[shark]

Shark I don't mean to sound rude but that looks like the most over-engineered worst board I have ever seen! What is it 5degrees? I hope it's just an awkward camera angle?

15 degrees at a guess. There are shit screw on footholds to compensate. I like it. The angle/moves feel much more like what I'm training for. Had a long chat with Steve Mac and he reckoned this sort of angle was more useful. Best of all there is more room to play table tennis. I can go to the School or Foundry if I want to go on a steep board.


   

[a dense loner]

Nobody should have to endure table tennis!
I take it it's higher than it looks as well? With fboard being at that height. When I said worse I automatically take mine out of the equation 

[Will Hunt]

I've cleared the garage of crap and so this could be happening this weekend, dependent on availability of the Oily Rag (Dad). Which means I need wood. Some 2x6 for the main frame and a load of 2x4 for everything else and some sheets of ply.

Ply - 18mm, yes?

Looking at Jewson's website, most of what they offer seems to be "Whitewood". I gather that this is a marketing term for "whatever shit we happen to have in at the time". I take it that this is unlikely to be a hardwood. Is it essential to get hardwood? If so, where do you get it? The main retailers seem to stock nothing but "whitewood".

Regularised - I suppose this means whether it's planed or not?

Treated - The garage may get a little damp but I doubt having the wood treated is necessary. True?

Kiln-dried - What? Advisable? I suppose if you use wood that hasn't been completely dried then it might warp over time as it dries out?

C16/C24 - I gather this is a strength rating. Is C16 sufficient? I'm afraid I have no idea.

[rodma]

The most important thing is to get straight timbers in the first place. Store them flat prior to building your board and then build the thing. One or is all tired together it is unlikely to warp much if at all.
Regularised will be better if you are clambering around the back frequently. If not off-saw will be fine.
Kiln dried tends to split a little more easily.
Whitewood is just softwood.

[lagerstarfish]

c16 is fine

worth thinking about structural timber screws instead of bolts for structual fixings

piss to waz in and out with a decent battery drill

the 6.3mm ones are easier on the wrist than the 6.5/6.7mm ones in awkward positions (my weedy 10v drill managed OK)

eg

http://www.screwfix.com/p/timberfix-plus-flanged-hex-exterior-timber-screws-6-3-x-100-pk50/80050


or for fixing your frame to the ceiling joists, use longer ones


(I am not an engineer, doctor, builder or carpenter)

[andyd]

Baildon timber has a good reputation for wood. B&TS is also very good and where I go to get...err, wood.
Also henshaw's, on henshaw lane by the JCT roundabout, is very good if you want straight timber. Nice guys there too. If you go to wickes for timber you'll be disappointed. I've never used Jewson.

[chris j]

I used Jewson (2 minutes away from our house), they were good to deal with (of course the branch near you may differ). Think I chose from this range: http://www.jewson.co.uk/timber/carcassing-cls-batten/strength-graded-timber/joists/ for the frame.

The wood has C16 and dried stamped on it (among many other meaningless acronyms)....

[lagerstarfish]

I ended up getting C16 2x4s from B&Q because of convenience and because they were £4 for 8ft - and I only needed 8ft lengths

[rodma]

C16 (IIRC ) refers to the number of knots. The higher the grade, the fewer knots.

[Will Hunt]

Word on Baildon Timber. Called in after work and they were helpful.

Sorry for endless stream of punter questions but...

18mm ply - hard or soft 

[andyd]

Cheapest. If there's nothing in it, choose the prettiest

[GazM]

http://www.screwfix.com/p/timberfix-plus-flanged-hex-exterior-timber-screws-6-3-x-100-pk50/80050

I'd class myself in the terrible at DIY/making things work category, but I've just built a board in my shed and the salvation was the liberal use of these screws smashed in with a half decent electric drill (I think Wickes call them decking screws).  They seem pretty bomb-proof.

[Will Hunt]

I know I've asked lots and lots of stupid questions. Thank you all for your help so far. I hope that soon my education will be complete.

In the meantime, I want to make sure that before I order and twat in a massive quantity of T-Nuts that I'm getting the right thing.

Standard T-Nut for a climbing hold is M10, right? They will take all normal holds, right? This kind?
http://www.coreclimbing.co.uk/shop/fixings/m10-t-nuts/pronged-t-nuts-100.html

Was a bit perturbed that neither screwfix, nor b and q seem to stock these, but their prices aren't too good anyway so its probably best to buy in bulk from a climbing specialist shop I guess.

[remus]

Cant remember what they're called, but you can get t-nut like things but instead of prongs they have holes for 3 small screws. More work initially but they don't fall out and/or fuck up your plywood by falling out and being re-inserted regularly.

Alternatively you can just screw all your holds on. In my experience hold movement is infrequent enough that you don't really need to worry about fucking up your plywood.

[chris j]

I used the core round T-nuts, as remus says a little more work initially to put in the 2 screws but then much less chance of them spinning at a later date (& then having to climb behind the shelving to fix the thing!)

http://www.coreclimbing.co.uk/shop/fixings/m10-t-nuts/round-t-nuts-100.html

[Nibile]

+1 for screw-on T-nuts.
The ones I used had 3  screws... I thought that it would be overkill to put in all 3, but then I thought that I didn't want to touch them anymore in the future... So I spent two afternoons after work putting more than 1000 little screws in...
More mentally challenging than training PE on a fingerboard.

[Will Hunt]

Thanks chaps. I'm studiously ignoring your advice and getting the smack in ones. I will twat them in good and proper and it won't be a big issue to get round the back in future.

[webbo]

 It's worth putting one little screw against one of the prongs. Belt and braces.

[Will Hunt]

Bit of a stressful day with an uncertain start. Propping up the rear frame and bringing in the front supports was interesting - neither healthy nor safe. But...


... IT IS COMING

[andyd]

Bit of a stressful day with an uncertain start. Propping up the rear frame and bringing in the front supports was interesting - neither healthy nor safe. But...


... IT IS COMING

Looks well built. Are you planning on getting heavier?!
If you want I could help out by getting you some extra garage keys cut 

[Will Hunt]

You keen, Andy? Need to get a crew together for evening sessions eventually.

[andyd]

You keen, Andy? Need to get a crew together for evening sessions eventually.

 

[chris j]

Bit of a stressful day with an uncertain start. Propping up the rear frame and bringing in the front supports was interesting - neither healthy nor safe. But...


... IT IS COMING

Looking good! Possibly the one useful bit of info I forgot to mention was that I built the A frames first, propped them up, put the cross-bar across and then started on the rear joists... 

[Will Hunt]

That is approximately what I'd planned to do originally but Dad had a different idea. In the planning phase on Saturday he acquiesced but when we were actually in the swing of it his idea seemed better.

Different to you, there are no coach bolts that go through everything at the top (couldn't source any long enough). The front supports are screwed to the front top bar and each joist is screwed into the rear top bar. Two cross bars are then joined at the top with coach bolts that sit between the joists (so able to get away with 5 inch coach bolts).

Fairly sure that when the front to back A braces go on then it will be suitably over engineered

[chris j]

Fair enough - my only help was a 6 month pregnant wife who confined herself to useful comments like "don't chop your foot off with that saw..."