Best way to support

[cookedbananas]

whats the best way to support a freestanding ladderbridge? Its not gonna be touching any trees. is the a-frame way best? please help guys

[cookedbananas]

can any one help?

[well ridden]

a-frame, T- frame, and after that little supports all along it

[synchro]

1. Dig holes about 3ft deep.
2. Insert cedar posts to support ladder into holes.
3. Fill in around the base of the post with rocks and gold dirt.
4. Put cross braces between posts.
5. Put large rungs between posts to supprt ladder
6. Attach ladder
7. Ride.
8. Drink beer, stand back and marvel at your creation.

[Ewan]

Don't dig your posts into the ground it will cause them to rot faster. Use an a frame consisting of a large base two supports to a cross peice at the top and then a diagonal cross peice from one corner on the bottom to the opposite one on the top. Then put diagonal cross peices to each of your stringers. You get bomb proof structures that won't rot out this way.

[synchro]

Originally posted by Ewan
Don't dig your posts into the ground it will cause them to rot faster. Use an a frame consisting of a large base two supports to a cross peice at the top and then a diagonal cross peice from one corner on the bottom to the opposite one on the top. Then put diagonal cross peices to each of your stringers. You get bomb proof structures that won't rot out this way.

That's why you use cedar posts. There are cedar post/logs in the ground on Seymour that have been there for 50yrs and are still intact. Structures that move will fall apart faster from all the twisting and turning forces. Look at all the best building on the Shore of large structures and you will see cedar posts in the ground. As long as they are buried in gold (mineral) dirt the posts won't rot. They will only rot if covered with organic material (black/brown dirt).



Even non-cedar posts will last a while as long as they are not covered with organic material. It is the organic dirt that causes wood to rot fast. Gold is gold!

[wilkez]

ya you have to dig holes into the ground for them to be stable. synchro knows whats up, and thats the method nigel and i used for the bridges we have made. dig the poles down and surround with big heavy ass rock. once that's done, make an X shape with thinner logs between the 2 supports...that gives it side to side support as well.

[Niggz]

synchro,

you get an A for effort in drawing!

[Ewan]

You have to dig holes for them to be stable? Um I don't want to sound like a dick but have you ever ridden any stunts at the woodlot, not a single post was buried and everything is rock solid. Theres different ways to do everything well, it all depends on how and what you want to do.

[LeeLau]

Originally posted by Ewan
You have to dig holes for them to be stable? Um I don't want to sound like a dick but have you ever ridden any stunts at the woodlot, not a single post was buried and everything is rock solid. Theres different ways to do everything well, it all depends on how and what you want to do.

I thought the big bridge in Gold was dug in? I know that bill had to dig in some supports for the Karpentar corkscrew. I do think the woodlot is the exception in that the building there is phenomenal

[cookedbananas]

what kind of tool should i use to split small logs for planks to go on the ladder bridge? a heavy duty chisel? a hatchet?

[Niggz]

plastic wood spliters. the short thick ones, not the long thin ones. they sell them at your local Cambodian Tire. get two or three and line them up end to end on your large piece of wood (think spliting logs up for firewood) and bang away with your hammer. nice perfectly flat rungs everytime.

[cookedbananas]

thanks

[synchro]

Originally posted by Ewan
You have to dig holes for them to be stable? Um I don't want to sound like a dick but have you ever ridden any stunts at the woodlot, not a single post was buried and everything is rock solid. Theres different ways to do everything well, it all depends on how and what you want to do.

I'm not a Woodlot expert, but I can think of a few stunts off hand where the support posts are dug into the ground. They are all high structures too. Maybe that's one thing we should have made clear, that for taller structures (I'd say anything over 3ft) it is best to dig in your posts. If there is any movement in the structure, the nails will work their way lose from the twisting and things will start to come apart.

Personally, I almost always dig in my support posts unless there is some sort of natural brace I can use. If you build a kicker ramp between two trees for example, you can lay a log on the ground that rests against the base of the trees to keep the ramp from moving forward. In a way this is still like using dug in posts though as the trees are in the ground.

I do agree with you that there is more than one way to do things right. I just know that most quality builders will go with posts dug into the ground instead of sitting on top. The one important thing to remember is that if you do not dig in your posts make sure you dig down to solid ground for you structure to rest on. Do not place the support posts directly on the top layer of dirt/soil.

Cheers and happy building!

[Jaysin]

This is how we built ours up....Lots of support!!!