A page for detailed Central Camp building plans and specifications.

The angle of the central vertical posts will determine which method (shown below) is used to pass the eyebolts through the timber.
In A they turn in increments of 22.5 degrees from the centre line. In B they don't rotate at all.

This illustrates two ways of preventing vertical twisting in the 4x4 posts.
(The first WOULD work if used in example A above. But the angle of the wire would be different)

Plan 1

This was the first design for the inner ring. It's not as easy to contstruct as plan2 but it might be argued that it looks better?
The opening to the sky is clearer than in plan 2

Plan 2

This is a simpler way of creating the 8 points we need to hang everything from. It uses more wood but is more “self sufficient” than Plan 1.

Plan 3

This is another. It's simple but I'm not sure of it's integrity.

Plan 4

And now things are getting really bare! I think this could work but does it look a bit budget?

We can use eyebolts/eyenuts or two eyebolts and a ringnut to keep the holes
drilled through the wood to a minimum

One method for creating the 45 degree joints at the inner ring.

There will be 22.5 angles in the outer ring. This is one idea for building it.

Site
The ground is sloped so we need to deal with this or face having to cut odd shaped shade material. Probably the best idea is to sink some posts in to the ground so that the inner and outer “rings” are level. This may mean sinking some posts by 30 – 50 cm.

Posts
Center “ring” posts will probably be fixed to the ground with a bracket designed for joining beams to concrete walls. As for the outside ring posts...?

Materials
Items marked * need more purchased.

Purchased:
2 x 100m rolls of 6mm wire rope @ 0.45 euro per meter = 90 euros
16 snap hooks (8 @ 1 euro = 8 euros and 8 @ 0.60 euro = 4.80 euros as I found them cheaper in another shop)
1 x roll of gold “bird scarer” 50mm wide tape (non adhesive) @ 11.50 euros
*50 x 6mm wire clamps @ 0.30 euros = 15 euros
1m long crowbar

To purchase:
Sledge hammer 18 euros
15mm rebar (sold in 6m lengths) to make 16 ground anchors
Central ring:

• ? x 10 x 5cm x 4m beams
• ? x 10 x 10cm x 4m posts @ 14.95 euros per post

Outer ring:

• 8 x 10 x 5cm x 4m beams for long horizontals
• 8 x 10 x 5cm x 2m beams for short horizontals
• 16 x 10 x 5cm x 3m beams for verticals

Simple 50mm joist hangers x ?
100 x cable clamps @ 0.30 euros each = 30 euros
Screws:

• Box of 500 x 4 x 50mm screws 3.95 or 9.38 euros at Brico Depot depending on quality
• Box of 200 x 5 x 70mm screws 10 euros at Brico Depot
• ? x 120mm Coach bolts with washers and nuts
• Also they sell by the kilo at Brico Depot for 6 euros per kilo (compared to over 8 euros at Leroy Merlin)

Turnbuckles – do we need them? If in doubt we should get 16 or 32. 8mm ones cost 1.16 euros at Brico Depot
Post feet: From Brico Depot x ? or we could use rebar drilled in to bottom (or fixed to side) of posts to save cash

• Digging these into the ground will be more work but will be stronger and cheaper than the above.

20m of builders band
? Joist hangers
? Nail plates
? Angle brackets
Eye bolt options:

• Eye bolts and eye nuts (plus normal nuts and washers). Expensive and eye nuts are hard to get.
• Eye bolts (2 per post) plus tube nuts (?): 8 for inner ring, 16 for outer ring = 24 fixing points
  • 24 tube nuts
  • 48 eye bolts
  • 48 std nuts
  • 48 std washers

• • 17m of «Aluminet I 70%" 5.3m (= 90.1m2) @ 1,774 euros per m2 = 159.84 euros + VAT (16%?) +0.60 per meter to cut = ? euros
  • 50m roll of dark green @ 73 euros
• Triangle fill-ins: 8 x 4.75m (=38m) x 2m = 76m2 x "Chromati Net? Red 70%" @ 0.99 euros + VAT per m2 Total: about 80 euros
• Shade material fasteners:
  • Clips “Connector with bridge”: Every 50cm. 28 clips per strip = 224, per triangle: the same, total 550 @ 0.163 = 89.65 euros +VAT
  • (Some shade is supplied with eyelets stitched in every couple of feet)
  • Pins “Stork connector”: 10 per triangle = 80 @ 0.058 = 4.64 euros + VAT

5m Ratchet straps (8 minimum) explanation of daN (decanewtons)
Snap hooks: x 16 minimum
...

Notes
Anchors. Screw-in ground anchors are available at lumber yards or hardware outlets that cater to tree trimmers or vineyards. A standard size anchor, with a 3–1/2" to 4" diameter helix, and is about 40" long, can hold about a ton in a very firm playa. Screw them in with a cheater bar of 3/4" steel pipe, or a 3/4" steel stake.
In the UK, 3 ft crowbar shaped stakes are known as “2-ton anchors”. Hmmmm....

Ground anchor links:
Since this was written we have decided that we'll use rebar stakes.
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=020110015∞
http://www.western-windpower.com/acrobat/FAQ%20Anchors.pdf∞
http://www.forgetec4x4.co.uk/winchingequipment.html∞
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/product/product.jsp?CATID=8080112&entryFlag=false&PRODID=141359∞

Category Nowhere Planning?