Hello,
Is there anyone here experienced in building climbing walls? Later this summer, I will start a long-awaited project, namely converting our former double garage into a bouldering gym (climbing wall). The design is fairly complete, and now I need to plan for purchases and material choices. According to an American guide, 18mm ACX plywood is suitable for overhanging walls, but it doesn't seem like that grading type is common in Sweden? What is it called here in Sweden? I mostly find construction plywood, cabinet-grade plywood, etc., without much grading detail. One was classified as B/B, but it was birch ply and very expensive. There will be a large number of t-nuts in the boards to attach climbing holds, and it's crucial that they stay securely in place.
Best regards,
Markus
Is there anyone here experienced in building climbing walls? Later this summer, I will start a long-awaited project, namely converting our former double garage into a bouldering gym (climbing wall). The design is fairly complete, and now I need to plan for purchases and material choices. According to an American guide, 18mm ACX plywood is suitable for overhanging walls, but it doesn't seem like that grading type is common in Sweden? What is it called here in Sweden? I mostly find construction plywood, cabinet-grade plywood, etc., without much grading detail. One was classified as B/B, but it was birch ply and very expensive. There will be a large number of t-nuts in the boards to attach climbing holds, and it's crucial that they stay securely in place.
Best regards,
Markus
The only reasonable thing must be to use regular construction plywood, which is probably one of the lower qualities you can buy. I don't have figures on the tensile strength for T-nuts, but there's no way you can pull one through a plywood board in dimensions of 15mm or more. There aren't many climbers who weigh more than a couple of hundred kilos.
Hi Mathias,
It’s probably not a question of them going through, it’s more that they release on the backside and "go around" when you try to screw in/out the grip. And even if you don't weigh much, there can be quite large dynamic loads. Do you think regular 18mm construction plywood is enough?
It’s probably not a question of them going through, it’s more that they release on the backside and "go around" when you try to screw in/out the grip. And even if you don't weigh much, there can be quite large dynamic loads. Do you think regular 18mm construction plywood is enough?
Here are some tips you might benefit from!
http://byggahus.se/forum/socialt-projekt/197599-sommarens-projekt-bygga-klattervagg-i-hallen.html
http://byggahus.se/forum/socialt-projekt/197599-sommarens-projekt-bygga-klattervagg-i-hallen.html
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It's always smart to secure the T-nuts with a strong clamp to reduce the risk of pushing them out when changing holds. Don't use plywood that's too weak, as it's frustrating when it flexes, but don't overdo it either. Alternatively, space the supports closely, use double plywood, then you're also securing the nuts.
Mellanmjölk is good
a notch better than the simplest you can find goes a long way. Spend the money on holds.
The worst that can happen is that you fall down, but luckily, preparation for that is part of climbing, especially in bouldering contexts. I've helped build a few walls, primarily with simple materials. However, it was over 20 years ago, so I don't remember the exact dimensions or quality. I know of a wall where they went for expensive plywood sheets, which felt really solid and good, but at least four times as costly.
Mellanmjölk is good
a notch better than the simplest you can find goes a long way. Spend the money on holds.The worst that can happen is that you fall down, but luckily, preparation for that is part of climbing, especially in bouldering contexts. I've helped build a few walls, primarily with simple materials. However, it was over 20 years ago, so I don't remember the exact dimensions or quality. I know of a wall where they went for expensive plywood sheets, which felt really solid and good, but at least four times as costly.
Thanks for your responses!
A month later and a bit more planning resulted in it being built with 18mm BB/X plywood. Seems like a good compromise between price/performance, as I still want a smooth and nice front. Now I just need to purchase the lumber (a lot of it) and fasteners, and then the project kicks off! Does anyone know where to get cheap M10 tee nuts? There seems to be quite a price difference between different places. I estimate that I'll need about 2000 of them, so I'd like to do what I can to keep the cost down =).
I'll try to post some pictures as the project progresses, but it probably won't be documented as ambitiously as a certain hall project I read about here on the forum.
A month later and a bit more planning resulted in it being built with 18mm BB/X plywood. Seems like a good compromise between price/performance, as I still want a smooth and nice front. Now I just need to purchase the lumber (a lot of it) and fasteners, and then the project kicks off! Does anyone know where to get cheap M10 tee nuts? There seems to be quite a price difference between different places. I estimate that I'll need about 2000 of them, so I'd like to do what I can to keep the cost down =).
I'll try to post some pictures as the project progresses, but it probably won't be documented as ambitiously as a certain hall project I read about here on the forum
.
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(Note, the thread is 7 years old.)
How did it go?
How did it go?
Hello, yes, it went well, you can follow my construction thread here:
https://www.byggahus.se/forum/threads/nu-ryker-dubbelgaraget-det-ska-byggas-klaettervaegg.263524/
Best regards,
Markus
https://www.byggahus.se/forum/threads/nu-ryker-dubbelgaraget-det-ska-byggas-klaettervaegg.263524/
Best regards,
Markus