Some, if not many, of you have 8x8 or 10x10 pop-up tents, like the one shown below:
The folding cross-structures under the tent flaps have already bent with the 2nd deployment of the tent (cheap aluminum box tubing). While I was at the Jacksonville show, I saw professional grade tents made with aluminum tube or substantial square tubing, put together either with threads or pins. That got me thinking of how to improve my existing tent by using the existing fabric and replacing all of the structure.
I'm thinking of using black pipe, because it comes in a variety of lengths, is readily available, is plenty strong for this application, and it can be welded if necessary. Using 90* couplers and a variety of other couplers, I can pretty much re-create the entire structure with minimal cutting and welding. I would need to cut pipes to length for the four peak lines, and develop a special 4-way coupler for the peak. I'd also weld steel plates for the footers. The fabric material already has velcro strips to keep it onto the risers.
I'm taking next week off, and am contemplating making the tent structure then. If the tent is 8' high, I can use two 4' sections with a coupler for each of the vertical sections, and do the same for the horizontal pieces so I can fit everything into the car.
What do y'all think of this idea?
The folding cross-structures under the tent flaps have already bent with the 2nd deployment of the tent (cheap aluminum box tubing). While I was at the Jacksonville show, I saw professional grade tents made with aluminum tube or substantial square tubing, put together either with threads or pins. That got me thinking of how to improve my existing tent by using the existing fabric and replacing all of the structure.
I'm thinking of using black pipe, because it comes in a variety of lengths, is readily available, is plenty strong for this application, and it can be welded if necessary. Using 90* couplers and a variety of other couplers, I can pretty much re-create the entire structure with minimal cutting and welding. I would need to cut pipes to length for the four peak lines, and develop a special 4-way coupler for the peak. I'd also weld steel plates for the footers. The fabric material already has velcro strips to keep it onto the risers.
I'm taking next week off, and am contemplating making the tent structure then. If the tent is 8' high, I can use two 4' sections with a coupler for each of the vertical sections, and do the same for the horizontal pieces so I can fit everything into the car.
What do y'all think of this idea?
