Tensahedron Stand

**Latherdome** · 06-17-2020, 21:20

Originally Posted by thecatwasnot

I'd like to replace the vinyl covered wire joining the apexes of my DIY stand with amsteel loops (7/64). What size grommet should I get? I'm using 3/4" EMT poles.

Depends on your hole size. Best I’ve seen for EMT are short segments of copper tubing you pass through, then hammer (peen) the ends smoothly to conform.

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**thecatwasnot** · 06-17-2020, 21:57

Originally Posted by Latherdome

Depends on your hole size. Best I’ve seen for EMT are short segments of copper tubing you pass through, then hammer (peen) the ends smoothly to conform.

I'm going to need to make the holes bigger no matter what way I do it, they were only barely big enough to get the wire through. I think I can just use a step bit on the existing holes.

**Brady** · 07-04-2020, 21:05

Well I'm now at my wits end with this stand for a bridge, works fine for a gathered end but I got a Ridge Runner earlier this year and I find it far more comfortable. I've been trying everything I can imagine but I've been unable to find a way to get this working for my Ridge Runner. I've set it up narrow, set it up wide and everything in between. I've used the full length of poles, then shortened them. I just can't get the head end of the spreader bars more than an inch or so off the stand, and the hammock body itself is right on the stand so I constantly bump the stand.

I had my wife get in to take photos. She's about 60 pounds lighter than me so she sits a bit higher but you can see that this ends up turning into a banana shape and the spreader bars rest on the stand, at least when I'm in it.

The poles are 1" EMT. I drilled holes 2 inches from the ends, but then when Latherdome said the actual Tensa4 is 100", I drilled a couple holes at the 100" mark, much smaller than the end holes. I've run steel cable and secured it through each set of holes with a fair amount of movement.

I'm totally stumped here. Seems others are having success but I'm not even close. I've tried re-arranging the poles, different lengths of suspension points

The only thing I haven't tried that I can think of is drilling another set of holes higher up on the foot so it helps offset the longer suspension triangle.

Any suggestions? And thank you.

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**Latherdome** · 07-04-2020, 21:29

Originally Posted by Brady

Well I'm now at my wits end with this stand for a bridge, works fine for a gathered end but I got a Ridge Runner earlier this year and I find it far more comfortable. I've been trying everything I can imagine but I've been unable to find a way to get this working for my Ridge Runner. I've set it up narrow, set it up wide and everything in between. I've used the full length of poles, then shortened them. I just can't get the head end of the spreader bars more than an inch or so off the stand, and the hammock body itself is right on the stand so I constantly bump the stand.

I had my wife get in to take photos. She's about 60 pounds lighter than me so she sits a bit higher but you can see that this ends up turning into a banana shape and the spreader bars rest on the stand, at least when I'm in it.

The poles are 1" EMT. I drilled holes 2 inches from the ends, but then when Latherdome said the actual Tensa4 is 100", I drilled a couple holes at the 100" mark, much smaller than the end holes. I've run steel cable and secured it through each set of holes with a fair amount of movement.

I'm totally stumped here. Seems others are having success but I'm not even close. I've tried re-arranging the poles, different lengths of suspension points

The only thing I haven't tried that I can think of is drilling another set of holes higher up on the foot so it helps offset the longer suspension triangle.

Any suggestions? And thank you.

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100” is the total t4 pole length. The connector holes are about 96” apart, the rest being mostly feet. I’m not certain that shortening your poles virtually by a few inches will fix this, but it works both in my head and with t4.

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**Brady** · 07-04-2020, 22:16

Originally Posted by Latherdome

100” is the total t4 pole length. The connector holes are about 96” apart, the rest being mostly feet. I’m not certain that shortening your poles virtually by a few inches will fix this, but it works both in my head and with t4.

Thanks for the support, I got nothing else to lose at this point except my dignity, lol. I just measured and their is 98" currently between the holes in the poles. Rather than drill new holes, before I go that route, I'll try whipping the poles together and tie off the loop through one of the existing holes so it doesn't slide down. That way I can play with different lengths rather than continue to drill new holes.

**jeff-oh** · 07-05-2020, 07:44

Originally Posted by Brady

Thanks for the support, I got nothing else to lose at this point except my dignity, lol. I just measured and their is 98" currently between the holes in the poles. Rather than drill new holes, before I go that route, I'll try whipping the poles together and tie off the loop through one of the existing holes so it doesn't slide down. That way I can play with different lengths rather than continue to drill new holes.

Shorten your suspension on the hammock. This will increase the angle between the suspension and the poles and should pull the spreader bars further from the support poles. Also shortening the hanging point on the support poles will make your problem harder to solve.

Try going back to 100" and tighten up the suspension length.

**Brady** · 07-05-2020, 11:43

Originally Posted by jeff-oh

Shorten your suspension on the hammock. This will increase the angle between the suspension and the poles and should pull the spreader bars further from the support poles.

Doesn't that put undue stress on the spreader bars? I've read several threads about people having the spreader bars fail when they shortened the suspension dog bones. Also, my thoughts are the opposite, that the dogbones should be longer if anything on the head end because the foot end is totally fine. The wider spreader bar shortens the suspension already on the head end.

Originally Posted by jeff-oh

Also shortening the hanging point on the support poles will make your problem harder to solve.

Originally Posted by jeff-oh

Try going back to 100" and tighten up the suspension length.

These two points seem to contradict. In the first one it seems you're saying that I should lengthen the suspension points so they're not so close to the poles. But then in the next one, you're saying to shorten the suspension length. Since they're the same thing, I'm a little confused.

EDIT: Actually, I think I understand. You're saying moving the hang point lower will make the issue tougher to solve. Did I get that right?

The longer pole length was interesting as it puts the hammock quite high so I'll try this as well as moving 2" lower on each side didn't help.

**gbender394** · 07-20-2020, 20:02

I finished my build last weekend. I still need to dial in the length of ridgeline and the feet rope but it I'm up!
I used rubber grommets in the conduit to protect the amsteel loops at the apex and paracord along the feet and bottom.
Poles break in the middle and have a wirelock pin to hold in place. Basically followed all the comments on here.
Thanks for all the info in the thread.

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**jeff-oh** · 07-20-2020, 20:19

Originally Posted by Brady

Doesn't that put undue stress on the spreader bars? I've read several threads about people having the spreader bars fail when they shortened the suspension dog bones. Also, my thoughts are the opposite, that the dogbones should be longer if anything on the head end because the foot end is totally fine. The wider spreader bar shortens the suspension already on the head end.

probably I was only considering what was needed between the stand and the hammock. Do not reduce the suspension below the manuf. limit.

[/QUOTE]These two points seem to contradict. In the first one it seems you're saying that I should lengthen the suspension points so they're not so close to the poles. But then in the next one, you're saying to shorten the suspension length. Since they're the same thing, I'm a little confused.

EDIT: Actually, I think I understand. You're saying moving the hang point lower will make the issue tougher to solve. Did I get that right? - yes reducing the pole length will make the angle problem harder to solve.

The longer pole length was interesting as it puts the hammock quite high so I'll try this as well as moving 2" lower on each side didn't help.[/QUOTE]

Go longer on the poles and to get the height you want go wider on the base. This will help also. The idea is to get the spreader bars clear of the support poles.

**jeff-oh** · 07-21-2020, 14:51

Leatherdome, Was looking at your web site and something caught my eye. Could you add further explanation to the " extremely cool small national armies, " comment about users of the Tensa stand? I am intrigued.