Wall tent frame angles?

I have been looking around at various options for building an internal frame for my wall tent. I have seen welded angle sets, and adjustable angles.

What are your thoughts on the most reliable angles to buy for a do-it-yourself internal frame made of 1" EMT?

I ordered welded angles from an outfit in Moscow. They aren't top notch quality, but good enough for how often I use them. Make sure you take good measurements on your tent so that you are getting the right angles.

You check the Army/Naval store in Garden City?

Montana Canvas has all the parts and pieces available

Paul in Idaho said:

I have been looking around at various options for building an internal frame for my wall tent. I have seen welded angle sets, and adjustable angles.

What are your thoughts on the most reliable angles to buy for a do-it-yourself internal frame made of 1" EMT?

Click to expand...

I have built several for friends and co-workers. It is very simple!

For a 12x14 I use 3/4"emt and 1"emt connection points.

Angles I thought would be hard though very simple. Simply lay out the front of your tent zipped / toggled and follow the sewn angles.

Total cost I think is around 40-50$ Last time I spent 80... and I believe that was for two I was building.

I'll see if I have any pics of the frame connection points. Now adjustable are able to construct - though I have yet to find a real valid reason to use adjustable frame kits... Anyone?

Also if you have the top opening at either end, I have made additions to keep an open end and extending another outdoor frame for a tarp to cover... may be worth considering as well.

Also, if you do go the route of building your frame I use 3 colors of duct tape to place a single wrap at corresponding connection points. Works great! I'll have my wall tent iup solo in 10 minutes with the items laid out.

For cutting the connection pipes, I used a 4x4 piece of wood and drilled 1-1/4" holes through both directions where they meet in the center. Most pipe lengths are 4-6". Mark those points and clamp down the 4x4. Run the 1" emt through one direction and use a 1" or even the 1-1/4" metal hole bit through the other - Simply keep sliding the 1" emt through and keep drillin until you have you 4-6" pieces (Alreadt nice and curved to better fit the 8-12" straight pipes for welding.

Make SURE you have a fan blowing the fumes of the galvanized emt away from seepin into your welding helmet...

Anyhow, I'll search or take pics of my personal setting of connection points. Once connections are made then it is a matter of cutting the 3/4" emt to fit the lengths necessary. 12x14 6 legs, 9 connections, 4 horizontal pipes, 6 roof pipes, 2 horizontal ceiling pipes.

to set up:
Build the top. Pull the wall tent over, crawl inside and inset the legs. Then once legs in, adjust as needed

DIY! Totally spaced that. Nephew just bought a welder! How do you round out ends to fit around the ridge part? Grinder? No sense burning through more wire than you have to.

Sytes said:

I have built several for friends and co-workers. It is very simple!

For a 12x14 I use 3/4"emt and 1"emt connection points.

Angles I thought would be hard though very simple. Simply lay out the front of your tent zipped / toggled and follow the sewn angles.

Total cost I think is around 40-50$ Last time I spent 80... and I believe that was for two I was building.

Click to expand...

Sorry IDNative, I just edited my post to cover that - rather simple using a 4x4 post and drill holes through meeting in center. run the 1" emt through one direction and drill 1"- 1-1/4" through the other holes - becomes a conveyor line as you just keep running the pipe through til you have enough rounded cut 4-6" pieces. (I do 6")
Then the rounded end fits tight enough for a weld job and a bit of a mallet to "tighten" the edges. I wrapped my welded areas with duct tape to keep any tiny edges from rubbing into the canvas.
Oh, of course, be sure to have the pipe marked to keep up with round cut , then straignt (sawzall) cut go back and forth. Or run rounded cuts every 8-12" then when done sawzall cut them in half.
I may be wrong on the price... I don't recall if that $80 was for 2 or 1...

I should add one last thing, I took self tapping metal screws and ran them through the center point. It gives the pipes a stop point when inserted into the connection piece.

There are little odds and ends though that covers it in a nutshell. Just watch the fumes and full welds are not needed 1/2- 3/4" tack welds do the job at the obvious points.

Thanks for the replies!

Sytes, Thank you for providing such detailed instructions. I don't know how to weld, but know someone who could easily do what you describe for a reasonable cost. I can cut everything to size using your tips.

Thanks Sytes!
Even this old crumudgeon can figure out your directions. Can't wait to show this to my bro. After all, he is an electrician

No problem. Glad I could help

There are odd and ends not mentioned that I ran into the first time though easy to resolve.

Example: have your can of wd40 ready and give a few sprays to save the teeth of the hole saw drill bit. The fitting s are not precise though pretty darn good a few mallet taps, before and after welding. If ya want or maybe some uglier then desired welds a grinder is nice for touch up. (Though should be covered by duct tape AFTER the self taping screw is inserted)
Get some cutting wheels for the grinder as you may need to cut back a bit of the rounded end based on the angles for the tent and the two rounded ends bumping eachother.

Starting to sound like a lot though just covering some tips I learned the first time building.

Also welding emt is a thinner metal so adjust your welder as needed or and make your little mig / wirefeeder adjustment of fed wire speed according to what you find works best.

I mentioned sawzall though i have a chop saw. I used those as well as the cutting wheel for the grinder. They all work as needed.