It should have been drawn like this.
It should have been drawn like this.
Hey guys! This look incredible! I want to build one!
I have a few questions from experienced builders for this project.
First, the light poles are elegant, but I am not as concerned about the carry weight for my purposes, and want a build list that I can fill out at any hardware store. How about 10' galvanized steel pipe for the poles? Very strong I imagine, but heavier. Would that impact the effectiveness of the structure?
Also at least for the first build I was considering using 1" ratchet straps for the tendons. At least while trying it out. I want to make sure I understand the type of forces at play here though, The 1" ratchet straps I have are rated at 900 pounds, which I think would be sufficient, as dejoha was talking about using 550 cord. Although with the levering and tension of a tensegrity structure I don't know what kind of strength I need for the tendons. I like the idea of ratchet straps because I can set them to the right length to start.. then tinker a bit if I have to without re-knotting.
I think once I get the dimensions right something pre-measured might do for the upper and lower triangles, then maybe only straps for the side tendons.
I notice they sell 1" steel pipe in 6' threaded lengths, with 2 inch threaded couplers, so having a segmented heavy pole would probably work out as well.
One key consideration in choosing the material for the tendons... stretch, which should be minimized. That's why we used Amsteel, which also eliminated worries about the load.
- MacEntyre
- MacEntyre
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
www.MollyMacGear.com
That is exactly how I set mine up and got it adjusted. After I had all the lengths correct, I still used a single rachet strap to apply the initial tension to the stand before hanging my hammock.Originally Posted by pavoroyale
I used the 1.25 EMT conduit and never had any issue with bending of the poles, so I am sure the heavier conduit would have no problem.
We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately. - Ben Franklin
(known as a win-win on this forum)
Ok guys, I'm intrigued by this... We are going to be setting up a camp for 24hr+ for a ragnar trail event in November. I'd love to have a way to hang at least 3 hammocks, if not more for lounging.
How have they been holding up? Whats been the best pole so far? I saw the video of Mac's collapsing.
The solution to that was found in the X-Tensegrity Stand.
Just make the tensegrity stand such that the struts all intersect touching one another, and bind them together.
- MacEntyre
- MacEntyre
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
www.MollyMacGear.com
Hi All. I wanted to thank everyone who contributed to this thread! Our Boy Scouts camp in their hammocks quite often. Every 2 years we attend a big regional camporee, where we get a small campsite in a big field full of lots of Scout Troops. We have a tradition of building some kind of hammock stands, usually in a pioneering style of course, so that we can hammock camp in a sea of tents.
This year we built a couple of tensegrity stands, based on the descriptions here, and hung 6 hammocks from them. We used 16' 2x4s, which are really just barely strong enough. Screwing a 2x2 to the center of them (to increase their bending moments) would have made a big difference. We lashed them up with 1/4" Sisal, which worked very well. Sisal is cheap and has very little stretch - and it lashes well.
Our first one worked OK, but was a bit too low to the ground. We used about 11' lengths for top tendons, and just a bit shorter on the bottom - maybe 8'?
The second stand used 11.5' lengths for top tendons and closer to 5' for bottom tendons. It was a much more satisfying height.
You can see our efforts at our gallery page:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...91880271015521
The best pictures of the stands we built are here:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...72487220089439
Hope you like!
Was there ever a directional video showing how to build one of these stands? All the YouTube videos seem to be of people using them, but no video on how to make one...
There are detailed specs and descriptions, as well as pictures, in several threads on HF. I don't believe Tensegrity Stands should be tackled by following stepwise instructions. Instead, the builder needs to develop an understanding of how it works. There are several strikingly different approaches to it.
I never would have thought you could build one with sisal and two by fours! Good job!
Next time, try binding the struts together where they cross. That's easier to do when you have long top tendons and a small bottom tendons, as yours did.
This is hilarious:
IMGP1319.jpg
- MacEntyre
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
www.MollyMacGear.com
Well, not the only person. I found the plans online with popular science and have been tweaking mine (3 strut) for about 2 years now.This is a WV Dave creation! He suggested it to me at MAHHA, and he is the only person on earth who has built one!
I'm working on materials, fittings and coverings. WV made his using steel; I hope that is the last one made with steel. I am going to make one with the big bamboo from the Prairie Travois, another using military surplus synthetic sectional antennae poles, and another using 10' aluminum pipe. Depending on the price, I may soon have one using sectional carbon fiber struts.
Come on out of the box, Dutch! Find a windsurfer junkyard, and grab some masts!
- MacEntyre
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