Help needed - Woodworking and such. Now with pictures

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 09/02/2016 at 00:06 • Filed to: None

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Building a climbing wall for my kids out of a disused stage piece I got recently. The stage piece is 7 tall by 4 wide but 10 inches thick (with 3 cross members spaced 20 inches apart). Its a stout chuck of 3/4 inch ply (and its heavy...200 lbs maybe?) and can easily hold a climbing wall...but...I have NO idea how to mount it to the wall. The studs are 16 inch centers which is great for a 4 foot wide wall except i I can’t just buy 15 inch screws and jam it into the wall. Any suggestions on how to get it on the wall in a solid way? No, I can’t take the top sheet off, its glued and stapled exactly 2342 times.

Agrajag > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 00:15

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Can you flip it around, with the plywood against the wall, then screw that into your studs? Then just put another piece of plywood over you existing crosssmembers.

/alsohasnoideawhatamdoing

HammerheadFistpunch > Agrajag 09/02/2016 at 00:25

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I could, but then I have to buy more wood. Im enjoying the freeness.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 00:27

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just lean it a bit.

RallyWrench > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 00:32

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Are the crossmembers 2x or 4x? If they’re 4x you could drill down to create bores for shorter lag bolts. Is it open at the ends? If it’s to mount vertically from the ground then you really need only anchor it heavily at the top then maybe brace the sides. If that’s the case you could bolt some additional thinner mounting boards to the crossmembers to extend from the top, which would reduce the depth you have to deal with.

MrDakka > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 02:45

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Get some lag bolts? Do you mind posting some pics for more details?

Tapas > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 05:30

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I read the headline and felt I could help.

Got lost in the details

I could not help ._.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 07:51

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What’s it being mounted to? I’d say get a few lengths of threaded rod along with the appropriate anchors for whatever you’re hanging it off.

Roundbadge > RallyWrench 09/02/2016 at 07:58

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This is good. Use a paddle bit to counter-sink the lag heads and reduce the length of the bolts needed, then just lag through the cross members into each stud maybe once per cross member.

...unless I’m not thinking clearly...

The Lurktastic Opponaught > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 08:01

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If I understand correctly, you need to fasten some sort of vertically oriented structural member to a solid wall to support the outer plywood climbing surface. This is how I connected the ladder to my kids tree fort:

Check out the galvanized brackets at your local home despot. They're cheap and come in a variety of shapes and sizes for connecting one piece of tree carcass to another.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 09:17

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Get some big L-brackets, mount those to the wall, and screw into the side of the stage.

HammerheadFistpunch > MrDakka 09/02/2016 at 09:36

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Posted

HammerheadFistpunch > RallyWrench 09/02/2016 at 09:37

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Everything is 3/4 ply, I could add 4x4 though, I have some.

RallyWrench > Roundbadge 09/02/2016 at 09:58

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Makes sense to me, without seeing a picture of the thing.

TwoAprilFools > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 10:05

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It looks to be all Plywood construction?

If you can’t get the front off due to 2432 staples/screws/nails, then the only access you will have is to the sides. So either you can use Joist hangers as previously mentioned, or you can Toe nail/screw the sides to the Studs on the wall, I assume that the last picture is the destination. I think if you were to get some good wood screws about 3" long, then screw the sides down the sides to the studs on the outside You should get roughly 50-80 lbs of support for each screw. I would put one at least every 16" on both sides. Also 1 at the top into each stud for better anti-tipping too.

aaronet > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 10:25

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Use a french cleat. Get some 2x4s that fit between the vertical rails of the stage, rip the upper edge 45degress and lag bolt to the wall so that the wider side is away from the wall. Cut the bottom edge of the plywood cross members of the stage at 45degrees so that the wider side of the cross member is against the wall. Put the stage against the wall and let it slide down on top of the cleats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cl…

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 11:20

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Looking at the pictures you’ve posted and other comments, it looks like the cross pieces are 3/4" plywood. You can easily drill holes in the face of the piece that will give you access to the back cross members so you can use reasonably sized screws. As long as the weight of the climbing wall and kids is being supported by the floor you shouldn’t need massive lag screws or anything to keep it in place. Assuming that you are screwing into a 2x4 stud, I would use something like a GRK 1/4"x2-1/2" RSS screw to hold the panel to the wall. The access holes can either get covered by climbing holds or you could probably find plastic covers to snap into the holes if you use a standard sized drill.

just-a-scratch > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 09/02/2016 at 11:51

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In order to do this, or something like it, you may need a long magnetic screw driver, or other device to hold your fastener while feeding it through the climbing wall/platform.

Roundbadge > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 12:29

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Having seen the pictures, my thoughts changed.

What about some 3/4" plywood cleats secured to the wall across the studs, at intervals to match the openings between cross members. Then screw 2x4s to the cleats, then you should be able to hang the wall from the 2x4s at the cross members.

Maybe?

HammerheadFistpunch > Roundbadge 09/02/2016 at 12:40

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Thats kinda what Im thinking. 4x4's lagged to the wall horizontally and then bolt them at the ends from the outside of the box.

Roundbadge > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 12:42

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Even better. I was questioning the rigidity of the box once kids were hanging from it, but I think the 4x4 would give the added stiffness you’re looking for.

HammerheadFistpunch > Roundbadge 09/02/2016 at 12:52

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of the box is rigid as all get out, and Im adding 3 inch screws to it all over. but the 4x4 would makeme feel better about drilling into it.

Roundbadge > HammerheadFistpunch 09/02/2016 at 14:28

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Something like this? The back of the climbing wall cross member would hang over the 4x4, sliding into place at the point noted by the red X. You could certainly countersink the lag head by an 3/4" to 1" into the 4x4 to save on the screw and keep the inside of the 4x4 flush, and still have a hefty chunk of metal fastening it to the wall.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > HammerheadFistpunch 09/04/2016 at 23:24

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I’d consider a series of stud screws into the wall frame and then bolt through the webbing (cut access ports in the side or use a joiner and another bolt to go right through)

...or you could use table leg plates screwed to the wall studs and bolt to them.