Authenic period Ridge pole, and Supports.

[S.D.Swart]

For a typical A frame. Mine is 6' 4" high and about 8" long. I know that is too large for a true period A frame. and down the road I plan to fix that problem. Rather sleep in my dog tent or in the open, but the A frame has it's uses. That said.

Are there any source for good poles, or if not, any pictures or instructions to make my open. I figure I could use my wooden dog tent stakes. Unless there is a more authenic option. I could just get the wood in my back yard for the poles if that is proper.

Any suggestions or information is quite welcome. I have little knowlege with period canvas.

S.D.Swart

[Spinster]

I've been well pleased with the quality of the chamfered poles offered by Tentsmiths. I believe my set is about 7 years old and sees heavy use.
http://www.tentsmiths.com/tent-camp-...ies-poles.html

If you wish to use saplings, the biggest problem I've observed over time is the tendency of the joining pegs to split out in wind.

I have no personal experience with dog tent wooden pegs. I'd have some concern about them holding under the additional weight of a Common Tent. I have some stakes that are commonly known as 'hurricane stakes' in these parts. They are easily twice the length of standard stakes. If I'm in sandy soil, or if rain is expected, I set the corners with the heavier stakes.

[FloridaHoosier]

A basic search using the search function above and using the term tent poles will spit out multiple threads where the correct dimensions of a common tent (the correct term for an A-tent) are found and how to make poles

[David Einhorn]

These pages provide some period information. I would suggest making your own tent stakes and poles from fallen tree limbs that you indicated were available in your back yard. Strip the bark off the limbs with your handy knife and shape the poles and stakes. Look for straight pieces of wood of the appropriate length and thickness. Removing the bark and letting them air cure will help preserve the wood by removing moisture and bugs.

I am a big advocate of do-it-yourself. They didn't have stores to buy stuff, and certainly were not going to spend their hard earned money buying something they could easily make themselves from materials at hand.

Try this, put yourself in the mindset of a *frugal* farmer that needs something. Well you're sure not going to pay someone for something you can make from materials at hand that costs you nothing. Find a nice stick, pull out your knife, squint at your pards and wonder who "borrowed" it, and start working on a replacement stake, pole, whatever.

[GaWildcat]

You can also check out a Defense Reutilization Management Office (DRMO) or a surplus store, and see if you can find poles for a GP Small or GP medium tent. I was fortunate to locate some when my old Reserve unit was clearing out a warehouse scheduled for demolition, and, with the exception of the end caps and pins being glavanized, they are an almost perfect pole, being the regulation octagonal cross section. They shouldn't be too overly expensive





http://www.tentnet.org/tentnet/basec...rposetents.htm

[CSchneider]

with the exception of the end caps and pins being glavanized

If I'm not mistaken, Civil War specs called for these pieces to be galvanized as well.

[Artyman]

painted iron. usually OD.

Harry

[David Einhorn]

painted iron. usually OD. Harry

I agree. The Ordnance Manuals call for iron to be painted black, and the process of galvanization is not mentioned in those manuals.

[GaWildcat]

Like I had said, the ends are wrong, but a little paint should hide that,

[CSchneider]

The Ordnance Manuals call for iron to be painted black, and the process of galvanization is not mentioned in those manuals.

Can somebody post the specs for the Common Tent poles? I can't find the reference to black paint. Actually, I can't find the specs for the Common Tent poles at all at the moment. The specs for the Sibley poles does specifically mention galvanization:

"Sibley tent pole -- of white pine wood, 9 feet long, 3 inches in diameter, at a distance of 3 feet from the lower end, tapering to 2 1/4 inches inches at top, and 2 1/2 inches at bottom; spindle, or gudgeon, of 11/16 inch round galvanized iron, 6 inches long, pointed at one end, securely inserted in top of pole, around which is fastened, with four screws, a galvanized iron band, of 1/8 inch iron, 2 1/4 inches diameter and 2 inches wide."

A quick search of Google Books for pre-Civil War references to galvanization shows that it was not uncommon by the 1850s, and pretty much the same process we think of today--hot dipping iron in zinc. The Ordnance Manual does say to paint or "enamel" many things to a black color, including some tent-related things such as the Sibley tripod, but I don't recall it being in any tent pole specs.

-Craig Schneider