How to build a pyramid tower

[roguedawg 10]

I have a stupid question and don't mind showing my ignorance. How do you build a pyramid tower? I see pictures of them in the field book, but what oder do you do the lashings so it does not look like Bizarro built it? Thanks. RD

[Twocubdad 665]

Are you talking about a building a tripod?

 

You use a tripod lashing (instructions on page 146 of the Handbook) which basically lashes three staves together in parallel. You then spread the legs out into a tripod. Not difficult at all.

[roguedawg 10]

Well sort of. I can build a tripdo. I mean the tower that has a lower tripod and an upper inverted tripod. There are diagonal lashings on the legs. On the upper tripod, there is a deck to stand on. I never saw how to build one before. Close, but no cigar. Thanks. RD

[shortridge 184]

I've not built one myself, but there are detailed instructions here...

 

http://ropesandpoles.blogspot.com/2006/05/erecting-hourglass-tower.html

 

and here...

 

http://www.geocities.com/allan_frbs/pioneering.html

 

Seems like it's easiest to lash the towers together on their sides on the ground, and then tilt and raise the whole contraption up using long ropes.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[OldGreyEagle 5]

and here

 

http://www.scouting.org.za/resources/pioneering/HourglassTower.pdf

[Eamonn 61]

We have built many of these.

Some have even managed to stay up!!

If you are new to Scout Pioneering this is a little advanced.

You might want to start with something along the same lines, but smaller -Maybe a floating flag pole?

Eamonn.

(Hate to be a kill joy but I think someplace in some BSA publication there is something about how high these things are allowed to be. I remember someone telling me this when I was coming up with the pioneering projects that we used in the old course. I of course did mention to the participants that there was a something somewhere and I was looking for it!)

If you can get old of some of the old Gilcraft Books and Patrol Scout Pioneering by John Sweet you will find some great stuff. I'm not sure what is on the dump?

[shortridge 184]

Eamonn,

 

I think you're thinking about one of the resident camp standards, M-64: "All high activities (6 feet or more above ground) must have a reliable protection system and back up system to protect participants."

 

A thread on that topic is here...

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=207474&p=1(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[roguedawg 10]

Thank you so much for the links. I really like the Girl Scout tower. Having an image to look at is nice. Thanks again. I guess we have a project for this coming spring. RD

[Eamonn 61]

shortridge

Thank You.

Now I have to do my best to tell everyone where it is.

Even if they can't find it???

Don't get me wrong.

I'm 100% for no one getting hurt.

But a six foot tower?? Hardly worth the effort.

A little Cub Scout climbing a tree goes up higher than that.

Sure these things can and have got out of hand. But at some stage common sense has to come into play.

Ea.

[CNYScouter 46]

Eamonn wrote:

I'm not sure what is on the dump?

 

The Dump is a web site that has .pdf's of older Scouting book and had become one of my favorite resources for ideas.

 

They do have copies of all the old Gilcraft Books (written in the 20's & 30's)

 

http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/scouts.html

 

You can also find other book on pioneering.

You will have to scan the titles to find them.

 

Check this site out.