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  1. #1
    Senior Member Boston's Avatar
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    Catenary cut hammock ends/sides

    In trying to reduce the calf-ridge and floppy sides on my DIY channel end hammock I started playing around with catenary cuts this weekend. Has any played with this before, and any results? good/bad/ugly?

    I tried a google search but only came up with a brief discussion on a yahoo forum from 2005, with not much info and no results. I don't think channel end hammocks were really developed at that point, with most people using a whipped end and it seems the consensus from that was to pull the gather out, as most people do with a whipped hammock today.

    My idea behind bringing this back up is that using a catenary cut with a channel end hammock is effectively similar to pulling out the fabric at the whipping. Reducing the material length as you get farther away from the center of the hammock should accomplish both my desires.

    I experimented with a modest 2" cat cut on the ends of the hammock. Pining and sewing the channel wasn't any more difficult with that moderate curve than doing a straight channel. Stringing it up I noticed a significant reduction in calf-ridge, the hammock was much more "tub" shaped, but while the floppy sides were reduced, they weren't eliminated. A 3" cat cut might be a bit better.

    My next idea is to cut a 4" - 6" cat cut along the long edge of the hammock. This would simulate having a narrower hammock in the center, but still leave more material at the head and foot end for a diagonal lay. Has anyone tried this? I noticed at had the most "flop" at the center of the hammock, with it reducing the further you got to the ends. Any reason not to try and remove this "excess" that doesn't seem to do anything?

    In the attached image the black dimensions show my current set up, with the white dimensions showing what I'm proposing. The light green is the material that will be removed from my current hammock.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Senior Member stevebo's Avatar
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    Interesting idea----I think its been mentiond before, but not sure if anyone has tried it. One of the objections I remember was---once you cut the fabric, if its not exactly what you want, you would have ruined the hammock. (seems like it would be really hard to get it right--lots of prototypes and experimenting involved) Just an observation, from your picture, if you sew webbing into the sides of the hammock and add spreader bars, you would have a bridge hammock! (which in my opinion is vastly superior to any gathered end hammock!) On the other hand, if you have some cloth you dont mind destroying, go for it---whats the worst that could happen?!
    FYI: If you want to know what type a certain bear is, sneak up behind it and kick it. Then,
    run like crazy and climb up a tree. If the bear climbs the tree and eats you, it's a black
    bear. If the bear just pushes the tree over and eats you, it's a grizzly bear : )


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  3. #3
    Senior Member Boston's Avatar
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    This hammock has been my experimental hammock. Basically trying different things until it's right. I can get fabric at 40% off locally, so it's not so bad experimenting with this one cut (wish my wal-mart had a $1 bin, but oh well).

    I'm definitely going to do some experimentation. The nice thing about the side cuts is you don't have to hem them right away to try it out, so I can start small and work my way up if needed.

  4. #4
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    Catenary cut hammock ends/sides

    I cut all my hammock foot ends with a 3" deep curve as shown in the OP's illustration. It did lessen the calf ridge. I only do it to the foot end because that's where the calf ridge is. I have gone to as much as 5" but this was not as comfortable for me. I have never cut the sides on a curve, but have contemplated it several times.
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

  5. #5
    Senior Member XTrekker's Avatar
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    Pretty cool. Hope it works.

    I was gonna put a curve on my First DIY hammock foot-end because everybody always complained of loose fabric on the sides of the hammock. When I was putting a channel at each end, I forgot to do it and ended up with just square hammock. I ended up finishing it anyways and when I hung it I never noticed the calf ridge. I gave the hammock to my friend who is just getting into hammocks and he hasn't complained about calf ridge either. My main hammock is also my first hammock which is a HH Explorer and I have never noticed calf ridge in it either. Bought my wife a HH Expedition and asked her about calf ridge and she said she didn't have any problems. Maybe its the way I am laying or how I hang my hammocks but I have never had this issue yet even with my DIY hammock. I tend to hang my hammock so that I can grab my ridgeline and fold it over with my hand halfway, while laying in it. Perhaps leaving my hammock loose like this is what is eliminating the calf ridge. I'll hang my hammock more taught next time and see if I can replicate the calf ridge issue.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Boston's Avatar
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    My plan is to try a 4" cut on the sides tomorrow, so stay tuned!

    I'll try and take before and after pictures from inside and outside the hammock to highlight any difference.

    I figure worst case I can just turn it into a narrower 48-52" hammock.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Brute1100's Avatar
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    Re: Catenary cut hammock ends/sides

    Or end up with a gear hammock out of it...
    Live, Laugh, Love, if that doesn't work. Load, Aim and Fire, repeat as necessary...

    Buy, Try, Learn, Repeat

  8. #8
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    Catenary cut hammock ends/sides

    Quote Originally Posted by Brute1100 View Post
    Or end up with a gear hammock out of it...
    Been there, done that
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

  9. #9
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    I'm digging this idea might try it on my DIY just for giggles

  10. #10
    Senior Member Fish<><'s Avatar
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    https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ictureid=18641

    This is how I illiviate my calf ridge...your idea is great though.
    "We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it."- G. W. Sears

    My forum name is Fish<><; I'm in the navy; and I hate sleeping on the ground. If I didn't need ground to walk on or measure resistance to, I think I could happily give it up.

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