Ape Board - Rock Climbing Training Board

myminifactory

This is the Ape Board, a prototype finger training tool designed specifically for rock climbers. Attach some cord to it, and you can take it anywhere. It's perfect for warming up your fingers before crushing your projects or using on the go when space is limited. The board itself doesn't take up much room in your bag and weighs just 400g (including the cord), so you won't even notice it's there. You can download the two files that make up the Ape Board and 3D print your own - test it, let me know how you get on, and keep an eye out for version 2 in the near future. The board is 300mm long, which might be too large for most desktop 3D printers, so I've split it into left and right parts. Print them with the back of the board facing down on the print bed, just like they are in the STL files, to ensure the layering doesn't weaken the board. I used PLA and had great results - I wouldn't recommend printing this in ABS as it's not quite as rigid and test parts have flexed too much. The board has held up really well with a month of regular use, so here are some recommended print settings for use with PLA: Layer Height: 0.2mm 4 Perimeter Shells 40% Rectilinear Infill 60mm/s Print Speed Print with a Raft and Support - printing without a raft can cause warping at the corners. The left part will take around 10 hours to print, using about 150g of filament, while the right part will take approximately 19 hours to print, using around 300g of filament. Once you've printed the parts, you'll need: 4 lengths of 60mm rod with a diameter of 5mm. I used carbon fiber rod because the shop was out of steel rod - it's worked just as well. Super Glue or any Cyanoacrylate Plastic Weld or any plastic adhesive with Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride) will do, and a small paintbrush to apply. About 1.4 meters of 6mm Static Cord. Be extremely cautious when using Dichloromethane - it's highly toxic, so always read the label before using. Once you've threaded the cord through the long hole in the Ape Board, tie a loop in the end using this knot (ignore the rock rings - they're heavy). Finally... wait. Sorry, I know that's the last thing you want to do now, but a very useful study has shown that PLA parts will increase steadily in strength for roughly 72 hours (3 days) after printing. It's better to wait and use the board once the filament has reached its optimal strength - after all, you'll be hanging from it. You might also want to lightly sand down the texture in the pockets - I've found this depends entirely on personal preference, with some people loving it as is and others preferring a smoother finish.