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PART 9: Pioneering Towers

How to build
Place a tripod lashing three - quarters up the 5 metre spars.
Lift the spars straight up and create tripod shape.
Fix 3 metre braces to the bottom of the tripod using square lashings.
Drop the tripod to the g round and place top braces on tripod allowing them to jut out of each side.
Build the rest of the platform structure. You can also build the top structure as one piece and place on top of the tripod.
Fix guy ropes and rope ladder and raise into position.
You should dig a number of small holes for the butts of the spars to fit into.
Secure guys and test rope ladder and platform before general use.

Hour Glass Tower
This tower is slightly more complex than the tripod tower however the principle of construction is the same. The tower is constructed by using two tripods, one inverted on top of the other. It is also necessary to brace the two tripods to prevent the top tripod swaying.

Equipment required
3 No. 4 metre spars
6 No. 2.5 metre spars
3 no. 1.5 metre spars
Small poles or planks for platform
Lashing ropes
Guy ropes
Small spade for digging holes to butt main spars.

How to build
Create a tripod with the 3 No. 4 metre spars.
Raise the tripod and fix braces (2.5 metres)
Drop tripod to ground.
Make a second tripod using 2.5 metre spars.
The legs of the tripod should be 'threaded' through the base tripod.
The spars are then lashed in place using square lashings.
The top braces (2 metre spars) are fixed onto top tripod and platform base is created (1.5 metre spars). Fix small poles or planks to form platform.
A loose binding is fixed at the top of the lower tripod and base of top tripod to prevent swaying. This will need to be tighten when tower is raise to straighten tower.
Rope ladder and guys should be fixed to platform before raising the tower.
Place butts of tower in small holes dug at base.
Fix all guys . Test structure before general use.

Ten Minute Tower
In theory and with practice and the use of tournique lashings it is possible to erect this tower in ten minutes. This structure provides an ideal challenge for a Patrol at a Troop or Patrol meeting, however, the tower tends to be used to create more complex bridges using a number of towers to bridge a wide river or lake.

Tripod, diagonal, square and tournique lashings are required to hold the structure together. The structure is self standing and can be lifted or carried into position.

Equipment required
8 No. 3 metre spars
8 No. 2.5 metre spars
Planks for platform base
Lashing ropes
Small poles for tournique lashings

How to build
Place a tripod lashing on 4 sets of spars as shown in diagram. the centre pole being 2.5 metres in length. the two ouside spars being 3 metres in length.
Stand up tripod 'sets' and spread out legs so that the 3 metre spars act as braces, the centre spar as the corner support of the tower.
Move the sets together using tournique lashings at the bottom and diagonal lashings as the braces cross.
Place 2.5 metre spars on top to brace top section together.
Place planks on top to provide platforms if it is to be used as a single tower.

Tournique lashing
The tournique lashing is made using a loop of rope and a small pole. The loop is passed around the spars to be lashed and a small pole inserted in the loop. This is twisted until the binding is tight. The small pole is then secured to the nearest spar with sisal to prevent it unraveling.