[Probes]

I've done a few builds similar to this, if you can get a couple of trusses across that butt tight against the opposite wall, ie the wall behind you are on the board, this will suffice. They dont even need to be big.. 2x4s. It'll take the load off pulling on wall behind the board and push it into the opposite wall. You can with a bit of giggerypockering not really need to fix into the neighbours wall. Think of it as one whole timber structure dropped into the space, tight up against both walls.

[Paul B]

Are you intending to build so that the wall will be along one sidewall or across the space?

A friend built a board in a similar space (although not brickwork, actually formed from concrete avalanche barriers!) and how it was done was the opposite to how most boards are constructed. The main span was wall to wall (rather than floor to ceiling) with the load being transferred to the walls via an inclined joist.

It's always worth remembering masonry is generally pretty shit when in bending.

[mrjonathanr]

I have a board in a brick shed- so like your garage, just less long. One side is a party wall.

The top of the board rests on a length of 2x4 between the walls. The ends of this rest on 2 vertical 2x4 uprights attached to the walls with coach bolts. It’s solid, tho I added a couple of tie-ins to the joists for stability. These run back from the top of the board. There’s a coach bolt on each side of the board edge into each side wall to reduce flex too.

The board measures approx 10’ x 7’.

If your neighbour would accept 2 or 3 bolts in the party wall, you could have a similar set up. Works well for me.

[matt463]

Are you intending to build so that the wall will be along one sidewall or across the space?

A friend built a board in a similar space (although not brickwork, actually formed from concrete avalanche barriers!) and how it was done was the opposite to how most boards are constructed. The main span was wall to wall (rather than floor to ceiling) with the load being transferred to the walls via an inclined joist.

It's always worth remembering masonry is generally pretty shit when in bending.

Along the side wall I think is the plan currently

[matt463]

Thanks for the suggestions! It would be ideal if I can get a fixing sorted. I'll keep those ideas in mind Probes and mrjonathanr

[Steve R]

Any opinions on best wood for foot grips? hardwood for durability. I've used some beech in the past but have found it to be noticeably more 'skiddy' in cold temps (more so than other wood types) and tends to fur up with mould readily in damp environs... Oak? Ash?

[Probes]

I have oak on mine, and some of the low crimps that are ash get used for feet. Both are bomber, the oak may be more susceptible to conditions, but only if its really damp in the air, and quick blast from the heater usually dries everything out for me.

[Probes]

also add .... sapelle or iroko or similar dark hardwood would also handle well, though these a little more splitty so obvs rounded edges would reduce chance of busting a splinter  off.

[mrjonathanr]

I’ve very recently chopped up some small campus rungs, given them a couple of soaks in Ronseal wood hardener and they are working well so far.

[Steve R]

Thanks, I think I already have a bit of ash actually so will give it a try.

[SA Chris]

I’ve very recently chopped up some small campus rungs, given them a couple of soaks in Ronseal wood hardener and they are working well so far.

I'll refrain from the obvious joke.

[Probes]

I’ve very recently chopped up some small campus rungs, given them a couple of soaks in Ronseal wood hardener and they are working well so far.

I'll refrain from the obvious joke.

Also it's fookin useless at the job it's suppose to do, so may as well whap it on something else, you never know, money to be made there

[SA Chris]

like viagra, originally for blood pressure!

[Yossarian]

I'm moving into a new house next week and (after various false starts over the past couple of years) am going to order the timber for a board (my third, though the last one was dismantled in the distant past) asap. Prob pretty similar to the one below.

Anyway, I'm trying to vaguely plan it, and I'm quite interested in the idea of something 70% symmetrical, with the remainder set with random stuff. Mainly because the one I've trained on most of the time over the past few years is a complete splatter mix with wooden holds and plastic, and I think it would be good for my alternative to be mostly wooden holds and also that I think it would probably be good to force me to do stuff both sides and generally add a little bit more structure.

But I have a load of old resin holds which I ought to make use of, and I also need to have some stuff for 7-year-old to get up. And I want to be able to do some longer circuits on it as well.

Does anyone have a setup vaguely like this? And if so, does it work well?

[Luke Owens]

I'm moving into a new house next week and (after various false starts over the past couple of years) am going to order the timber for a board (my third, though the last one was dismantled in the distant past) asap. Prob pretty similar to the one below.

Anyway, I'm trying to vaguely plan it, and I'm quite interested in the idea of something 70% symmetrical, with the remainder set with random stuff. Mainly because the one I've trained on most of the time over the past few years is a complete splatter mix with wooden holds and plastic, and I think it would be good for my alternative to be mostly wooden holds and also that I think it would probably be good to force me to do stuff both sides and generally add a little bit more structure.

But I have a load of old resin holds which I ought to make use of, and I also need to have some stuff for 7-year-old to get up. And I want to be able to do some longer circuits on it as well.

Does anyone have a setup vaguely like this? And if so, does it work well?

I’ve had mine as a plastic and wood splatter mix since I built it a couple of years ago. Recently I set it up as a fully symmetrical board and I i’m well happy with it, enjoying it way more than the old setup, feel like I can train on it more frequently too as the plastic holds used to trash skin, especially on smaller holds.

I built mine with two side walls (they don't get in the way of the main board) specifically for my kids (Ages 6 and 10) and they love swapping the holds around all the time and making up their own stuff to climb. They also climb the corner using holds between the two angles.

[Yossarian]

That looks brilliant! I’m building a freestanding one and I think I’ve worked out how to do something like that on one side. My son will love the idea of having his own little bit to mess around with. My daughter is (currently at least) better than me and will have no problem on the main bit!

[Paul B]

Your post looks very similar to Cofes that I've seen on Instagram. I had a shallower freestanding board in a terrace that I used for circuits. I can't say it was the best board I've ever used but it did serve a purpose. I'm still really pleased with my home board which twists from 30 to 45 degrees across it. You can use it for almost everything.

[cofe]

Yeah that’s mine in Yoss’s pic. It’s a mix of symmetrical and random. I quite like it.

[User deactivated.]

I'll need to rebuild my board in a new space soon and will have a full garage to play with, approximately 6m long, 2.5m wide, 2.5m tall. It's a good space, and I'm trying to maximize what I do with it. So far I have the following design, any suggestions? 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/127rlub_YIJa9Ps36WfooBK6r25Fv67sy/view?usp=sharing

[Paul B]

Might you get bored of the layout forcing that there's always an awkward move to get your feet around the small roof (and then you probably won't move your feet too much for a while)? Personally I'd be transferring the load from the structure directly into your floor slab where you can too but that's just me.

[User deactivated.]

Might you get bored of the layout forcing that there's always an awkward move to get your feet around the small roof (and then you probably won't move your feet too much for a while)? Personally I'd be transferring the load from the structure directly into your floor slab where you can too but that's just me.

Getting bored of the start could turn out to be an issue, but I don't know why it would then mean I don't move my feet for a while afterwards? I'd assumed that eliminating a kickboard would force more foot movements. 

[mark20]

You could build a box that slots in, as a 'removable kick board'.

But personally I think I'd just go for a normal flat board at whatever angle, as it will be much easier to build and have the weight going straight down onto the floor , with less fucking around with wall fixings. But I am lazy!

[SA Chris]

that's what i did, and though i could add in a kickboard later if needed, but never have, just got a bottom row of alternating average footholds and poor footholds.

[Steve R]

I'm in the same boat as Mark20 (HMS Eeeezy life) and would go with flat board straight down to the deck.  In addition to the original chrome domes, my local wall has 'innovated' a specific feet option (on 40mm wooden domes) on its board.  This allows setting with feet off to one side which has the effect of requiring more tension and effectively makes the climbing steeper.  Granted, for a given steepness, you're forced more side-on than you would be with your undercut start design but maybe that's not a bad thing?

[Fultonius]

I'm not 100% on this, but I suspect any foot holds you put on the to the "mini roof" (aka horizontal kickboard) will need to be quite positive to be at all useable, potentially defeating the point in having it?

I'd reckon at 50* it's already steep enough that if you put some bad foot chips on you'll have no issue making the first more very core-intensive.

And, as Paul says - having the board propped properly onto the ground takes a chuck of the vertical load, whereas your design means that all load is cantilevered off the main vertical supporting wall. I'd avoid this purely on structural terms.