hee hee... just when it arrives from eBay the blimin' weather's taking a turn for the worse!

Anyway, I need to pick all your brains...

Because the hammock is a traditional rope style hammock and it doesn't come with a cradle or frame, I am forced to suspend it across the garden. I don't wish to erect posts on my lawn so the only option is a tree at the end of the lawn and the brickwork of my house (13metre distance in total).



Hammock

I have secured a large eye bolt to the brickwork and used some nice climbing rope/carabines etc. to suspend the hammock across to the tree. Everything was nice and tight at about 2metres off the grounrd.

BUT when anyone got on the hammock there was wnough elasticity in the system to sag to the ground!

I realise I'm asking a lot from a 13m suspension but are there any suggestions of alternative to rope and how to take up slack? I was thinking the kind of cable used on trailer winches but wouldn't know where to start.

Any help much appreciated.


Kyle, Leeds

[Edited on 16/5/08 by The Great Fandango]

ive seen a couple hammocks use chains? Dont know how practical it would be over 13m might make some clanging noises aswell but i doubt it would sag

You could get some wire cable from B+Q and use that instead of rope... Should do the trick...

By coincidence I was on Ebay last night looking for a hammock for my allotment

Crafty plan:
"going to work on the allotment"
=
drive the Locost to the allotment via some twisties, lie in the hammock with a cool drink, drive the Locost back via an alternate twisty route....

I used to do quite a bit of rigging in a previous job. Getting anything that taut over 13m is going to put some strain on the fixings.

We used to use 3mm or 6mm steel wire rope formed into a strop (an eye at either end). Then a turnbuckle to get some tension in it. Trouble is no matter how strong the wire the hammock is always going to be taking the strain, and probably give first.

http://www.hss.com/g/69751/1600kg-13mm-W-sling-1-8m-Long.html

HSS sell wire strops / slings.

TBH, I'd buy one of those meta hammock frames.

Something like this:

From this lot.
http://www.eurocosm.com/Application/Products/Hammocks/hammock-stands-GB.asp


HTH

Mike

I had breifly thought about chain but reckon the total weight of approx 9 metres might be too much?

I'm off to B&Q and HSS to see what they have.

BenB, that sounds like a nice plan!

For your info the hammock I bought was from the eBay seller "soph-uk786" and identical to eBay item number 230252562372. I'm quite pleased with it but spotted an ultra lovely one in Marks & Spencers yesterday.

[Edited on 16/5/08 by The Great Fandango]

i think 13m of rope might be too stretchy... get the welder out and make a frame yourself

Annoyingly I was recently out in Thailand and they were selling hammocks all over the place, it was only when I got back that I suddenly decided that I needed one

Cheers, I'll have a look on the Bay and M+S!!!

Over that distance, the tree will have to be pretty strong to hold pu a hammock!!
Hows about a couple of props either end of the hammock? In the style of a suspension bridge?

I'm confused? Why will the tree have to be strong?

I suppose if the distance is 0.1M most of the force applied to the tree will be downwards, whereas the force with a long cable will be mostly sideways.

Is that the thinking??

I must admit I've never thought about the physics of hammock hanging

Ben, the forces involved in suspending a load go up significantly the closer to level the angles are. I used to have a calculator that worked on excell, but you'd often see fixings pull out of walls that would be fine for rigging that was at 45 degrees, but couldn't cope with 10 degrees.

Mike

Further hammock inspiration

don't use climbing rope - its designed to stretch so you don't die / break things through shock loadings in a fall.

Use polypropiline (or what ever its called - plastic rope). That doesn't stretch, is deadly for climbing but probably a lot better for this.

Why not run the rope around the base of the tree up to a tower that supports the left side of the hammock - the force is then at the trees base (and strongest point). Not sure what to do about the house, perhaps two bolts a meter apart with steel taught rope between, then a clip between that and the rope of the hammock - puts the force mostly sideways onto the house attachments so it won't pull out easily.

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeR
don't use climbing rope - its designed to stretch so you don't die / break things through shock loadings in a fall.

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What about parachute rip cord....
Then again, that might have some spring in it....

8mm accessory cord from a climbing shop should do the trick (static rope not designed to stretch).

Or this bloke on eBay