TastyHome
How
to build a woody...
Warning: This
Tasty guide for building a bouldering wall is for the use of qualified
builders. Tasty takes no responsibility for the advice given in this guide.
The materials
and hardware specified are now widely standard in the industry.
1.
Design it...
How steep?
A good woody has to be overhanging by between 10 deg and 45 deg.
Your design will depend on how much room you have. Here's a few ideas
for woody profiles - combine them side-by-side if you have the space.
If you are very
limited in space, at least try to have a 25 deg wall one panel (2.4m)
wide and three panels (3.6m) high (with a good mat - see safety
below).
A vertical woody
will not give you a good workout.
2.
Build the Frame...
-
For the frame use
F7 grade pine of 100mm by 50mm.
-
For the noggins (horizontal
pieces between panels) use F7 75mm by 37mm.
-
Anchor the studs
to the structure of the building (garage etc). If masonry, use 10
mm dynabolts. Do not anchor your woody to just a single thickness
brick wall! If you're unsure of the strength of the building or anchors,
talk to an engineer!
-
Bolt the frame together
with 3/8" bolts, or use gussetts (and a nail gun?!)
-
Use a minimum of
four studs per panel (2.4m) i.e. 800 mm centers.
-
Nail the noggins
to the studs where the panels meet so the front surface is flush with the
studs.
3.
Attach the panels...
-
Use 2400 x 1200 x
17mm or 15mm structural grade plywood (D-D grade is fine & is the cheapest).
-
Drill 12mm holes
and attach 3/8" t-nuts on the back surface. The more t-nuts the better
- go for at least 40 but 70 or 80 per panel is better. t-nuts are available
from Tasty.
-
Attach panels to
the frame with plywood screws - minimum of 18 screws per panel.
-
You don't have to
texture the panels - it just wears out you shoes - but paint them if you
like.
4.
Now for the holds...
-
Attach the holds
with 3/8" socket headed cap screws (available from Tasty). Bolt lengths
of 1.5" to 4" are required depending on the thickness of the hold.
-
Tasty supplies sets
for home bouldering. They are designed and selected for bouldering
- simple shapes that work all the grip types.
-
Arrange the holds
so that you can train all the grip types and different moves. Concentrate
on your weaknesses (e.g slopers) - your overall ability will improve faster
that way. Try to get as many holds as you can to make the training
more interesting & visit you local climbing gym to get ideas.
The staff at Tasty and Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym will be happy to give
you advice.
5.
Safety
Make a mat which
will cushion your fall even if you land on your back. Use layers
of matresses - inner-springs on the bottom, soft foam on the top - with
a tarp or cover over the top and anchored to the floor around the sides
so the matresses can't separate. Its best to boulder with a friend
so you can spot each other.
6.
More Info...
indoorclimbing.com
The
Climbing Wall Resource
Building
Climbing Walls
7.
How to train...
See the training
articles & go for it!