salad bowl shade cloth

[guerrillayogi]

Vaguely remember seeing an idea like this, but I've scoured the forums and haven't found anything.

So, has anyone tried something like this?



Basically, a geodesic dome (cover not shown) has a taller PVC pole in it's center, with an inverted salad bowl on top. The shade cloth is draped over the dome and tightly secured with rebar around the southern perimeter.

A vent fan vents the top of the dome into the area below the salad bowl.

Feasible?

[guerrillayogi]

OK OK so what have I done wrong (or haven't I done) to not receive any feedback?

Is my drawing too ugly??

I'm seriously considering this unless I hear otherwise from the more experienced folk out there! We do not have space to transport several poles so this is my single pole (secured within the geodesic dome) solution. Yea, maybe or absolutely nay?

[Sundial]

Assuming you're not trolling me...

I'm not really getting this. What is the purpose of the dome if nothing is being attached to it? Why not just affix the shade cloth directly to the dome? This just doesn't make any sense at all.

[theCryptofishist]

You missed "cover not shown." So, I think it's two layers: one of cloth, one of shade cloth.
Is one pole going to be strong enough to hold up all that weight?

[guerrillayogi]

Let me rephrase. The dome IS tightly covered with a parachute (not shown in drawing). There is a vent hole on top, with a solar fan.

I'd like to set up a shade over the dome to keep sunlight away. I'm aware that there needs to be 1-2 feet of space between the dome and the shade. Since I don't have the ability to transport several PVC poles, I'm thinking of using only one.

The single PVC pole will be placed INSIDE the dome, and sticks out through the vent hole in the parachute (alongside the vent fan). The 20x20 shade cloth is draped over the pole, and staked to the ground on the south, east, and west sides (leaving the north side partially exposed). On the north side, the cloth may also be secured to the dome itself. Dome entrance faces north.

The inverted salad bowl ensures that the shade cloth doesn't rip. The whole idea is to allow venting of the air above the dome and below the shade, without requiring more than one pole.

Hope that's (more) clear!

PS as for the the strength of the pole, it will be secured to the dome pieces wherever possible (close to the top of the dome) so that should help.

[Sundial]

I camped with Space Gnomes last year. They had a geodome with silver tarps directly tied to the frame. I found it worked very well.

[MrBeardy]

I think a few layers of fabric under the parachute will do the same thing and be less of a headache it will also help prevent the parachute from flapping a lot more. You can vent the dome in the day when you are home by lifting from the bottom and clamping it with several spring clamps unless it is super windy, in which case you will have the dome and cover secured closed and it would be too hot to be in anyways. I'm a daytime cruiser anyways, so this system works for me pretty well...

[Boijoy]

I would thing you would need a more "rigid" pole? I have a small set up & have used a metal shade pole with a 5 gal bucket lid to hold up my shade in the center. so, the idea works. try it !!

[CornMan]

The one bummer I see with that is the pole going down the middle unless it's a stripper pole or something. Maybe a few of those inverted salad bowls mounted to the dome and stretch aluminet over that would work to pre-shade your parachute dome fabric.

[dragonpilot]

Check in with your local Army surplus store...there's a pole with a spreader on the end made especially for propping up camouflage netting. http://www.camonettingstore.com/camo-netting-supports/

[guerrillayogi]

I would thing you would need a more "rigid" pole? I have a small set up & have used a metal shade pole with a 5 gal bucket lid to hold up my shade in the center. so, the idea works. try it !!

Good point I'll try to find an EMT pole or something, along with the spreader

[guerrillayogi]

The one bummer I see with that is the pole going down the middle unless it's a stripper pole or something. Maybe a few of those inverted salad bowls mounted to the dome and stretch aluminet over that would work to pre-shade your parachute dome fabric.

ooooh, excellent idea! Except that I can't attach items on the outside of the dome, because my parachute is stretched tight over the dome...And I don't want to cut holes in the 'chute!

Ideally, there will be a large vehicle immediately to the south (either a campmate or a neighbor) to which I can somehow attach the shade, but this idea is intended to be self-reliant with minimal PVC/EMT tubing.

[atomicray]

The salad bowl is a good idea for spreading the point of contact without points or edges. The single PVC pole may be too weak and or flexible to provide enough support as noted above. And there would be too much sail quality to deal with, again as noted above.

But all that said...even with an ugly drawing...the idea has merit.

Best of luck and success with your project!

[JayBobBoy]

Brainstorm...Instead of a salad bowl, cut a hole for the pole into an old leather basketball (or any ball that will hold its shape and won't puncture easily)