Hey Bob, how about a rope Bridge. The columns would be separate from both structures, so you can make sure it's secure, then lay the deck attached by rope on it. It sounds very challenging but at the end it's a basic statics problem. A big downside is the loss of one of the 4 walls functionality.

@I Like To Make Stuff What about a Monkey Bar and a rope with knots so that they stretch across or climb above to get onto the platform or Monkey Bar with a half ladder in between the Monkey Bar so that they can climb up onto the platform easier Or even both iterations, this and the rope bridge from TheLopez2617

I was about to suggest a suspension bridge myself. Maybe a chain bridge if you're worried about rope degrading over time

I was thinking this too. The kind that spans the chasm of some river in the jungle.

Totally! I was watching this on TV and picked up my phone afterwards just to say rope bridge in the comments.

SO cool! Did I miss the part where there's a finish put on the structure? Won't the exposed plywood get pretty damaged with a lot of rain? Or would it just be cosmetic?

I had a thought from the start, I'd use the inside as a place to store my extra holds, making sure to keep them from getting wet. Means, as you find more interesting holds, you can keep them all together in one place and reset the climbs with all the major components nearby

Next on "I Like To Make Stuff" , Building a first aid station at the Farm. 😀 In all seriousness I would definitely put something soft (sand/mulch) around the climbing wall, it may not be that high but even a 6 inch drop can bugger up an ankle pretty good.

Hopefully he has some mobile crash pads he can bring out there.

@TactileLoki1302 If you think packed dirt is soft you apparently never landed on your ass after slipping off a swing or hitting the end result of a slide, I'd much rather land in mulch.

@TactileLoki1302 mulch is still better than rose and berry bushes.

If you think mulch is soft you obviously never played on a playground with mulch

I was going to say. “I hope your home owners insurance is paid up”

You could make a cool draw bridge that moves and is attached to the tree house, a rope bridge, or install rope netting, almost like a hammock, that way it could be a cool place to lie out and chill. Great job on this! I totally would hang out inside the climbing wall!

Awesome, love rock climbing! Should probably have some fall mats just in case maybe? For another project, you should make your own disc golf baskets, and setup a small course on your farm property! Looks like a good amount of space for it.

Bob already has. Just search up disc golf on his channel.

I definitely need to build one of these, if for no other reason than making it NOT perfect is totally acceptable, and actually almost preferred! 🤣

If you want to use metal for the core and you need suggestions feel free to as me. I build one a year ago and it's super fun. (8m² on the outside, attached to house walls)

Just got to be sure it's still stable. 🤣

Even though 2 feet is deep enough for the frost line, but also the height and weight of the structure may impact how deep the structure/footings should be. In an area where there are nasty winds, it may need deeper footings to keep it from becoming a sail.

@projekt6 "outriggers" might be a hazard for a climbing wall. You wouldn't want anything that someone could fall on.

Could always build some “outriggers” that tie to deeper anchors if it ever becomes an issue.

@David Lee Kersey good to know

The standard rule I learned was a third of your height above ground should be how far you go into the ground so for a 10 foot tall structure you should be 3.3 feet in the ground.

@I Like To Make Stuff I thought about that, but just wanted to mention it. Our area doesn't have many trees and we have had several days just this year where there have been sustained winds 60+ MPH, so I am thinking about that.

Great work, looks amazing. Maybe you could connect the two builds with a rope bridge with wooden steps.

That's the plan!

to prevent that sag, you could also connect a 2x4 down on the inside to the center where the sag is. I think your 2x6 or 2x8 you are using can sure up that load.

Love this! The farm seems like it's getting more fun with every video. An idea for how to connect them would be a legit Indiana Jones style rope and slat bridge. Even a rope balance bridge (three strands) would be fun too!

In our industry we add 1/2" screws to each t-nut to keep them from rotating in the future. Might be a good idea what with it being outside. Looks great!

Awesome! Definitely need some kind of fall protection though. Given its outside, matts might get ruined so instead maybe some of that pine bark they have around the swings at playgrounds, or something similar (there are some with rubber too I think). Would hate to see someone slip and fall near the top and hit the hard ground.

Looks amazing! I want to build something like this in my basement at some point.

I also love the idea of a rope bridge to connect the two. Simple and fun

I really like your work on this climbing wall. I would consider making an entry hatch at one side, if you ever need to go inside the tower. So you don't have to unscrew a whole panel in a couple of years. Btw. I've seen you signing the Crimson Guitar build on the Makers Central!

Great work! I've been planning a indoor wall for some time, so I'll look out for that Metolius book. A few questions: is the foam method cheaper or faster for the footings? Because it seems like ready mix concrete bags would be a surer bet for now much money. Are you considering painting and texturing the wall like they have in climbing gyms?

Fantastic work, Bob! 😃 It's going to be a pretty fun place there!!! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

The inside would make a great fort! And you can use craft paper and a staple gun to make quick templates for the plywood.

Thats a perfect spot for a rope and plank bridge! Excellent skills to learn plus it looks super dope!

Great job on the climbing wall Bob! maybe you could connect the to buildings together with a rope bridge or something that you could climb threw to get to the other side :) anyways Thanks for sharing the video with us!👍💖😎JP

Cool build, Bob! Suggestion for the future - Instead of a concrete block (which will eventually sink into the ground) to shore up the middle of the sagging framing, a 2x6 or 2x8 screwed into the side of the bottom plate should provide plenty of resistance to deflection... Think deck joist... To be fair - the plywood sheathing may be enough shear resistance to keep things from sagging too.

Pretty cool climbing wall. I built one in my garage years ago to help train during the off season. One trick I did was to use liquid nails on the back of the t-nuts to make sure they didn't pop out the back and fall back behind the wall. Saved me from having to pull a whole panel down to retrieve a loose t-nut. Thanks for sharing 👍

I like using the Tnut with a flange with screw holes in them, Lowe’s has zinc coated ones but some online places have the stainless version for a few cents more. Way easier install, and I use them in other woodworking projects as well. Now you need to build a crack out of bondo, we did that years ago on a 2x12 I think about 12’ long. Forget how many gallons of bondo went into it with an aluminum foil base to take up some room and get a rough structure going. We put it on a 7’ tall fence and had the bottom start at about 3’ off the ground, we quickly got in trouble at the camp and had to move it to a less seen area. With the price of plywood right now, the climbing holds might be the cheapest part of a climbing wall LOL.

This seems awesome. I wish I could make one and make it look like a castle gate. Some nice overhang options and would look awesome

i second the rope bridge idea! do you think you're gonna expand the play structure any more than that?

Connect them with a rope bridge! I’m making my son a tree house and would love to see how you guys would do it.

looks great, love to have one. you should do a single line rope bridge with guides.

Hey Bob, how about connecting the two platforms via a metal chain bridge with rope rails and possible wooden runner beam at base? Would be good to see mix of metal work, woodwork and then work with creating rope handrails

That looks awesome! What about finishing? Is the wood weather proof?

You may want to check what your t-nuts and bolts are made of. I built a similar climbing wall 2 years ago and all of the handhold bolts and t-nuts are rusting. The ones I used looked the same as yours and they came in a kit that was meant for outdoor use. If I could go back I would have either used something different or I would have sprayed the hardware with something while I was installing it.

That wall is awesome!!! You should connect the platform with a rope bridge 😁

Rope bridge would be awesome to connect the 2 structures.... or rope with wooden slats to walk on

Very cool project, those triangle tapers came out really nice. Also the top of that seems like a great spot to put a nerf gun turret. Actually that whole yard seems like an epic nerf war waiting to happen!

You're lucky to be able to build something like that the raw way. Where I live, that would be taken apart by wind, weather and thermites in about 12 months.

That's a shame.

As an idea for connecting the tower, personally I think it'd be a shame to totally use the climbing part of one of the sides, so what about a small drawbridge that's pulled up via the treehouse? Or perhaps a wooden bridge with a trapdoor at the end, above the climbing wall, that someone could go up through if they climb up that side.

about that connection: either a rope bridge as already suggested or an overhanging climbing section with some kind of bridge on top. With that section, you'd have a rather difficult climbing section and an easy way to get over from the plattform.

Your connection between structures absolutely needs to be a rope bridge. I would think something like a V-bridge would be ideal, the kind that has a single rope on the base and ropes with guides to either side so when you look at it head on it has a V shape.

You could put in a second zipline to tie them together- it wouldn't interfere with the climbing wall and would be pretty fun in it's own right. That's about the only fun idea I have aside form everyone else with the rope bridge suggestion.

While watching, I had a cute little jumping spider crawl across the corner of my screen and thought, "oh cute". 20 seconds later, Bob had a whole bunch of larger spiders on my screen and made me question what I was really seeing. Great project! You should make a rope bridge with wooden slats to connect the two sections.

Connect them with a rope bridge! It's a unique project and will be interesting to see you figure it out.

You could put the platforms together with a type of bridge (like a swaying bridge) for fun and/or a tunnel of sorts

To connect the climbing tower to the zip line platform you could make a chain Bridge. I had one on my fort growing up. My dad used four chains and bolted 2x4s for the walkway to two of the bottom ones and the top were the rails.

Hay Bob… looks awesome.. the connections got to be a rope bridge surely 👍🏻 Keep up the good work 😊

Do you need to treat the plywood in any way to weather proof it? I'd suggest a rope bridge (probably a three rope bridge) between the two platforms.

Hey Bob! You should use a robe bridge or monkey bars to connect both structures :)

Could you please do a bits video on the different kinds of screws for an application like this? I've heard of drywall and decking screws before, but I'm not sure what you mean when you say "structural screws". It'd be nice to have some guidance on how to differentiate between them all when I'm planning out a project and going to the store to purchase them.

Hi Bob, I'd like to see the process of augering the holes. How do you get 4 holes that are all square toeach other?

You definitely need to do some kind of monkey bridge between the two platforms. I mean... what else should you do? Oh and by the way once it's all done I hope it ends up kinda looking like a version of a Ewok village because that would just be perfect :)

As someone who used to build outdoor climbing structures professionally your top plywood edges are going to soak up rain/snow and will delaminate the plywood within probably 3 years if you don’t seal it really well. It can be really hard to seal the edges of that cheaper plywood because of the gaps. But you definitely need to put something on it to protect it from water.

The rope bridges seen on a lot of playgrounds would probably be the best... or if you wanted something different, maybe a "tightrope" with rails across.

For the connection. You should do an arch bridge with stationary or swinging monkey bars underneath.

You could have a drone shadow you during one of your favorite climbs, then recreate it with a 3D printer, then use that as your model. Idk. Reminded me of how they recreate room layouts to run through for tactical training. Simulate floor plans, simulate rock faces

This is SO incredibly awesome.

Thanks!

You probably want to drill a hole in each of the bolt holds and add a screw to stop them from spinning, especially on an outdoor wall that will expand and contract with the weather. The holds will start to spin eventually and someone will likely get dumped on their head.

Perfect spot for a rope bridge. Do one like the ones that always fall in the movies but of course make one that doesn’t fall.

Nice build! To connect the climbing wall to the tree house: - A draw bridge, hinged on the treehouse side (with rope rails)...so all four sides of the climbing wall can be used. - Simple bridge with safety hand rails, that can continue on top of the climbing wall. - An Arch Bridge, it make it interesting, no need for bottom supports (top supports can act as a safety rail). This may be overkill and considering safety reasons, "better safe than sorry". You can't be too careful and this is also a permanent structure. I would construct it all with structural screws, to be safe as possible. If you worry about the cost, use a mix for structural screws and decking/framing screws, for each piece or sections. That a decent height, what the safety precautions? Will there be crash mat at the bottom? Safety lines? Accidents will inevitable happen. Do you have to seal it with some coating to make it weather, mould, and rot resistance/proof? Another suggestion, you can make a access hidden door and you could use the inside to store stuff inside. Make anchor points...in event of strong gust of winds it can be connect by a chain.

how long do you expect the plywood to last outside in the elements?

I would add an easy exit path to the middle, through the inside of the box: via a fireman's pole :)

If it looks straight, it is straight! 😜. Great project, Bob!

Connecting those two with a classic rope bridge would be really cool. Like the one from Indiana Jones Temple of Doom, only yours won’t fail… lol

Interesting project Bob, who is your minion? In the past when using T-nuts we created a jig that layer flat on the outer surface, insert a linguist bolt into the hole , finger tighten the bolt and use a ratchet or nut driver to pull or snug up the T-bolt into the hole. Wishing you and your team a great week and a blessed Memorial Day holiday. Cheers

That looks dangerously awesome.

Bob, I think one of the things that's lost lately is the thought that you just have to roll with it. The idea that "well, this went wonky, so I'll just do this" is lost on a generation. Plans in CAD fed into a CNC router is not my bag. THIS is the stuff that will allow all of us to live through the zombie apocolypse. LOL. Great channel, as always.

Having seen my parents build climbing walls professionally my whole life, this video is a different kind of watch for me ^^"

the classic inside gymnasium wall is basically the same idea but with steel framing and resin and sand for a fake rock texture (they also did fiberglass structure with super fancy geometry, but that's a whole other level ^^")

19:41 how about making a jungle rope bridge.. •laying a net until shaped like a “V” •use 1 cable wire for each side at the top of that “V” shaped net •then placing a wood plank at the bottom (pointed) of “V” shaped net .. • • \ / \🧍🏻 / \ = / \ / Clue: 🧍🏻 -> person \/ -> “V” Shaped net = -> wood plank • -> Cable wire 🙂👍🏼

As long as the plywood is securely fastened to the wall frame, the wall will act like a beam. No need for center supports. Longer (over 8') walls won't work that way, because of seams in the plywood.

Deffo connect then with a rope bridge! Would look so good! You could also get a slide or fireman’s pole to come off one of them

You're going to sell this property some day and I hope the new owners will recognize it for the DIY wonderland you're creating.

My only thought for what I would do differently is to make surround on the upper deck "meet code" for deck railings. That is to say, I would bring the climbing wall sides up so the top us 30 inches above the deck floor. It's a small thing, but it's bothering my OCD to see those "low" walls...

Someone else said it but a rope bridge between the two platforms would be cool. And just a question, did you weather treat the plywood or would you be worried about the plywood in the outside elements?

Connect the two platforms with a rope bridge. You could put some two by fours on the bottom and connecting with rope then have ropes for handles.

make a walkway to the other platform and connect a triangle from the wall underneath to the side to create a fairly difficult but fun way to climb around the side of the walkway up on it. you could even add monkey bars to the underneath!

Could put a solid floor to connect the two platforms then underneath it you could have a climbing roof parallel to the floor which would add some challenging routes for training/stronger climbers. You would want to buy a bouldering pad for a roof tho as you wouldn't want to land on the floor with your back.

16:30 just pop in all the T nuts from the back, enough for the tangs to engage, them put a bolt in the front on an impact and sink it down so it pulls the nut into the wood.

Suspension bridge! Bonus points for painting it rust-colored and adding lane lines and tiny little car stickers. And Starfleet headquarters.

I connected two towers for my climber on the bottom is a swing beam and soon to be monkey bars (he has swinging ropes, rocks, etc in our basement ceiling) On the top, I am putting planking for a catwalk/bridge way to the loft of the second structure. It is still a work in progress but thanks to this video, the climbing tower is ready for an upgrade away from the straight vertical. Could you talk about the fall safety of such a structure? The searches have lead me to think it needs somewhere between grass and huge amounts of mulch with a tangent of people saying rubber padding. I can add mulch but I would like to keep things natural as much as possible and sustainable. Thanks Bob and ILTMS Team

Connect via suspension bridge. Make it less wide so on the climbing wall you can still get up either side.

Connect the platforms with a rope bridge that would be awesome

Connect the two with a rope bridge. Similar to Temple of Doom. Lol (Edit) well after scrolling a bit, it seems it is a popular idea. Lol (Edit 2) Almost forgot, as you were building it, I thought a climbing rope(s) would be an added source of fun, and secrete exercise. Maybe one with knots for added assistance or a straight rope. Or one of each off the back corners.