Rocking Hammock Stand

This is an Instructable on how to make a rocking hammock stand to recreate the sensation of floating on a long-tail boat in the Pacific. You will need

2 - 20' long, 2" x 1.5" steel tube with a wall thickness of at least .12"

1 - 3' x 4' sheet of steel .06" thick

A tube rolling machine to bend the tube

A shear to cut the sheet metal

A punch to cut holes in the sheet metal

A MiG welding machine to weld the tubes and sheet metal

A hammock (with rope)

Use a tube roller to bend the 2 tubes until the ends are 14' apart.

Next place the center of the arcs on the ground, about 6' apart from each other and lean them towards each other at a 50 degree angle. At the point where the ends cross making an X shape, mark the vertical center line on both pieces where they cross, then cut both tubes with a handsaw creating an upside down V.

Once cut, fixture the two tubes next to each other with some 2x4s. Then MiG weld the tips of the tubes together.

Clamp one corner of the sheet steel onto the corner where the tubes meet, with one edge following the outside edge of the tube steel, then clamp 2' down each tube. Trace along the outside edge of the opposite tube, then draw a straight line from one clamp to the other. This forms a triangle between the top corner and the 2 clamps, the outline of the end panel. (Repeat for the opposite side)

After the panel is cut, punch two holes 6" directly below the top and 1" out from the center line. Fix the panel to the tubes using clamps and zip ties, tack along each corner, remove clamps and zip ties, then weld the panel to the tubes.

Tie your hammock through the 2 holes on each side, hop in and start swinging on 2 axes!