Platform mount - anyone interested?

[DarthPistachio]

Discouraged with my commercial platform vibrating like an olympic springboard and the general inability to get any decent platforms in the UK at reasonable prices - I've decided to make one of my own.

The unique situation I have is that my gym is in my basement - but unlike american style basements the ceilings are very low - about 6'5" unlike the rest of the house which seems to have been created for giants!

So the matter of adjustability of the platform was crucial with regards to the low ceiling height. Being a 3D modeller by trade I could easily proof the design virtually without commiting any resources and the design I have come up with is in the attached images below.

I have the materials coming to build mine and will show photos of the construction as it progresses.

I'm interested if anyone else would like one of these made in the UK (heck even europe) at a reasonable price. With minor design changes I can acommodate higher ceiling and even no adjustability at all.

Email me if anyone's interested! cheers

Fabs

[Johnny O]

Nice

Looks very promising.

[Python]

Wow that looks really good!

[dogtoke]

Very nice Darth

[Speedbag]

Very nice rendering. Looks like a really solid platform.

[DarthPistachio]

some design changes to accommodate bolting of swivel to board...

[MsDeville]

some design changes to accommodate bolting of swivel to board...

Your design looks really good. And the modification is an improvement. I like how you have brought the drum out from the wall a bit.

I was wondering if you have considered bringing the 2 overhead support extensions out beyond the middle of the platform? If you did, it would make the drum even more solid, in my opinion, and help to minimize vibration. After all, the bag strikes beyond the center of the drum, and it might make more sense to have that extra strength over the entire drum, not just to the center of it where the bag doesn't even hit. I suppose it might require enlarging that rectangular metal plate? And/or adding a metal piece to attach at the ends of those metal pieces to give it even more stability... ?




I'm curious about the center plate on the under side of the drum (see picture). If this is for the bolting of the swivel to the board... it might make more sense not to have any plating there, because the swivel can be attached with four wood screws directly into the wood just short of the thickness of the wooden drum. It doesn't require a lot of heavy-duty bolting to the board to keep a swivel and bag from coming off while punching and doing this doesn't necessarily weaken the integrity of the wood drum. This metal plate might limit your ability to easily switch out different swivels, due to the fact that the pre-drilled holes in the various swivels can vary from swivel to swivel. It could prove to become an inconvenience.

[paranday]

I'm with MsDeVille. Maybe even would go with perimeter framework for the drum, an octagon or something. And for large diameter drum models, spread the wall attachment points across 3 studs.

[Speedbag]

I'm with MsDeVille. Maybe even would go with perimeter framework for the drum, an octagon or something. And for large diameter drum models, spread the wall attachment points across 3 studs.

Personally, I like his adaption of adding 4 holes for the swivel, but unfortunately not all swivel bases align on the same holes and this can cause problems for any swivel that doesn't match his pre-drilled holes in the metal above. Perhaps very large holes would help to allow more "play adjustment" for swivels with base holes just a smidge off.

Unfortunately, I kinda disagree with Paranday on spreading the wall attachment points across three studs rather than two. This will probably be OK in a Large room or Gym or club design - but tying up that much wall space is really overkill on a normal home bedroom wall. My primefighter model 400 is that size, requireing 36 in long horizontal wood runners spanning three studs, then hanging the unit on the 32 in centers. It just takes up a massive amount of wall space, and frankly doesn't do any better than a smaller 16 inch vertical wall set up. Sure, the height adjustment is much easier, but the fact is, in a normall household with one or two baggers that pretty much use the same bags there is not a lot of constant height adjustment needed, and frankly it is easier to just raise yourself up by standing on 1-4 inch platforms than constantly adjusting the board up and down. just my opinion. When I remodel that room and fix some internal wall studs that are probably split, I would replace the 2x4 studs with 4x4's where the bag hangs for stronger speed bag support, and then go back to a set up on 16 inch centers.

[paranday]

...This will probably be OK in a Large room or Gym or club design - but tying up that much wall space is really overkill on a normal home bedroom wall....

Yeah, but you're biased, because you're from Texas, and they do everything on a smaller scale in Texas.

I was thinking 3 studs for old school platforms, they have those in Texas, don't they? I mean if you've got room for a mechanical bull, you probably want a bovine sized platform.

[Speedbag]

Yeah, but you're biased, because you're from Texas, and they do everything on a smaller scale in Texas.

I was thinking 3 studs for old school platforms, they have those in Texas, don't they? I mean if you've got room for a mechanical bull, you probably want a bovine sized platform.

Yes we have 3 studs in Texas but I'm not naming names......

Still some bars around here with Mechanical bulls too.

[DarthPistachio]

I've given a lot of thought to the swivel attachment itself - @msdeville the plate there is simply a placeholder for the time being to accommodate swivel hole dimensions on my current swivel and to ensure a more or less universal spacing between the two pieces of box section to allow placement of practically any brand of swivel base within the space allowed.

One idea I'm seriously contemplating to allow a truly universal secure fitting of various different swivel bases is shown in the first image below. A metal plate of which different ones could be made for different swivels as per owners requirements would be bolted through the board. Then all that would be required would be drilling and tapping of 4 holes that approximate to the actual swivel base to be used and held in place with smaller length studs with loctite on the threads.

BUT an even easier design would be much simpler to employ - and that would be to cut a sufficient recess with a flat end drill bit and then glue in place with sufficient adhesive a threaded insert at the appropiate places to accommodate some small grub screws for the swivel - various could be inserted by the user - using the pattern of the swivel base as a guide (see image below)

to start with though I'll probably just go with self tappers to test and if it all works I'll work on custom swivel base mounting systems later... - I've come up with a design template for a swivel and I'm just awaiting my mate to lathe me up a prototype... if I like it it will probably become the de facto fitting for me

The angle iron chosen for the prototype (metal all arrived to day) is 50mmx50mmx3mm thick which is pretty sturdy stuff - but I may still encounter issues with the heavier 80x40x3 box section which in essence is twice the weight of metal per length than the angle iron - I'll have to suck it and see how that works.

I'm aware that where the frame attaches and is clamped to the vertical wall sections may be weaker where the slot is. I have calculated sufficient dimensions to try and ensure the least structural integrity is lost though and the slot is only that long to accommodate my very personal requirements with regards to my very low ceiling where I'll be mounting it. The design takes a leaf out of the same book as other well established platforms and I'll have to see if their design choice actually bears fruition.

the handwheels I will be using use a 10mm thread and all fasteners will be that size throughout to ensure strength and sufficient clamping force. I also intend to use two 1/4 inch thick battens behind the vertical sections that attach to the wall to let me get gobs of torque applied to the four thunderbolts that will hold it all to the wall and to allow sufficient clearance on the handwheels which have a 60mmm diameter hand wheel dimension.

Remember this design is very peculiar to my ceiling requirements and my family's need for it to be adjustable - a more run of the mill version would probably not have the platform arms near the top of the mounting plates and more centralised instead.

the wood will be a sturdy industrial desktop - laminated together with glue to provide 2 inch thickness or even a 2.5 inch thick kitchen worktop offcut from the local hardware store. Coupled with Neoprene damping strips where there will be gaps left I should hopefully eliminate a great majority of any vibration issues. ~ fingers crossed.

The plate itself - I have contemplated a large circular mount plate - but this is expensive as I calculate it would need to be at least 18" diameter to provide sufficient structural reinforcement to the board with sizes upto 30 inches.(see image below)

[DarthPistachio]

just a thought based on what speedbag said - provided with enough dimensions for mounting holes on various swivel bases I'm sure an appropriate sized slot x 4 would allow accommodation of all swivels through the board and the top plate to allow bolting any swivel in position.

[DarthPistachio]

all the metals been cut dressed drilled and prepped.

Verticals are at my bros for slot milling and I finished constructing the drum today - just need to dress up the edge now.

[OldDog]

HI- Darth- have you thought of making a universal adapter that you can put on most all swivel types then quick mount to your swivel plate? I would rather have something like that than to keep screwing swivels into the drum and damaging the wood?? Just a thought