but bridge hammocks. You've got a couple. I've got....more.... FishinFinn has one I know, as does HC4U. Dutch is always looking for an excuse not to go to work, so he'll come with his bridgeskin. Shoot, if we do it in PA we'll get Ramblinrev. We'll take pictures and Iafte can make a calendar, "Bridges of Hammock Forums."

or not.

Grizz

I would love to come play bridge. Seriously I would attend a midwest hang. I think it would have to be after the 1st of the year though b/c I am just about out of vacation. Thinking we should have out winter hang in Ill.

**jmudler** · 07-31-2008, 10:24

I love the fence prop!

**Mule** · 08-24-2008, 09:21

That fence prop is not for holding up a hammock. My neighbor owns that fence and has a broken 4 x 4 so to keep it out of my wife's flowers I just propped it up until it gets fixed. Mule

**Mule** · 08-24-2008, 09:23

Originally Posted by skskinner

Woops, That's 35 inches between rings not 25. I just finished except for the end caps another bridge. This bridge took me only four hours so far. The end caps will be a little tricky. I am going to put bugnet windows in them for the view and air circulation. This on is made to the exact width as a JRB. Just as in my JRB mod posted yesterday, making it five inches wider, this hammock is plenty strong. I have no sleeve on this hammock for a pad, however. Mule

Well, I took an extra pole I had, cut it in half and added it to the 36 inch poles and gave it a try. I am glad I only did one side to start. It went BBBbbbboingggg and the three poles flew all over the yard. I am not going behond the 36 inch threshold for spreader bar length. Mule

**TeeDee** · 08-26-2008, 19:28

Originally Posted by skskinner

Well, I took an extra pole I had, cut it in half and added it to the 36 inch poles and gave it a try. I am glad I only did one side to start. It went BBBbbbboingggg and the three poles flew all over the yard. I am not going behond the 36 inch threshold for spreader bar length. Mule

Mule - your experience is why I have stuck to hiking poles as spreader bars. Hiking poles as spreader bars are about the lightest and strongest spreader bars you will find.

Lightest because you are already carrying them and the only added weight to the hiking pole is wood dowels inserted inside. (I assume that you are already using hiking poles. If not, they are still light since they are not carried on your back.

Strongest - here I don't mean strong because of the materials, although that is true also. But strongest simply because of the manner is which they are used.

Here is a schematic of my head end hiking pole used as a spreader bar:

You can see that for use as a spreader bar, there are a minimum of 2 nested AL tubes for the entire length. Added to that, there are wood dowels. The wood dowels are there mainly to keep the poles from sliding and shortening, but the dowels add to the bending strength also.

The minimum overlap of 4 5/8" is for the two strongest and largest diameter sections. The middle section and smallest diameter section have the greatest overlap of 16.5". The overlap of the pole sections give the poles used as spreader bars considerable strength and bending resistance. This is my head end hiking pole spreader bar. The overlap on my foot end spreader bar is even more since it is shorter as a spreader bar. My head end spreader bar is extended a total of 39".

This is in stark contrast to the use of the tent poles where the poles are butted together with no overlap of the pole sections them selves, only the pole-to-pole fittings. Those pole-to-pole fittings are the weak bending points as you discovered.

Also, consider that the tent poles are designed to bend. Some more than others. Tent poles are designed to bend with the wind forces rather than snap. Hiking poles are designed not to bend.

I had the tremendous strength of the hiking poles used as spreader bars very graphically illustrated to me when I had the head end spreader hiking pole slip while I was in the hammock and shear off the carbide tip of the pole. The pole itself was not damaged in any way. I merely replaced the carbide tip and you couldn't tell anything had happened. That speaks volumes to me about the strength of the hiking poles used as spreader bars. I no longer have any qualms whatsoever about using my hiking poles as spreader bars.