Popular Mechanics - 3 Person Hammock Stand

**graciious** · 08-09-2011, 20:58

I am not sure how useful this information will be without the picture to back it up, and I can't find anything on the web so you'll have to wait until I can scan the page at work tomorrow. If you have the September issue of Popular Mechanics however flip to page 136 and check out the 3 hammock stand in a "geodesic-dome" design.

It is interesting if you are doing some camping in your back yard with a few friends, but not something that would be considered portable. I would also like to see it in action. The distance between the poles appears to be 10 feet which seems small to me, and the plans would have to be adjusted to make it larger.

From the pictures it appears the hang of the hammocks are hung to close together and the hammock looks more like a hanging chair. Anyway, you'll see it when I get to work!

**hrairoorah** · 08-10-2011, 06:10

Here is the page.

**oldgringo** · 08-10-2011, 07:57

When I see something like this...all drawing, no pics, the cynic in me sees red flags all over the place. Dollars to donuts, this thing never got off of paper.

That doesn't mean it can't work, however, just that it hasn't yet.

**Bubba** · 08-10-2011, 09:24

Looks like a tensegrity stand VW posted about a while back, here's the pic from his gallery:

McIntyre started a thread here.

**Cranky Bear** · 08-10-2011, 10:09

WOW Dave, first the "Right Angle Hammock" and now this! Hope you are getting royalties?????????

**dant8ro** · 08-10-2011, 10:43

What! no reference. This article had to come straight from the Hammock Forums. I've now seen a few threadys on tensegrity stands, but I think credit does go to Buckminster Fuller and WV!

Dan.

WV · 08-10-2011, 13:11

Originally Posted by Cranky Bear

WOW Dave, first the "Right Angle Hammock" and now this! Hope you are getting royalties?????????

No, but I'm also not getting sued when they break. The struts specified in the Pop Mechanics spread are not adequate.

**raiffnuke** · 08-10-2011, 13:14

touché!

**oldgringo** · 08-10-2011, 13:27

Originally Posted by WV

No, but I'm also not getting sued when they break. The struts specified in the Pop Mechanics spread are not adequate.

I told you they never built one. That's about all PM is good for.

**SinisterMinister** · 08-10-2011, 16:03

Originally Posted by WV

No, but I'm also not getting sued when they break. The struts specified in the Pop Mechanics spread are not adequate.

I'm probably jumping in on this conversation with a severe lack of knowledge...I read through most of the original thread and watch the video of your 10-steps to set up your stand. In the video, you mentioned that your struts were top rails used for chain link fencing.

The Pop-Sci instructions use a smaller diameter piping. Since it's calling for threaded pipe, I had envisioned this requiring the use of something similar to natural gas lines, which I believe is a thicker gauge of pipe then what is commonly used for fence rails.

My engineering skills end once I leave the lego box, but wouldn't a thicker gauge compensate for the smaller diameter?