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  1. #11
    Senior Member danah.'s Avatar
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    If you can, find a supplier of farm fencing materials, you can purchase treated round posts with a slight taper, 5"-6", 6"-7" etc. in various lengths. Ask if you can select yours from the pile.( you are only getting a few (or one) Good reasonable pricing on these too. I buy 5"-6" diameter tapers, 12' long and put 3'-4' in the ground.
    Heavy clay here and could tamp 'em in tight with rock, but I use the quick set concrete following bag directions and rock with a heavy tamping bar. It's like they're set in stone. My preference is 16' spacing. Hang your own Hang by all means, but these posts are not "sawed out" like milled lumber, so have long grain strength and are in fact Southern yellow pine trees, plantation grown, and run through a sizer. As permanent as can be, stiff and strong. Buy the fattest posts you can deal with. It's overkill but looks good to have 10' sticking out of the ground. No crossbar needed if you get decent depth of set and soil is firm.

    We seem to be always experimenting, perfecting and learning. A million ways to hang.
    Last edited by danah.; 03-20-2017 at 09:33.

  2. #12
    Senior Member KYHiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by danah. View Post
    If you can, find a supplier of farm fencing materials, you can purchase treated round posts with a slight taper, 5"-6", 6"-7" etc. in various lengths. Ask if you can select yours from the pile.( you are only getting a few (or one) Good reasonable pricing on these too. I buy 5"-6" diameter tapers, 12' long and put 3'-4' in the ground.
    Heavy clay here and could tamp 'em in tight with rock, but I use the quick set concrete following bag directions and rock with a heavy tamping bar. It's like they're set in stone. My preference is 16' spacing. Hang your own Hang by all means, but these posts are not "sawed out" like milled lumber, so have long grain strength and are in fact Southern yellow pine trees, plantation grown, and run through a sizer. As permanent as can be, stiff and strong. Buy the fattest posts you can deal with. It's overkill but looks good to have 10' sticking out of the ground. No crossbar needed if you get decent depth of set and soil is firm.

    We seem to be always experimenting, perfecting and learning. A million ways to hang.
    Excellent idea, does require very large and deep holes to dig!

  3. #13
    Senior Member Redoleary's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Woodsie8 View Post
    I have a wooded lot, and would like to have several areas to hang. Thinking I will set 4x4's, instead of moving a portable around all the time. How far should the posts be apart from each other?
    Thanks,
    Kim
    If you have a wooded lot then why do you need to install posts??
    Good luck,
    RED

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  4. #14
    Senior Member BigE94's Avatar
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    So it seems the issue is wood. Strength, warping, rotting etc. Why not source some steel pipe? A one time install and the problem is solved on all fronts. I bet if sourced carefully (used pipe) you could find them cheaper than 6x6s. Bury them deep enough and avoid the need for any additional bracing too.

    Find a local scrap yard and make a call.

    Paint them brown and imagine wood.



    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
    I would rather be in the woods... my dog would rather be in the pool. My wife thinks we are both nuts.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tikker View Post
    By 4x4 you meant 6x6 right?
    Thanks everyone!!! I have trees, but I think they are either too close together or too far apart. Thanks for all the tips. Guess there will not be any 4x4's being buried. There are so many rocks, digging 3ft deep makes me cringe. I have been told to stay away from a gas post digger, unless I want my wrist broke. Guess, I better think about this, measure tree distances, look at a turtle stand, look at metal posts, or get someone to dig holes


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #16
    Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Woodsie8 View Post
    I have been told to stay away from a gas post digger, unless I want my wrist broke.
    Unless you're Popeye, if there's rocks and/or roots you're better off with a shovel for just 2 holes.

  7. #17
    Senior Member transeuphrates's Avatar
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    Now for the technical reason of why you shouldnt use 4x4 posts😊 As others have said, you should stay away from 4x4 posts. The reason is a matter of physics. The wood grain runs down the length of a 4x4 and is actually weaker for horizontal forces across the grain than those parallel to the grain. If you were to use 4x4's you would have to either angle them in the ground so that the force is more parallel to the wood grain than perpendicular; or use a beam on top to reduce pressure. When force is applied perpendicular to the grain, then splitting can occur due to weaknesses in the wood grain and the lack of enough material (wood thickness) to overcome this weakness. I believe that the vertical strength of a 4x4 post is somewhere around 1500- 2000 lbs. Across the horizontal it is much, less.
    Also, just as in the hammock angle calculator that determines the force of hammocks, the distance between your anchor points is importantant. The further apart the anchor points are, the more horizontal force is applied to the top end of your posts when vertical force is applied to the hammock. This can lead to a 4x4 post bending and ultimately cracking and breaking. It is important to calculate distance, angle and force, unless you use reinforcements or material that is stronger than the forces applied.

    You could always go with a less temporary situation and build a portable hammock stand. There are plenty of resources out there.

    Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

  8. #18
    dakotaross's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phantom Grappler View Post
    There have been posts on Hammock Forums about 4x4 breaking. I'm not a structural engineer, but I slept in a hammock last night. If your 4x4 posts are long enough, you can attach a strong crossbar between the two posts. That crossbar will take the same path as your tarp ridge line--only higher--you need crossbar to be up high--out of your way.
    If you have extra 4x4--you can double them and glue, screw, and or bolt them together. Or even strengthen them with 2x4s all way around 4x4--you might can attach them with a nail gun.
    And be sure to bury posts deep enough and possibly use concrete--to keep them from leaning towards each other from loaded hammock.
    How deep? Not sure--maybe 3 or 4 feet.
    Good luck Woodsie8! Post pictures and let us know results.
    Everything I've said--is mainly guessing--not knowing from doing. I do know this--if project fails, for any reason, you got a mess to clean up!
    I'm not familiar with the physics, but I'm smart enough to be off the ground...

    So, does PGs suggestion hold water, can I simply attach 2x4s at the top ends of the 4x4 posts? I think he was suggesting some sort of pipe crossbar, but would not a pair of 2x4s bolted across the top work?
    "I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
    - Kate Chopin

  9. #19
    Senior Member Banjoman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Woodsie8 View Post
    Thanks everyone!!! I have trees, but I think they are either too close together or too far apart. Thanks for all the tips. Guess there will not be any 4x4's being buried. There are so many rocks, digging 3ft deep makes me cringe. I have been told to stay away from a gas post digger, unless I want my wrist broke. Guess, I better think about this, measure tree distances, look at a turtle stand, look at metal posts, or get someone to dig holes


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I've used a gas-powered auger to dig holes quite a bit at work. They are a big time and effort saver, IMO. The one I use will "slip" the drive from the auger if shear forces get too high, thereby saving broken wrists (i.e., the motor will not keep turning the auger if the auger bit gets stuck on something). If you have access to one, I'd at least give it a shot.

  10. #20
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by dakotaross View Post
    I'm not familiar with the physics, but I'm smart enough to be off the ground...

    So, does PGs suggestion hold water, can I simply attach 2x4s at the top ends of the 4x4 posts?

    if you're going to do a cross-member, then yes, 4x4 can work. you still need to have probably 3 to 4 foot bury, but the cross member will absorb a lot of the inward force that the hammock exerts

    4x4 free standing? wouldn't do it

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