[cofe]

Cheers. The flexibility to reset might be good (the kids might use the wall a bit on jugs) - hard to say in advance, and the grid idea sounds good regardless. I'm hoping it'll be part woodie, part climbing wall hybrid in style. I'll have a think, but sounds like 20cm it is if I do drill it.

[tomtom]

Cheers. The flexibility to reset might be good (the kids might use the wall a bit on jugs) - hard to say in advance, and the grid idea sounds good regardless. I'm hoping it'll be part woodie, part climbing wall hybrid in style. I'll have a think, but sounds like 20cm it is if I do drill it.

I drilled mine - then placed Tnuts as required (I had access around the back - and you can use the hold/bolt to wind them in rather than having to bash them in...)

[cofe]

Rear access probably won't be too easy once the panels are on so I think I need to decide beforehand. Haven't started yet though; I just own a lot of wood and screws etc. at the moment ...

[Paul B]

Use the type which you pin. They're so much better!

https://coreclimbing.co.uk/buy-fixings/fixings/m1-t-nuts/round-t-nuts-100/

It's easier to not have clashes between your T-nuts and joists without an offset grid.

[SA Chris]

If you aren't buying a massive amount, go for the ones Paul suggests.

My experience with the toothed type though is I only got the occasional "spinner" the first time I used them, and they are fine after they are well bedded in, so worth getting a hold and tightening it and removing it from each one before putting the panel up if you go down that route, and don't have access to the back.

Kids were full of enthusiasm and set problems for themselves on our the first while it was up, but have totally lost interest now. Their probs are still up as warm ups though.

[Helge]

Cheers everybody, I'm from Switzerland and have been lurking on here occasionally, and since I've taken a lot of inspiration from this thread I thought I'd share my build and experiences for others.

I built the board when the first lockdown ended in early summer and hardware stores reopened. Not really because I anticipated the pandemic would continue this long, but because the nearest climbing gyms in Zurich are quite crowded and none had a proper board. The board is located outside on our flat's terrace. I must say I slightly overestimated my motivation to go outside to boulder when the temperatures are around 0 degrees in the middle of winter

I followed the basic rules: build as big a board as you can fit, and build a small kicker for anything steeper than 30 degrees. Climbing on other boards I normally prefer 40 degrees to 45, but still went with 45 degrees due to the additional climbing space. My girlfriend was a bit sceptical about the steepness, but in hindsight we'd probably do the same again.

The kicker is about 18cm. Given the standard ply sheet sizing the kicker and the top bit fit naturally. I am quite happy about the vertical top section, as it is nice to have a row of top holds at a moderate angle. The frame is built from 60 x 120 mm construction timber. I didn't add any horizontal fixings to the frame. The bottom is not fixed, it just rests on the floor. I went for the weather-resistant coated 15mm ply (18mm was sold out and 23mm too expensive and heavy). Even though 18 mm is probably the best middle ground, the 15 mm ply doesn't really flex except in one place where the sheets are farthest from the supports. The only one who complained has been a friend of mine who is a bit on the heavier side

Since the board is mostly sheltered, I went with Zinc coated T-nuts and bolts. I don't think stainless is worth the extra cost. Same for the screw-in T-nuts, I just used the cheap hammer-in ones and haven't had a spinner yet. The 20cm grid spacing on commercial boards felt a bit too wide, so I halved it and went with 10 cm, which is a bit too dense. Next time I'd choose 15cm, which is probably the best middle ground given the average hold size.   

We didn't really spend a lot of time looking for holds and just ordered a bunch from Hardwood Holds in the darker Sapele wood in addition to a few resin holds we already had. Since the wooden holds are quite slick and really condition dependent (much better when humid), I regretted ordering quite as many and have by now sold or swapped quite a few for resin holds. They were quite nice when it was warm outside, but especially when it was getting colder the slickness made warming up difficult. Having some variation is nice, although this may be just my excuse for being weak.

In hindsight, I think the mirrored layout is a bit gimmicky and limiting setting more than it is effective, and I probably wouldn't do it again. My other half absolutely loves it though. As others have stated, having different colored feet for setting problems is great. The whole thing ended up being more pricy than I thought. It ended up being about the yearly gym membership fee for the both of us.

Sorry for the long post - I hope this is helpful to others planning a build of their own. I dread the day we have to move out of this apartment and I have to tear the thing down. There's more pictures here.

[mrjonathanr]

Nice. That’s some DIY job you did there.

[M1V0]

That’s a great looking board! If you aren’t a fan of the sym setup, fill in the spaces with random holds. Best of both worlds for the two of you.

[highrepute]

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

Sounds like hardwoods aren't the best for home board setups.

Most of my holds are homemade and therefore softwoods and I find then much less slippy than the resin holds I have.

[tomtom]

Sounds like hardwoods aren't the best for outside home board setups.

[Duma]

I have a bunch of hardwood on mine outside and they're fine. Think the condensation thing some folk mentioned may be more of an issue in unheated sheds?

[Bradders]

I have a bunch of hardwood on mine outside and they're fine. Think the condensation thing some folk mentioned may be more of an issue in unheated sheds?

Yes, needs some airflow or warmth to stop it. And some hardwoods do a lot better than others.

[SA Chris]

That's a great looking board. I'd be paranoid about that window though!

[Helge]

That's a great looking board. I'd be paranoid about that window though!

There have been a few near-misses - we tend to favor the left side. One reason why I'm not super sold on the symmetric layout.

The sapele holds are great in bad conditions - heat, sweaty fingers, immediately after rain. They were great during summer. When it's cold and dry, they are slippery and require a lot of active holding. A couple of problems I managed to send during a rainy spell in late summer I haven't been able to repeat since, I keep dry firing of the crimps. I agree they probably work better on indoor walls. I'm tempted to go over some of the slicker holds with 80 grit sandpaper.

[SA Chris]

Can you slip a pad in the gap?

Sounds like you are experiencing classic sticky damp conditions!

[tomtom]

I’ve done that - taken the slick of some holds with some sandpaper..

[Helge]

Can you slip a pad in the gap?

Sounds like you are experiencing classic sticky damp conditions!

Yes, I could stick a pad in there, there's still enough space to stand in the gap or open the door. Mostly we've resigned to problems being harder because there's less space for feet. We thought about padding the edge as hitting it in a fall is the more serious risk (hanging the small pad there was a half-hearted attempt). But since I now have to work in the room behind the board due to lockdown, I don't want to block more light. We usually train at the same time, so spotting has worked ok for now.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

[webbo]

So kickboard or no kickboard. 40 degree board . If no kicker how high do you put the first footholds.

[tomtom]

So kickboard or no kickboard. 40 degree board . If no kicker how high do you put the first footholds.

I put a small (20-25cm?) kicker on mine. Just made putting the first footholds easy. Makes it a bit easier avoiding heels on mats.

[mrjonathanr]

Same here. 40* board, 25cm kick board, slightly overhanging, inclined about~10*

[Bradders]

I've had two 45s, one with a kickboard and now without. Firmly convinced they're unnecessary. I can start just as low if not lower on the board without a kicker than I could before (e.g. on really low underclings), and you're on the steep the whole time so no temptation to lank up off the feet on the kicker etc.

Didn't have any problems putting the lowest row of feet on. If there's enough space for your foot that's plenty to get a drill in.

[sdm]

So kickboard or no kickboard. 40 degree board . If no kicker how high do you put the first footholds.

I'm firmly in the no kicker camp. On my 45°, the bottom row of feet are 12cm from the ground to the top of the footholds.

With a sitstart pad, this is the minimum height I can get away with before heels get in the way.

I sometimes find a start where I want to move the sitstart pad out of the way. So I would go for 14cm to be safe if I was starting again or a bit more if you have huge feet.

[moose]

40 with no kicker - can't say I've regretted the absence. 

The T-nuts / centres of the lowest footholds are 24cm along the board surface from the base, so around 18.5cm vertical height above the floor.  No problems with feet hitting the floor but the odd  "heel dab" on the edge of the mat if I don't take care.

[SA Chris]

Easier to add one in if you think you need one than to remove if you put one in.

[moose]

Easier to add one in if you think you need one than to remove if you put one in.

Zen and the art of board manufacturing!