Melting holes in your hammock?

[unicycleman]

I've been checking out the posts on this site for quite some time(and they are incredibly usefull) but haven't really contributed much at all. After searching for an answer it appears that no one has posted on this but i could be wrong.

I read headchange4u's thread on a DIY Hennessy and also saw wilsonbmw's pictures of taking apart a hennessy. I was thinking about making my own hammock that combines these two.

Has anybody tried to use the hennessy method of melting two holes where you gather your hammock? If not would it seem like a good idea?

I was thinking one possible way of doing this would be to heat up a large diameter nail or screw with my backpacking stove and try and push it through the gathered end.

[spotz]

That's what I have used large nail and a heat source plus heat shrink to make a whipping similar to the HH when I converted to Whoopie's on a DIY working fine so far.

[unicycleman]

Good to know that it works

plus heat shrink to make a whipping similar to the HH

what exactly did you use the heat shrink for?

[southmark]

Unfortunately I used a heated nail to burn a second hole in my HH Adventure Racer to attach whoopie slings. Third night in the 100 mile wilderness two weeks ago one end failed at 2:00 am. Good thing that I was not hanging over some of those Maine rocks and roots. The entire end of the hammock frayed and separated at the new hole. Fortunately I was able to create a gathered end repair to finish the trip with no more problems. Of course the Adventure Racer is made of more delicate material than most hammocks.

[unicycleman]

The entire end of the hammock frayed and separated at the new hole

That's sucks, but at least u were able to fix it. Does the other end still work fine?

I wonder if there's some way to reinforce it

[southmark]

Well I noticed that the other end was starting to fray at the added hole. I whipped it and it is doing fine. This was a case of over engineering on my part. It was working fine using just the single hole that it came with but like an idiot I decided that two might be better. NOT. It should not be a problem for other hammocks of stouter material. I have repaired it. It is just a few inches shorter now. At 1 lb 1 oz with suspension, tree huggers and side zipper added I hate to loose the use of it.

[storm1]

i remember seeing a pic on here of a jig someone had made for melting the holes.

the nylon is sandwiched between two pieces of wood that have two holes to act as guides for passing the melting tool through. i think they had heated a bolt or large spike?

[unicycleman]

i remember seeing a pic on here of a jig someone had made for melting the holes.

found it:http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...imageuser=1336

[unicycleman]

[QUOTE=southmark;314076]I whipped it and it is doing fine.QUOTE]

I'll try to make it but its good that if it breaks i'll still be able to use the hammock