Monkey Love Hut PVC...to cut or not to cut?

[Elorrum]

My dear friend, that is wonderful. It is just so pretty when it's still clean. Erase that picture from your mind. I haven't made a structure from scratch so I don't really have any true to life helpful comments. I do think your excess fabric is a potential flap-o-rama. If you don't want to cut it, can you just roll it up? I love the stand up tent and sitting height cot. You are going to appreciate that. stakes with lights, and a floor, you've got it all going on.

[EspressoDude]

just make the frame a little longer, OR, make part of the roof 2 layers by folding the aluminet

[FIGJAM]

I agree with EDude.

If you're not bringing enough pvc for the entire length, I would go UNDER the last rib, then fold the extra fabric forward and secure it.

The reason for a tight fit is that flapping=failure.

This was hammered into me by Bob, Elliot, Dr. Placibo, and others during my intro thread.

You must have found better shark clamps than I did, because if I don't fold fabric over a 1/4 inch piece of cord and place it at the back of the clamp, the clothe ALWAYS slips out.

Oh, by the way, It's beutiful, beutiful.

[MyDearFriend]

If I decide I have room in my car for 2 more sets of legs, I will make the frame longer and let it be open on both ends. I know that is much wiser, though I love the way this looks, especially now that it's dark and the automatic lights have come on; like some great creature of the deep, slowly flexing her fins...



Well I'm having fun with her today, no matter how practical I'll have to be come August.

[MyDearFriend]

Oh Figjam these are the fasteners I'm using:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JmnxdUtbF0[/youtube]

They seem pretty tight on the aluminet.

And I know about flapping, but what I'm seeing is more expanding/contracting, maybe a ripple in the center? But the edges stay straight and firm. It's hard to explain, but it's very seductive.

Monkey Hut Love, for real.

[MyDearFriend]

OK y'all, I have seen the light, recalculated my probable cargo capacity and built two more legs for this monster:



Looks kind of crooked, I think because the ground is uneven. Couldn't be the gin, right?

I think it's tight enough; it stood up real well to a "severe" thunderstorm last night, well it rippled in the wind enough to shimmer in the lights but no flapping. I think I'm ready to ship it to Nevada, unless you see a problem here. NOW is the time to tell me, for real...

and yeah okay I have no idea why I am bringing such a huge fucking thing

[FIGJAM]

Duh, because you can!!!

Same reason Bliss dance was there last year, just on a different scale.

It's beeeuuuuutiiiiiiiffulllllllllllll!!!

[MyDearFriend]

(((Figjam)))

thank you........

[Elorrum]

That's magnificent. solo Bad-Ass award.

[wimala1]

[quote="MyDearFriend"]Hey let me show you what I did and ask you what you think. Here is the Monkey Hut I made today:

hi my dear friend,

how far apart were your ribs?

where did you get your aluminet?

what size aluminet did you use?

is your top rib (front to back) fit together with the tape on the ends or is it a true fit: ie 1.5" pipe & 1.5" x fitting?

[MyDearFriend]

Hey let me show you what I did and ask you what you think. Here is the Monkey Hut I made today:

hi my dear friend,

how far apart were your ribs?

where did you get your aluminet?

what size aluminet did you use?

is your top rib (front to back) fit together with the tape on the ends or is it a true fit: ie 1.5" pipe & 1.5" x fitting?

The ribs are 5 feet apart.

I got my aluminet from GreenhouseMegastore but since learned that's not the cheapest place. I ordered an untrimmed piece 20x25, it came 21x27 feet so I trimmed it to fit before I attached the Shark-Bite fasteners.

I followed Love Monkey's directions and used 1" PVC for the legs, 1.25" for connecting sections and 1.5" for the x-connectors, with duct tape to make them snug.

Are you building one?

[wimala1]

yes, i am making one!

my only difference is that the front to back connection is with 1.5" pipe & 1.5" x connectors.

i would really like to hear from someone regarding this. my goal was to try and make that continuous rib as strong as possible. as in a majorly solid spine.

will post pix when done. mine is overall 20' length.

on the aluminet, i checked and it is only about $10 more expensive than gothic arches - which is the cheapest place i could find for 70%.

[The Bee]

Here's a variation on the Monkey Hut that I made last year using shade cloth. The shade cloth doesn't catch the wind as much as a tarp, but it does hold dust. I think I'll make it bigger this year by adding a 3rd rib and a support pipe between ribs.
http://flic.kr/p/8zYnaU

[wimala1]

i was able to see your pix when i copied the link and opened in another window.

it looks like the beginning of what we are making. i was just wondering why you didn't bring your cover all the way around?

[The Bee]

I didn't bring the cover all the way around on one side because I wanted easier access for people to walk in and out, and easier access into the van which I parked parallel to that side of the shade structure. Also, since the shade cloth tends to hold dust, if you're inside the shade structure and you bump your head on the shade cloth, you get a mini-dust bath. The way I built it gives more head-room. Of course the trade-off is less shade.

[lazerfox]

In the process of prototyping our own little monkey hut...went with the not cut 10' legs and will pick them up when we arrive in Cali.
so far so good with getting all the legs and connectors to work moving on to testing with a regular tarp before purchasing the Aluminet.

So excited!!

[brookstar]

I'm in the process of ordering aluminet for a shade structure. We're getting a 11' x 21' piece. Because space is going to be quite tight in the car this year, I was wondering, what does your aluminet fold down into? I realise you have a different size, but ballpark figures would help. Cheers.

[Asherbeez]

I found, while transporting the 10' pieces back from the box store, that by strapping them all together via duck tape they didn't flop around nearly as much as they did when left to their own devices. I plan to do the same on the way out to the playa. Strap all the 10' together in a few places, then secure them to the roof of the vehicle.

Got mine all together a few weeks back. Didn't strap on the tarp and have one more rib I'll use on the playa. Can't wait to get it up out there

[MyDearFriend]

I'm in the process of ordering aluminet for a shade structure. We're getting a 11' x 21' piece. Because space is going to be quite tight in the car this year, I was wondering, what does your aluminet fold down into? I realise you have a different size, but ballpark figures would help. Cheers.

It's very light and compressible, so, it might fit under a seat. BUT if you do like i did, leave the ropes & bungees in the grommets & fan-fold it carefully lengthwise to save time/effort at set-up, then, YMMV but my 20' x 26' piece made a cube about 18" on a side.

[playagoddess]

Hellooooo! I am forming a theme camp with my friends this year and we're planning a sort of Monkey Love Hut Village. My question to you is - has anyone made a MLH that's BIGGER? I'm thinking of using 12' PVC on the ribs to make a 24' arch with a 15' diameter and 7.5' height instead of a 20' arch, 12' diameter, and 6.3' height. Do you think this will be just as structurally sound if I keep the 5' rib spacing? what about 6' spacing? will this be too big and wobble?

[FIGJAM]

I've seen bigger.

http://www.toad.com/gnu/clifs-shade-structure.html

[eureka]

Argh.

So I just got back from the hardware store where I brought (& cut to size) some 1" PVC pipes to fit with the 3/4" ones we already had lying around. We figured we would downsize 1/4" over all as we already had a lot of 3/4" pipe and we're using shadecloth not tarp, plus setting the hut up against the side of an RV.

ANYWAY... the 3/4" pipes don't fit into the 1" ones...

The original instructions called for 1" and 1 1/4" pipes, I downsized 1/4" all over - can't figure out why they wouldn't fit

[Sic Pup]

I think the actual size of the walls differs with each diameter but don't quote me on that.

I'm thinking you could return the 1", grab 1 1/4" and use duct tape to increase the diameter of the 3/4" at the union to fit the 1 1/4" snuggly (?????).

[eureka]

Yeah I will be doing that today. Sadly I already got the pipes cut down to 5' so won't be able to return them. But they should still work for the spine/connectors!

[FIGJAM]

This is just a quick shade I put up for the dog about 2 months ago.

Last night we got a typical monsoon storm.

2.25 inches of rain in 1 hour with 50mph sustained winds!

I'm impressed it held up so well.