DIY Platform Build

[lowpolyjoe]

Hey Everybody.

I've been using an Everlast free standing heavybag/speedbag hanger for the past ~2 years. I recently reorganized my gym room to fit a bench and things got a little awkward. I took down the heavybag... I kept injuring my wrists and hands (wrapped and in gloves) so I figured I should give it up. Now I'm looking to take down the Everlast setup and build a wall-mounted platform for the speedbag. The goal was to take up less space and to produce something that was more solid than the Everlast, which seemed to shake and wobble a bit, even with a bag of cat litter on it.

This is what I'm looking to replace:

[lowpolyjoe]

I didn't plan the build out as much as I should have. I had some left-over 2x3's from another project so I tried to square them up and then glued them together to start making the platform. Glued up 2 subsections and then stuck them together

[lowpolyjoe]

Got out the hand-plane and flattened the panel. quite a bit of work since my boards were not as square as they should have been and I didn't align them so great during the glue-up

[lowpolyjoe]

Next I setup my router circle-cutting-jig and cut the largest circle that would fit on the panel - I think it was just under 24" diameter.

[lowpolyjoe]

Then over to the router-table.

First I used a flush-trim bit to clean up the messy circle-cut result. The jig slid around a bit so the multiple router passes were not 100pct aligned with each other and left some ridges on the perimeter. The flush trim cleaned most of that up pretty good.

Next I hit the bottom side with a round-over bit to make it look a little nicer and to make any head-to-platform contact easier on the noggin - hopefully that never happens.

[lowpolyjoe]

I started putting together two pieces of framing. One piece would mount to the wall. The other piece would mount to the drum and have pieces that extend outward and can be fastened to the wall mounted frame at multiple points to allow for height adjustment. After some construction I realized I had some design flaws.

Work on this project is slow but i'll keep you guys posted.

I would like to reduce noise and vibration transfer to the wall when I mount this thing. Any suggestions? I was thinking of putting a layer or two of thick rubber matting (like yoga-mat) between the drywall and my wall-hung-frame when I hang it. Anyone do anything like that?

I've read some people suggest to put a bag of sand on the platform and I'll definitely do something like that too.

[Speedbag Seaweed Man]

Looks really nice lowpolyjoe. How sturdy can you possibly build the frame that mounts it to the wall? I suspect the heavier the platform the less it will vibrate? The less it vibrates the more quiet the sound? If you can fix it to the wall so well that you can put an extreme amount of weight on top then I think you will be well on your way to minimising vibration transfer to the wall. The box ontop my nonagon is filled with about 100lb of concrete.
Other thoughts I had were the smaller bags will shake the board less than bigger speed bags and bladder bags will make the least amount of sound.
I have never tried, but I'd be sceptical of having a rubber or some such absorber as the complete solution to vibration. I rekon a rock solid mount is the key, and possibly then the absorber may help, but you also want a fast rebound which comes when the board doesn't wobble whatsoever..

[BaggerBob]

Looking good!
Might as well stain it and give it 2 or 3 coats of urethane.

Another thought, if you're worried about it warping, mount your old drum to the top of it. It will make it more stout too.

As far as vibration, like seaweed said, build a solid mount and sandbag it.

I added a sandbag to mine and it does make a difference.
I took an old small dufflebag I had laying around, put a large plastic bag inside and filled it with 25lbs of sand.

*A note to others building platforms, you might want to check craigslist for people selling old butcher block tables cheap.
I looked at buying white maple to build one and it was just too expensive.

[lowpolyjoe]

Wow, That's a lot of work. Did you make that wooden vise ? Are you gonna make another drum and glue them together, cross section. It should make it more stout.

Thanks. Yeah, I made that vise a year or two ago. I was just getting into woodworking with hand tools. I wasn't sure if I would get enough use out of one to justify the price of a real woodworker's vise. I bought some gas pipe, flanges and some threaded rod. Worked out pretty good except for the handle part - that ugly square block should be a nice cylinder but I don't have a lathe to turn it so just used a block . Since then I found a nice oldschool vise at a flea market but have not gotten around to mounting it yet.

Laminating a second drum is a great idea but I'm not sure i'll have the patience for that. This project is taking forever and I really want to finish and hang it up. After I have something working I may build another drum and take my time, perhaps laminating the 2x3s or 2x4s on-end to make it twice as thick.

[lowpolyjoe]

Looks really nice lowpolyjoe. How sturdy can you possibly build the frame that mounts it to the wall?

<snip>

I have never tried, but I'd be sceptical of having a rubber or some such absorber as the complete solution to vibration. I rekon a rock solid mount is the key, and possibly then the absorber may help, but you also want a fast rebound which comes when the board doesn't wobble whatsoever..

Thanks a lot.

I may rebuild my framing to make it more sturdy... I was working on 2 projects at once and I sort of lost my way on this build.

Maybe i'll try with and without rubber insulation padding and report back...

I definitely want fast rebound so wobble reduction is a big deal

[lowpolyjoe]

Looking good!
Might as well stain it and give it 2 or 3 coats of urethane.

Another thought, if you're worried about it warping, mount your old drum to the top of it. It will make it more stout too.

As far as vibration, like seaweed said, build a solid mount and sandbag it.

I added a sandbag to mine and it does make a difference.
I took an old small dufflebag I had laying around, put a large plastic bag inside and filled it with 25lbs of sand.

*A note to others building platforms, you might want to check craigslist for people selling old butcher block tables cheap.
I looked at buying white maple to build one and it was just too expensive.

Thanks for the tips.

I don't think i'll stain the platform, but i'll definitely seal it with something. I like working with Shellac with my other woodworking projects because it doesn't stink, so I may go that route.

Old Butcher block would be great - buying maple hardwood to build your own definitely gets expensive.

[mirokiuru]

Hey lowpolyjoy!

Nice work so far! What comes to framing i would also think about metal framing If u have opportunity to use welding machine. i made few weeks ago my own setups framing from metal. i think u also get the frame bit heavier than wood (depends what kind of metal u r using ) If u wanna check my profile there is link to post that i made about my homemade platform, maybe u get some ideas playing whit metal dont get me wrong, if u end up using wood thats fine too!

[lowpolyjoe]

Hey lowpolyjoy!

Nice work so far! What comes to framing i would also think about metal framing If u have opportunity to use welding machine. i made few weeks ago my own setups framing from metal. i think u also get the frame bit heavier than wood (depends what kind of metal u r using ) If u wanna check my profile there is link to post that i made about my homemade platform, maybe u get some ideas playing whit metal dont get me wrong, if u end up using wood thats fine too!

Thanks Mirokiuru!


I would love to build something out of metal but I don't have the tools or skills. I really want to learn how to weld but I don't have time or money to put towards *another* hobby

[lowpolyjoe]

Here was the original framing I put together.

I wasn't happy with it, but I wanted to get this contraption hung, so I went forward with it.

[lowpolyjoe]

This was the 'adjustable' part of the frame.

Seems like I got lucky and hit the studs with my first effort at hanging it