Dual use one tree hammock stand

[slowhike]

I've mentioned to all my HF friends that I was working on a new hammock stand and was encouraged by both of them to post pictures.
Grizz

Grizz... why didn't you ask your HF friends (both of them) to come over & help? Would have been a lot easier<G>
Hey... I'll bet you've got more than a couple HF friends here.

[gunn parker]

So you ended up with the pole in the ground about 33", are you happy with that depth if it is only to be used as one pole for a hammock? The other end going to a tree.

Thanks

[GrizzlyAdams]

But Grizz did you call the "Diggers Hot Line" at least two working days ahead of time?

Nah, no need. I just used a divining rod to find out where the underground lines were and avoided them.

Actually, I know already where gas comes in. Power I get from lines above ground. And I sure as heck know where the sewer line is because not 2 months in this house I had to replace it.

Grizz... why didn't you ask your HF friends (both of them) to come over & help? Would have been a lot easier<G>

no shows

So you ended up with the pole in the ground about 33", are you happy with that depth if it is only to be used as one pole for a hammock? The other end going to a tree.

Thanks

At 33" depth and the packing procedure with pea gravel, there was still a little wobble at the top of the pole. Mind you, that pole is sticking almost 9' in the air...

I don't have a solid engineering answer. Making it up as I go. But this I do know...where the pole meets the ground is a fulcrum. If I tie the hammock at 6' above the ground, and the pole extends 3' into the ground, there is a 2:1 translation of force at 6' above to the bottom, all other things being equal, which they aren't. My estimate of that force, for my weight, above ground is about 175 lbs. So I'm looking at 350 lbs below ground. Concrete would not "give" in the hole the way pea gravel would, because it is a solid mass, and a better choice I'm guessing when you have lateral forces on the pole.

If it were just me and I didn't have an engineer who knew what he was talking about I could quiz, I'd sink a 4' hole, drop a 10' pole in there,
fill the hole with concrete, and set the pole at a distance where attaching at 5' above ground is enough.

But with concrete maybe 33" is enough. If after doing this you thought the pole leaned too much under weight it would straight forward to put a diagonal brace from pole to ground, against the shear force. If the brace was firmly planted on a good rock or dug-in concrete block that would surely provide all the backup you needed. Or so my gut tells me.

Grizz

[TDunc]

....It's also a place where I can use some of the too-heavy-for-anything-else coated fabric I foolishly bought on the Internet before understanding ....

Grizz

For my kids treehouse (hammock stand), the floor is 8 ft off the ground. Porch swing hangs underneath. (made mamma happy) For the ceiling of the 8x8 treehouse, I bent 3/4 pvc pipe into a frame kinda like a conastoga wagon, open on both ends but long enough to hang over about a foot, and put a tarp over that. Due to weather, I replace the tarp each year.

I agree, sometimes those projects go better is they are multi-use.

[GrizzlyAdams]

For my kids treehouse (hammock stand), the floor is 8 ft off the ground. Porch swing hangs underneath. (made mamma happy) For the ceiling of the 8x8 treehouse, I bent 3/4 pvc pipe into a frame kinda like a conastoga wagon, open on both ends but long enough to hang over about a foot, and put a tarp over that.

I'd been thinking of an A frame structure but like your approach. How do you fasten the pipe to the structure?

Grizz

[dblhmmck]

In my girlfriend's daughter's treehouse version, I used carriage bolts 8" and 10" and suspended the supports below with steel cables.

The cables form a loop where they protrude through the bottom of the treehouse support. These are for attaching hammocks among other things. You can see one attachment point in the upper left of the first photo.

The second image shows some of the cable suspension arrangement. I just finished this a few weeks ago.

[Walking Bear]

But with concrete maybe 33" is enough. If after doing this you thought the pole leaned too much under weight it would straight forward to put a diagonal brace from pole to ground, against the shear force. If the brace was firmly planted on a good rock or dug-in concrete block that would surely provide all the backup you needed. Or so my gut tells me.

Grizz

A trick that I learned from some fence builders to help hold that single end post would work for hammocks. Most of the movement on the post will be at the ground surface if the soil is well compacted in the hole. Place 2-3 foot section of 6" by 6" in the ground horizontally on the side the tension will come from. You would have a "T" with the top of the cross at ground level. You could also use large rocks or anything else to give a larger area to carry the load from the post to the ground.
This would avoid other braces that would be in the way.

[GrizzlyAdams]

A trick that I learned from some fence builders to help hold that single end post would work for hammocks. Most of the movement on the post will be at the ground surface if the soil is well compacted in the hole. Place 2-3 foot section of 6" by 6" in the ground horizontally on the side the tension will come from. You would have a "T" with the top of the cross at ground level. You could also use large rocks or anything else to give a larger area to carry the load from the post to the ground.
This would avoid other braces that would be in the way.

Good suggestion! When I figure out a way to work another pole into the picture so that I can do tarps also and still have it be an essential and integral part of the play structure (to satisfy domestic constraints) I'll do that.

Grizz

[GrizzlyAdams]

In my girlfriend's daughter's treehouse version, I used carriage bolts 8" and 10" and suspended the supports below with steel cables.

The cables form a loop where they protrude through the bottom of the treehouse support. These are for attaching hammocks among other things. You can see one attachment point in the upper left of the first photo.

The second image shows some of the cable suspension arrangement. I just finished this a few weeks ago.

wow! a real tree house...

coulda used your talents last weekend....

Grizz

[Walking Bear]

Good suggestion! When I figure out a way to work another pole into the picture so that I can do tarps also and still have it be an essential and integral part of the play structure (to satisfy domestic constraints) I'll do that.

Grizz

I think that your 7 year old needs a horizontal ladder for the top component. You also hang swings under the ladder. Make it a good 14 to 16 feet long. Then remove the swings and instant hammock support.