Hammock posts

[spiritwalker]

Anyone got any experience of setting up posts in the garden for hammocks? i was thinking of these
http://www.railwaysleeper.co.uk/oak...a6FubESH4QKiqUyZrJsPULkX2A654HlxTAaAppy8P8HAQ


the 100mm x 100mm ones if i sunk them say 2 ft deep in concrete would they support someone of about 13 stone in a hammock? i was hoping to set up 3 hammock stations for the summer lazy days

 

[Mesquite]

They'd probably be strong enough but I'd bury them a bit deeper for safety or fix a bracing bar between them to help take the strain.

It's surprising how much leverage you generate when pulling at the top of a 6ft post

 

[tsitenha]

If in doubt guy them down toward the outward ends. We solidify telephone/ hydro posts like this especially in swamp/muskeg/sand

 

[Hammock_man]

A bracing bar across the top also acts as a fixed ridge line!

 

[dewi]

If you want them as freestanding posts... the 100mm x 100mm x 3m posts buried up to around a metre... still gives you over 6ft above ground, but they won't go anywhere.

Added security is drilling some holes through the post that will be beneath the ground and pushing some steel rods through.... when you pour in the concrete or the post mix, it adds a bit more strength to it.

 

[spiritwalker]

Cheers I did try last year with round posts but the kids snapped them in the end swinging in the hammock, plus they bowed loads with me in them so I was looking at concrete posts then came across those oak ones... I don't what to use guy ropes as it will be something the kids will keep tripping over, I'll mull over the 3m posts or investigate a top bar as suggested. Thanks.

 

[XRV John]

Funnily enough this is what I have been doing today.

I'm using 100x100mm (4" in old money) posts in Metpost sockets as they need to be demountable. One wil be supported by an Amsteel line back to a wall tie. The other has a supporting post at about 30 degrees onto a footplate.

Now need to go to Wickes and buy some bits to put eyes on the posts for the Karabiners to hook on to. May have pictures next weekend

John

 

[Willcurrie]

I was shown once a long time ago how to fit a farm gate post. Dig a hole of appropriate depth and drop the post in. Drop a large stone in at the back of and touching the post (opposite the hinge side), start filling the hole, tamping down as you go. About a foot or so from ground level drop a larger stone in at the front (hinge side) then continue to fill and tamp. The two stones theoretically spread the lever forces over a wide area and stop the posts leaning in. This is likely to be quite specific to ground conditions.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[PDA1]

Here is a better plan.
http://theultimatehang.com/2012/07/portable-hammock-pipe-stand/

The horizontal static forces for a hammock hung at the optimum 30 degrees from horizontal would be about 150 lb for a 175 lb person. They go up exponentially as angle decreases to 20 and 10 degrees. The brace bar in the diagram would be under a compressive load of about 300 lbs. Every time you move, wriggle bounce, the load increases enormously, so a large safety margin is needed.

 

[bowji john]

I've got a couple at my bushcraft site

I used treated posts of 200mm x 200mm

The most important element is the depth - apparently approx 1/3 rd should be underground

I went down 3 ft and infilled with concrete and stone

I have however used brace bars - the 'turning moment' (lateral forces) generated by a hammock strung 6 ft from the pivot point (ground) are considerable

If I had to do it again I would paint the underground part in wood preserving creosote paint - even when using treated timbers - as it is significant investment in effort and time and anything to maintain their longevity is good in my book

 

[spiritwalker]

All food for thought, if nothing else it shows the awesome power of trees to bear weight...

 

[woof]

Its funny how a number of us are thinking of doing the same thing !. I'm considering using sleepers or telegraph poles for my project, I agree with the previous comments of going down at least 3ft.

Rob

 

[Tony]

ha ha, i'm always going on about burying some spots to use in the garden, I also want to get some poles up so i can tarp over the deck....

We need to encourage our children to plant trees as soon as they can so they do not have dilemmas like this....

 

[mousey]

All food for thought, if nothing else it shows the awesome power of trees to bear weight...

 

[Dogoak]

I was shown once a long time ago how to fit a farm gate post. Dig a hole of appropriate depth and drop the post in. Drop a large stone in at the back of and touching the post (opposite the hinge side), start filling the hole, tamping down as you go. About a foot or so from ground level drop a larger stone in at the front (hinge side) then continue to fill and tamp. The two stones theoretically spread the lever forces over a wide area and stop the posts leaning in. This is likely to be quite specific to ground conditions.

Hope this makes sense.

Similar to round here for strainer posts. No concrete use which allows easy replacement when required. The post hole needs to be not much bigger diameter than the post, couple of extra inches all round. I normally know when I'm deep enough if I'm lying on the ground with my arm down the hole and finger tips just touching the bottom (I'm 6' 1"). Tamp stones around the bottom of the post, biggest you can fit in. Then tamp some soil, then some more stones and so on to the top, then it should easily hold a 15' wooden 5 bar gate.

 

[Tony]

We need to see the video of when the winds start to blow

 

[XRV John]

They're up and working!

Tonight I will try my cold weather setup in my DD Frontline

And then tomorrow with the Tenth Wonder

Happy days