[Bradders]

Ventilation has helped on mine Paul, not game changing but better. Might be another option to consider. If you get an air mover, but there's nowhere for the air to go, you're just recirculating the same damp air.

[Probes]

Yeah you're right I'd say, that ud probably be the cause.
IMO one of two approaches for cheap solution, loads of vent or seal up and dehumidify/heat. I think the later is always better, given our climate (and if building is in exposed position). And I've never been in a well ventilated un heated climbing wall and had a much fun :D

[Probes]

.. if you'd like, you can borrow my dehumidifier for a few weeks and see how it fairs as an experiment? I run it for about a week every month in the house, the rest of the time it not on.

[kc]

Having a little bit of a dilemma about the design of a small board. I'm sure someone has asked this question before somewhere in the 57 pages of this thread.
Height is the limiting factor as the garage roof is only 2.2m. I can temporarily lean a full sheet of ply at more than 45° and still get the nose of the car underneath it with the door shut so the space is fine. Sitting on the ground and looking up at the sheet does seem a bit small and limited but is this any different to the traditional Sheffield celler? A friend has suggested that it would be better given the limited height to create a cragx style board with a small roof to keep the knees in but if I can get away with keeping it simple then I would rather keep the surface flat. I'm really not sure so would be very grateful for suggestions from the woodie building experts on here. How steep is too steep as I'm not training for bouldering caves but a variety of angles on Peak Lime routes? By nature I am incredibly lazy and disinterested in training so just having hang boards and campus rungs won't suffice, I need to do moves to stay interested. Thanks.

[SA Chris]

What width have you got?

[Dac]

Last winter I built a woody in a garage with a 240 cm roof, after procrastinating for over a year due to wondering if this gave enough height to be of use.

At 40 degrees overhanging, and with a minimalist 18cm kickboard at the base, this gives 287cm high by 244cm wide of climbing surface.

Despite being able to just touch the top of the board when standing on the floor on tiptoes, it has provided a very worthwhile training option, certainly better than the sit start campus board and fingerboard it replaced.

A few considerations:
When determining if the garage has enough depth for a car with the board in place don't forget to factor in the supporting woodwork you'll need behind the plywood. (Probably obvious but worth mentioning).

Have a good think about whether to include a kickboard or not; if I was to build my board again I would miss of the kickboard and instead start at 40 degrees overhanging, but about 10 cm above floor level. Both for ease of construction and because it's very easy to find yourself climbing most of the height of the board while keeping your feet planted on the starting footholds if you are not mindful to avoid it

[Fultonius]

Having a little bit of a dilemma about the design of a small board. I'm sure someone has asked this question before somewhere in the 57 pages of this thread.
Height is the limiting factor as the garage roof is only 2.2m. I can temporarily lean a full sheet of ply at more than 45° and still get the nose of the car underneath it with the door shut so the space is fine. Sitting on the ground and looking up at the sheet does seem a bit small and limited but is this any different to the traditional Sheffield celler? A friend has suggested that it would be better given the limited height to create a cragx style board with a small roof to keep the knees in but if I can get away with keeping it simple then I would rather keep the surface flat. I'm really not sure so would be very grateful for suggestions from the woodie building experts on here. How steep is too steep as I'm not training for bouldering caves but a variety of angles on Peak Lime routes? By nature I am incredibly lazy and disinterested in training so just having hang boards and campus rungs won't suffice, I need to do moves to stay interested. Thanks.

This comment is interesting. I've said similar things for many years. Fiend said something similar earlier this year. Loads of people do.

I suspect the biggest, and easiest (well, least physical effort...) training tool / weakness you could work on is mental approach. Why are fingerboards so uninteresting? Why is structured training such a turn off?

It probably doesn't matter a lot whether your wall is 30°  x 4m x 6m wide, or 55° x 2.2m x 2m - it's using it effectively, regularly, week in week out that's going to get you the gains.

This year, for the first time...maybe ....ever? I've written myself a plan, that encompasses what I need but still keeps a level of flexibility to prevent it being too rigid. It's too early to tell if it's going to be a success, but for the first time ever I'm totally motivated to tick off the sessions. I realised all the "structured plans don't work for me" was just another way of saying "I don't have a willpower/desire/mental strength to follow one".   It's negative self talk...  Work on that, and it probably wouldn't matter if all you had was one 20mm edge...

Spoken like a true recent convert...

*edit to say - I realise you didn't request mental training advice so feel free to ignore...

[Paul B]

KC - I'd think you'd get more out of a 45 type board than a Crag X type board as even though it was some time ago, I don't recall you having weak fingers (!).

[kc]

Thanks for the replies.
Ideally I would limit the width to about 5 ft /160cm to access storage either side and for safety.
I would definitely create some clearance at the bottom either with a small kick board or thin air. At least there is a small ledge above the concrete slab to rest the frame against and a drainage trench between slab and ledge to give extra clearance for heel dabs. I think the top of the sheet would finish just over 2m above ground with a 150mm vertical ply fascia screwed directly to the joist for finishing holds hang rails etc. Overall length 2.6m approx.
I did make a bit of a retarded measurement on the potential angle earlier, it would put it at closer to 40° not 50° which is probably better.

[kc]

even though it was some time ago, I don't recall you having weak fingers (!).

Like Zippy once told me "I am not the shadow of my former self but the shadow of the shadow of my former self". I'm definitely in the shadow stage but with some determination and a good board perhaps I can come back into the light.

[mr chaz]

I’m about to build a similar board (same height but about 7ft wide) in my shed. The materials arrived today and, after being limited to hangboarding for months, I held up one of the 2no. 4 x 8ft ply boards in its approx position and was ecstatic with the amount of training space I’m about to have! Its all a matter of perspective..

[Paul B]

even though it was some time ago, I don't recall you having weak fingers (!).

Like Zippy once told me "I am not the shadow of my former self but the shadow of the shadow of my former self". I'm definitely in the shadow stage but with some determination and a good board perhaps I can come back into the light.

I'll take that with a large pinch of salt from the both of you!

If you can find some photos of Ned's original board, or Mason's current board I'm sure you'd get plenty of benefit from something similar if you choose to use it. I've got an amazing board these days and the limiting factor is my motivation (and currently I'm at war with serious condensation).

[kc]

That will be the board that Mina uses in this article I assume?
https://www.trainingbeta.com/mina-leslie-wujastyk-cellar-training-culture-in-the-uk/

That does look very similar in size to what I propose.
Thanks

[Paul B]

Indeed!

.. if you'd like, you can borrow my dehumidifier for a few weeks and see how it fairs as an experiment? I run it for about a week every month in the house, the rest of the time it not on.

Cheers Probes, my folks have one I can borrow as they bought a new build that was plastered around about this time last year (remember when it snowed?). I note one in the photos of the article KC linked above although I will admit I've just bought a space heater with a bunch of other stuff required for a DIY job between now and starting my new job.

[Bradders]

2.2m will be fine. Mine is 2.4m from floor (sans pads) to top and that gives loads of scope for problems.

I'd echo the other's thoughts about doing away with a kicker. Mine has neither a kicker nor a finishing vert section; you're on the steep the whole way. I think the only argument in favour of a kicker is to make it steeper, which you may well want to if you're currently only at 40' overhanging; going to 50' would give you a fair bit of extra climbing!

[monkey boy]

Our board is 6 feet wide, 7 feet of climbing length in a cellar that's 6.5 feet high. We have a small head and kick board, although kick board mainly just used to create angle and space. It's 50 degrees overhanging.

[kc]

Very similar dimensions. Looks like it will be worthwhile build. Thanks all for your input.

[Paul B]

After reading Beastmaking I bought a hygrometer. Testing it last night, the humidity was 95% when Nat went out to the garage to climb and popped on the space heater (£39.99 Erbauer / Screwfix special). When I ventured out 30 mins later this had dropped to 70% (one garage door open and a small fan also on, although the meter and the heater are relatively close).

Interestingly 10mins on the turbo trainer quickly increased the humidity to 75%. Anyhow, it certainly made the first part of both our sessions considerably less grim.

[mr chaz]

Here we go, small shed woodie completed this weekend. 12 x 8 ft shed with c. 7ft height at eaves and 8ft height at apex. Board measures about 6.5 ft high (to bottom of vert section) and 6.5 ft wide, 47 degrees overhanging. Gap down the side for access and storage.

[Probes]

That's a cracking use of the space! Slightly raised board and no kicker? Nice. And a tall shed    What have you got there in terms of board length... 11 foot?

[Ross Barker]

Tidy looking space, that. Nice job.

[mr chaz]

Cheers Probes, loving your holds by the way, those fluid crimps are lovely.

Not quite 11ft! I sacrificed some length for ease of construction and to raise the base slightly for heel room, ended up with 8ft of overhang and 1ft of vert. Plus the vert gives space for fingerboards and campus rungs etc.

[Probes]

Ah cheers, yeah I'm pretty pleased with those fluids so far. Your board is pretty much same angle as mine (+1 degree  ) the small crimps I find quite 'stern' on my board, and you got to be quite precise catching them I find, which is no bad thing.
I thought 11 was a bit out, it looked like 3 boards on the pic for a moment, 8's good enough for sure especially on a high 40s board. 

[spidermonkey09]

Not totally on topic so apologies; I've got a few old expansion bolt hangars from rebolting which I'd like to screw next to my fingerboard and hang a pulley off. They obviously have a standard 10mm hole in them which is too large for standard screws. I was thinking I could just pin them in place using a few normal screws, much like people screw T-nutted holds onto their boards using multiple screws. Anyone done similar/is there any downside or is there a magic fixing out there which I need? I'd be screwing into ply.

[Will Hunt]

10mm is quite a big hole to fill with just screws. You might as well get a 10mm bolt and a nut. I could give you one tomorrow if you're on the grit in Yorkshire.