Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Hello all,

As we have had many inquiries about how to start a Monkey Gym, I thought I would place the current Equipment List here, which will download to your download folder:

TMG Equipment List Rev.1.doc

Note that this is a "full" list—the core ideas of the MG can be taught with a bar to hang from, a shiny floor to do "towel walkouts" on, and a box to step down from! If you want to go deeper, a set of rings is essential, but that's all. The rest of the equipment simply allows more options.

As well, if you want to see a little web gallery of what the original Monkey Gym (our headquarters in Canberra) looks like, see here. There are notes with info. about what you're looking at, and if you click on any image a larger version will load.

Finally, spend some time on our current Home page, because our YouTube channel can be viewed and subscribed to there.

I should say that the equipment list is not the important thing, which is the how and why of what we do, combined with teaching students how to feel what's happening in their bodies.

I am making this a "sticky" thread, and will be adding to it from time to time. If you want to be added to our MG mailing list, send a request to info@kitlaughlin.com

Cheers to all, kl

  • 2 years later...
Posted

Kit

I'm interested in knowing how you constructed this particular feature in your gym for the ropes(and how you stabilize them for when they're in use.) I love how you can roll them out of the way after you're done using them!

post-2881-0-46928900-1391617958_thumb.jp

P.S. also, do you make the wood supports for assisted back bending? they look so simple.

Posted

Hello Keilani,

The first structure, the flyout ropes and ladders etc., is a commercial device, made by a company here called Acromat. Had we needed to have bought it new, it would have cost a fortune (their stuff is great, but very expensive). DW and I liberated this one from a school which decided that gym training was too "dangerous". One of the reasons children are becoming so ... round these days.

And one of our members makes the back bending devices; we have been considering a flat-pack version, but he thinks it's too much work (have to be built, sprayed and finished, then broken down, and people expect to pay less for an unassembled one, not taking all the extra work into account). They are very expensive to ship assembled.

We are considering a DIY version that you or anyone handy could make; just one of the projects on the go presently.

Posted

understood :)

is there a possibility this member could share the plans used for this box? I'd like to give a crack at building one to use, if that's possible ^_^ I know for some reason or other, he might not want to and that's respected

Posted

We are considering a DIY version that you or anyone handy could make; just one of the projects on the go presently.

I'd be very interested in the specifics of a back bending support. I've been thinking of knocking one together out of sheet metal, but I'm not sure of the measurements.

Posted

​What I have found is that there are no wrong shapes to bend backward over; duplicate in metal what you see in wood, and if it's even close, it will be fine. We used to use 20l oil drums, cut lengthways and braced. If you want, I can take an image or two tomorrow, and post with dimensions. Email me if you want this.

At home I just use the end of a couch: anything that opens the chest and bends the middle and upper back backwards will work. Precision's not needed here.

  • 4 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Very nice, Andrew—did you make these from scratch, or did you buy a kit somewhere?

Posted

Thanks Kit. Made these from scratch. I used the various advice and pictures available for the design: the full write up follows.

Cost of materials probably $450 total (includes drill bits, sand paper etc) - about the cost of a new Ipad mini :P. A better investment for the kiddies I think. Oak dowel is expensive at $21 / metre here, I read other people were able to source for cheaper, but I couldn't find this in Adelaide.

Took a couple of days solid work, but then again, I sanded the dowels to quite smooth which is a few hours work in itself (and hand sawed it all). Planed the edges of uprights a bit round with a lovely lie-nielsen mini plane to try and give a less rough/rustic look

I was going to have the dowels come outside the uprights like Kit's, but decided to go for extra width and no visible screws, so the look is neater. Offset the dowels towards the front by a tiny bit, to give more room and as a design feature. 15cm spacing and offset 3 inches at the top, I think 16 dowels. The offset timber is glued with exterior aquadhere and screwed with 75mm screws, countersunk. All dowels screwed from the back through to the front so they feel pretty solid. Dowels holes drilled 25mm deep into uprights.

Finished with 2 coats of feast watson exterior oil. Not sure if I would recommend this as it stinks for a week and is quite noxious, but happy now. I will probably then clean with lemon oil in the future.

Wall fixing: three bolts through the wall (single brick) and dynabolts on the bottom. My engineer father in-law ummed and ahhed about this... risk/reward.

Used clear pine 75x32mm for rear horizontal support & offset attachments and 90x32mm for uprights.

The major decision and tension point: offset construction. I really wanted this look as it distinguished from the majority of home-made bars... this added a lot of time/effort! Lots of other solutions to this.

I encourage the construction of these, they really are great.

  • 2 months later...
Posted

I was planning one of these, but was put off by the cost of the dowels. I dont have the prices with me here (I'm in the UK at the moment), but at Bunnings, Tassie Oak dowels that are just over 30-odd mm in size were rigid enough in 80-100 cm lengths, but expensive. At around 28 mm diam they were a lot cheaper but I thought too flexible (actual sizes are a few mm less than nominal sizes). I couldnt find dowels of cheaper wood, nor any of oval cross section as used in professional bars. I'd be interested to know what you used.

Jim.

Posted

I used 35mm tas. oak, I have tried out 32mm. 35mm is definitely better. KG pine was expensive here as well, otherwise, I would have been tempted at a certain price point. I read somewhere Durian is sometimes available and cheaper. From my previous research, check out this link as a possible source near you Jim.

Posted

AndrewL - many thanks indeed for that link. However I do it, I dont think there is a cheap option, unless a school is closing down and selling off its equipment. I can live in hope.

Added later: Yours cost $450 in materials. Just searched - Acromat (Australia; branches in every state) sell a 1 section set of wall bars 2400 high x 760 wide for $513. Not much different! I will go on hoping that a local school suffers some sort of natural disaster and has to close down.

Jim.

Posted

Australian prices are ridiculous at times.

Jim, I just assumed Acromat would be significantly more expensive than that! Live and learn. I do genuinely love mine though.

  • 3 months later...
Posted

My little rig; the stall bars were about £190 incl. shipping from Italy (an ebay shop). The ceiling bit is my creation. Hung heavy clients & myself off there. seems steady.

Maybe I'll share some of my discoveries in time, but for now, more research!

post-3269-0-39200500-1421158978_thumb.jp

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...