Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

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Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby danlott » Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:23 am

I have made a calculator to help determine the proper gas spring length, placement and force required to properly open and support my galley hatch. I searched the internet for formulas and recommendations for the proper placement of gas springs. This is what I came up with to use. I have not actually used it on my own trailer yet, but I figured I would throw it out there and hopefully it will help someone.

If you do use the calculator please post your results on this thread to help determine if it is accurate and useful.

Here is a picture that goes along with the spreadsheet below.

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Gas Spring Calculator.xls
(25.5 KiB) Downloaded 10889 times


Hope it helps.

Dan
Last edited by danlott on Tue Dec 31, 2013 1:03 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby Micro469 » Sat Dec 07, 2013 11:43 am

This is going to be VERY usefull. Saves making a whole bunch of holes in the walls. But one thing confuses me.... How do you convert a number like 28.88 inches into a measurement I can use...such as 28 3/4 "???? my tape measure doesn't have a .88 of an inch mark, and when I try to convert, it never seems to come out as a fraction . I seem to run into this in a lot of building plans, but since I failed math since Grade one.............( I recut a lot of boards......) :oops:
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby Fyddler » Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:45 pm

Just multiply the .88 by 32, round the number, and that gives you the /32's. In this example .88x32=28.16, so it would be 28/32 (or simplified to 7/8)
To err is human, to really foul up requires a computer

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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby Treeview » Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:34 pm

I needed to do a layout to divide a space equally. The divisions were easy to calculate but came out, like yours, in a number that wasn't sixteenth friendly.

Simple solution...go metric!

I have one tape with metric divisions on one edge, imperial on the other. I don't like using it though because I risk measuring on the wrong edge. When I use metric I grab the metric tape measure or scales.

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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby danlott » Mon Dec 09, 2013 9:42 pm

I updated the drawing and description in the calculator to help clear up some confusion on the spring attachment locations.

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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby MtnDon » Mon Dec 09, 2013 10:28 pm

Thanks for that. Saved it as ya' never know when it could be handy.
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby danlott » Tue Dec 31, 2013 1:18 am

I updated the calculator due to an error in one of the formulas. This was causing the force of the struts to be twice of what they should be. I am sorry if this caused anyone to get the incorrect struts.

The calculator is now corrected and re-uploaded. If you had previously downloaded the calculator please delete it and download the new file.

Thank you to member ssample (Steve) for helping me determine that there was an error in my calculator.

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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby MontanaTeardrops » Sun Apr 27, 2014 11:07 am

danlott wrote:I have made a calculator to help determine the proper gas spring length, placement and force required to properly open and support my galley hatch. I searched the internet for formulas and recommendations for the proper placement of gas springs. This is what I came up with to use. I have not actually used it on my own trailer yet, but I figured I would throw it out there and hopefully it will help someone.

If you do use the calculator please post your results on this thread to help determine if it is accurate and useful.

Here is a picture that goes along with the spreadsheet below.

Image

Gas Spring Calculator.xls


Hope it helps.

Dan


Thanks so much for posting this Dan. It works very well. It saved me a lot of time in calculating.
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby danlott » Sun Apr 27, 2014 12:32 pm

MontanaTeardrops wrote:Thanks so much for posting this Dan. It works very well. It saved me a lot of time in calculating.


I am glad it worked for you. Thank you for letting me know.

Dan
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby MontanaTeardrops » Sun Apr 27, 2014 1:03 pm

It works just like it's supposed to. When I close the hatch, it compresses until you get about the last 10%, the when it close, the springs actually push it the other way to hold pressure in the closing position.
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby danlott » Sun Apr 27, 2014 1:52 pm

MontanaTeardrops wrote:It works just like it's supposed to. When I close the hatch, it compresses until you get about the last 10%, the when it close, the springs actually push it the other way to hold pressure in the closing position.


That is great news. I hope it works as well for mine when I get to that point.

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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby MontanaTeardrops » Sun Apr 27, 2014 2:39 pm

The only thing with mine is my springs are too strong. I have 100# springs and they're too strong. My hatch came out far lighter than I had figured it would be. One spring actually works about right for lift. I have some 45# ones coming.
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby Hogdaddy » Sun Apr 27, 2014 6:53 pm

Thanks for posting this Dan, I'm sure I'll use it in a week or so. :applause: :thumbsup:
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby matthewp » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:36 am

This is an awesome calculator, thanks!
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Re: Hatch Gas Spring/Strut Calculator

Postby ctstaas » Thu Jul 03, 2014 11:22 pm

Thanks, one of the coolest things ever explained. When I built mine, I had no clue of tnttt or how to figure the complexities of a gas/spring strut, so I built my strut of 1/2" steel round stock. I was going to use a similar design on my next build, but now I think I know enough to scrap that plan. It's not that my idea was bad, the gas/spring struts are slicker looking. Better?
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