What a coincidence, Agfadoc! I haven't done much with tensegrity hammock stands for a while, but I decided to bring one to the MAHHA hang in PA to help out with the hammocks on display, so this morning I took down the one in the back yard and did some calculations so I could convert it from a 3-strut stand to a 4-strut stand with a longer hanging distance. What we've found is that it's very important to pay attention to the strength of your materials. Some work better than others; some don't work at all. The bigger the stand, the more stress on the system. I don't know of any problems with 7/64" Amsteel for tendons, but your proposed steel cables should be fine, too. Personally, I find working with Amsteel easier on my hands. As an aside, you probably know this, but I once heard a great piece of advice about working with cable clamps: "You don't put a saddle on a dead horse."
When people have had problems, it has been the strength of the struts, so 2" thick-walled pipe sounds good. I hope it's good
enough. Let us know what you use and how it holds up. Keep us posted as you go along, too.
Another side-note: I have made some tensegrities on a smaller scale recently. I had a tensegrity stove stand that let me sit in my hammock and cook at knee-level. It was made with carbon-fiber arrow shafts and kevlar kitelines, but it weighed 3 ounces - almost as much as the stove it was supporting. I wanted to make another stand for an even smaller stove (Bushcooker LT I from FourDog), so I used 1/8" cf tubing with 1/16" cotter pins pushed into the ends for connectors. Combined weight of stove and stand is now 2.8 ounces.
Bookmarks