[StillTryingForTheTop]

Just looking for ideas / criticism before I make my portable fingerboard

I have a Beastmaker 1000 at home, so the idea is to replicate the holds on that in to a portable solution.

Imagine the beastmaker cut down the centre and folded in half (I have pictures of a cardboard prototype, but looking at the help there is no easy way to upload them without creating some other picture hosting account)

Idea is slopers on the top, jugs on the bottom (fingerboard will be hung on 2 lengths of cord through holes, so can be inverted) and a slot right through the middle to enable various depths of hold, you hold it with palms facing in (a bit like the "Wedge")

Thoughts much appreciated, hope you can visualise from my description.... Imagine something that looks like the old Space Invaders alien

  _
/  \
|_ |
U U

update 2 will be to have two different lengths of wood that go in the slot to replicate the 3 different hold depths on the beastmaker but I am not sure if that is necessary yet?

(Not sure if this matters to anyone, but this is not a commercial idea, just a one off additional training aid for me when not at home / warming up at the crag)

thanks in advance

[Nibile]

Before cutting a BM in half, give a look to The Wedge.
Or you can build something very simple like this:

[StillTryingForTheTop]

no, that is just for imagination purposes, I will be keeping my Beastmaker intact

I will be making a new fingerboard, and using my beastmaker as a template to ensure I get friendly holds

The Wedge was out of stock the last few times I looked...

but your picture shows clearly how I would plan to hang from it, thanks

[slackline]

http://crusherholds.co.uk/portable-fingerboards-hangboards

I've seen pictures of portable Beastmakers (custom rather than 1000/2000 with holes drilled through them), none listed on site but you could perhaps contact them directly to see if they plan to produce any.

I'd imagine any sort of sloper (or most holds in general) will be harder to hang by virtue of the way the board will be suspended (cords) meaning the board tilts when weighted.

[StillTryingForTheTop]

I have looked at the Crusher ones, and would most likely just buy the wedge if it wasn't out of stock

the difference in my "design" is the addition of slopers, the 1000 slopers are not too hard to hold so hopefully would be ok, and jugs for pull ups.  I am hoping, by using two loops of cords, to a single point, creating a triangle like on the Wedge, will make the fingerboard stable (ish)

the other difference is just one slot, right through the fingerboard (rather than a number of different depth holds on the wedge), and you just alter how deep you insert your fingers.  I might add a block insert of some sort to force the maximum hold depths, however as this will just be an occasional workout / warm up tool I am not sure if that exactness is required

http://crusherholds.co.uk/portable-fingerboards-hangboards

I've seen pictures of portable Beastmakers (custom rather than 1000/2000 with holes drilled through them), none listed on site but you could perhaps contact them directly to see if they plan to produce any.

I'd imagine any sort of sloper (or most holds in general) will be harder to hang by virtue of the way the board will be suspended (cords) meaning the board tilts when weighted.

[tomtom]

http://crusherholds.co.uk/portable-fingerboards-hangboards

Very pleased with mine - very well made and has a nice 'balance' to it when its strung up. I need to procure a couple of skyhooks next so it can be hung more easily in Hotel rooms...

[SA Chris]

Wouldn't want a skyhook to pop with full weight on the board. Best wear a helmet..

[PipeSmoke]

The wedge seems to be permanently out of stock, whats the next best thing ?

[boxmonkey]

I keep my beastmaker 1000 in my gym bag. When I go to the gym at lunchtime i hang it off their equipment and do my session. I used to have a set of metolius Rock rings but was forever trying to get them to hang evenly. Just bit the bullet and cart by beastmaker with me.

[nai]

Saw an LX Grips one last week which was basic but everything you need. Nothing about it on their site so could be a one-off or prototype but might be worth enquiring.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

[JackAus]

Aus company do a couple sizes.

awesomewoodys.com/collections/cliffboards

[StillTryingForTheTop]

From the Facebook page, they are between £50 and £65 depending on what you want on them

No doubt very good based on everything else Alex does, but a bit rich for the limited times I will use them

Saw an LX Grips one last week which was basic but everything you need. Nothing about it on their site so could be a one-off or prototype but might be worth enquiring.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

[tim palmer]

http://www.problemsolver.rocks/hanzo-hangboard/

Here is another one on the market.

rodma made me one years ago which i still use, it is a piece of ply (maybe 30 x 30 cm) with a hook at the top formed by two more shorter bits of ply, which you can use to suspend the board, with three rungs of decreasing size on the hook side, it works really well.  I imagine it was very easy to make and you could always swap the rungs for pockets or whatever.

here is my attempt at a diagram of it in cross section

|||||
|    |
|
||||
|
|||
|
||

I think although it is bulkier than the "cut in half" idea i think it is better as it more closely replicates which you do whilst climbing (i.e. you have your hands/wrist pronated, rather than half supinated with the cut in half board).

[Nibile]

I think although it is bulkier than the "cut in half" idea i think it is better as it more closely replicates which you do whilst climbing (i.e. you have your hands/wrist pronated, rather than half supinated with the cut in half board).

This is interesting. I am not sure that this kind of specificity is crucial in general, let alone on a portable fingerboard that should be aimed just at warm ups.
The neutral position is the natural one and the one at which we tend to perform better. It's the reason why we (used to  twist when doing one armers: because the wrist tend to assume the best performing position.
So, I don't think that training pronated is more beneficial, it's just simpler. The neutral position strengthens the tendons and joints in a safer position. I doubt that it could cause issues during climbing. After all, for most people deadhanging will always be a minor part of their training...
Also, the "cut in half" design avoids the inclination of the board forward that alters all the holds' geometry because everything becomes sort of slopey due to the twist.
My 2 cents.

[moose]

My own effort just used a narrow campus rung and a piece of dido rail.... not that I used it much (just a few hangs when I was preparing for the nasty start of Soft Option last year).

[Reprobate_Rob]

There shouldn't be too much twist with the design Tim suggests, since the hook is on the same side as the rungs. Should mean that the centre of mass stays directly under whatever it is hanging from.

[dave]

My own effort just used a narrow campus rung and a piece of dido rail

She's making training aids? Really diversified after that Eminem collab.

[tim palmer]

I think although it is bulkier than the "cut in half" idea i think it is better as it more closely replicates which you do whilst climbing (i.e. you have your hands/wrist pronated, rather than half supinated with the cut in half board).

This is interesting. I am not sure that this kind of specificity is crucial in general, let alone on a portable fingerboard that should be aimed just at warm ups.
The neutral position is the natural one and the one at which we tend to perform better. It's the reason why we (used to  twist when doing one armers: because the wrist tend to assume the best performing position.
So, I don't think that training pronated is more beneficial, it's just simpler. The neutral position strengthens the tendons and joints in a safer position. I doubt that it could cause issues during climbing. After all, for most people deadhanging will always be a minor part of their training...
Also, the "cut in half" design avoids the inclination of the board forward that alters all the holds' geometry because everything becomes sort of slopey due to the twist.
My 2 cents.

  Yeah this board doesn't tilt appreciably due to exactly the reason stated, nor does it twist as the hook runs all the way along the top of the board. 

The pronation thing is probably just personal preference (although I am not sure I understand the final paragraph).

[wsmith]

I'm selling these for £26. It's aimed towards warming up at the crag rather than doing full sessions on and thus I've gone for the "cut in half" idea as its much smaller and lighter.

(Hope this self-plug is ok, delete if not).



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nai]

Bit of skip raiding and a spare hour, et viola:





Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

[StillTryingForTheTop]

Well this is what I ended up with, version 1 anyway, will try it for a bit and then tweak as required

[Paul B]

I recently hung from the Crusher portable board at the crag (Mission Portable); I was really impressed. It was also relatively light unlike some of the home-made contraptions I've seen strapped to peoples bags (Dobbin).

[a dense loner]

Paul you could hang from a grape

[Paul B]

Paul you could hang from a grape

what a bizarre statement even for you Dense!

[peewee]

Paul you could hang from a grape

what a bizarre statement even for you Dense!

I know, he's clearly not seen you recently.