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  1. #1
    Senior Member bigsig11010's Avatar
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    Back to diy monster bridge. Ugh what am I doing wrong?

    I started this project a while back and after the bridge poles snapped and bout went through my head I just folded it up. Well the bug got after me again so rather than start from scratch i found some 3/8 steel rebar and revived the bridge tubeswhich are now filled with rebar. Its heavy canvas and the head end spread is 54 with 36 other two triangle sides. Foot is 36 x 3. I followed instructions from here on the build.

    So ok it will hang with me in it now, which was the first hurdle. Im 6'6" 265. It feels stable but i still feel like a bananna with worse hyper extension on my knees than i feel in my diy gathered end rv which is 13 x 9 double layers.

    Can anyone help by looking at the pics and tell me what im doing wrong here. Isnt the bridge supposed to lay flat "er"? 20181015_130350.jpg20181015_130242.jpg
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    Last edited by bigsig11010; 10-15-2018 at 13:26.

  2. #2
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Wider spaced supports.
    A bridge suspension likes a flatter angle. You may need to find some trees to hang from?
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  3. #3
    Senior Member bigsig11010's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gargoyle View Post
    Wider spaced supports.
    A bridge suspension likes a flatter angle. You may need to find some trees to hang from?
    Ill give it a try. I was afraid to get it too tight. Last time i tried that was when the poles snapped. Something else may give now but the poles themselves should be ok now. Someone mentioned the amount of force created by pulling it really flat to start with and i found out how much was too much the hard way. Gravity always wins.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigsig11010 View Post
    I started this project a while back and after the bridge poles snapped and bout went through my head I just folded it up. Well the bug got after me again so rather than start from scratch i found some 3/8 steel rebar and revived the bridge tubeswhich are now filled with rebar. Its heavy canvas and the head end spread is 54 with 36 other two triangle sides. Foot is 36 x 3. I followed instructions from here on the build.

    So ok it will hang with me in it now, which was the first hurdle. Im 6'6" 265. It feels stable but i still feel like a bananna with worse hyper extension on my knees than i feel in my diy gathered end rv which is 13 x 9 double layers.

    Can anyone help by looking at the pics and tell me what im doing wrong here. Isnt the bridge supposed to lay flat "er"? 20181015_130350.jpg20181015_130242.jpg
    Bold/Underlined your problem above.

    Minimum dogbone length should be 80% of your spreaderbar length.
    Being 265 you should go with 100%.

    Rebar is good for tensile strength, but I'm not sure it will do much for compression. Your repair is pretty sketchy in my opinion as a result.
    I'd get a fresh pair of .75" poles.

    Heavy canvas... I don't have much experience with it, but it may be stretching more than you'd like.

    Once you correct the poles and dogbone length... as Gargoyle mentioned you need to stretch that out. A larger end bar will need 13-16' tree to tree to get closer to flat.

  5. #5
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    Also- taking a quick look at the photo I missed something the first time...

    You have a symmetrical bridge pattern- but two different sized poles.
    Having a very shallow bridge end under the head bar also increases the forces on the pole (your head pole) dramatically.

  6. #6
    Senior Member bigsig11010's Avatar
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    I’ll try extending the two sides on the wider head end. I remeasured and at 36 with the 52 pole I’m at 69% so that may be what caused the failure. Dang if I go 52x3 on that triangle the whole thing is gonna be as long as a bus. The poles were brand new .75s when they snapped. Someone later suggested putting an oak dowl inside for strength so that’s why I used steel rebar. If some is good more must be better.

    I had the canvas and had seen on old post the professor posted about an old canvas style hammock and just sorta went from that to hey why not just make a bridge out of it and combine different ideas. I think in the military they would call it a cluster /=&$+-$.

    Thank you for your help and input. If you don’t mind sharing what are the widths of the poles on your mountain hanger going to be? Am I just way off on the lengths of my poles?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigsig11010 View Post
    IÂ’ll try extending the two sides on the wider head end. I remeasured and at 36 with the 52 pole IÂ’m at 69% so that may be what caused the failure. Dang if I go 52x3 on that triangle the whole thing is gonna be as long as a bus. The poles were brand new .75s when they snapped. Someone later suggested putting an oak dowl inside for strength so thatÂ’s why I used steel rebar. If some is good more must be better.

    I had the canvas and had seen on old post the professor posted about an old canvas style hammock and just sorta went from that to hey why not just make a bridge out of it and combine different ideas. I think in the military they would call it a cluster /=&$+-$.

    Thank you for your help and input. If you donÂ’t mind sharing what are the widths of the poles on your mountain hanger going to be? Am I just way off on the lengths of my poles?
    Poles stuffed with stuff is probably more complicated than it's worth getting into.
    They probably snapped due to your dogbone size, I have broken poles in this manner, corrected that issue, and resolved it. As far as I know, I'm the only one who can make a two piece .490 pole hold 200 pounds so I think I have the right ratios worked out. So I don't mean to suggest there may not be another option... but with the least amount of pole that is the most efficient I know of.

    An end bar bridge is longer than a recessed bar.... and requires an even bigger bar to make things work... which requires a bigger suspension.
    So I wouldn't be surprised to see your design go about as long as a short bus.

    My Happy Medium bridge uses 36" poles but fits into a compact 9'9" distance without gettting saggy.
    By contrast my end bar "Just a Bridge" requires an 11' 9" RL to function well... and it's actually smaller.

    The Big Guy uses a 43" and the mountain hanger will use roughly a 48" bar.
    Both are likely larger in actual bedsize and higher comfort than your current design due to the design itself.

    So you're not terribly far off in the bar size, but there are lots of other factors that are missing to be blunt to balance that large bar out. What is off- is the size of the bar you're using in 3/4" AL. At your weight you're pushing it and then some. Lots of things would need to be done to balance that out in the design you have.

    As for the canvas...
    It is what it is. You had it, you tried it. It may be fine for all I know... just something to toss out as balancing the fabric against the design and occupant weight takes some work too. For all I know the canvas is bomber and works great. For me... doing the most possible at the lowest weight is my goal... so canvas is out of my lineup for that reason.

    Keep in mind... many of the MYOG bridge folks you'll find here are relatively light.
    I think Grizz is about 190 and 6'1. VW is a tall skinny enough fella. They are loading bridges much differently than a tall barrel chested fella, or a beer belly packing person of average height.
    Even a 180lb individual creates a much different problem if they are 5'6" vs 6'5".

    I'm 190 when in shape, 230 these days. I've built bridges for both version of myself and have more first hand experience in that issue.
    I'd like to claim I gained the weight for the love of bridge design but more accurately it is the love of beer and more hours sewing than hiking to blame.

    Overall point being... don't feel bad.
    There is nothing simple about bridges and while there are a few 'one size fits most' ideas out there... if you are not most then you're going to run into problems fast.
    Part of what makes my Big Guy works is a careful balance of a dozen things rather than just building a bigger version of something else.

    It's your call... but to me once I get to a point it won't fit in a pack or can only be used at home then I've 'failed' in the design.
    http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-...10-lw-ruby-red

    This is a bit of an extreme example at 10lbs... but you get the idea. I know this is a hammock site but once you start clearing 5lbs it's getting into portable bed territory.

    http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-...gamat-75-lxw-0
    5lbs and $200 for this guy and you'd get something the size of my Big Guy Bridge...

  8. #8
    Senior Member bigsig11010's Avatar
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    Thanks again for your help and guidance. Id love to get in line for testing or trying out your mountain version.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigsig11010 View Post
    Thanks again for your help and guidance. Id love to get in line for testing or trying out your mountain version.
    Nobody would be building bridges if it wasn't for Jacks' BMBH and all the folks who have advanced the design here. Seems fair to keep that up.

    I replied to you on the Town's End thread too.
    The Mountain Hanger is a ways off, but a new list for the Big Guy is starting soon. Just shoot me an email when you're ready.

    In the meantime- keep tinkering safely!

  10. #10
    Senior Member FJRpilot's Avatar
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    At your height and weight, I would recommend that you take a look at the new XL Amok Draumr. I am a bridge guy as well and have built a number of different bridges mostly based on a Grizz’s designs.

    I initially went with a bridge because I couldn’t stand the shoulder squeeze of a gathered end. I ended up DIYing a “Big Boy” design that worked better for me then the Commercially available.

    I tried a Draumr, and have never looked back... i have a good friend who is 6’8” and around 275 who I built a “Big Boy Ariel” for (he loves the Ariel). He tried the XL Draumr at the AZ fall hang that AZSteelman brought. I thing he’s converted as well.

    Ping “TooTall” on the forums if you want his personal impression and a compare of the two hammock designs..




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