Rick's Place - a simple shade structure                             << Back --- Table of Contents --- Forward >>
The garden-supply store had fresh bamboo, so I got a few new bamboo poles today. The T-storm, followed by extreme drying at BRC last year really popped some splits in my poles! Being mostly parallel with the playa helps keep the thing from flying away; in theory, anyhoo!	I got out my shade structure and worked on it today. My fingertips have that familiar alkaline burn now! I spent a lot of time the past two Burns trying to secure the peak-poles, which would typically fall over and likely conk me on the head whenever the breeze hoisted the tarp slightly... I tried adding ropes, poles, duct-tape and fitments-- until yesterday, when a couple of added grommets (with really big nails through them) did the trick!  Now I'm pondering adding a suspended table; four rope segments, attached to the tops of the peak-poles, could suspend a nice 7' long picnic-table surface in between! Slots & knots would make it easily detachable...Joy!  Link to tarp information Link to knot information Link to PDF of construction details
One construction improvement will be use of sisal twine for the pole-tip whipping, coated with marine spar varnish; the white glue/cotton twine failed when wet (duh). I added four new grommets to the silver tarp, all along the center seam.
Now the two longer poles in the center will (hopefully) stay in place, without additional bracing poles or ropes! Installation and take-down tool kit! Note the 12" nails; the zinc-dipped coating is a nice option. Trucker's knot! >>>

Setup hints:
Start by laying out the tarp where it will go; use a tape-measure/measuring stick to locate each of the fourteen guy-rope anchor nails (with fender washers to help keep rope secure), hammering them in at a 45 degree tilt; leave 1"-2" protruding to loop the rope around.

Begin assembly with the two upwind corner poles, use the wind to provide tension as you install the upwind-side ropes and raise the first two poles...tie-off the guy lines with trucker's knots!

While you can still reach the top-center, push 6" nails down through each of the two (added) central grommets (to pin the two taller poles in place) then install the other two corner poles, and balance the tension from the downwind side. Next, put in the two center peak poles.

When all four corners are vertical and snugged tight, the remaining six perimeter poles can be installed. Once the ropes are adjusted, the nails can be hammered flush to minimize toe-stubbing potential.

After a day, or a storm, some re-tightening will likely be required. In case of extreme winds, some additional upwind-side guy ropes, with x-crossed (double) nails and even rebar anchors might come in handy!

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