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Wooden hangboard

Original Post
natelav89 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 0

Has anyone had any experience with wooden hangboards? I'm looking at picking up the Metolius wood grips compact training board, but am wondering about whether it's of comparable quality to a board like, lets say, the Metolius project training board. Any info on the topic would be cool.. thanks

Nic Lazz · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 315

I train on wooden hangboards at least 3 times a week and I like them alot. Plastic for me wears down my hands a lot and is more grippy. Wood wears down hands but its smoother so you have to work harder to hold on. I really think its personal preference. The best wooden hangboards I have found are the Beastmakers from the dudes in England. Another company from England would be Crusher. See Stevie Haston's blog for a laugh and some awesomeness with the Crusher boards. They really have a lock down on training I think. I love my wooden hangboard and would never trade it for plastic.

And as for a "no variety of grips" I dont think that represents the Beastmaker or Crusher hangboards. Maybe I'm just dumb and new at this training thing (actually I'll just admit that I'm dumb and dont totally know whats up) but it took me 2 months to figure out all the different types of holds on the Beastmaker 2000 board! Its really designed to narrow in on the strength of each individual finger and help you progress in that.

But all in all this is for sure a matter of personal preference and I would'nt say that I'm an "only wooden hangboard or death" kinda guy. Even though I do have beastmaker tattooed on my fingers....

...let me know what you think!

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

nate, if you are serious about getting a hangboard i highly recommend the Trango Rock Prodigy Training Center (RPTC). if you do a quick search on MP, you will find a thread that has some photos/reviews that i put together. i have used a LOT of different hangboards, and this is by far the best of them.

signewt · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 0

Anyone have idea what species of wood they are using to build these boards?

I am a carpenter and want to build my own.

I plan on using a rubbed oil finish (similar to butcher block conditioner).

Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245

probably oak

Marathon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 275

make one for what your training for, or more than one. It doesn't need to be a really hard wood.

hang board, home made

Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245

Grover is that a pine board? Looks good

Marathon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 275

The board is pine and the rails I glued and screwed on are oak. I drilled all the way threw the board for the pockets and on the bottom ones I put a piece of 3/16 inch ply behind to cap them. the top pockets have a 2x6 behind them that the board is mounted to.
If you want to drill holds at a certain depth forstner bits will work.

back side

Erez L · · Washington DC · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 20

+1 on the beastmaker

Matt Stelmach · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 25
Log

Drying

Sanding

Routing

Finished

I made this out of Monteray Pine from Maui. With soft wood you can feel it flex a little. I have this mounted on one side and Plastic on the other. I typically only use the wood if I am doing transitions from side to side. I love the piece but the texture of the plastic keeps my skin strong too.
rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265
signewt wrote:Anyone have idea what species of wood they are using to build these boards? I am a carpenter and want to build my own. I plan on using a rubbed oil finish (similar to butcher block conditioner).
metolius boards are made of alder i believe. Beastmaker is tulipwood
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

The Beastmaker is the final word in wooden hangboards, n00bs.

Nic Lazz · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 315

+1 Beastmaker!

Rob WardenSpaceLizard · · las Vegans, the cosmic void · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 130

+1 for the beast maker 2000

Will Mische · · Chillicothe, IL · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 0

I like mine from oak stone holds. I only train to climb 5.12 so Im not looking for insanely difficult hangboard holds. The workmanship is ok but I really like that I can do chin ups or pullups on the lower grips. They only sell them on Amazon. oak stone hangboard

frankstoneline · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 30

Bam board is cool. Beastmaker is standard. Metolius is yet to make a training implement that can hold a candle to other boards.

Another DIY option is to make some rungs and just screw em to a plywood back board, my favorite training board was built this way. get yerself a ~3/4" rung, a 1/2" rung and a 1/4" rung and get to work.

Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

I have a Metolius wooden board (the fancier one). It's definitely a different feel to the synthetics. Kinder to the skin and requires no chalk (as I wanted one for my house, that's a big plus). It's smooth so hanging on your skin is harder than with a synthetic, from my experience. But as for which board is better, or best, etc. I don't feel qualified to say. I certainly wish I had pinches on mine, but I don't.

SICgrips · · Charlottesville · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 146
Continuum DYI wood hangboard

Instructions on how to make the Continuum Board
Yer Gonna Die · · Cragville · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 175

random board i found
fiberglass holds molded from rocks
more random wood i found for horizontal holds

hangboard

Macks Whineturd · · Squaw · Joined May 2016 · Points: 0

+1 for the metolius. Thing has been mounted under my deck for three months, and has made the three months since knee surgery much more fun. I'll probably bring it in for winter. I haven't got too serious but found a couple work outs online that are definitely more fun than sitting on the couch. Surgeon cleared me for climbing last week, so that hang board will be collecting more and more dust..

Aleks Zebastian · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 175

climbing friend,

boards of wood are fantastich. I grip hard on metolius wood board when my sexual frustration levels are high, but if possible, you shall utilize the beastmaker, for best crushing wood.

the wood it is better for your skin, and has less friction than the silly plastic, so you must hand on crushing harder, toughening yourself up to unbelievable levels of crushing max strength, deadly hammer attack crushing.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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