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help with home build

Original Post
patrick donahue · · Bend, OR · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 493

ok so i have a wall and want to build my own Volume such as a pyramid or any triangular volume that can be made by plywood.

does anyone know how to make them and would like to share there design.

or even if there is a site which helps step by step

Peter L K · · Cincinnati, OH · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 45
patrick donahue · · Bend, OR · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 493

thanks for that link but i need help designing one does anyone have any detentions/ angles

Yarp · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 0
patrick donahue wrote: does anyone have any detentions/ angles
24, 32, 49.

That link was awesome. Can't believe somebody is that anal about building bumps on their climbing wall. 3/4 Ply is stout. You don't need any of that backing especially if you are beveling the edges.

Never ceases to amaze me how overbuilt most climbing walls are.
Thomas Beck · · Las Vegas, Nevada · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,025

Since you have to ask...laugh, well... start by making a scale model out of cardboard or poster board and a hot glue gun. Then when you start on the real object you can make use of the various stock framing connectors you find at the local building supply store. Through bolting the connectors into the framing members is the strongest, decking screws or carriage bolts can also work and they allow easier coverage with plywood.

Unless you have mad skills at AutoCad or some other advanced drafting software, it's basically a cut and fit by trial and error process. Frame the top plate and the bottom members, Fasten it on your wall, then cut in the supports for the plywood piece by piece. Remember to leave some access to get to the back of the pyramid if you have to replace t-nuts.

If you've never framed before, practice some angled cuts with a bevel set on your portable saw before launching into your main material supply. See how that saw handles and what thickness you can cut.

I'd have myself a framing square, a cheap bevel, a pair of sawhorses and a couple 12"x 4" Bessey Clamps. the framing square will help you record your cut angles as a simple ratio...i.e. 3:12 and so forth...Yarp's angles are good...I like 24.

Evan1984 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 30
patrick donahue wrote:thanks for that link but i need help designing one does anyone have any detentions/ angles
If you build a scale model out of cardboard, you can measure the angles of each piece.

The angles will stay the same, so you can just scale the math up to your desired size on the polygons sides.

I'd build a supstructure of 2x3's and skin it in plywood.
Mike Lane · · AnCapistan · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 880

What Evan said but use foam core from an art store instead of cardboard, can fasten it with pins. Its what architects and designers use. You can also get the real dimensions by using string to outline the edges from a center pole.

Dan Cucci · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 5

Easiest way - cut out one triangle. Doesn't matter what size/shape, but it is helpful if it's a right triangle. That will be one side of your feature.

Trace that triangle onto your remaining plywood.

Take off the width of your plywood (probably about 3/4") from medium length side of your traced triangle.

The longest side will go against the wall and the shortest side will be filled in with the third piece you cut.

Now you have two almost identical triangles, one just 3/4" shorter than the other. Use a 2x on the inside to connect those two together at a right angle on the medium length sides.

Measure the space on the bottom for the last triangle you need. This should be a very simple triangle (45/45/90 if you started with a right triangle for the first piece) that fits inside the existing two pieces. Again, attach with 2x framing.

Sand the edges and attach to your wall with some 3" or 4" screws (including washers if you want) and you are in business. You can get more complicated shapes going once you understand the basic principle.

Andy Librande · · Denver, CO · Joined Nov 2005 · Points: 1,880

Here is another link to build a volume. Just ignore the part about the fastener to the wall as you can just screw it into your wall:

routesetter.com/2008/04/21/…

It is super easy and Dan has the easiest method for building a wood triangle volume. Just make sure you have plenty of t-nuts to put into it.

I have built a couple, one being a very simple triangle volume using the exact method that Dan described above and you can see on the roof in this photo (have had it for 3+ years w/o interior reinforcements and it is still strong):

Whitney climbing on the wall during a recent friendly competition I threw. All of the problems were individually taped and there were "Bonus" holds which are the Smith Stickers.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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