DIY Wooden Hammock Stand

Hi guys!

With summer closing in, I thought it would be the perfect time to share how I made this hammock stand. Made out of common materials that can be purchased at any hardware store, this project is perfect if you do not have adequately sized trees in your yard (or any trees at all) but want to enjoy the long summer nights outdoors in a cozy hammock. Using only a drill and a saw, roughly 40$ in materials and about 3 hours I was able to create this extremely durable yet easy to make hammock.

Lets get started!

**Apologies in advance for the bad quality on some shots. Did not have my good camera charged 8( **

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials:

- Wood planks. Can be any sized wood planks, but for strength and security go with thicker wood.

- 6x Thick steel bolts. They need to be more than 3x the thickness of your wood.

- 12x Steel washers.

- Wood screws. Quite a few of these.

-optional- Plywood. Can be substituted with wood planks if needed.

Tools:

- Drill with (spade) bits big enough for the large bolts.

- Measuring devices

- Marker

- File

- Saw

- Clamp

Remember, these are merely materials that I used. This project is very flexible and can be built with many different substitutes materials and adaptions. Do not take this as a definite guide, but rather a source of inspiration to build YOUR own custom hammock stand suited for YOUR needs.

Step 2: Taking Measurements and Planning Things Out

Once you have gathered your materials and tools, its time to start planning the dimensions of your stand. Its a good idea to make a detailed plan (the picture of the plan is not the design I actually ended up using). Take into account how long your hammock is (mines was around 9 feet long), how high you want it off the ground, etc. Its up to you!

Step 3: The Base

For the base, I took two 8 feet long planks of wood and cut a square off each end of the planks. The dimensions of these squares (which will be used as spacers) are W x W where W is the width of the plank you have chosen. Clamping the two slightly less than 8 feet planks together, I drilled four holes (see picture) with a spade bit to fit bolts to support the arm and the support beam. After the holes have been finished, I double check that the bolts fit through them just fine before I take off the clamps. Then, I take the spacers (placement shown in picture) we cut out earlier and screw them into the long planks, securing them together firmly. I then take a 3rd 8 foot beam and cut it into 2x 4 feet planks that will be my legs. I screw these legs into the bottom of the base making sure to tighten them completely. The base is now completed!!

Pro - Tip : If your screws are too short to go through two layers of wood, just drill a "pilot" hole bigger than the screw head, then drill a hole smaller than the diameter of the screw inside the larger screw. Then the screw should solidly hold the two pieces together.

Step 4: Arms and Support Beam

Depending on how far off the ground/ how long your hammock is, your arms+supports will vary in length.

For me, I used a 5 foot arm, and 3 foot supports.

First, start off by cutting out your desired lengths of supports and arms. Once that is done, place them into their designated locations on the base and drill holes through your preexisting holes in the base into the newly cut pieces. This will ensure that your bolts will fit through these parts. After that, bolt everything into place (no need to tighten). You will notice that the arm and the support don't fit together and we will need to cut a triangular piece off for them to be compatible. Also, cut a notch at the tip of the arm so that it may support a rope to hang your hammock with. Pay attention to which side you notch and mirror it on the other side (guess who messed this up).

Step 5: Securing the Arm-support Assembly

To secure the arm support and the arm, we use our plywood sheet to custom make a "holder" to seat the arm. If plywood is not available to you, using more wood planks is fine for this step as well. This part is easier done if the entire assembly is laying flat on the ground. First we draw out the shape of the arm and support on a sheet of plywood. Aesthetically speaking, it is the best if the slanted top part is flush with the arm, so draw/measure carefully. After you are done drawing cut out the plywood holder, and duplicate it 3 more times (2 for each side of the build). Carefully align everything, making sure everything is flush, and screw the plywood parts to the support arm only. When you are done with securing the plywood parts to the support arm, you may then drill a hole through the plywood and the arm to fit another bolt.

Repeat this process on the other side too.

And boom! We are done in a few short steps! Sand down any rough edges and trim bolts to size if desired.

Step 6: Enjoy Summer in Your Contraption!

Give yourself a pat on the back because you are DONE!

This hammock is extremely easy to modify and customize due to it being made out of fairly thick wood. I added a mosquito net, and I am currently making plans on adding a folding table and a solar charger so that I may use my computer from the comfort of my hammock. If you do make any modifications/have any suggestions for modifications, please post pictures in the comments below. I would love to see them.

Thanks for stopping by! If you've enjoyed please consider giving this instructables a thumbs up, and follow my page if you are interested in seeing more in the future.

Edit: I have entered this in a few contests and would greatly appreciate it if you guys voted for me if you've enjoyed! Thanks so much!

Comments

[BlakeR3]

I don't know how you'd do it.... But maybe instead of using the two boards on the bottom for support, you could use four boards with joints (with locks for security) for easier movement/storage of the hammock. That, and maybe cut the hammock in half (the two long boards) and add a lock on one side and a strong hinge on the other -to be able to 'collapse' the hammock for better storage.

...That is if storage is a necessity ...it probably won't be, just throwing the thought out there.

[kyao]

I actually had the same idea when I was making this! I see no reason why it shouldn't work, I was just too lazy to make another run to the hardware store to get some door hinges... :P

[VisualA]

I'm not sure door hinges would be the right choice perhaps making swivels with the bolts.

[OldGuy52]

Well done! I am industrial size (old basketball player) and I would suggest using 2"x6" for the base and angled uprights and 2"4" upright braces. I will be using 8' angled uprights so my gluteus muscles don't drag on the 10' base boards and I can put it up high enough so I am not doing deep knee squats getting in and out (remember, I am industrial size).

The stabilizers on the bottom need to be long enough so as to form a right triangle (45 deg- 45 deg- 90 deg)) to prevent tipover due to vigorous swinging (think kids & grankids). In limited space a 60-30-90 deg would be the minimum I would go with.

Again, well done with a clean lined, relocate-able, and storable frame!

[buck2217]

Very nice, saves havig to wait for the trees to grow

[HarrisonEmbrey]

Excellent project! The adjustments and upgrading suggestions by other contributors are all valid but hat tip to you Sir for your fine design...

[ZZuc]

Nice workbench, Great Project!

[Lord Squirly]

This is a neat idea especially for those of us without proper trees for hanging a hammock.

However, an object in motion exerts 2-3 times its weight as force so a 200lb person will create 400-600 lbs of force on your parts. You should consider a few changes to your parts list. Some of the rope and most of the carabiners from your local hardwood store are not strong enough even for static usage and will fail quickly over time.

Firstly I would recommend a stainless steel 'quick link' (http://www.amazon.com/Lehigh-7441-12-4-Inch-200-Po... or at least one that was galvanized and not just zinc. Second, you don't mention your choice of rope but I would suggest a strong braided nylon rope as it would be abrasion resistant & wouldn't stretch over time. Lastly, your wood screws shown are just zinc coated and will quickly rust. I would suggest using deck screws instead.

[work4fun]

awesome, i'd like to make one too.

[Elliot Lord]

Good job! I might give this a try myself.

[Edbed]

This looks so comfy.

[BeachsideHank]

It looks good and stable, nice work!