Introduction: Skychair Angle Adjustment Mod
I have really enjoyed my skychair so far. It's fun and more comfortable than you would expect, it's so comfortable I sleep in it on occasion. However, in order to be able to sleep comfortably it needs to be laid far back, but when I'm sitting, I like it at a more normal sitting angle. The chair DOES have a basic knot to adjust the angle but that takes a bit of patience to change since the rope its made from likes to settle and sometimes makes it quite a challenge to mess with.
This little modification makes my skychair a lot easier to change quickly, and as a bonus it makes washing the chair a bit easier.
This little modification makes my skychair a lot easier to change quickly, and as a bonus it makes washing the chair a bit easier.
Step 1: Stuff
All you need is 2 Quick connects/Maillons. They're pretty much a chain link that you can open and close with a nut. I got mine at Ace Hardware for about $3 a piece.
Step 2: The Knot
When I first examined my skychair to see if there was any real modifying I could do to it, I looked closely at their knot. The knot is an elegant solution to keep the design looking smooth and clean. The rope is hollow so when you try compressing it axially, it expands outward to create a hollow chamber in the middle. The knot loops around itself 2.5 times and goes through with the sealed end winding up inside that hollow space.
Step 3: Dissecting This Curious Knot
This knot is simple and shouldn't be much trouble to undo, but I've included the steps anyway.
Rinse, and repeat.
- Pull the end of the rope out of the core of the beginning of the rope
- Pull the end through where it goes through itself (its hard to describe)
- Pull it through where it passes through below where the end goes into the core
Rinse, and repeat.
Step 4: Putting It Back Together.
Since the knots were "settled" to start with, the rope *should* play nicely and go back to where it was originally seated, and that's where we want it.
- Thread the end back through the boot cup strap contraption.
- Thread the end through the middle of the rope. (quick-link is not necessary yet, but I put it on first anyway)
- Thread the end of the rope through itself and pull taut. (see picture x)
- Thread the end back into the core and push it back up through it as far as you can.
- Pull the whole knot taut.
- Put the Quick-link on if you haven't already.
Step 5: The Figure-8 Slip Tie
I jumped right in, not really knowing of any knots that would do what I wanted, so I tried about four different things before I got it to something I liked.
This is the one I liked best, well, really its the only one that worked (so far) The closest approximation I can make is a clovehitch with one loop outside, perhaps those more knowledgeable on knots could tell me. If you make the (flattened) design in the pictures, just fold it in half, put it on the Quick-link, and you're good to go.
Rinse, repeat.
This is the one I liked best, well, really its the only one that worked (so far) The closest approximation I can make is a clovehitch with one loop outside, perhaps those more knowledgeable on knots could tell me. If you make the (flattened) design in the pictures, just fold it in half, put it on the Quick-link, and you're good to go.
Rinse, repeat.
Step 6: Some Photos I Took
For your extended viewing pleasure, here are some pictures I took that I thought were decent enough to show.