Climbing Wall Help

So I am helping a school with route setting. The wall is bolted to the gymnasium wall. Several of the t-nuts have popped out as I was installing holds. I am unable to remove the hold as the bolt and t-nut just spin.

There is no access to the back of the wall without taking a bunch of screws out and pulling the entire wooden panel off.

Any ideas on how to get the t-nut to grab so I can install or remove the holds? I tried leverage it with a screw driver, but it seems you need something more robust to set the t-nut again.

Thanks

highly unlikely you will be able to rest the t-nut well. A crowbar can leverage enough hold the nut in place while you unscrew. You could also just hacksaw the bolt if need be.

Ditto. They should have been sure to glue the t-nuts down on the back side since there was no access. Be prepared to use alot of screw on holds wherever they need to cover up empty space or blown nuts.(ouch!)

I can't help you get them off, but when it comes time to put the holds back maybe you could use zip-toggles from the front of the wall? If you've never used them, you drill an oversized hole, use the plastic thingies to fish the toggle in there, then slide a plastic retainer up to the wall. Snap off the zips and the retainer and the toggle stay in place permanently. Good for 1700 lbs and kind of a quick fix, but it would probably work.

The most efficient ways to save your hold would be to:
- (As rock_fencer stated) Use a hacksaw if the bolt is visible between the hold and the front- side of the wall.

- You will need to re-install a T-nut anyways, so take off the necessary panels to access the back of the wall and with big channel locks/vice grips have one person twisting the bolt and one holding the T-nut. This will actually rip the T-nut in half witch will release the hold from the wall. Then hacksaw/grind the bolt off of the hold.

- (As Woodchuck ATC stated) If you can, depending on how many T-nuts there are, you will save A LOT of time in the long run if you take out each T-nut in the back and then dab some liquid nails in between each nut and the wood and then re-install them.

- A tip with new walls, during the first time you place a hold on a new T-nut you will want to slowly tighten the T-nut into the wall, this will give it a more "permanent placement". If you will.

Climb on!

"If the answer was 13 RURPS and a Bat Hook, what was the question?"

My glue in method is Over the edges of the t-nut to seal it flat to the back of wood. When I glued in the hole, it just jammed up in the threads of the t-nut too often, so I did the outer glue job instead. Keeps them from spinning or being pushed out the back side.

screw ons work fine to cover up a hole. If you don't want to give away a good hold, just rotate to worst position so it's only a foot hold at best. At least covers the hole.

Thanks for all the help.

What do you use to glue on holds to wood? Liquid nails?

thanks