[Nibile]

Stu, that has to be the worst looking, most poorly designed kickboard ever.
So I say go for it, it's perfect for those enjoyable sessions in which time halts, pain is welcome and progress is measured in agony, while the mind is busy choosing between yet another pocket or yet another edge.
Having been there and done that, I'll happily think about you while I snatch a heavy barbell, hit a boxing bag, or effortlessly hang from a small edge with lots of iron in my other hand.
 

[remus]

Like you say Stu that'll probably be quite flexy. If you'll excuse the shitty drawing:



Plywood denoted by cross hatch, rest is 2x4. Diagonal section secured with a couple of bolts. Just whip one of the bolts out (so the remaining bolt acts as a pivot) when you want to fold it flat. Should be pretty stiff. The problem I think you're likely to have is that it'll slide around on the floor if you're pressing hard in to the feet, might need a way to brace it against something to stop it moving (or just pile loads of weights on the supports).

[Stu Littlefair]

Cheers Remus!

Obvious in retrospect... we’ve got a couple of 20kg weights that we can sit on top of the 2x4 to stop it moving around.

[tomtom]

Old chair with a board screwed to the back of the back of the chair (if that makes sense). Couple of kettlebells on the chair to stop it moving?

[J_duds]

I've added strips of wood to the back of pine bedside drawer unit, with weights in the first drawer. I've used that below a doorway 5 rung campus board for up and down fun!

[Duma]

Edit, others have answered.
Still think it'll slide even with weights, unless you make the footholds massive or put it directlyunder the fb, in which case it'll topple over toward you?

[Duma]

Could make triangular brackets that were attached with hinges vertically to the back of the board?

[Stu Littlefair]

Don’t think toppling over will be an issue; there’s so much more torque from the weights on the backside.

Sliding might be a problem, but I reckon it’s manageable. We have lots of weight to put on the back if necessary

[mrjonathanr]

wouldn't it be simpler to put the upright in slots created by say, a few bit of 2x4 sited in the middle of the flat plywood? Surely more stable? Then you could just pull your vertical section up and off and lay flat when not in use.

[Paul B]

You can stop it over turning by making the horizontal part of the L longer to increase the restoring moment. Other option would be a H shape in plan with the central bar being an upright.

As I said to Stu elsewhere I think sliding will be the issue but you can overcome that with plenty of mass!

Kudos for motivation.

[remus]

Another option to limit sliding would be to put something like a yoga mat underneath it.

[Monolith]

You can stop it over turning by making the horizontal part of the L longer to increase the restoring moment. Other option would be a H shape in plan with the central bar being an upright.

As I said to Stu elsewhere I think sliding will be the issue but you can overcome that with plenty of mass!

Kudos for motivation.

Stu, I ran such a rig myself back in 2010 when living in rented accommodation. My Dad made me an excellent regulation campus board designed to fit in my bedroom doorway on ply brackets. At the bottom of the campus board I had an array of poor screw ons such that I could engage my core/move feet about on the kicker board and partake in some hard cut loose moves on the poor crimps before going into campus drills.

As Paul says above, opt for a 'H' frame to your board - obviously the crossbar of the 'H' being the ply board. The structural matter at the front of the board will greatly stabilise it and prevent you from needing too many weights at the rear of it.

You could also add a piece of ply say 150-200mm on each end of the forward facing members so that you can also move your feet not just in a singular plane but also 'in and out a bit'. Variety is the spice of life after all....

[SA Chris]

If the fingerboard is in a doorway, is the obvious choice to extend the support legs out to fit it to doorframe and prevent slideage?

[tomtom]

So... looks like we’re moving house in a few months time and our new abode has three substantial cellar chambers. One has been allocated for me to build a board - and there’s no shortage of floor space (it’s 8 by 5m) but just about 2m of height available.

Floor is a 2-5 cm concrete screed over sand/gravel. Walls are brick - ceiling is plastered - so can’t really go into the joists above for support.

So - it probably has to be free standing (apart from one end - where the side could be bolted/screwed to the wall.

Some options I’ve considered.

1. I could squeeze in a mini moon board (height wise just) which brings a whole range of documented problems etc. But - well I don’t know just quite like the one I’ve built/designed...

2. My own board. Probably go for a 50 - which would give me about 3m up climbing height surface. But - how wide can I go if this is partially free standing? Seen them 2.4m wide with no problem - but could I go further (3.6?) but would that make the span of the top a bit long - and possibly a bit bendy. Also quite a lot of weight on the far leg supporting the free end.

3. There is also a single garage I could probably requisition - that has a pitched (asbestos) roof and is taller (2.4m in middle) - but would be much colder in winter and much hotter in summer. And also means a short walk outside to get to (and have to run electrics out to it etc..).

Got plenty of time to plan/think about it - but now seems a good time to start. Thoughts/views on the above?

[SA Chris]

You can go through plasterboard into the joist above, I'll send you a pic of how I did it in the garage using L brackets and bolts.

If the floor is reasonably flat, I'd recommend putting down some of the interlocking foam gym flooring, makes a lot of difference to comfort.

[cofe]

Your option 3 sounds similar to what I'm about to undertake, Tom. Unattached single garage with no power - yet. I imagine I'll need it soon for fans or heaters. I'm going 2.4 wide, and 2.9 long, 45 degrees (simpler for a dimwit like me), plus 30cm kicker. Freestanding.

Lots of useful info on here btw, so thanks everyone. 

[remus]

2. My own board. Probably go for a 50 - which would give me about 3m up climbing height surface. But - how wide can I go if this is partially free standing? Seen them 2.4m wide with no problem - but could I go further (3.6?) but would that make the span of the top a bit long - and possibly a bit bendy. Also quite a lot of weight on the far leg supporting the free end.

I imagine Paul will be along in a sec to say im totally wrong and you'll definitely die, but 3.6m span should be doable. 3.6m is a standard length for timber which is convenient, though I guess you might struggle to maneuver something that big down in to the cellar. My current board only has a single 2x4 across the top 2.4m span, it flexes a little but not enough to be annoying. A doubled up 2x4 should provide plenty of stiffness.

The other option would be supporting the whole shebang off the back wall or the ceiling.

[mrjonathanr]

With that floor space your board could go into a roof:

[Probes]

Tom, you could put your own joists in, spanned wall to wall and flush fitted. Fix your board timbers (the 50s) into these and fixed the bottom ends into the base of the wall. It shouldn't move an inch. You can get away with surprisingly very few joists, every 8 foot. The board won't be pulling straight down on them, but pulling down and pushing into the wall. Top of the board will need a 2x4 to take most of the flex out. And run a few timbers from the middle of the board back to the wall to take flex out of the middle of board. Easy job. TimP's board was built this way.

edit.. that was my 1000th post.. I'm now a Wood abuser apparently   

[tomtom]

Cheers Remus & Probes.

Hopefully exchanging in a week - then 6-9 months of building work before we move in - I’ll get some pics when we get the keys.

[Paul B]

I imagine Paul will be along in a sec to say im totally wrong and you'll definitely die, but 3.6m span should be doable. 3.6m is a standard length for timber which is convenient, though I guess you might struggle to maneuver something that big down in to the cellar. My current board only has a single 2x4 across the top 2.4m span, it flexes a little but not enough to be annoying. A doubled up 2x4 should provide plenty of stiffness.

I haven't had time to read this in detail but you can span WTF you like with the right member; see bridges. 

In general, the wider they are, the more work your supports are doing but this isn't insurmountable.

[cofe]

With T-nut spacing, is 20cm offset/diamond still the knowledge? Then plugging gaps with screw-on holds.

[Bradders]

Depends. If you want to reset regularly then use T nuts and yes I think 20cm is standard.

If you won't be resetting and want more of a fixed board set up, don't bother with T nuts. Holds with bolt holes can just be screwed on easily with large screws and washers. Saves a lot of initial faff.

[SA Chris]

You can also get things called lonestars https://www.climbingwallservices.com/shop/hardware-and-tools/the-lonestar-screw-washer-m5/

But T nut might be cheaper.

[tomtom]

Depends. If you want to reset regularly then use T nuts and yes I think 20cm is standard.

If you won't be resetting and want more of a fixed board set up, don't bother with T nuts. Holds with bolt holes can just be screwed on easily with large screws and washers. Saves a lot of initial faff.

This ^^

I Tnutted bits of mine intially - now don't use them at all (apart from 4 holds). All screwed on.

I also made the apparent cardinal sin of not drilling or putting Tnuts on before putting my ply up - and that wasnt a problem either!

What does help is drawing a 10 or 20 cm grid on the ply (pencil etc..) - makes it easier to set holds at the same level - esp if you want to mirror things.