|
ajkclay
Mar 11, 2003, 12:05 PM
Post #1 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 9, 2002
Posts: 1567
|
Hi folks, I think I read somewhere here of someone making holds for their home wall from real rocks.
This sounds too good to be true. Has anyone out there done it, and if so how. If not does anyone have any thoughts or advice?
Will a standard masonry drill go through quartzite, or will I be just making a lot of blunt drill bits?
Any of you DIYers out there got some hints?
Thanx
Adam :)
|
|
|
|
|
john1987
Mar 11, 2003, 12:13 PM
Post #2 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 27, 2002
Posts: 613
|
Lots of people do it. I forget what kind of drill bit though. They are cheap to make but they are not the best on your hands and are not exactly "tendon freindly"
|
|
|
|
|
full-time-climb
Deleted
Mar 11, 2003, 12:19 PM
Post #3 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered:
Posts:
|
I have considered doing this with real rock. In my area we have gniess. It would seem simple enough. Any impact rock drill would work. One thing I thought would be helpful would be to add a small flat base of epoxy to each rock so that it would have a better contact surface with the wood.
Let me know if you try it.
ps: A gym I used to climb in used to have a few granite holds that someone had drilled.
John
|
|
|
|
|
clymberboy
Mar 11, 2003, 12:55 PM
Post #4 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 15, 2001
Posts: 136
|
rather than limiting yourself to your area's indigenious rock & your own masonry skills, check out http://users.penn.com/~petro/.
i've climbed on a wall with nothing but these holds. it was great. true, its a bit harder on your hands but its just one step closer to the real thing!
|
|
|
|
|
neadamthal
Mar 11, 2003, 12:59 PM
Post #5 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 2, 2002
Posts: 245
|
i think natural rock holds are the bomb!
an idea a buddy of mine and i had (but have yet to pursue) was to get in contact with a gravestone maker and see if we could get their waste. when they cut headstones they must end up with lots of small pieces of granite (or whatever rock) with flat backs (cause they use a masonry saw) that would be perfect for sitting flush against a woodie.
if anyone follows this up could you let me know how you made out?
|
|
|
|
|
john1987
Mar 11, 2003, 1:49 PM
Post #6 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 27, 2002
Posts: 613
|
I went to http://users.penn.com/~petro/. Why is it that they want more for the granite holds then for the sandstone ones? The sandstone holds seemed friendlier on the hands and looked a lot better. I am confuesed
|
|
|
|
|
clymberboy
Mar 11, 2003, 2:13 PM
Post #7 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 15, 2001
Posts: 136
|
i think granite is just a more precious stone & probably a more expensive rock to quarry. ever seen how expensive granite counter tops are?!?!?
scavenging for scraps sounds like a good idea if you're up to making your own. i have a friend working in the granite counter top business. yeah, they do end up discarding a lot of cuttings. the flat back would be ideal, but i would guess that +95% of the stone would be flat on both sides (how many countertops/gravestones have you seen with pockets or slopers?).
|
|
|
|
|
bakedjake
Mar 11, 2003, 2:20 PM
Post #8 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 24, 2003
Posts: 3755
|
Granite is much harder and more difficult to machine than sandstone.
|
|
|
|
|
olympicmtnboy
Mar 22, 2003, 8:59 PM
Post #9 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 4, 2003
Posts: 270
|
I have actually made several holds out of natural rock for my home gym. First you need to find some good rocks. I live near a beach so I just went down and looked for neat rocks that were flat on one side. They were a bit weathered by the waves and I found some cool shaped, mostly slopers, little ledges, etc. If you have access to a masonry saw you can cut a flat adge onto your rock, but it was easier just to look for flat sides, if it's not perfectly flat, so what. Wash them to get ride of any sand or dirt or salt.
Drilling them is pretty simple, but you have to find a drill press somewhere. You can buy a masonry drill bit at most any hardware store and they work fine. Just like when cutting masonry you need to keep a stream of water going onto the rock when you drill or it will heat up and ruin your bit. I just set my rock on a pice of wood in a tupperware dish and poured water on it with a plant watering pitcher (it helps to have a friend pour while you drill). Drill once hole all the way through the hold, from the top of the hold towards the flat side in case it chips a bit coming out. This hole should be the same diameter as your bolt. Then drill a second hole big enough for the head of the bolt so that it's inset just like your plastic holds.
That's it, you're done. It took only a few minutes to make a bunch of holds, and they work great. Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
koko
Apr 11, 2003, 3:57 PM
Post #10 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 139
|
i have used limestone to make holds for my wall and it is fairly easy to drill through with a masonry bit and a hammer drill (compared to granite). generally I go to the creek beds and look for rocks with flat sides etc. if they are not entirely flat you can use some sort of filler to flatten the back. I will try plaster but i dont know if it will crack or not.
|
|
|
|
|
roughster
Apr 11, 2003, 4:04 PM
Post #11 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 3, 2002
Posts: 4003
|
I have natural rock holds from these cliffs:
Tahquitz and Suicide: Granite
Red Rocks: Sandstone
Jacks Canyon: Limestone/Sandstone mix
Jackson Falls: Sandstone
Rifle: Limestone
Sinks Canyon: Limestone
Charleston: Limestone
Boxsprings: Quartz Monzonite
The hardest to drill was BoxSprings with the easiest being Jacks Canyon. I would say if your just starting, try sandstone, it is easier on the bits and goes pretty fast.
|
|
|
|
|
mike_ok
Apr 11, 2003, 4:14 PM
Post #12 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 21, 2003
Posts: 345
|
There is a climbing area near where I live built out of real rock epoxyed(sp?) to the pillars of a bridge... the climbs are about 20ft high (you run out of pillar...). Anyway, the guy(s) who built it didn't use drills at all, just a super strong epoxy (but they were gluing to concrete, etc).
The place is a blast, but oh so dang hard. I'd say the easy stuff is at 5.10 and it goes up from there, quick.
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Apr 11, 2003, 4:36 PM
Post #13 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
here is some old school tips for glue ups
use river polished rocks: totally skin friendly
there is a two part epoxy that they use to glue the dots on a freeway, 30 bucks for two gallons
you can stack rocks to make any type of hold you want
if glueing to concrete, chip off the surface layer: bonds better and much stronger
to glue to a horizontal roof use 1/8 threaded rod, one inch long and peen the sides of the rod flat, predrill the rock and the concrete, the peening makes the rod oversized and will lock it into the rock and the concrete, then back it up with duct tape
we glued close to 500 pounds of rock on a 140 ft horizontal roof one time.
it even had a no hands double kneebar rest in the middle.
|
|
|
|
|
merlin
Apr 11, 2003, 6:17 PM
Post #14 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 5, 2002
Posts: 315
|
umm... u can use that car body filler. bog or something??? to glue and also if u want u mix it with stuff to make holds... but that stuff they use for the things on roads works aswell... and i had this thought the other day when i was crossing the train tracks... i saw all these bluestone rocks not really doing anything... and take one every couple of meters and u have pretty easy rocks... dont know about drillin em tho. if anyone tries with them, can u PM me with how it goes? im considering it for a concrete wall down the street
|
|
|
|
|
greatgarbanzo
Apr 11, 2003, 6:31 PM
Post #15 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 13, 2001
Posts: 360
|
As long as is not making holds ON rocks... you got my aproval.
|
|
|
|
|
rocknut1
Apr 14, 2003, 3:08 PM
Post #16 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 17, 2003
Posts: 99
|
I have approx. 300 holds in my bouldering room and half are real rock. I live in Southeast Wisconsin and we have limestone boulders that when split have a flat side and drill so easy. Its so easy so cheap and feel so much better than commercial holds. Go to your local fastenal store buy some bulk hex head bolts ( 25 for 8 bucks) and your good to go.
|
|
|
|
|
flyinghatchet
Apr 21, 2003, 12:21 AM
Post #17 of 17
(3281 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 24, 2002
Posts: 742
|
Wait. Please tell me if I'm understanding this thread: You're taking rock off of already climbable rock to make holds for your woody? If that is what you're talking about, that's extremely stupid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
