Platform fell off wall

[ukspeedbag]

I was busy under the platform, then bang! The 2 upper studs ripped out of the wall. I caught the platform with my hands and heard laughing behind me as the sand bag slid down, landing on my head.:D It was Joe!
I asked Joe to go and get a 10mm spanner so I could unbolt the remaining lower studs. He ran down the stairs and I heard a right old commotion between Joe and his mum. Joe was frantic looking for the spanner in the tool box under the stairs. Thing's were being thrown into the living room, coats, shoes, boots, washing basket, you name it!:D:D I could hear Joe shouting "get me a torch, get me a torch" and Sam shouting 'what for, what are you doing?' He couldn't get his words out, poor sod! :D:D He couldn't see what he was doing. We got there eventually.
Anyway I need to replace the studs with something much longer. The wall is brick but has about 15mm plaster. The studs I used are about 30mm in length but obviously not long enough to get a good grip on the bricks. Good job it was me under the platform and not the kids.:eek: I wouldn't mind, When I mounted the platform and with the sand bag on, I had pulled and tugged on the platform, checking it was secure.:o
Lesson learnt.

[paranday]

Like some of the others I overdid it with the fasteners to the wall. An elephant could sit on my platform and not rip it down. Of course, if an elephant shows up and wants to bag, who am I to argue?

Hope you're back in action soon, mate. Bag withdrawal is not something you want to experience, ask anyone.

[Biff]

WOW! :eek: Glad to hear you didn't get injured, Vini. Good thing the sand bag hit you in the head! :D:D

Did you have any anchors in the wall that the bolts screwed into, or were the 30mm bolts screwed directly into the wall?

The platform I gave my local YMCA was mounted to a concrete-like wall using metal anchors. Pliot holes were drilled into the wall and metal anchors tapped in. The bolts were then screwed through the supports into the anchors. Even with the anchors, the platform become loose. Not sure whether it was caused by the vibrations or some yahoo trying to do pull-ups on the platofrm.

Any problems when the platfrom was mounted outside?

[Speedbag]

JEEZ, where's a video camera when you need one. That could have got you on TOSH.O (http://www.comedycentral.com/tosh.0/?xrs=SI_72593456_70163182511_1).

Very Glad you are not hurt, but I would suggest you fire the carpenter. :rolleyes:

[ukspeedbag]

Like some of the others I overdid it with the fasteners to the wall. An elephant could sit on my platform and not rip it down. Of course, if an elephant shows up and wants to bag, who am I to argue?

Hope you're back in action soon, mate. Bag withdrawal is not something you want to experience, ask anyone.
I'll be sorting it on Monday. I was gutted when it happened, dust everywhere!:D
WOW! :eek: Glad to hear you didn't get injured, Vini. Good thing the sand bag hit you in the head! :D:D

Did you have any anchors in the wall that the bolts screwed into, or were the 30mm bolts screwed directly into the wall?

The platform I gave my local YMCA was mounted to a concrete-like wall using metal anchors. Pliot holes were drilled into the wall and metal anchors tapped in. The bolts were then screwed through the supports into the anchors. Even with the anchors, the platform become loose. Not sure whether it was caused by the vibrations or some yahoo trying to do pull-ups on the platofrm.

Any problems when the platfrom was mounted outside?

Yes they were anchors Biff. The same type I used outside. Thing is outside was straight into the brick, no plaster to contend with. I suspected the plaster may have been to thick to begin with. This just confirmed my suspicions.:o

[ukspeedbag]

JEEZ, where's a video camera when you need one. That could have got you on TOSH.O (http://www.comedycentral.com/tosh.0/?xrs=SI_72593456_70163182511_1).

Very Glad you are not hurt, but I would suggest you fire the carpenter. :rolleyes:

Sam ain't seen the state of the wall yet! She refused to look.:eek: I'm sure she'll be sacking the carpenter!:D

[Griffin]

Hi UK,

I think I can chime in here with a bit of help -- having done a TON of construction (as I'm sure many others here have) but also as the owner of a 15,000 SF 1920's era brick building, I've done my share of mounting things to brick walls...

In my opinion, if you can, go THROUGH the wall entirely. Then put a 3" or 4" plate on the far side of the brick wall before tightening down your bolts. You want to essentially sandwich the wall between your platform and the back plates. This makes your platform and the wall one monolith, so to speak, and it can't ever vibrate loose, and you won't damage the wall. Over time, the mortar in brick wall that receives constant vibration can weaken and crack, even though it may not be visible immediately to the naked eye.

Through-bolting is the real solution, and the holes can be filled with colored mortar mix later if that is a concern. 1/2" holes won't weaken or damage your brick wall...

Hope this helps -- sounds like a CLOSE call, but it sure demonstrates just how much vibration is being transmitted through our platforms!

PS -- if you have to anchor it, and can't bolt through, let me know -- there are a WIDE variety of anchors, and not all of them well-suited to masonry.

[Griffin]

JEEZ, where's a video camera when you need one. That could have got you on TOSH.O.

LOL! Tosh.O. is pretty funny stuff... you gotta have a thick skin if you wind up on that show, because the commentary is merciless!

[ukspeedbag]

Hi UK,

I think I can chime in here with a bit of help -- having done a TON of construction (as I'm sure many others here have) but also as the owner of a 15,000 SF 1920's era brick building, I've done my share of mounting things to brick walls...

In my opinion, if you can, go THROUGH the wall entirely. Then put a 3" or 4" plate on the far side of the brick wall before tightening down your bolts. You want to essentially sandwich the wall between your platform and the back plates. This makes your platform and the wall one monolith, so to speak, and it can't ever vibrate loose, and you won't damage the wall. Over time, the mortar in brick wall that receives constant vibration can weaken and crack, even though it may not be visible immediately to the naked eye.

Through-bolting is the real solution, and the holes can be filled with colored mortar mix later if that is a concern. 1/2" holes won't weaken or damage your brick wall...

Hope this helps -- sounds like a CLOSE call, but it sure demonstrates just how much vibration is being transmitted through our platforms!

PS -- if you have to anchor it, and can't bolt through, let me know -- there are a WIDE variety of anchors, and not all of them well-suited to masonry.
Cheers mate. Thing is, the walls are about 150mm thick and the platform is up stairs backing onto a very narrow alley way. I would need to use scaffold to get up there.

I'm sure I'll be able to get my hands on something a bit more durable if I shop around a bit. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[ukspeedbag]

Griffin, which one of these would you go for?
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Screws+Fixings/Shield+Anchors/d90/sd2792

[fingers]

Vini the second one is what i used directly into block work! its never moved in years mate!!

[ukspeedbag]

Vini the second one is what i used directly into block work! its never moved in years mate!!

Fingers, I got the measurements wrong in my original post. I said they were 30mm in length but, they were 50mm. I'm tempted to go for the 80mm here (http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Screws+Fixings/Shield+Anchors/Shield+Anchor+Loose+Bolt+M12+x+10mm+x+80mm/d90/sd2792/p44090)

No way will these come out. I have to take into consideration that the kids will be under the platform too.

[ukspeedbag]

This is what I used originally.
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Screws+Fixings/Shield+Anchors/Shield+Anchor+Projecting+Bolt+M6+x+10mm+x+50mm/d90/sd2792/p45908

[fingers]

they look about the same as mine mate 80mm is just over 3 inches in old money i think!! you could always go to B&Q or Wicks and see before you buy they have a wide range for all types of use (hope i am not stating the obvious here) :D

[ukspeedbag]

they look about the same as mine mate 80mm is just over 3 inches in old money i think!! you could always go to B&Q or Wicks and see before you buy they have a wide range for all types of use (hope i am not stating the obvious here) :D

B&Q is where I purchased them from mate. They were the biggest they had. I've just been on their site and checked for something bigger. But no luck I'm afraid.

We have a tool station about 1/2 hrs drive away.

Cheers mate.;)

[Griffin]

I'd go with the shield anchor loose bolt.

I think with that style anchor the shield expands further along the length of the bolt, which spreads the load over more of the hole in the masonry, if that makes sense.

I'd go ahead and drill most of the way into the wall -- five inches, 1/2 inch bolts. You should be good to go. How old is the brickwork?

One other option for really spreading the load along the length of the entire anchor is to just epoxy the suckers in there... they are then part of wall, and not exerting force ON the wall... of course your platform still vibrates....

Let me know how it goes!

[Griffin]

Vini the second one is what i used directly into block work! its never moved in years mate!!


Block -- if filled correctly with concrete -- is WAY stronger than bricks. You could use 3" anchors and it would never budge (that's what I've got my platform mounted to now, Fingers, and I love it. Best case scenario, in my opinion) but brick's a different story.

UK, those expanding lead shields you used first aren't quite as good in my experience as the ones you just mentioned. Go five inches in, and you're good!

(ahem... no wisecracks, please!)

[Roc Stone]

I think your suspicions could be spot on here UK. Those anchor bolts you're using need to be embeded all the way. Is removal of plaster in those sections an option? Put a diamond cutter blade on a 5" grinder and cut a pocket in the plaster where the studs sit
Threaded rod, chemical set (Hilti, chem set) would be a sure bet, you could have the anchor bolts as deep or as short as you like as long as you go at least 50-75% of the way into the brick.

Good luck.

[Griffin]

Bingo! I agree...

Chem set = epoxy, correct??

[atgatt]

Too bad Everlast does not sell hard hats. Surely UK is not the only one this happened to. :p

Sorry it happened but it did make me laugh too, so not all is lost.

[Roc Stone]

Ya!

Not necessarily. Whilst the end result may be the same with chem set and epoxy it is important to note that these compounds do have varying strengths and applications.

But...Well noted!

[Tim]

Sorry to hear of the collapse, but glad to hear no one was injured. I'm sure the speed bag corner will be back and better than ever shortly.

The 80 lb heavy bag I keep on top of mine rolled off and hit me on the head about 3 weeks ago. It was a glancing blow, so no injuries. It's mounted securely now.

[ukspeedbag]

OK So I'll be using the Shield Anchor Loose Bolt M12 x 10mm x 80mm with epoxy.

Any ideas what size drill bit I should be using with these bolts?

Thanks for all your ideas guys. You've all been a great help.;)

[Roc Stone]

:) 14mm

[ukspeedbag]

:) 14mm

Thanks Roc!;)

[Griffin]

A couple of other little tips (If you're not done already):

Never hurts to blow or vacuum the hole clean after you drill and before shooting the epoxy in...

The epoxy you're looking for is specifically FOR anchoring bolts in concrete -- not your typical everyday stuff. Over here it's grey and white, you use a special gun (like a caulking gun), and most importantly: has a long tip that mixes the two chemicals as it's being extruded from the tube.

Stick the tube ALL the way to the bottom of the hole and draw it out... you'll have some overflow when you put the anchor bolt in, but you won't have any air gaps, and that's what you're looking for.

UK, I predict you're going to be amazed at the difference -- your platform probably going to feel a lot more solidly mounted... good luck!

[Griffin]

Were the 80mm the longest they had?

[ukspeedbag]

A couple of other little tips (If you're not done already):

Never hurts to blow or vacuum the hole clean after you drill and before shooting the epoxy in...

The epoxy you're looking for is specifically FOR anchoring bolts in concrete -- not your typical everyday stuff. Over here it's grey and white, you use a special gun (like a caulking gun), and most importantly: has a long tip that mixes the two chemicals as it's being extruded from the tube.

Stick the tube ALL the way to the bottom of the hole and draw it out... you'll have some overflow when you put the anchor bolt in, but you won't have any air gaps, and that's what you're looking for.

UK, I predict you're going to be amazed at the difference -- your platform probably going to feel a lot more solidly mounted... good luck!
Thanks Griffin, your a gent! I will vacuum the holes I done this when I first drilled the wall. But seems I'll be opening the holes up, I'll do it again. I'm looking forward to getting it back up, the bedroom looks a right eye sore. And I'm sure it will reduce the vibration even more.;)
Were the 80mm the longest they had?

Yes 80mm is the longest they have. I'll be getting them tomorrow, hopefully they will have a drill bit and the epoxy too. Thanks very much for all your tips.;)

[SpeedBagScissorhands]

omg i would cry if my set up fell off my tree! i couldnt imagine it landing on my head! hope youre ok champ!:D

[ukspeedbag]

omg i would cry if my set up fell off my tree! i couldnt imagine it landing on my head! hope youre ok champ!:D

Thanks SBSH! I was devastated. I never got hurt mate. :D It was all kind of in slow motion. The lower fixings held and I kind of caught the sand bag with my head.:D

Anyway, I bit of a nightmare but should be good.
The reason why the top bolts ripped out of the wall was I had drilled into the mortar between the brick. When I came to open the holes up for the bigger anchor bolts, one of the holes was like a knife going through butter. I started to fill them with epoxy and the gun broke.:mad: I managed to get plenty in by mixing it myself and pushing it in. Not as good as the tube, but once I'd started there was no going back. The lower bolts are absolutely solid. The brick was b**ch to drill. The locals here, claim that it's the hardest brick money could buy. I never believed this until today.
So I have the wooden pieces mounted but, I'm going to purchase some through bolts, the ones where you drill through the work, insert the anchor and tighten. I'll drill a little higher through the wood and hopefully hit the brick with a masonry drill. I have proper gun at work so I'll also use the epoxy. I'll probably add another 2 bolts to the top wood. As it is, I'm certain it's going to be OK, but for a piece of mind and a few more days, I might as well. A bit long winded, but better safe than sorry.:o

Man I hate DIY!:D:D

[Speedbag]

Thanks SBSH! I was devastated. I never got hurt mate. :D It was all kind of in slow motion. The lower fixings held and I kind of caught the sand bag with my head.:D .....Man I hate DIY!:D:D

Your lucky it didn't cause brain damage because it Looks like it knocked all your hair off :D

[Griffin]

LMAO!!

Too funny -- I guess I had one land on me at some point, too!

Reminds me of what my best friend always used to say as he was starting to go bald: "Hey, I've noticed there are lots of guys that look good with no hair... lately!"

[Speedbag]

LMAO!!

Too funny -- I guess I had one land on me at some point, too!

Reminds me of what my best friend always used to say as he was starting to go bald: "Hey, I've noticed there are lots of guys that look good with no hair... lately!"

Yeah, I get a kick out of all the young guys shaving their heads for whatever reason, and the old guys buying rogaine (http://www.rogaine.com/men) to grow it all back. I guess I'm lucky because I'm pushing 60 and still have every hair I was born with. I got two decent genes from my parents: Rhythm and Hair.

:eek:

[paranday]

... I got two decent genes from my parents: Rhythm and Hair.
:eek:

Could've been a barber...

[MsDeville]

Could've been a barber...

:):):) ...the Barber of Seville...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uyOwxMysxw&feature=related

[ukspeedbag]

Your lucky it didn't cause brain damage because it Looks like it knocked all your hair off :D

LMAO:D:D:D
Hey AK, you say the funniest things. Sam say's, I must have had a knock on the head when I was younger, or did my mother drop me? She says the kids are crazy and take after me!:eek:

[TJ_MaTee]

Hey UK, Some great advice, Some good humor too! Keep us posted on what developes,
the suspense is killin' me! Good luck mate!

[ukspeedbag]

Hey UK, Some great advice, Some good humor too! Keep us posted on what developes,
the suspense is killin' me! Good luck mate!

Thanks TJ, I'm all up and bagging away. Even the kids have been under the platform. They're going through their speed bagging phase again.:D

With Griffin's expertise advice, I used epoxy and the longest shield bolts I could get my hands on. It's solid as a rock!;)

Thanks again to you all for your ideas.;)

[Dutchman]

:):):) ...the Barber of Seville...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uyOwxMysxw&feature=related

Even tho I was a classically trained musician (yeah there's another bit of my past exposed) I prefer the Chuck Jones version......;)

[Speedbag]

Even tho I was a classically trained musician (yeah there's another bit of my past exposed) I prefer the Chuck Jones version......;)

Classically trained musician? fascinating. Does that mean voice or instrument? My dark past is I love Classical and Opera. It is also fun stuff for Punch Drumming, but many classical songs have a lot of speed changes.

[Dutchman]

I actually went to school to become a high school band director. Long story short, it didn't work out, for a couple of reasons too complicated to go into here.

[Speedbag]

I actually went to school to become a high school band director. Long story short, it didn't work out, for a couple of reasons too complicated to go into here.

Well good on ya for that dream. Long live the High School Band Directors. Those were two men (Jr. High director, then HS Band Director) that certainly changed my life. It breaks my heart to see Music and band eliminated from Middle and High School curricula. :(