MATERIALS
- 1 x 8ft x 4ft x 3/4in sanded, ACX pine plywood
- Get plywood cut into two 4ft x 4ft panels
- 72 3/8th Zinc Plated T Nuts with 16 Thread Pitch
- 25 x Lil Boulder bolt-on climbing holds per wall (or equivalent)
- 25 x 1.75 Inch Bolts, 3/8th Diameter (for bolt-on holds)
- 5 x 8ft 2x4in SPF dimensional lumber
- Cut as follows: 4 x 48in and 6 x 41in pieces
- 40 x #8 1-3/4in flat head wood screws
- 18 x 4-1/2in Fastenmaster wood screws or similar (for drywall installation only)
- Primer, paint, and varnish
- Paint & varnish rollers
- Drill
- 1 x 7/16th spaded wood drillbit
- Hammer
- Painting tape
- Sand paper or sander
BUILD PROCESS
- Start with two 4ft x 4ft plywood panels. Lay them down with the sanded side facing up. Ensure they came from the same 8ft x 4ft sheet and the cut edge matches up perfectly.
- Using the 7/8th spaded wood drill bit, drill a 6 x 6 grid of holes in each piece of plywood (36 total). Be sure to start drilling on the sanded side of the board.
- When one board is flipped, and placed on top of the other, a wall with an even grid of 72 holes is formed.
- Sand around the holes on the face up side (pre-sanded side) to ensure it’s smooth. Clean up any chips or sharp edges on the backside of the plywood.
- Flip the plywood panels over so that the sanded side is facing down. Hammer in a T-nut into each hole (72 total). Be sure to hammer them in straight and until they are flush against the board.
- Flip each plywood panel back over so the sanded side is face up (t-nut side face down).
- Cut planks of 2x4 lumber to create a frame for each panel. Make sure to use additional pieces to support the interior as well, ensuring that the framing does not cover any of the 72 holes.
- Place one plywood panel, face up, on top of the frame. Then fasten the frame to panel using 20 x #8 1-3/4in flat head wood screws (or similar). Screw from the face up side of the plywood, down into the 2x4s. Repeat until both panels are framed.
- Apply white primer to the sanded side of both boards as well as the 3/4in rim around the board.
- Wait to dry.
- Use painter’s tape to create a mountain design, then roll on paint. Apply 2-3 coats per colour (until each colour looks even). Ensure the rim around the board is painted as well.
- Using a clean foam roller, apply thin coats of varnish to the entire wall. Use a consistent and down pattern to avoid brush marks. Diligently roll out any bubbles.
- Let the wall sit and dry for 48 hours.
- Install, following the installation guide here.