Thank you so very very much for your continued assistance, 1-H-L!!! My TD may have to be dedicated in part to you!
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Thank you so very very much for your continued assistance, 1-H-L!!! My TD may have to be dedicated in part to you!
One more question maybe?
I plan on using 2x3s and I'm going to start with them at the full 8 feet, because I don't need to transport my stand, and Brazilian hammocks might need a steeper hang angle from what I've read.
Does that mean my stand will be more unstable? Do I need a wider stance at the feet, or can I still get away with a 40-48" spread?
I don’t think 8 feet would be any less stable than 7 feet still keeping the spread at 48”. Keep in mind, the higher the hammock is off the ground within the stand the less stable the setup would be but not necessarily unsafe just like being on the top step of a ladder as opposed to the bottom step.
My grandson toppled mine once but that’s because he decided to use it as a swing. I use mine both inside and outside and it has never failed me.
Thanks, 1-H-L! I'm trying to visualize what you are describing. when you say "the higher the hammock is off the ground within the stand," do you mean the bottom of the hammock, or the entire thing? When I entered the specs into the Ultimate Hang Calculator, I was aiming for the bottom to be like 24" off the ground, just cuz that's about where my bed is and I get allergies if I'm any closer to the carpet.
Maybe I just have to build the dang thing and play around with it myself.
Unfortunately I just found out my planned ride to the big box store was exposed to Covid two days ago. :glare:
I need help again.
I just noticed that the eye bolts I was going to use have this warning. Well I bought chain and quick links with a much higher load rating than the eye bolts. I'm not even sure if quick links come in a low enough rating (the eye bolts are for 225 lbs.)
Maybe I have the wrong eye bolts, I don't know. The trip to the hardware store was VERY overwhelming. I was there for 3 hours.
Also, am I supposed to use regular or fender washers with the eye bolt/pole assembly?
HELP PLEASE! I've now spent so much money on this, you don't even want to know.
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Hello! I am new to the hammock world and VERY new to the DIY world, so I was hoping someone here could help. I recently built a turtledog stand and pretty happy with the results, but I don't have a way to drill through the ridge pole to keep the hammock suspension in place. With the setup shown in pictures, the loops will slide inward until my butt is on the ground. Does anybody have some (hopefully simple) suggestion for how to keep the suspension in place?
Thank you!
Since idk how to use forums apparently, pictures:Attachment 183927Attachment 183928Attachment 183929
Am I wrong to assume you used a drill to drill holes in the 2x2’s in order to install the hinges?
If so, just drill holes in your metal top rail and install “EYE” bolts to hang the top rail to your stand and then put your suspension on the top rail outboard of the eye bolt. That will keep your suspension in place.
Also, don’t hang from your end caps as the are made of pot metal and not very strong.
Check out my build: Page 162, post #1615 and pictures of eye bolt post #1618
I made my TD last spring and used a loop of plain old 550 paracord larksheaded with about four turns (8 wraps total) and it doesn't slide at all through all kinds of conditions. I attach my hammocks with whoopie slings but always throw an extra loop over the end of the toprail and slide it down so that the loop passes right over the larkshead coils. I do keep the hang angle fairly close to thirty degrees and although my ridgelines can be a bit tight at times, I'm pretty careful about it.
I tried to swap the paracord loops with 7/64 dyneema loops but it is too slick and slid during the night. I planned on putting eyebolts in but like being able to adjust the height of the toprail and shorten the hang length if needed. I also have a pair of steel hose clamps to torque down around the toprail as a "stop" to keep things from sliding but have never bothered using them.
I ended up just tying off to the end caps... I know its not ideal but seems pretty darn stable. Anyway, next step is figuring out how to hang my hamock with its CRL on this thing and maybe adding a stake to the tripods for if I sleep in windy conditions!
Isn't 10' a bit too short for most hammocks? New to hammocking. Just bought one from Little Shop of Hammocks. Has structural ridge line. I think it's about 12' long when hung up.
Measure the ridgeline. Based on some old HF posts (https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...dgeline-length) it seems that 83% of the hammock length is a generally good ridgeline length. So, if you have a 12' hammock then you likely have a 10' ridgeline.
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Oldest kid and I ran down to Florida to look at some properties a while back and stayed at two state parks. First one said we could only have 1 hammock per site, and the pics of the 2nd park clearly showed no trees suitable for hanging (this picture). So I found this thread and made a couple the weekend before we ran down.
Only things I did different were to cut a slight angle on the feet of the stands so they sat flush on the ground, and then dipped 3-4" of the feet into polyurethane. I wasn't sure how wet the ground was going to be so I figured some sealant would not hurt anything.
I need to either make the stretcher pole loner or make something to attach to the tops of the tripods for the tarp. I covered the tops with some rags and ran the tarp over the tops to keep any sprinkles off but would like to have something better by the next time we use these.
Attachment 185010
I may be late to the party, but this is exactly what you need to do. Tie off the hammock suspension to the pole end eyes then add a ridgeline from hammock end to hammock end. Hang stays consistent, forces are nearly all compression on the pole. Thing of beauty!
Tarp is a different story...still working on that one.
I used my TurtleDog for the first time this past weekend on a bike trip. I used 6' long 2x2's for the legs and 3 sections of 5' long black pipe for my ridge pole. Drilled holes in the end hold eye bolts that attach to the tripods with S hooks. My hammock is attached to the ridge pole with an oversized 'biner slid over the end of the pole and held in place with the eye bolt. Tarp CRL ties to the same 'biners and puts the tarp beautifully over the hammock with zero stand contact.
10' WBBB hammock with an 11' tarp. Doubling as a bike stand is icing on the cake!
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I'm so late to the party.
I've been wanting to make one of these stands for a few years.
I go on extended kayak trips to FL and GA and sometimes have trouble finding places to hang a hammock. Especially in the Everglades. Flamingo campground has very few trees and you are not to tie, hang anything from any of the trees that are there. I ended up purchasing a screened cot. It still was better then sleeping on the ground, but no where as comfortable as a hammock.
Off topic, trip videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcNBj5_0Y18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCbh0BQG2Rw
I'm finally in the process of making a stand.
I'm making it so I can pack it down into my car trunk. Hyundai Elantra.
I have 1/8" metal L angles, 10 " long, bolted together to make sleeves at the junction point of my leg sections. I'll have the one side bolted together, fixed, the other side I think I will get wing nuts to make tear down and set up without needing tools.
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I have all my legs completed. Still need to attach the legs to my hinges.
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I was planning on making the ridge pole using top rail fence in 3 - 4' sections to get in my trunk. After seeing this post, https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...=1#post1903018 , looks like someone used a long 2x3 piece of lumber for the ridge pole. I'm thinking of making metal L angles like I did for the legs to attach 3 - 4' sections of 2x3 to make my ridge pole.
elgecko - just a thought on setup/take down. Instead of using bolts and wind nuts (easy to drop in a pile of leaves), you can use a pin like this:
https://tinyurl.com/2p8u53t5
to connect to poles. It won’t come out until you want it to and no little pieces to get lost. Just keep it in one of the two poles you’re connecting when not in use.
I was thinking of something like that.
Attachment 188470
Problem is I'm cheap. Not sure I want to purchase as many as I'd need. Since this would be set up at campsites, I would just carry a few extra hardware pieces in case of losing something.
I do have a concern. I was looking online for heavy duty hinges at my local hardware store. They were sold out of 4" SS, so I went on Amazon and purchased these.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OCWYEO...t_details&th=1
Yesterday I was looking at some pictures in this thread and thinking these look lite compared to some other hinges I see.
The hinges I have are maybe a touch over 1/16".
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Has anyone used thin hinges and did / do they hold up?
Kind of hate thinking of getting different hinges. I doubt the holes I already made will work with something heavier.
Plus I'd have to see if Amazon would let me return these. I don't have the plastic bag they came in anymore... Guess it would not be a terrible loss. I only have the price of the 2 hinges in this project so far.
I guess everyone who has made one of these, doesn't visit this thread anymore.
Anyway I'm really happy with the way it turned out.
So I'll share my version of a portable T-D stand.
Kept the 4" SS Tee - Hinges. Just under $10 ea.
Used 660lb rated SS quick link. $6 ea.
2X4's ripped to 2X2 & 2X3's. Free. Work throws these out all day long. Comes in as our crates on blowers and coils.
- 2X2 - 75" Front legs // Back leg - 72-1/4" as what was suggested on post 483. Same angles also.
- 2X3 - 12' long.
Metal brackets to to make this stand break down. Free. Work
Hardware I was also able to get what I needed from work.
Since I was fortunate enough to get most of what I needed from work, I have around $32 in this project.
Decided to just try out this stand in my garage. Added some foam and cardboard to cushion a possible stand failure from the hard concrete below.
Attachment 188508
After sitting on the side of the hammock as a chair for a bit, I felt comfortable enough to lay in the hammock.
Attachment 188509
Looking up I see something I'm not crazy about. The metal joint is at my head. I doubt it would fail at that point, but think I'll pad that anyway in case something fails and it decides to come down.
Laid in the hammock for around 30 minutes. Wiggled around a bit to see if everything felt secure. All seems well.
Attachment 188510
All disassembled.
Attachment 188511
Fitting nicely into my car trunk.
Attachment 188512
Now I have to get this out and try this for real a few nights.
Looks like a nice modular wood system. I added cordage on the tripod at the mid point on the legs (connecting them to each other) to keep them from spreading out on hard surfaces indoors. How did you keep yours from doing this?
Are those square brackets available at Home Depot or Lowes? I assume they would work with a standard 2x2 off the rack (which is smaller than an actual 2 inches), because the 2x4 you ripped wasn’t actually 4 inches either.
I followed the direction for cutting the angles on this post so no cordage was needed to keep the legs from spreading.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...l=1#post809234
I guess Lowes or Home Depot may have some metal that will work. Where I work we make our own metal cabinets. I drew up what I wanted and the sheet metal supervisor made them for me.
You are correct in the lumber size. A 2x2 is actually 1 1/2" x 1 1/2". Since other people were using that size for their stands and it was working, I ripped my wood to the same size.
Did you notice that I broke down and bought the double wire safety pins for assembly / disassembly?
After taking it down in my garage, I did realize quickly it would be a pain using wing nuts. After fully disassembling it to treat the wood and paint the metal, I ordered them. LOL
I have to order a different size yet for the wood top rail. Still have wing nuts on those connections.
Attachment 188597
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I was trying to figure out why this hammock was hanging lower then the first time I hung my Darien... because it's not my Darien, it's a Half-Wit. Apparently when I ordered these hammocks years ago, I made them different lengths.
What I want to do yet;
- Make the wood ridge-line attach better to the stand / hinge. Currently I'm using left over whoopie slings wrapped around the wood several times, and then to a quick link. I think I may just make some continuous loops for this function.
- For hanging the hammock to the top rail, special whoopie slings that are shorter and have a larger fixed loop to go around the wood ridge line.
- A way to secure the stand in case of wind. I was thinking either something straight down from the wood ridge line, or something at each leg to stake to the ground.
- Last, since this would be for car camping, using a cheap blue tarp and having it be in porch mode directly off the stand itself. (May make a bigger sail problem for securing the stand in case of wind...)
elgecko - yeah, those clips are better than dropping wing nuts - and they will drop. To make you feel even better, I have a Tato Turtle stand and though I like it - it is heavy. And being all metal, you can’t take it out/put it in the tiny bag that come with it without scratching it. The adjustable legs are nice and this weekend in the rain, I realized putting the tarp over the top bar gives it enough height that I don’t have to scrunch over so much - it’s closer to the height I’d use on trees.
So nice to roll into an “official” campsite and not have to work finding one with appropriate trees - trees not on the border between two sites (where they usually are).
I hope you have a lot of good adventures with your DIY - just that much sweeter when you make it yourself.
Just got into hammocking in the past year and came across this thread recently. I realized pretty quickly I would need to make a stand for testing gear and hanging out on the patio. Here is my take on the TDS using 2x2’s (5.5’) and 1” EMT (2-6.5’ long for total bar length of 13’. I also had some spare 3/4 conduit so I added that for stability and to add a table on each end if I wanted. Recently picked up a Mantis UL which I used for the pics. I will probably make another stand with the angled cuts and the wood around 6.5’. This is a cheap enough stand and fun to make for testing out new gear. Thanks to everyone for their ideas and posts over the years to help a newbie along
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Thanks for the response SW. I originally did cut these pieces with the angled tops but the legs kept walking in. I then cut off the angles on top, drilled the legs and added rope to keep them from splaying. Since I had some extra 3/4 conduit, I added star nuts to the ends of the conduit and I have screws through the wood and into the nuts, then I added the small wooden table to hold a beverage of choice while on the patio. The legs are stationary unless I remove the screws.
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elgreko - I was reviewing your photos and didn't see any "keeper" line at the bottom of your turtle legs to keep them from spreading. Maybe that was added later. And in one of your first photos of the hinges, it looked like a crack might have been forming in line with the screws (pre-drilled the holes, right?). I hope I'm wrong about that but, you know, "See something, say something." :)
@scootcole,
Nice job. The table is a nice touch. There is movement on the legs when their are loaded so be aware of that. Dont want to waste a prime adult beverage.
Have fun.
Bob
Started a build. Worried about cutting legs too short. Worried about best fence rail length. Worried about my suspension. Hammock is a Dutch Chameleon. Any suggestions?
Attachment 190735
I have one made of 1 inch EMT tubing. My wife and I hang Double Dutch in Dutch's double system and have not tried it yet together with the two of us on the stand. It is plenty strong for 1 hammock.
@Shawtd,
Good luck with the build. Take the time to read the Turtle Dog Stand Thread. It will answer all your questions. Its not super hard. Hell, even I could do it!
Mine took about 2 hours of time and about 60.00 worth of material. That was about 5 years back.
You will get it.
Bob
Built mine over the last few days with a whole lot of tweaking, some swearing and 2 broken pole joints.
Finding a substitute for fence rail posts in the UK for less than £40 is a hard push, but seeing the prices on the original posts in this thread highlights inflation to a frightening degree!
I originally had my hammock hanging WAY too high, but at 13foot, my hammock needs quite a lot of height and length to get it to hang right. I used 25mm metal conduit from Screwfix, but it snapped the connection point, so I cut off 60cm from both poles and subbed in a wider tube to act as a collar over the join.
Will look at more heavy duty, bigger poles with thicker walls for MK2, as the ridge is now only 13ft long, but there is a lot less bend.
(Before and after alterations)
Attachment 191159
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Had some minor tweaks; I had originally cut the legs at 45degrees angles, noticed everyone else seemed to have done 30, so I recut and remounted everything on both tripods.
They are a lot taller, which has improved the lay of the hammock considerably, but they don't feel anywhere near as stable to sideways forces, which will be interesting in a field of drunk needs in armour.
My engineer of a father had a great idea for mounting stakes, using wall-pipe brackets on each leg to act as a sheath for long rear stakes, they won't be at the optimal angle but they will continue the direction of the legs a few inches into the ground.
I'll also guide out my tarp which I assume/hope will help. Only time can tell!
Any suggestions on how to make the stand weather proof/resistant? Maybe some kind of paint and/or some kind of sealant? Not much of a diy guy. I’m in Southern California so not much crazy weather. Just the occasional rain storm.
Been a while since I've looked at this thread.
I do not need the "keeper" lines on the legs.
I followed the directions here: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...l=1#post809234 The pictures are no longer there. All the pieces come together at the top with the angles and they can not spread any further.
I think what you may be seeing as a crack is a discoloration in the wood.
First time using the stand, my damage came from a squirrel...
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