HELP! Trying to build an Indoor Hybrid Campus Board/Woody

TL;DR: I need the correct specs to fit a woody (10' x 8') and campus board (6' x 8') 4' off the ground in a 13' x 11' x 10' room. Would it be safe/sturdy if I combined both of them together or should they be separate?

EDIT: The pictures I drew on my phone are not to scale. The base is 8' long but the actual climbing wall is 10' long since it's elevated. I'm attaching another picture that's to scale. Since I listed the length as 8' then it should have formed a square since the width is also 8'. It's a new design since I decided to split the campus board in half and have them face each other. Hopefully, I won't hit my head on the way down if I lose my grip.

i.imgur.com/AJ3JGuJ.jpg

I'm designing a training course that combines rock climbing and various ANW obstacles (Salmon Ladder, Flying Bars, Ultimate Cliffhanger, Floating Boards, and Unstable Bridge.) I was inspired by campus board and woody designs on Mountain Project, so I decided to create a hybrid of both.

My room is 11' x 13' x 10', but I also have a closet that is 2.5' x 4'. The entrance to my room is 2.5' x 3'. The campus board will be 8' x 6' and the woody will be either 10' x 6' or 10' x 8''. It will probably only be 6' because that's what my dad is allowing, but hopefully I can convince him to allow 8'. I want both structures to be 4' off the ground. These are just guestimates, but what should be the length of the base and the height of the support posts. How many support posts do I need? Is it feasible to combine both structures together or should they be separate, so it's safer? Any suggestions to make it safer/sturdier? Also, I didn't mention this earlier, but the Ultimate Cliffhanger will be in the front (on the 3' x 9' sheet of plywood) although I might add it to the side of the Salmon Ladder and Flying Bars. Flying Bars: sasukepedia.blogspot.com/20… Ultimate Cliffhanger: sasukepedia.blogspot.com/20… Salmon Ladder: sasukepedia.blogspot.com/20… Floating Boards: sasukepedia.blogspot.com/20… Unstable Bridge: sasukepedia.blogspot.com/20…

I also want to hang odd objects off my woody as seen here.

Here's a rough draft of my submission video: youtube.com/watch?v=1NAOa7L…
More accurate to scale picture.

I don't know much about ANW obstacles, but I built a freestanding woodie in a small room with similar dimensions. With an 8-foot ceiling, about the best I could do while leaving room for the door and some storage was a 45-degree wall 4'x10' with a 1' tall kicker panel at the bottom. I went as steep as I did because I wanted to maximize my vertical climbing distance, but for training purposes anything much steeper than 45 degrees limits you to roof jugs, not very useful.

One thing I would think about is making sure you have extra space AROUND your equipment to allow for leg swing/dynamic movement, walking around, stretching, etc. Be realistic about the space you actually need, not just fitting equipment in like a jigsaw.

When I designed my wall I used a free 3D-modeling program called sketchup to make sure that what I wanted was realistic for the space I had. That might help in your case.

Michael Swanson wrote:I don't know much about ANW obstacles, but I built a freestanding woodie in a small room with similar dimensions. With an 8-foot ceiling, about the best I could do while leaving room for the door and some storage was a 45-degree wall 4'x10' with a 1' tall kicker panel at the bottom. I went as steep as I did because I wanted to maximize my vertical climbing distance, but for training purposes anything much steeper than 45 degrees limits you to roof jugs, not very useful. One thing I would think about is making sure you have extra space AROUND your equipment to allow for leg swing/dynamic movement, walking around, stretching, etc. Be realistic about the space you actually need, not just fitting equipment in like a jigsaw. When I designed my wall I used a free 3D-modeling program called sketchup to make sure that what I wanted was realistic for the space I had. That might help in your case.

Thanks for the website! I'll be sure to check it out. I used sketchbookx on my phone to make the "jigsaw puzzle". I'm considering making my wall at least 55 degrees to facilitate the use of the Nicros HIT system:

nicros.com/training/article…

I think I'd have plenty of space to walk around and stretch because both structures will (should) be elevated 4' off the ground. Did you consider elevating the wood and only using 5-6 feet of plywood? When I'm sitting down and stretching my arms out, I'm already at 3'. I think some taller people would be reaching 4'-ish. I feel like it would just be a waste of space if I had the plywood running all the way to the ground. I'd just put foot jibs when instead, I could have been "campusing" up. If I had to make one choice, should I make the campus board or woody?

I suppose it just depends on what your training goals are. I was aiming for something that trains more climbing-specific strength rather than campusing roof jugs (I put HIT strips on my wall too, they're awesome), and the 45-degree wall seems like a good sweet spot for my personal training. But if you are after something geared more towards campusing, then I am sure the setup you have will work great. I don't do any campus training myself, so I can't speak to that specifically.
You're working with a pretty tight space constraint, my biggest advice having built a couple home walls myself is just take the time to design it properly beforehand so you know exactly how it will all go together. But I'm an engineer by trade, that's just how my brain works.

Michael Swanson wrote:I suppose it just depends on what your training goals are. I was aiming for something that trains more climbing-specific strength rather than campusing roof jugs (I put HIT strips on my wall too, they're awesome), and the 45-degree wall seems like a good sweet spot for my personal training. But if you are after something geared more towards campusing, then I am sure the setup you have will work great. I don't do any campus training myself, so I can't speak to that specifically. You're working with a pretty tight space constraint, my biggest advice having built a couple home walls myself is just take the time to design it properly beforehand so you know exactly how it will all go together. But I'm an engineer by trade, that's just how my brain works.

Thanks for the advice. I'm no engineer or carpenter, so I decided to just build two campus boards that each have three rows to work with. Outside of the typical 1.25", 1", and .75" campus rungs, I wanted to add 5 sloper rungs, 6 domes, 10 pinches, and 10 pockets too. The pinches and pockets will share the final row. Also, I'm adding 40 eye bolts to campus up odd objects like baseballs, softballs, pipes, and cones too.

And instead of the 45 or 55 degree I was planning on using for my woody, I'll just make an 8' x 8' roof and practice horizontal campusing while in a tuck front lever, maybe even full lay when I get strong enough.

Also, I was wondering, how do you determine the angle of a campus board and woody? I want my campus board to be at 15 degree angle. I still might build a 55 degree woody outside instead.

PlanchePRO wrote: Also, I was wondering, how do you determine the angle of a campus board and woody? I want my campus board to be at 15 degree angle. I still might build a 55 degree woody outside instead.

There's a couple ways to do it, one is to use an inclinometer app on your phone. It uses your phone's accelerometer to measure the angle of a surface. Basically a glorified bubble level. This is more helpful in the construction phase.
Something that may help a little more in the design phase is Atomik's wall angle tool , it is based on simple trigonometry. For example, if you wanted a campus board 6 feet tall and overhanging 15 degrees (105 on their chart), your board would overhang about 1'8" according to that chart. You could get closer using the actual equations for right triangles, but honestly this will get you close enough.
Atomik and Metolius both have some awesome resources for building climbing walls, if you haven't seen them already I would encourage you to look into the information they have on their websites.

Michael Swanson wrote: There's a couple ways to do it, one is to use an inclinometer app on your phone. It uses your phone's accelerometer to measure the angle of a surface. Basically a glorified bubble level. This is more helpful in the construction phase. Something that may help a little more in the design phase is Atomik's wall angle tool , it is based on simple trigonometry. For example, if you wanted a campus board 6 feet tall and overhanging 15 degrees (105 on their chart), your board would overhang about 1'8" according to that chart. You could get closer using the actual equations for right triangles, but honestly this will get you close enough. Atomik and Metolius both have some awesome resources for building climbing walls, if you haven't seen them already I would encourage you to look into the information they have on their websites.

Don't use an app that directly measures angles and distances like that. I have one on my phone that uses a pretty complex algorithm, and seems decently accurate for using a phone as a protractor, but its always pretty off in precision. Spend $7 and get yourself a swanson speed square, it will be invaluable with the construction of your wall, and anything for that matter. With a speed square, and a knowledge of basic algebra you don't need anything fancy like a smart phone that is wrong.

Watch a 10 minute video on youtube on how to use the speed square. You can also use it as a saw guide to get perfect cuts.

Eliot Augusto wrote: Don't use an app that directly measures angles and distances like that. I have one on my phone that uses a pretty complex algorithm, and seems decently accurate for using a phone as a protractor, but its always pretty off in precision. Spend $7 and get yourself a swanson speed square, it will be invaluable with the construction of your wall, and anything for that matter. With a speed square, and a knowledge of basic algebra you don't need anything fancy like a smart phone that is wrong. Watch a 10 minute video on youtube on how to use the speed square. You can also use it as a saw guide to get perfect cuts.

Agreed. I wasn't thinking about HOW you actually make the cuts, simply how you measure an existing wall. Once I had a design I was happy with, I used a compound miter saw to make the cuts, which made cutting at the angles I wanted pretty trivial. But using a speed square is a pretty cheap and simple solution.

Michael Swanson wrote: Agreed. I wasn't thinking about HOW you actually make the cuts, simply how you measure an existing wall. Once I had a design I was happy with, I used a compound miter saw to make the cuts, which made cutting at the angles I wanted pretty trivial. But using a speed square is a pretty cheap and simple solution.

I love a chop saw(miter). But when it comes to building apartment room sized woodies, all you need is a skill saw, a tape measure, a pencil and a speed square. When you start cutting trim, furniture, and cabinets is when you need a chop saw and table saw.

TO OP: A hammer, skillsaw, square, tape measure, and pencil are the tools I spend 95% of my time using as a carpenter. The other 5% are when I need to assemble quickly or make specialized cuts/measurements. And really, the other 5% make things a lot easier but aren't needed at all. Don't waste money buying something fancy. If you have questions post em here.

But, if you've got it no reason not to use it.

Eliot Augusto wrote: I love a chop saw(miter). But when it comes to building apartment room sized woodies, all you need is a skill saw, a tape measure, a pencil and a speed square. When you start cutting trim, furniture, and cabinets is when you need a chop saw and table saw. TO OP: A hammer, skillsaw, square, tape measure, and pencil are the tools I spend 95% of my time using as a carpenter. The other 5% are when I need to assemble quickly or make specialized cuts/measurements. And really, the other 5% make things a lot easier but aren't needed at all. Don't waste money buying something fancy. If you have questions post em here. But, if you've got it no reason not to use it.

How much heavier is medium density fiberboard compared to plywood? Is it okay to use MDF instead of plywood? My first board that I've built is 6' x 4' made of 3/4" MDF and the frame is made of 2" x 4". My dad decided to get MDF because it was cheaper. It will be elevated 4' off the ground similar to [this]( rockclimberstrainingmanual.…).

Here is a [picture]( i.imgur.com/JFhUreS.jpg). The first row is my completed board. (I still need to put the A-truss support on). The second row is a frame of the next campus board(s) I want to build. Instead of a 6' x 4, I'll build three 6' x 1.33', so it's not as bulky as the 6' x 4' and it's easier to lift up. Or should I just keep it a solid 6' x 4'? The third row is the A-truss design I want to use with 6 support legs instead of the typical four.

My dad says the second design might sway because it's too narrow. Is that true? Is it okay to use 1/2" plywood instead of 3/4"? The bolts and nails that come with the sloper dome and campus rungs I've bought are 3/4" inch. How do I measure and cut the support legs and base so the board will have a 15 degree overhang? How long should both of the A-truss legs be? I know I could get the speed square, but I'm just really unsure and not confident enough to do it. Sorry.

1st row - current campus board 2nd row - design for next campus board 3rd row - A-truss leg support

PlanchePRO wrote: How much heavier is medium density fiberboard compared to plywood? Is it okay to use MDF instead of plywood? My first board that I've built is 6' x 4' made of 3/4" MDF and the frame is made of 2" x 4". My dad decided to get MDF because it was cheaper. It will be elevated 4' off the ground similar to [this]( rockclimberstrainingmanual.…). Here is a [picture]( i.imgur.com/JFhUreS.jpg). The first row is my completed board. (I still need to put the A-truss support on). The second row is a frame of the next campus board(s) I want to build. Instead of a 6' x 4, I'll build three 6' x 1.33', so it's not as bulky as the 6' x 4' and it's easier to lift up. Or should I just keep it a solid 6' x 4'? The third row is the A-truss design I want to use with 6 support legs instead of the typical four. My dad says the second design might sway because it's too narrow. Is that true? Is it okay to use 1/2" plywood instead of 3/4"? The bolts and nails that come with the sloper dome and campus rungs I've bought are 3/4" inch. How do I measure and cut the support legs and base so the board will have a 15 degree overhang? How long should both of the A-truss legs be? I know I could get the speed square, but I'm just really unsure and not confident enough to do it. Sorry.

MDF is basically glorified particle board. It's cheaper and lighter than plywood. I personally wouldn't use MDF over plywood. OSB is on the border. When you're climbing an overhanging wall it isn't unreasonable to have all of your weight pulling down on a single hold. Your tee nuts / screws are only going to have about 1/4" of contact surface at most on the side of the board that doesn't have any holds. It might not happen this week or next month, but eventually you will pull your fastener out of MDF. OSB is similar, but it uses small wood chips so its better than MDF, but not as good as plywood. Use OSB if you can't get plywood.

"Instead of a 6' x 4, I'll build three 6' x 1.33', so it's not as bulky as the 6' x 4' and it's easier to lift up. Or should I just keep it a solid 6' x 4'?"

I would keep it one piece. You're going to be throwing your body weight around on it in some fashion or another. You need it to be sturdy and not fall over or sway too much while you're working on on a set. If you're concerned about the ability to move it, fasten your boards together with 3 - 1/8" SDS screws. You can reassemble at your next location. But the heavier your woody is, the less it should sway.

My dad says the second design might sway because it's too narrow. Is that true? Is it okay to use 1/2" plywood instead of 3/4"?

Narrow designs will sway more. I can't tell you based on what I see and what you've told me if it will sway. But the lighter the woody, it will sway. You can use 1/2" plywood, if its actual plywood. It will flex and be less rigid than 3/4". If you use 1/2", you will want to add more support on the frame. Top row, right most picture is what I mean. If your frame for any reason tilts climbers left/right then there is nothing stopping it from falling all the way over, I would put a horizontal brace in there. The would be the smallest change with the greatest impact on the integrity of your design.

How do I measure and cut the support legs and base so the board will have a 15 degree overhang? How long should both of the A-truss legs be? I know I could get the speed square, but I'm just really unsure and not confident enough to do it. Sorry.

You will have to get somebody to do it for you then. You will only get angled cuts done properly if you use a protractor with a table or circular saw, OR a miter saw.

Using a speed square is simple. You place the square on the long side of the board. Tilt it on the pivot point until the side of the 2x4 lines up with the 15deg mark. Scribe your cut line. I have faith that you can learn how to use it in less than an hour or two. If you're really wanting to, go to a residential construction site where you see carpentry work going on. Tell one of the guys there you need to learn how to use it for a school project. You'll learn in less time than it took you to find a construction site.

if you are going to spend the time, effort, and money - use 3/4" plywood.

What do you guys think if I just used 10' x 4' plywood? Would it more stable since the plywood would be on the ground? Would my knees catch the wood on the way up?

I agree with Slim, I have worked quite a lot with both MDF and ply and for anything structural would go with ply. MDF is inferior structurally, was designed for furniture and cabinettry, not as a structural building material, is significantly heavier than ply, and the dust when cutting/working is truly horrible! You should wear a dust mask for cutting anything. but MDF is really atrocious!

diffen.com/difference/MDF_v…
comptonlbr.com/weight-sheet…

mountainhick wrote:I agree with Slim, I have worked quite a lot with both MDF and ply and for anything structural would go with ply. MDF is inferior structurally, was designed for furniture and cabinettry, not as a structural building material, is significantly heavier than ply, and the dust when cutting/working is truly horrible! You should wear a dust mask for cutting anything. but MDF is really atrocious! diffen.com/difference/MDF_v… comptonlbr.com/weight-sheet…

I got it cut at Home Depot. I have a stationary miter saw that only cuts planks. We decided to just scrap the board and get plywood instead. Lesson learned. Anyway, for the freestanding campus board, should I a 10' x 4' so the plywood will be on the floor, or a 6' x 4' so it's elevated off the ground?