Q:Grizz/Hangnout Bridge advice on dimensions

**packeagle** · 08-23-2011, 22:47

Ok, Thanks Grizz. Would a DL 1.1 be better than a single 1.9oz?

The piece I have diagrammed out would be one piece of amsteel. With the two "loose ends" attached to the soft shackles at the spreader bars. With that would bury length be important as the line isn't terminated in the splice, but rather passes through it.

Glad to hear about the UQ width, that will save me quite a bit of money, allowing me to purchase 1yrd of climashield and 2 yards of covering fabric.

**Jazilla** · 08-24-2011, 14:28

Packeagle, have you watched Grizz's videos on making the Grizz Bridge. I would recommend it. It is what I used to get an idea on how to make one. I am currently in the process now of making it.

**packeagle** · 08-24-2011, 15:26

I have watched his.video and looked at jis and teedee's guides. I have also built one bride hammock. I want to make the best bridge possible so I don't have.to do it again if I dont have too. My questions are aimed to refine my ideas and seek advice from those who have already tested. For example I figured that 1.9 would be a strong enough fabric for a single layer as it turns out on my girlfriends hammock it seems ok but I feel a lot of stretch when I 255 lbs lay in it. With grizzlys recomendation I will use a stronger fabric or double it up. What are you doing for your measurements. How do you plan on attaching your suspension. The more ideas that are generated the better everyones end result will be.

**Jazilla** · 08-24-2011, 15:58

I went with 78x54 with a center of I think 32. I am keeping the spreaders the same length as to not confuse the misses. Potentially her hammock. To attach my suspension I will use a continuous loop attached to the mule tape I am using. My suspension will be a single piece of Amsteel with fixed loops on the ends.
As for material I am using 1 layer of 1.7 ripstop and one layer of 40D nylon. Its what I had on hand. For the weight your looking at why not go with one layer of 1.1 and one of 1.9. Better safe than sorry.

**packeagle** · 08-24-2011, 16:34

Was trying to keep weight down as much as possible. That is a really good idea. That or I was going to do one layer if diygearsupply 2.8oz as it would save a step in construction and be strong.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 08-24-2011, 17:54

Before hearing about DIYgearsupply's 2.6 oz fabric, I would have gone with two layers, one 1.9 and one 1.1. But construction is definitely easier with 1 layer.

Then again, if you wanted a pad option.....

oh, there I go muddying the waters. Just when you started to think you knew what you wanted.

**packeagle** · 08-24-2011, 23:31

Ok lets say hypothetically i want that pad option. The 1.1/1.9 would be heavier by a small margin. I think the ease of construction and weight savings are worth it to me to have to place the pad in the hammock if I need that.

EDIT: Oh yeah, grizz I've been meaning to ask, where do you source you polyester microfiber, and would that be strong enough in a double layer? I like the idea of less stretch. My girlfriend's bridge in 1.9oz nylon seems to stretch quite a bit when loaded with my 250lbs.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 08-25-2011, 06:41

Originally Posted by packeagle

Ok lets say hypothetically i want that pad option. The 1.1/1.9 would be heavier by a small margin. I think the ease of construction and weight savings are worth it to me to have to place the pad in the hammock if I need that.

I've done this a few times, for pads about an inch thick.
The first question is how different in width the two bodies ought to be.
The best way to convince yourself of the answer is to do the experiment I did.
Description to follow assumes before cutting both bodies are the same roll width, you can adjust as necessary otherwise.

Place one body on the floor, and center the pad on it. If inflatable this should not be a hard inflate, in use you want a pad to be a little under-inflated. Center the 2nd body over the pad. Now place something long that will hold the fabric edges down together---e.g. 5' ruled edge, about 1" to either side of the pad. What we're trying to do is simulate the sewn edge of a pad pocket. Now measure on the edges of the topmost body the total difference between where its edges lay, and the edges of the fabric beneath. What you find
is a difference of about 0.5", maybe 0.75". So this is how much
wider the outer body is than the inner.

I have typically put the heavier fabric on the inside, thinking I suppose that it will be more resistant to stretching and should take the brunt of the weight. Not sure it matters.

Before cutting the suspension curve I cut the bodies to nominal size,
adding the extra width to the outside. So, for example if the head end
width was to be nominally 55" and the foot end 48", the inner body would be
cut to a trapezoid with those end widths, and the outer body to a trapezoid with the same length but 55.5" and 48.5" widths.

Then I've aligned the long edges of the two bodies, either basting stitch or pins or clips, and so when the curve is cut it is cut treating the two layers as one, fabric smoothed out, so that the difference in width is bunched in the middle. After the cut I've sewn the two bodies together along the suspension curve, again working on the principle of shoving the width difference to the center, away from the edges.

The webbing is rolled in and sewn in the normal way, just now the two layers are acting on the edge as one.

Now you can stop here, but I have found that pads have a way of shifting up the side of the wall of the hammock. So I've kept that from happening by sewing the two bodies together to create a centered sleeve. Now I should have mentioned that 26" is the minimum sized pad I've found useable, and the width of this sleeve I figure an inch on other side, say 28" wide. So again the fabric of the two bodies is smoothed out to keep the width difference in the middle and then stitches running the long direction are placed to create the sleeve. I've used 3 closely parallel stitch lines on each side.

Aren't you glad you asked

EDIT: Oh yeah, grizz I've been meaning to ask, where do you source you polyester microfiber, and would that be strong enough in a double layer? I like the idea of less stretch. My girlfriend's bridge in 1.9oz nylon seems to stretch quite a bit when loaded with my 250lbs.

wish I had a current source. A while back TeeDee mentioned getting this stuff from Rockywoods, and I got 20 yds or so back then. Should have gotten 100.
I'm about out, they haven't carried it for a long time, and I have not found any other supplier.

**packeagle** · 08-25-2011, 08:04

Would doing a double layer like that add to the strength? Just thinking that the half inch in the middle woudnt support the weight (unless there is a half inch of stretch). I know 1.9 is enough in a gathered end and the main concern is the strength along the webbing. That actually seems like a straight forward process to add the pad sleeve.

I have decided that the biggest problem for me is to many options. Its a good thing. Just overload on fabric types. There is a thought that a heavier single layer is stronger than a double layer. Then I think that having two separate fabrics would be stronger because of the two separate weaves.