Making climbing holds

    There are different types of holds: wood holds, stone holds, plastic holds... Each one has its good side and bad side. Those made with wood are easy to make only if you have the right tools. The plastic holds (made of resin) are the best to obtain the desired shape, but are not easy to make because using the materials can be difficult. If you want easy holds just for vertical walls, you can find some stones on the ground that you can turn easily into holds, and to do so you'll only need a drill. I will try to explain these processes better.

    Plastic holds

    First of all, you have to find the materials which you´re going to use. Maybe you'll be able to find them at a local hardware store. The materials needed are the following:

    • Epoxy resin: The basic component (the plastic).
    • Catalyst: A substance added to the resin to initiate polymerization (To make it dry).
    • Sillic sand: It's used to economize resin, to make the hold stronger and to create the texture.
    • Fiberglass: Makes the hold stronger, and more difficult to break.
    • Latex or silicon: Used to make the mold.

    (Note: I don´t know the exact cost of these materials, but it won't be more than 2 dlls. per hold.)

    Making a prototype

    If you want to make a mold, you need to make a prototype. It can be made from wood, clay, plasticine, plaster, or any similar material. Basically anything that you can give a shape to. (see image).

    First, think of how you want the hold to be: big, small, with big holes? Then try to make it look like the desired hold. After the shape is ready, create the texture you want for the hold. If you are using plasticine just get a toothbrush and start picking away at your hold (see image).

    Making the mold

    This part is easy but it will take a while. Just get the prototype and paint it with latex, or add some silicon and cover the hold, making sure there aren't any air bubbles. it will take some time before it dries, but it will.

    Use about 5-8 coatings of latex, and if you want to, you can add a coating of gauze with latex to make the mold a little stronger (see image). Add a line of latex around the hold too (in the board), since it will help later, while you´re making the actual hold (see image).

    If you buy a can with 1 liter of latex you can make 20 molds or more!

    I recommend making a contramold with plaster (see image), it could be very helpful.

    Making the hold

    First, you have to know how much resin and sand you´re going to use. To do this follow these steps:

    1. Get the mold and fill it with sillic sand
    2. Add water to the top
    3. Empty the water into a receptacle
    4. Put the sand into another receptacle and let it dry

    Mark the receptacle at the top line of water and fill it with resin (after emptying it out of water); add about 10% more just in case. Add 2% of catalyst to the resin (that could, however, depend on the formula that you buy) and mix it in for about 30 seconds. Add the sillic sand slowly, and if you want to, the fiberglass. Start to mix it all but don´t leave any air bubbles there (try your best)! Finally, you can fill the mold with the mixture. Remember to make the contramold. Another way is to simply put the mold into a bottle of sand to maintain the shape.

    After the hold is dry, drill into the center of the hold, where you think it's stronger. You can do this while the hold is drying by putting a tube in the center of the hold, then taking it out when the hold is almost dry. If you didn´t get the texture you initially wanted, don't worry. Paint the hold with resin (prepared with only the catalyst), and sprinkle it with a little sillic sand; then let it dry (see image).

    Here´s another way to make holds without the mold. When doing this you should use latex gloves.

    Mix all the ingredients and add fiberglass; then empty the mixture on a newspaper or something similar. Start forming the shape, but don`t let it collapse, keep shaping ther mixture until it dries (see image). Finally, do the texture part, and then make the hole.

    Wood holds

    I found it easy to make these ones. That's because my dad has a litle workshop in my house that has all kinds of machines.

    Try to get the hardest piece of wood you can find and cut it into small pieces(cubes). Once you have around 5 or 10 of them, start shaping them, but make sure not to do it with sandpaper, or it will take you years!

    So then you'll have the holds (little ones), but you will still have to protect them from water. Try to get the appropriate materials at Home Depot, they have all kinds of varnishes in jumbo size containers! If you only made a few holds though, try getting the varnish at a local hardware store.

    (see image)

    Stone holds

    This one is obvious. Find stones (I swear to you it shouldn't be hard to find the right ones) of the size, color and shape you want, and then drill a hole in their centers.

    (see image)

    This page was created by Jorge A. Lozano: al589360@campus.cegs.itesm.mx