Salmon Ladder Rung: Ninja Warrior Series

thingiverse

This design is the culmination of months of work that went into testing and refining a version of the famous Salmon Ladder obstacle that users can 3D-print, assemble, and enjoy with minimal experience and tools. Inspired from the TV show American Ninja Warrior, the Salmon Ladder is an obstacle in which competitors must jump a bar vertically into sets of cradles (rungs). The two designs above (right and left rungs) can be printed multiple times and assembled to create a true Salmon Ladder--capable of holding up to 250ibs (with a 70% or above infill). To create the Salmon Ladder, it is necessary to print multiple of each rung--two of each will allow for one move. First, however, it is necessary to assemble two vertical supports--these can be 4x4x, 2x12s, and many other types of lumber; they simply must be strong enough to support the user. Next, the rungs can be fastened to the surface with either lag or hex bolts. If the surface is thinner, hex bolts are recommended as they can be secured with hex nuts on the other side. However, lag bolts will suffice for thicker surfaces. While they won't be fastened, their tight grip inside the wood will ensure safe use. To begin assembly, each rung can be placed on the outside of the board with the hooked part of the rung facing outward. As shown in the top view of the rung, the vertical board should contact the flat surface of the rung (the three fasteners go through this). Moreover, the curved "buffer" will ensure that the rung is wedged against the board in the correct orientation. However, before drilling holes for the fasteners, it is necessary to ensure that the rungs are level. A long level tool is recommended for this, but measuring then distance from a point to the bottom/top of the rung (and comparing it for each) should work just fine. With the measurements set, the fasteners can be tightened, and the process can repeat. The vertical distance between each rung can vary significantly--for children, roughly 4 inches (one inch of vertical distance between the same point on each rung) is recommended, while competitors on the show must face 8 or even 12 inches. Personally, I'd recommend four inches for beginners and eight inches for experienced ninjas; it's always possible to skip rungs, which provides an extra challenge as well as helps save filament. Then, it's just repetition! Keep assembling each set of rungs, ensuring that each is level. Find a bar (heavy-grade electrical conduit works for me--I'm about 130 pounds). And get ninja-ing!