Materials
Power drill/screwdriver
Pencil
Tenon saw
Hammer
Tape measure
Scissors
Countersink bit
¼-inch drill bit
You will also need the following materials:
Heavy-duty canvas 36×80 inches (You can buy this at most arts and craft stores. Buy the heaviest weight available)
Double-sided carpet tape, 2 inches
Doweling, 1/2 inch in diameter, 5 feet
Doweling, 1 inch in diameter, 6 feet
3/8 inch brass eyelets, including the tap and die
Nylon rope, 3/16 inch thick, 63 feet long
Two metal rings, 2 inches in diameter
Two metal cleats
Sandpaper
Instructions:
1. Draw a line parallel to, and 2 inches from, each edge of the canvas. Then draw a line 4 inches in form each side. This is where you will stick the carpet tape.
2. Starting at one end of the hammock, firmly stick the tape to the canvas between the two lines you have just drawn. Make sure the canvas does not buckle or crease.
3. Measure and cut out two lengths of 28 inches on the ½ inch diameter doweling. Keeping the canvas and tape as flat as possible, peel off the backing paper from the tape on the two short side.
4. Rub the ends of the doweling that you have already cut with sandpaper. On the short side of the canvas, position one end of the dowels on the tape against its outside edge and press it down firmly.
5. Fold the canvas over the dowel so that the edge of the canvas lines up with the far edge of the tape and the guidelines you drew earlier. Press the canvas down firmly onto the tape, taking care to not crease of buckle the canvas. Repeat steps 4 and 5 on the other short side of the canvas.
6. Cut out a small square measuring about 2 inches from the corners of the hammock.
7. Now peel off the backing on one of the long side of the canvas and fold over the canvas so that the edge lines up with the guideline. Press the tape firmly in place, working your way down the canvas. Repeat on the other long side.
8. At each short end of the hammock, mark the center points of the seven eyelets by placing a tape measure across the ridge made by the dowel and make a pencil mark at 1,6,11,16,26, and 31 inches. Repeat at the other short end.
9. Place the canvas on a hard surface and using the tap, die, and hammer, push the tap onto the canvas so that it fits snugly into the die underneath. With the hammer, hit the tap hard, cutting a circle in the canvas. Cut all of the remaining holes in the same way at both short ends of the hammock.
10. Next put in the eyelets, which come in two parts. Place the part with the flange in the die and push this up through the hole in the canvas. Put the other part of the eyelet over the flange and hold it in place with the tap. Hit the tap with the hammer to join the two parts together. Repeat for the other eyelets.
11. Repeat this same procedure along the long sides of the hammock, but here mark the center of the holes at 8,10,17,19,26,28,35,37,44,46,53,55, 62, and 64 inches.
12. To make the crosspieces, measure and mark two 32 inch lengths of 1 inch diameter doweling.
13. Smooth the sawn edge with sandpaper. Then, using a straight edge, draw a line along the length of each dowel.
14. Make a mark 7/8 inch in from one end and then mark every 2 inches along the line. Then drill holes at each of these points using a ¼ inch drill bit.
15. Place one end of the hammock near to and parallel with your worktable. Hold it in place with a nail through the first eyelet on each side. Measure the midpoint and position the bottom of one metal ring 12 inches up from this point. Nail the ring into place.
16. Take 24 feet of the nylon rope and wind some adhesive tape around the ends. Thread most of the rope through the metal ring, leaving about 12 inches outside the ring. Thread the rope through the third hole in the dowel and back through the ring, leaving about 12 inches slack.
17. Continue threading the rope in this way, leaving the last hole in the hammock and dowel free. Check that the tension of the rope is even in each length, and then return the taped end of the rope through the ring. Take the other end of the rope and double it over to form a loop.
18. Hold the loop and the slack lengths of the rope and start winding the untaped length of rope around the loop. Pull the rope tight each time. Wind it at least ten times.
19. After you have wound the rope, thread it through the back of the remaining loop while keeping the other length of the rope taut. Pull on the rope so that the loop closes around the taped end of the rope to form a knot.
20. Holding the wound end firmly, pull the untaped length of rope so that the knot is pulled halfway inside the winding. Cut both ends of the rope as close as possible to the winding. Repeat this procedure at the other end.
21. Cut two 90 inch lengths of rope for the sides of the hammock. Wrap tape around the ends as before and thread the rope through the last hole in the dowel. Pull it through and tie a knot in the untaped end. Weave the rope in and out of the eyelets until you reach the end of the hammock. Thread the rope through the dowel and secure it with a knot. Cut off any excess rope. Repeat along the other long side of the hammock.
22. Attach a cleat to each of the rings. Your hammock is now ready to be hung up!