Polyurethane for climbing holds
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David F wrote:A Greeting. I start my journey on the Mountain Project with a question, if I may ? How the hell do you stop the PU wearing out in ten minutes ? I have had several attempts, using 65 and 70 D resins, and they have the characteristics of hard cheese. I eagerly await an answer, and thank you in advance. David. Boulderer.What do you mean with PU? |
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S. Fischer wrote:Which component are those molds made of? is it latex ? |
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S. Fischer wrote:So, I'm building a backyard wall and am trying my hand at making my own holds.Sounds like you're enjoying the learning process. That's cool, but making your own holds is deceptively expensive and not the best way to save money, especially if you value your time. Consider that any infrastructure that you develop will be worthless once you populate your wall with holds, and thus will not be amortized over thousands of holds. And when you add-in manufacturing mistakes, i.e. useless holds, the costs just keep on coming. The cheapest way to obtain holds is to buy used. Craigslist is a great resource (box of 50 holds, almost new, jibs to jugs, for $100); Amazon and eBay. Don't forget MountainProject's ForSale forum. A secondhand-sports store is a good place to try too. |
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If you do end up making your own, of course I would suggest making them super simple and versatile (jugs, jibs, blocky feet) since making the mold will be the most expensive. If you search for |
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Hi all! I have been in the process of building a changeable hangboard for my brother for his upcoming birthday. However, we don't have any holds to put up on the hangboard. I have researched how to make the climbing holds and i have the carving and pouring resin techniques down, but am totally lost when it comes to making the silicone/rubber molds of the negative for pouring. If anyone could suggest a cheap easy method for making molds i would greatly appreciate it! |
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Steven, what kind, and what size of wood did you make your campus rungs out of? Those look really good! |
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Thanks! I just went to Home Depot and bought some square dowels. I then sanded the edges down and drilled pilot holes so they didn't split. I'm pretty sure they have various sizes in 1/4" increments. If you're new to campusing, try a 1" width. |
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Awesome! Thanks Steven! And yes, i am doing it for the fun of the craft. I really like the idea of having original, unique designs that i crafted myself, Thanks for all your help! |
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Lucas - this article gives much useful info. See esp. the part about building up the mold with liquid latex. Put LOTS of layers on. |
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Man, things have changed a bunch since I started making these things in the early 90s. Mold making and the correct chemicals to use for casting was, it seemed, a black art and closely guarded secret. Of course that was all pre-internet days so we experimented and screwed up until we managed to stumble onto a system that worked. |
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S. Fischer wrote: So far, I am happiest with a pourable 10:1 silicone that doesn't need to be vacuumed.Can you share where you got the silicone? |