Hammock ripping

Good thing I didn't quit my day job, I have only hung in the hammock I have made twice and it is already starting to rip down the middle. As anyone had this happen to them? I bought my fabric from Joanne's. I am unsure of the thickness, it didn't say anywhere on it. Could it be how I am hanging it? I didn't have trees so I hung it in between my kids play set. I didn't have all the supplies the first time I hung it so I just wrapped the webbing right around the playground. Yesterday, I finished it by sewing two rings into the webbing and just put a larks head around the whipped end. I still didn't have luck finding amsteel locally so this is what I did for now. Anyway, when I was laying in it I found a little hole, didn't think much of it, thought I could have dne it, but right down the middle you can tell that it looks like it wants to rip, like it was pulled to tight. I am just about 150, so my weight shouldn't be a factor. Any ideas? Thank. Good thing I ordered a WBBB.

Probably a flaw in the fabric. I ended up on the ground late last fall when the bottom of mine literally blew out. A bad feeling, especially on a rainy, cold night in the mountains a little north of Big Timber, MT.
I'm also 150#. This was a professionally made hammock and was immediately replaced by the vendor. I sent them the torn one and they had never seen it happen before. I'm also very careful not to have anything sharp or rough attached to what I wear to sleep in. Had fleece pants on then.

It could be your fabric isn't strong enough for hammock use. I had one blow out on me in Jan, in the snow, while it was sleeting. It was made from M50 which isn't a typical hammock material. If that hole is in an area that is under a lot of tension then you are very likely headed for a blow out. Especially if the fabric isn't ripstop.

Ripstop will also blow out - it's just harder to do it. I really suspect the hole no matter how it got there.

Thought I put that in my post but definitely ripstop nylon, just don't know if it is 1.1? It didn't say anywhere on it and the staff didn't know. The line that looks like it is starting to tear is right in the middle of the hammock, the hoe is a little higher and off center. Any other ideas on where to buy fabric? I checked all my local walmarts and they didn't have any. Joanne's is t he only fabric store around here and don't want to buy that again. Guess I will order online, then maybe I could get a cool camo print.

I don't think any of the stuff at Joanne's is 1.1. I have made tarps with it (PU coated variety) but never a hammock. I would order some stuff from DIY gear supply or some such place that is specifically designed for that purpose. Lots of work to have it tear out. Keep at it, it will work. I made a DL hammock from the pattern on Scott's website that has worked great. My wife likes it so much, she is going to make three more for her daughter to have at work and take camping with her husband.

FWIW...the normal Joann's ripstop nylon is ~1.9oz/sy.

That's what I thought. Worked well for a tarp I take when I paddle, but not for the UL crowd for sure.

My gut tells me that all fabric of identical specification is not the same...if corners can be cut, and it can be made more cheaply, someone will do it. Moreover, different mills will have different levels of QC in place, and some probably have none.

How do you differentiate between the good, the bad, and the ugly? Danged if I know.

And this: the fabric you buy today from a given vendor is almost certainly not the same thing that was on the shelf a year ago.

Just ordered my diy set up from DIY Gear Supply. fabric, amsteel, poly thread, ridge line, etc all for $46. Everything but bug netting &tarp materials. The 1.6oz fabric is real nice. Joanne's couldn't tell me a weight for their ripstop when I went there either.

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Originally Posted by ToHa

Just ordered my diy set up from DIY Gear Supply. fabric, amsteel, poly thread, ridge line, etc all for $46. Everything but bug netting &tarp materials. The 1.6oz fabric is real nice. Joanne's couldn't tell me a weight for their ripstop when I went there either.

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Have fun with it. Be patient, go slow. Have a stitch ripper handy. :lol: True for me anyway. You will be pleased with the stuff from Scott.

I had a hammock blow out early on. I made the thing and had it hung wrong so it scraped on the ground a few times. That was enough to damage the fabric so that even when I did hang it properly the damaged failed.

I have used Joann's fabric, and it's more like 1.9... Never had a problem.

How tight did you have it stretched?

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Originally Posted by JohnSawyer

I have used Joann's fabric, and it's more like 1.9... Never had a problem.

How tight did you have it stretched?

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This would be my question. Considering the "Suspension leverage" thread, the best thing we could get would be a picture of how you hang it.

Do you wear a knife clipped to your rear pocket?

How I hung it was definitely a concern of mine and if it was stretched to tight. I will hang it tomorrow and see if I can post a picture. No, I didn't have anything sharp on me. I think it may be getting stretched too much when I am in it because it is going right down the middle. I know when I was in it I felt like I sunk in more than the pictures I have seen online but the distance from where I hung it is shorter, maybe 10 feet in between and I went chair height on the bottom. When I got in, I was close to ground. Like I said I will try to post some pics tomorrow. What do you want to see, overall hang or how I tied to the play ground?

Mostly if the concern was hang angle/it being too tight take a picture of the rig hung up from the side.

However if you can show the attachment points (on hammock) in detail people can possibly tell you if there's any way it could cause a problem...

People say with the hammock just hanging there empty straps should be at 30 degrees.
For the sake of simplicity, just shoot for around 45, so that the angle from vertical is the same as horizontal. From there you can tighten things up a bit as you experiment with what is right for you...

http://<a href="http://s4.photobucke...MPIN/image.jpg[/IMG]

Ok that didn't work

So how do I post pictures? I uploaded to photobucket to get a URL and didn't work

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...MPIN/image.jpg

That looks OK to me. Is it ripping length wise or cross wise?

Did you go with a standard gathered style ala Knotty LINK or did you try some of the funkier fold in half then half again then gather or attempt to mirror the Henesey hammock folds?

When I started I tried some of the funkier folds and found that it stressed the fabric too much for my tastes. I blew out one of my first hammocks that way.

The Knotty method is all I use now, and it works like a charm.


EDIT:

I see you're using the fold in half then half again method...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...IN/image-2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...IN/image-1.jpg

or something like it..

Try the Knotty method.

If that's how you hung it, and you used the standard JoAnne's ripstop (and that the ripstop there is roughly comparable to the one near me...oldgringo, as usual, has a very pertinent point about changing stock), I'd say that one of three things likely happened:

1.) Something in your pocket or on your person abraded it. A knife, a rivet on your jeans, your car keys falling out of your pocket, even a metal clasp on the back of your hat, all could have caused a tiny tear somewhere in the weave. Put weight in it, and...

2.) You hung it too low one time and brushed something on the ground. As above, except from below.

3.) There was a flaw in the material. Not all ripstop is created equal, and the grid in the ripstop isn't meant to stop a tear with your body weight behind it--it's meant to stop smallish tears with the weight of a garment behind 'em. Given a small flaw in the fabric, well...

Best guesses, anyway. I could be wrong (again), but...

How did you post my pictures? There was a picture of where it is starting to tear and it is lengthwise. Today was only the third time I hung it and it in the same place, never hit the ground, never had a knife or keys in there with me. Something on my shorts maybe, didn't wear a hat. Yes, I folded in half and then forward and back or bringing the two ends to meet in the middle, as was explained for the "w" fold on Jeff's page. Not sure if I. Did the right thing then, if it is going to be that easy to tear. Thanks for the help and posting my pics.

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Originally Posted by Vwpimpin

How did you post my pictures? There was a picture of where it is starting to tear and it is lengthwise. Today was only the third time I hung it and it in the same place, never hit the ground, never had a knife or keys in there with me. Something on my shorts maybe, didn't wear a hat. Yes, I folded in half and then forward and back or bringing the two ends to meet in the middle, as was explained for the "w" fold on Jeff's page. Not sure if I. Did the right thing then, if it is going to be that easy to tear. Thanks for the help and posting my pics.

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For me, the W fold blew through my first hammock. Other folks seem happy with it. The "knotty" style works great for me. I'm 225lb though..


Here's a quote of your photo post..

http://boon-booni.smugmug.com/Motorc.../0/O/Image.jpg

You've got too much info. The only bit that's needed is the bit in blue.

Oops, just noticed I highlighted too much. You don't need the [ /url ] either.

Thanks. All I saw that showed up when I posted it was IMG. So I guess I will start over cause it looks like I will be waiting for my WBBB. Wish I would have realized i wanted a hammock earlier over a tent and would have ordered earlier. Any ideas where I can get some good fabric? My Walmart doesn't carry and now I would like to get some camo print. Given what has happened i eould like to order from someone who has had luck. Boon booni, what did kind of rope did you use when you used the knotty method? Thanks again, I appreciate all the feedback.

One more question. Do you see how I am in the hammock? Is that normal? All the pictures and videos I have seen nobody seems to be wrapped as much as a cocoon as I am. That is why I was originally concerned that I was pulled too tight. Again, not so worried about mine, it didn't cost much but if I rip my WBBB, you may hear me screaming from the trail!

I have only used the ripstop from JoAnn and Hancock Fabrics and have never had an issue. I can see small pinholes in one of mine that i have used over twenty times now though. That one has been through the ringer with no failures thus far.

The shoulder squeeze (cocoon) you mentioned might be due to the short hanging span.

Another thing you might want to look into is a ridge line. Good job though, you're on the right track!

Thanks. Yes, a structural ridgeline is in definitely in my plans but haven't found anything good on the Internet with the way I had my ends gathered. Now that i will be changing to the knotty method i may have better luck 'cause those are the videos i have seen so far. I thought the span I had to hang may have been a problem but I don't have any good trees to hang from. This is all making me feel better, thought I really had it all wrong, no experience with any of this. A complete noob, pretty much started sewing the day I realized I wanted one and just tried to get everything locally. How wide should I make my channel to put my string through? It doesn't look like much and those are all still straight stitches?

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Originally Posted by Vwpimpin

This is all making me feel better, thought I really had it all wrong, no experience with any of this. A complete noob, pretty much started sewing the day I realized I wanted one and just tried to get everything locally. How wide should I make my channel to put my string through? It doesn't look like much and those are all still straight stitches?

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Don't worry about being new, we all started somewhere. And i bet we all learn new stuff all the time. The reason the concept of hammocks being so easily evolved is because there's always something new!

I make my end channels about 3/4" wide with a 3/8" rolled hem injected prior to making the channel. I use 3/4" because i don't want a huge ball on the end for stuffing in the bishop bag. And everything i do have straight stitches and have had no problems with them coming undone.

Just curious, have you checked out Shug's videos for newbies? Great info for starting out. You could a structural ridgeline on your setup easy peasy. I did an adjustable one from zing it for my first hammock...thread the suspension through the end loops, hang the hammock, then set the ridgeline.

Congrats on the wbbb, so far my favorite hammock...but I have a lot left to try. Oh, for fabric just go straight to DIY Gear Supply, great customer service and quick turnaround.

Is it possible you purchased Taffeta instead of ripstop nylon? If you have purchased appropriate nylon, you have one of the problems already stated. Some times a little tiny puncture can lead to a big rip. It sounds more like it is a flaw or the wrong type of fabric. A easy mistake for someone new to sewing/oops, gear making.

The channel on the ends only has to be big enough for the cord. I just eyeballed it.

Through the channels I used some bulky 3mm nylon cord from REI that I had lying around.

If anything, your pitch might be a little too steep. The rule of thumb seems to be 30-35 degrees and you are looking closer to 45 degrees. Those anchor points are very close together. This might be part of the reason you feel a bit cocooned, but some shoulder squeeze and cocooning is normal. At the steep pitch you currently have a Ridgeline won't do a thing for you, but as your anchor points get father apart I think a Ridgeline is a must. It just makes setup so much easier and longer spans more usable.

I also use ripstop from Joanne's and, Hancocks. Maybe you got a bad few yards? I've got the equivalent of a few months in one of my DIY hammocks with no signs of stress.

There would be no function difference between taffeta and ripstop. Many commercial builders use taffeta which is, IMO a superior fabric for a hammock unless you are a gram weenie. Ripstop, as mentioned above, was designed for clothing, not weight bearing. The ripstop grid is not really a major benefit in hammocks.