3 Ball Vertical Climbing Wall Plans

8/2/2019 3 Ball Vertical Climbing Wall Plans

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DISCLAIMER

THIS CLIMBING WALL GUIDE IS PRESENTED AS A SAMPLE PLAN ONLY. IT IS NOTINTENDED TO BE RELIED UPON AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION RE-GARDING ROCK CLIMBING WALL PLANS.

THE WRITER OF THIS INDOOR CLIMBING WALL PLAN IS NOT AN ENGINEER, AR-CHITECT, OR CARPENTER. THE KNOWLEDGE CONTAINED HEREIN IS BASEDSOLELY UPON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

Bouldering and climbing walls are very heavy. The structure that supports the wallmust be strong enough to support the dead load (the weight of the climbing wallitself) and live loads (the climbers). The dead load alone will come to several hun-dred pounds. Live loads vary not only by the weight of the climbers, but also by themomentary forces caused by the climbing moves. These forces can be several timesthe weight of the climber. The support system, whether a pre-existing structure orone built specifically for the rock climbing wall, must be capable of supporting themaximum combined stresses. Consult an engineer, and be absolutely certain thatyour structure will support the loads that will be imposed on it.

Warning: Climbing and training for climbing is inherently dangerous and carries withit a significant risk of personal injury or death. The writer of this guide does notrecommend that anyone participate in any activity described or referenced withinthis website (threeballclimbing.com) unless they first obtain qualified professionaland personal instruction, are knowledgeable about the risks involved, and are will-ing to personally assume all responsibility associated with those risks.


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WHERE DO IBUILD?

The first thing to con-

sider when building a

climbing wall is the loca-

tion. Where is the best

place to build? Do you

build indoor or outdoor,

garage or living room,corner of the room or

right in the middle?

Should I build it indoor,

or outdoor?

An indoor climbing wall

can be used year-roundand will always be a

comfortable temperature.

You won't have to worry about the wood weathering in the rain and sun. You don't have to wor

about rusty bolts, or buying stainless steel bolts. You won't have to tighten each hold every daydue to loosening caused by temperature changes. This can become a real hassle, especially if

you have a lot of holds. No one wants to spend the first 30 minutes of their session tightening

bolts. Holds bolted to an outdoor wall are more likely to spin if you do not tighten them before

each session.

This guide will provide sample plans tobuild an 8 x8 indoor rock climbing wall.


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TOOLS NEEDED

* Electric Drill* Philips head drill bit* 7/16" Wood boring bit* 7/32" or 3/16 Drill bit* Power Miter Saw or hand held framing saw.

The Miter saw is best, but the framing saw will work too.* Measuring tape at least 96 inches long.* Bubble Level at least 24 long.* Chalk line or 4- 8 foot straight edge* Framing pencil or marker* Electronic Stud finder* 3 Foot by 5 foot work table. Any table close

to this size will do. The more space the better.* Ear plugs* Safety glasses


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SUPPLIES NEEDED

Nominal size vs. actual size of building materials:

The designated dimensions of lumber is not its' true size. Lumber is designated byits' nominal value, or the size of the lumber before it is planed down to its' finishedsize. be sure to use the actual size when you are planning your walls dimensions.

For example, as you can see in the table below, a 2"x4" actually measures 1 1/2"by 3 1/2". For plywood, nominal size and actual size are the same.

NOMINAL SIZE ACTUAL SIZE

2"x4" 1 1/2"x 3 1/2"2"x6" 1 1/2"x 5 1/2"

2"x8" 1 1/2"x 7 1/2"2"x10" 1 1/2"x 9 1/2"

* (2) - 4' x 8' x 3/4" sheets of plywood* (9) - 96" (96 inches long) 2"x4"s* (100) 3/8-16 T-nuts per 4x8 sheet of plywood.

For a 8 x 8 wall youll need (200) T-nuts.* 2lb box of 3 1/2 inch black drywall screws (course thread)* 2lb box of 2" black drywall screws (course thread)

(Self drilling #8 decking screws may be used instead ofdrywall screws. Self drilling decking screws are saidto hold better and to be stronger, but in my experiencedrywall screws have performed quite well.)

* One sheet 80 grit sandpaper (optional)* If you are using 4 prong t-nuts you'll also

need One tube Barges All Purpose Cement.You need this to glue the t-nuts to the backof the wall. Any glue that bonds to both

metal and wood will do.* Round Base t-nuts do not require glue.* You can get just about everything from Lowes

Or Home Depot except for the t-nuts.

Purchase T-nuts
http://www.threeballclimbing.com/hardware/zproundbasetnuts.htmhttp://www.threeballclimbing.com/hardware/zproundbasetnuts.htmhttp://www.threeballclimbing.com/hardware/zproundbasetnuts.htm


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The first thing you will want to do is read through this entire guide and consult an engineer

to make sure your wall will be safe to climb on and that your existing structure is suited tosupporting the climbing wall. The writer of this guide is not an engineer.

Getting Started

When you are ready to get started,

find the studs in the wall you have

selected to use as the anchor for the

climbing wall.

Grab the stud finder and start sweep-

ing it back and forth across the dry-wall until you find the studs.

Mark the left edge, the right edge,and the center of each stud. You

should find them running vertically

about every 18 or 24 inches. Most

stud finders can tell the difference be-

tween a wood stud and an electrical

wire, so pay attention the the signals.


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Take your time! Finding the center of the

studs is important if you want your wall

be stable. Mark each stud at the base o

the wall and about 4 feet up and 7 feet

When you have marked 5 or more verticrunning studs, measure the distance be-

tween the center of each stud. Theyshould be somewhere between 18 and 2

inches apart.

Using a chalk-line or straight edge to co

nect the center points of the studs you

have marked. In this example we used

straight 2x4. Be careful with chalk. Mos

of it is permanent and there is NO KNOW

WAY TO REMOVE IT. Do not spill it on th

carpet. If you do, DO NOT VACUUM IT The vacuum will spread it and make it

worse.

Once youve got your straight edge or

chalk line lined up with the center points

snap the line, or draw a line connecting

points.


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Mark the stud at each pointwhere the the lines on the

wall meet the stud. Beforeyou move the stud, right anR on the right side of it,and an L on the left side.This will help you line it upagain when you come backafter drilling, or if you get in-terrupted.

Now use your drill and 3/16drill bit to drill two holes ateach point you have marked.These holes should line upwith the marks you havedrawn on the wall.

After the holes are drilled,bring the stud back to the

wall and match the lines onthe wall with the marks onthe stud.

This stud will become yourfirst anchor stud. Grabyour bubble level, your drill,the #2 philips drill bit andone 3 1/2 screw for each

hole.


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Place your bubble level on top of the stud as shown above. Lift one end of the stud untthe bubble is centered between the two lines. Most floors are not perfectly level. If youhad to lift the left side of the stud to get it level, the left side is the low side. Once you

determine which is the high side grab your drill and phillips drill bit and put one 3 1/2screw through one of the pre-drilled holes in the stud and into your wall on the high sideof the stud.

Now go back to the low side and lift the stud until it is level again. When youve got itjust right, drive a screw into this side. If youve got it level, the rest will be easy! Onceits level, fasten the stud to the wall using your 3 1/2 screws, and the remaining pre-drilled holes.

If a screw never stops spinning, or the stud doesn't get pulled tight against the wall, theyou have probably missed the stud. These screws absolutely must be anchored in thestuds.


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Once the first anchor stud is in place, grab your 8ft straight edge, or the straight-est 2x4 you have and place it next to the anchor stud as shown in the picture be-low. Use the bubble level to make sure it is level, and mark where the insideedge of the stud meets the wall. This line will serve as a guide to help you lineup the remaining anchor studs.

Next put down the stud and level for a minute. The quickest way to put in theremaining studs is by using spacers. Grab one of your studs and the measuringtape. Mark this piece at 14 1/2. Youll need two of these at exactly the samelength. In this example we used a miter saw and stopper to cut both pieces atthe same length.


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If youre second piecea little longer or a littlshorter, try to cut a 3rpiece.

Grab the two pieces that are theclosest to each other in lengthand set them on the ends of the

anchor stud you have fastenedto the wall.

Next grab your level and a 8stud. Set the stud on the spac-ers and line up the edge of itwith the guide-line you justmade on the wall.


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Find the lines on the wall thatmark the center of the studs, andMark points on the stud thatmatch up with them just like youdid with the first anchor stud.Drill two holes with the 3/16 drillbut at each point just like you didbefore.


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Put the stud back in placesitting on top the spacers,and make sure the edge ofit is lined up with the guide-line. Put the level on topthe stud and make sure it is

right. If it is level go aheadand fasten the stud to thewall using the 3 1/2screws.

If it is not level, put onescrew in the high side, andlift the low side until it islevel. Once it is level, put

a screw in the low side tohold it in place and drive inthe rest of the screws.

Now you pull out the spacers and repeat this process until all your anchor studsare in place! When you are done, Your wall should look something like this:


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If you are using 4x8 or 4x4panels, grab one and set itagainst the anchor studs. Markthe wall at the same height asthe top edge of the panel.

Once youve got that line markedall the way across, grab a stud,mark it, drill your holes and fas-ten it to the wall right over thisline. This stud will help keepyour panels from overlappingwhen you put them up.


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Now it is time to mark the plywood so you can drill your anchor points in theright places.. You will need your measuring tape, a pencil and your chalk line orstraight edge. We usually space them 7 inches across and 7 inches up. A 7" x

1. Starting from the top left pull your measuring

tape all the way across the plywood the long

way to the bottom. Mark the first point at 3inches. Next add 7" for the rest of the marks.

Mark at 10", then 17" etc. Keep going until

you've marked the entire length.

2. Next start from the top right andpull the tape down to the bottom rightRepeat the same markings. 3", 10",17", 24" etc.

Now Grab your Chalk Line orstraight edge...


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3. Next connect the dots with a line. You'll need your chalk-line or a straightedge. Draw a line from the left 3" mark across to right 3" mark. Repeat this stepfor each pair of marks going across the top and bottom of the plywood. Onceyou've got all your horizontal lines drawn you can start on the vertical lines.

Once your horizontal lines are drawn your sheet should look something like this:


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Next measure from the top right to the top left and mark it 3, 7, 10, 14 etc.

Measure from the bottom right to the bottom left and mark it 3, 7, 10, 14 etc.

Now match up and mark your vertical lines just like you did with the horizontal lines.


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Once youve got your gridfinished, and your panelsare stacked up and screwedtogether, grab your 7/16wood boring bit and startdrilling holes!

Drill one hole at each pointwhere the lines intersect.Do your best to keep thedrill perpendicular to thewood. In addition, be carefulnot to push too hard. Youwant the bit to cut through the wood, not break through.

You can repeat this procedure for marking additional sheets of plywood. Ifyou prefer, you can place the marked sheet exactly over the second sheet,and drive in a couple screws to keep them perfectly lined up before you start

drilling holes.


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You are getting close now!

If you want to paint, now is the timeto do it!

Once all the holes are drilled, and yourpaint is dry, grab your t-nuts. For this wallwe used round base t-nuts since they areso much easier to install, and more secure.

If you are using 4 prong t-nuts,check out our installation instructions onlinehere:Install 4 prong t-nuts
http://www.threeballclimbing.com/install4prongtnuts.htmhttp://www.threeballclimbing.com/install4prongtnuts.htm


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Push the t-nuts into the holesyou have drilled. Dont worry ithey dont go all the way downright away.

Once you get them all lined up,grab a hammer and lightly tapthem into place.

Now all you have to do is fasten all the screws in all the t-nuts. Make sureyou put screws in all 3 holes. If you skip a hole it will prevent the t-nut fromsitting perpendicular to the wall and will make it difficult to fasten climbingholds in the future.


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I dont know about you, but I get prettyexcited when I get to this point!

Take your first panel over to the anchorstuds and line up the high side with theedge of the panel. Now take your 3/16

drill bit and drill one hole in each of thetop corners of the panel. These holesshould be about 3/4 of an inch downfrom the top edge of the panel. Do notdrill through the anchor stud, just drillthrough the plywood.

T-nuts finished!


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Replace the 3/16 bit with the philips bit and fasten the plywood to the anchor studon the high side with a 2 screw. Next grab the level and place it on top of the ply-wood. Lift the low side until the top of the panel is level. When it is level, fastenwhat was the low side to the anchor stud.


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Place your second panel next to the first. Now take your 3/16 drill bit and drill onehole in each of the top corners of the panel. Replace the 3/16 bit with the philips bit.

Next grab the level and place it on top of the plywood. Lift the low side until the top

of the panel is level. Make sure that the two panels are the same height when youpush them together. Also, make sure that there is no space between the two panels.When it is level, fasten the top corners to the anchor stud. Pre-drill and fasten 3 morescrews along the top edge of the panels. Make sure the screws go into the middle ofthe bottom half of the anchor stud.


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Rest the stud on the screws, pre-drill your holes using the 3/16 drill bit. Dontdrill into the anchor stud, just through the plywood. You want to have a total of10 holes for this first anchor stud going across the two four foot panels. Onenear the edge on each side, and 3 in the middle of each panel.

When youve got these ten holes drilled for the first anchor stud, move up to thethe next one. Rest the stud across the next set of 3 1/2 screws and repeat theprocess.

When youve got these first to panels pre-drilled, go ahead and fasten the panelsto the anchor studs using the 2 screws. Remove the 3 1/2 screws that youwere resting the straight edge stud on and replace them with 2 screws. Screwthem all the way in just like the rest of the screws.

Now you can grab your third 4x4 panel or your 2nd 4 x 8 panel, put it on topof your first panel and repeat the entire process.


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The 3rd and 4th panels should be much easier. Since you already made sure thefirst two were level, all you have to do is set them on top, and make surethe edges line up properly.

When youve got everything screwed in nice and tight, your wallshould look something like this:


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Now its time to fasten your climb-ing holds! We just fastened a fewas an example. For young childrenwe recommend installing at leastone hold per square foot: For an8x8 wall youll need about 64climbing holds.

If you will be bouldering, one hold persquare foot is a good start, but youllprobably want to add new holds on a regu-lar basis. Check out ourMonthly Gripsprogram for a constant supply of newgrips!
http://www.threeballclimbing.com/http://www.threeballclimbing.com/http://www.threeballclimbing.com/rockclimbingholds/bouldering1.htmhttp://www.threeballclimbing.com/rockclimbingholds/bouldering1.htmhttp://www.threeballclimbing.com/http://www.threeballclimbing.com/


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In addition to providing climbing holds and hardware, Three Ball Climbing alsosupplies 4 x 4 x 3/4 indoor climbing wall panels.

Wall panels come in two different textures, and in two different colors.

Our Basic panel has two coats of paint in either Granite Gray or Sedona Red.It also features 49 pre-installed Round Base T-nuts.

Our Textured panel has a fine grain sandstone texture and comes in GraniteGray, or Sedona Red. It also features 49 pre-installed Round Base T-nuts.

Call or email Steve for more info:

480-334-4646 - [email protected]


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Three Ball Climbing LLC.

1930 E. 3rd St. Ste 8

Tempe, AZ 85281480-334-4646

[email protected]


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3 Ball Vertical Climbing Wall Plans