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  1. #1
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    Suggestions on my Tensahedron DIY

    My son is starting scouting and I needed to figure out a way to still sleep in my hammock on campout where trees are not always available.
    So thanks to the articles and posts on this forum I built this prototype today.
    It is simply two 8 foot 2x4 ripped down the middle, then cleaned up with the planner.
    My son and I then drilled 3/8 in holes in all four ends about 2 inches from the top.
    For cordage we just used some 550 we had laying around and a cargo strap for the ground line in the middle. I out a larkshead thru one hole and then captured a washer with a figure 8 knot on the other end of each loop. Probably could come up with a better solution on that.
    To anchor it we used an 8 in screw anchor with an extra whoopee sling I had. We clipped that into the suspension.

    The hammock (original WBBB) is connected with the caribiner to the 550 and the straps almost all the way in.

    It holds me great (at 210lbs) with no flex in the wood or stretch. I need to fiddle with the ground strap length to get my lay a little higher. We're about 6in off the ground right now.

    Any suggestions on improvements would be appreciated.

    Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Senior Member rmcrow2's Avatar
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    Mar 2021
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    El Dorado
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    Looks nice and your son looks happy with it.
    Lighter than any I have made, but I am scared.
    Enjoy the trips.

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcrow2 View Post
    Looks nice and your son looks happy with it.
    Lighter than any I have made, but I am scared.
    Enjoy the trips.

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
    Thanks,
    As to the size and weight...
    I'm pretty sure I could go even lighter in weight.
    If I make the poles octagon instead of square shaped it would be lighter without losing much if any strength. I was very particular in selecting the wood. I can tell the trees it came from were older douglas fir with really straight grain (the growth rings are really tight). I'm going to paint and oil it with tung oil before I take it on any campouts.

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  4. #4
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    I attempted to hang the tarp, but it's way to long when the hammock is hung properly. And I don't currently have a separate tarp ridgeline. Normally I tie it out using my guy lines and dutchware hardware.

    How would you suggest hanging the tarp?

    Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
    Last edited by flyinginfantryman; 07-30-2021 at 18:57.

  5. #5
    Senior Member rmcrow2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyinginfantryman View Post
    I attempted to hang the tarp, but it's way to long when the hammock is hung properly. And I don't currently have a separate tarp ridgeline. Normally I tie it out using my guy lines and dutchware hardware.

    How would you suggest hanging the tarp?

    Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
    Tie a stick along a leg on each end and run your tarp off that.



    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Do you think there will be stretch issues with the paracord? I'm confident it is suitable for the job of keeping the ends of the stand together, but you may have an easier time keeping a consistent hang, in the long term, by simply putting your CL over/around the outer upright on each end, thereby taking the strain of body weight and repositioning (getting comfy) off the 550.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by heavyhanger View Post
    Do you think there will be stretch issues with the paracord? I'm confident it is suitable for the job of keeping the ends of the stand together, but you may have an easier time keeping a consistent hang, in the long term, by simply putting your CL over/around the outer upright on each end, thereby taking the strain of body weight and repositioning (getting comfy) off the 550.
    Yes, you are correct, it is stretching a little. I have some Amsteel ordered, and will make some CL, which will make assembly and disassembly much easily accomplished.

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  8. #8
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    cool thing you made for you and the kid (good opportunity to teach him a bit of the physics of how/why it works too). it looks really good, just to make it great:

    - i'd maybe use lashing to connect the poles, perhaps some figure 8 lashing or such (you got a scout, put him to work ), i'd round the corners of the poles in the area where the lashing will be (and only that area, which will also act as a sort of notch, preventing it from sliding up or down the poles), probably octagon with rounded corners will do just fine (doesn't have to be perfectly round). i think it will be more reliable, and look much neater too.

    - the above aside, i am in doubt about the washer thing (in a pinch, cool idea, but as a more permanent solution, it introduces sharp edges on rope, another component to break/bend/rust, etc). i'd maybe find a solution to do without it. for storing/transport, separating the beams is not really necessary i reckon (just folding them together should do?), so might not even be necessary to have a releasable connection (hence the lashing suggestion above), but if quick release would be desired for some reason, maybe other ways can be considered (individual lashing on chamfered notch on each pole, and a very small softshackle to connect the lashings, for instance?). another possibility could be to use those holes to put in some sturdy bolts, perhaps aided by some epoxy, and use the eyes of the bolts to connect the poles, again perhaps with a softshackle.

    - i'd definitely separate the connection between the poles and the connection of the hammock to the poles (but you're already planning to do that, if i understand correctly)

    for sit height, keep in mind you can only adjust the floor strap within a certain range, otherwise, due to the geometry of this stand design, the frame of the stand will start interfering too much with the hammock payload, if you shorten that strap enough. if you're way too low off the ground, you might need to consider either a shorter hammock or longer poles (although, hmm, 8ft sounds like it should be plenty)

    for hanging the tarp, it is quite common to have extensions at the ends of the stand, with this design (some sticks, more lashing, at least for prototyping; after you're happy with it, you can probably think of some way to connect the extensions in a removable way without much fuss, as they will not need to be really all that strong to support the tarp). you can also "tune" the tarp for the purpose, if it's way too big, by adding temporary tieouts where you need them, using some variation of the "pebble in the handkerchief" method -- it's likely a combination of the two approaches might make most sense at first (otherwise you'd need extensions that are too long to be practical, or a tarp that's too small compared to what you normally like to use)

    ah: and seeing as you appear to be well tooled for woodworking, if it's not much trouble for your setup, octagons with rounded corners would be something i'd do without hesitation (even if you don't like my ideas regarding lashing etc, the octagons will not only be lighter, but they'll look nice, and be a lot more pleasant and safer to handle too, i'd imagine; they also stack just as well or better, so not much i can think of to not do it, if your tooling makes that operation easy

  9. #9
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    Instead of washers you can get balls like on these bungee ties. Similar to the Tensa4 brand packable tensahedron hammock stand. I scavenged four from bungee ties for my DIY stand for home (not finished yet, but will post pictures eventually).

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by nanok View Post
    cool thing you made for you and the kid (good opportunity to teach him a bit of the physics of how/why it works too). it looks really good, just to make it great:

    - i'd maybe use lashing to connect the poles, perhaps some figure 8 lashing or such (you got a scout, put him to work ), i'd round the corners of the poles in the area where the lashing will be (and only that area, which will also act as a sort of notch, preventing it from sliding up or down the poles), probably octagon with rounded corners will do just fine (doesn't have to be perfectly round). i think it will be more reliable, and look much neater too.

    - the above aside, i am in doubt about the washer thing (in a pinch, cool idea, but as a more permanent solution, it introduces sharp edges on rope, another component to break/bend/rust, etc). i'd maybe find a solution to do without it. for storing/transport, separating the beams is not really necessary i reckon (just folding them together should do?), so might not even be necessary to have a releasable connection (hence the lashing suggestion above), but if quick release would be desired for some reason, maybe other ways can be considered (individual lashing on chamfered notch on each pole, and a very small softshackle to connect the lashings, for instance?). another possibility could be to use those holes to put in some sturdy bolts, perhaps aided by some epoxy, and use the eyes of the bolts to connect the poles, again perhaps with a softshackle.

    - i'd definitely separate the connection between the poles and the connection of the hammock to the poles (but you're already planning to do that, if i understand correctly)

    for sit height, keep in mind you can only adjust the floor strap within a certain range, otherwise, due to the geometry of this stand design, the frame of the stand will start interfering too much with the hammock payload, if you shorten that strap enough. if you're way too low off the ground, you might need to consider either a shorter hammock or longer poles (although, hmm, 8ft sounds like it should be plenty)

    for hanging the tarp, it is quite common to have extensions at the ends of the stand, with this design (some sticks, more lashing, at least for prototyping; after you're happy with it, you can probably think of some way to connect the extensions in a removable way without much fuss, as they will not need to be really all that strong to support the tarp). you can also "tune" the tarp for the purpose, if it's way too big, by adding temporary tieouts where you need them, using some variation of the "pebble in the handkerchief" method -- it's likely a combination of the two approaches might make most sense at first (otherwise you'd need extensions that are too long to be practical, or a tarp that's too small compared to what you normally like to use)

    ah: and seeing as you appear to be well tooled for woodworking, if it's not much trouble for your setup, octagons with rounded corners would be something i'd do without hesitation (even if you don't like my ideas regarding lashing etc, the octagons will not only be lighter, but they'll look nice, and be a lot more pleasant and safer to handle too, i'd imagine; they also stack just as well or better, so not much i can think of to not do it, if your tooling makes that operation easy
    Thanks all good suggestions. I now have my Amsteel in hand and will be making version 2 this week. Octagons and lengthen poles are on the new design. My limit is the diagonal length of my truck bed. So hopefully that will be enough length for my new Dutchware hammock.

    Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

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