Shaping Wooden Climbing Holds - Sloper #1

Wooden holds: check out wurft.com/ or @wurfttobias on Instagram. Please SUBSCRIBE to support the channel.
In this video, I want to share my process of how I make a wooden sloper for my 42° overhanging board.
The following tools were used:
- Band saw
- Belt sander (60 grit)
- Drill with 20mm Forstner drill bit, 20.5mm 90° countersink drill bit, 11mm drill bit
- Veritas Carver's Vise in combination with the 2" mounting plate
- Arbortech Mini Grinder with the Mini Turbo disc
- Angle grinder with the following carbide disc:
- King Arthur's Tools Holey Galahad Flat Medium
- Drill with a sanding pad (60 grit)
- Drill with 5mm countersink drill bit
- Detail sander (60 grit)
- Sandpaper (80 grit)
Filmed and edited by Tobias Wurft.
Thanks for all your support!

[@Bobbin925]

Those holds are works of art! They should be in a craft museum. Don't let chalky grubby climbers touch them!!!

[@flyingfools5697]

U r amazing bro...I am In india still trying to gather the equipments for making climbing holds like u do....u bought a new attachment....cool...just keep posting these videos .... 🙏🙏

[@jonathansweet4391]

The hand sanding at the end is like an ASMR vid. Great work!

[@wurfttobias]

Hehe :) Yes, it definitely has a relaxing aspect and the sound is kind of relaxing as well.

[@ericabrahams5527]

I don't think I ever comment on youtube but I wanted to say thanks for making these videos!

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks Eric!

[@johnrobb9408]

On the concave edges using a smaller backer pad with a larger abrasive works on wood and stone.

[@ChrisHaileyTrainHardDiveEasy]

Great vid Tobias 🤙 Awesome tools but even more awesome skills with them!!!

[@aunexinc317]

Beautiful! thanks for the tut

[@frantisekgizela6337]

nice work!

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks!

[@christopheleroy1707]

Awesome video dude !

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks dude!

[@CarlosARodriguezF]

One thing that I have been wondering, all of these tools are yours or you rent them for the day or something along those lines? Amazing video as always man, the content quality is getting better video after video

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks Carlos! I bought more and more tools over a long time span (started woodcarving about 6 years ago). Just until a month ago, I always had to borrow some tools from friends... :)

[@alpinekiwi]

Great work! Just wondering why you go for the full sanded finish? Wouldn't a rougher texture from just using the grinders be a nicer feeling texture at half the time and effort? BTW, are you in NZ? Those were definitely NZ birds at the end...

[@wurfttobias]

I just love the slippery finish... You need to apply more contact strength. :) Also noticed that I use holds with a sanding finish more often. But yeah, it is bad in terms of effort! Yes, I do live in Geraldine, NZ! Alpine Kiwi, sounds like you're also south island based!?

[@alpinekiwi]

@@wurfttobias Gotcha! I've made a few holds over quarantine out of excess oak. I used an axe 😂 I was born in the South Island, but shifted to the French Alps back in 2001... Great DIY series, cheers for sharing!

[@ejl74]

That is some solid work my friend! Your very talented. Are you on Instagram?

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks! :) Yes, my Instagram account is wurfttobias instagram.com/wurfttobias

[@TheDeltaStation]

What are your thoughts on using self tapping screws vs bolts? You seem to use a lot of bolts but lots of wooden holds I see at my local gym on the training wall use 3 self tapping screws. I also commented on one of your other videos asking about bolts :)

[@wurfttobias]

Hey again! :) I'm using bolts for two reasons: The workflow of how I use the carver's vise makes it so easy. You can even attach the hold upside down and continue working on it. With screws it would become more tricky (you would need probably more than one screw to attach the hold safely; I would have to exchange the wood on the vise quite often because of all the screw holes) Second reason: I don't want too many screw holes in the wall so I can rearrange the holds from time to time. If you don't have a similar workflow for shaping and the holds on your woody aren't going to be rearranged (often) you can definitely go with self tapping screws. That's easier (no T-nuts required) and cheaper.

[@jean-francoispaquette1493]

Very nice! Can you tell me what kind of wood you are using (any in particular you recommend)?

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks! I recommend using hardwood. But hard softwood should also do. Having a variety of different sorts of wood is really nice because the friction varies quite a bit. Hard hardwood is nice to have (e.g. oak or european walnut) but is also more time consuming (sanding takes longer).

[@nieustawajwbiegu]

Hey man this piece in beech right? Its beautiful. What are the two pre-drilled at an angle holes on the sides? To screw it down into the wall with self tappered screws? Will The T-nut alone not be enough?

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks man. Yes, it's beech. The small holds are just for small screws to prevent the hold from spinning (one would be enough, but I thought two look better).

[@nieustawajwbiegu]

@@wurfttobias thanks for prompt reply. I understand, makes sense with such large hold. I will let you know if I find a solution to avoid the screws.. I guess for when the hold was to be used at the gym etc. Perhaps a thin layer of rubber backing?

[@wurfttobias]

@@nieustawajwbiegu hey! Every climbing gym uses small set screws to avoid spinners. Even with a nicely textured wall which has a lot of friction... Cool idea, but a rubber pad sounds way more effort, will be more expensive than additional screw(s), and I don't think it will work better.

[@nicksunderland8401]

Can you list the model of the drill sanding pad and/or sandpaper? Assuming you use no holes sandpaper, looks like 5"?

[@wurfttobias]

Hi Nick, I'm using a 5" foam backing pad, something like this: www.bunnings.co.nz/powerfit-125mm-foam-backing-pad_p6210749 in combination with a hook and loop converter: www.bunnings.co.nz/powerfit-125mm-backing-pad-hook-loop-converter_p6210751 and 60 or 80 grit sanding discs without holes.

[@irfanabdulaziz8322]

Hi there, im wondering what size hex bolts are you using as the main support for the holds? Cheers from Malaysia

[@wurfttobias]

Hi Irfan, I'm using M10 countersunk bolts in various lengths (40 - 80 mm), depending on the size of the hold. Cheers from New Zealand

[@largeformatlandscape]

Nice work . No contour sander?

[@wurfttobias]

Hi Tim! I'm only using the contour sander for small features which I can't access with the sanding pad.

[@natwarburton]

Great Video, just wondering what the minimum amount of gear you would need to make these holds?

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks Nat! My guess: a hand saw (japanese pull saw would probably make sense), a drill, an angle grinder with a carving disc, a sanding pad and some sand paper. An attachment for the climbing hold could be made out of a 2"×4" and a T-nut. But you would have to work with timber that has one plane surface (bottom surface of the hold) or accept that you can't do a perfect job with the saw. :)

[@natwarburton]

Tobias Wurft Thanks, might try sometime!

[@emac4d]

What kind of wood are you using?, Here where I am I can only find Pine, I'm afraid i will be to soft

[@wurfttobias]

Yes, pine is probably too soft. This hold is made out of beech. I bought it on trademe (that's the eBay equivalent of New Zealand). There are also places where you can buy recycled hardwood...

[@kar0x]

how long did it take to make that one clilmbing hold?

[@wurfttobias]

Since it's a while ago I can't give you an exact answer, but a large hold like this typically takes between 1 and 1.5 hours in total.

[@gordoriccardo]

Nice, but you don't need all the devices. There's yth unique about handcrafted holds you can never achieve with all the machines in the world. Thanks for the great video.

[@wurfttobias]

Thanks man! Yeah, I agree, there is something satisfying of doing it by hand. I started carving years ago and in the beginning I didn't use any power tools. But after years, it gets boring to perform the same simple task again while you know that you're waisting time by doing it by hand so I started using power tools. These tools than require a new skill set and that's what I love about it: acquiring new skills and getting better at it. But using power tools is still 100% handcrafted because non of the used tools can perform any of the required tasks on it's own (compared to my CNC for example), it still all comes down to the skills of how to use these tools and I'm involved 100% in each step. Drawing a line of not using power tools is arbitrary because you still use tools (saw, chisel, knife...) which are basically chosen as the state of the art from a historical perspective so you could also go ahead and say I only use stones or I only use my finger nails. As you probably noticed: I love to discuss and reflect on such things! :)

[@FAZE9NINE]

Any time a bandsaw is used i always cringe due to how easy you can cut bone on it ... eeee

[@filip_climber]

Whats type of woods it is?

[@wurfttobias]

Sorry for the delayed response! This hold is made out of Beech.

[@DIYToPen]

Looks like you've found some very functional attachments and tools for your shop... I always find that risky, buy something that sounds cool, be disappointed in it's functionality.

[@wurfttobias]

Absolutely know what your talking about! I typically try to buy stuff because I know what and that I can get things done with it, not because it sounds cool. But now and then you fell in the same old hole. :)

[@benji3048]

Bro im from Madrid, Spain, could i Pay you for the veritas vise tool, and you send It to me? I could make you a bank Transfer ir bizum....

[@wurfttobias]

Hey Bro, you could just order it from Dictum: www.dictum.com/es/accesoriosdispositivos-de-sujecion-baoe/bloque-de-sujecion-veritas-705929 Cheers, Tobi