Punch up my heavybag regimen
February 1, 2008 12:06 PM Subscribe
Simple (and somewhat geometric) carpentry question: I'm trying to hang this Muay Thai heavybag from the two-by-four rafters in my garage. Since the bag's 100 pounds, a single eyehook inserted in a rafter would allow the bag to fall straight on the floor . . .
So what's the best set-up?
As you can see from the photo, four five-inch chains extend from the top of the bag. These meet in an oval metal fixture that swivels.
Ye boxers, martial artists and exercise enthusiasts with experience in hanging heavybags--or any shadetree carpenters for that matter--I come to you for advice:
-What's the optimal method to connect my new purchase to the rafters to prevent the bag from falling? Would a solution using three chains, for example, that connect to three eyehooks at different points on the rafters be feasible?
-What combination of hardware should I use, i.e. eyehooks, chains, or other devices even more exotic?
So what's the best set-up?
As you can see from the photo, four five-inch chains extend from the top of the bag. These meet in an oval metal fixture that swivels.
Ye boxers, martial artists and exercise enthusiasts with experience in hanging heavybags--or any shadetree carpenters for that matter--I come to you for advice:
-What's the optimal method to connect my new purchase to the rafters to prevent the bag from falling? Would a solution using three chains, for example, that connect to three eyehooks at different points on the rafters be feasible?
-What combination of hardware should I use, i.e. eyehooks, chains, or other devices even more exotic?
Having contemplated this before, I think you need to keep the contact with the ceiling to one point, then fortify that point solidly.
I would choose the spot and punch a hole next to the rafter.
I would then go up into the ceiling and see what the structure looks like.
I would connect two short 2X4s between the rafter you are using and the ones on either side directly at the point of the eye hook. I would then, at multiple points, connect a 2X4 from the rafters to the roof 2X4s. Then I would stagger more perpendicular 2X4s between the rafters at distances of about 2 feet, radiating out from the point of contact for about 15 to 20 feet.
This is probably overkill.
The goal is to keep the weight of the bag from moving the rafters. You probably do not want the gypsum board to come falling off your ceiling after 2 weeks because the moving rafters have ripped the screws or nails out. If you hung the swivel from three points you would probably multiply the time to ceiling failure by about three. But each contact point would still move the rafters.
Good point deadmessenger, but I'd do it anyway. I usually do things like this, and the colossal failures usually prove my ineptness.
posted by Seamus at 12:18 PM on February 1, 2008
I would choose the spot and punch a hole next to the rafter.
I would then go up into the ceiling and see what the structure looks like.
I would connect two short 2X4s between the rafter you are using and the ones on either side directly at the point of the eye hook. I would then, at multiple points, connect a 2X4 from the rafters to the roof 2X4s. Then I would stagger more perpendicular 2X4s between the rafters at distances of about 2 feet, radiating out from the point of contact for about 15 to 20 feet.
This is probably overkill.
The goal is to keep the weight of the bag from moving the rafters. You probably do not want the gypsum board to come falling off your ceiling after 2 weeks because the moving rafters have ripped the screws or nails out. If you hung the swivel from three points you would probably multiply the time to ceiling failure by about three. But each contact point would still move the rafters.
Good point deadmessenger, but I'd do it anyway. I usually do things like this, and the colossal failures usually prove my ineptness.
posted by Seamus at 12:18 PM on February 1, 2008
If hanging the heavybag doesn't work out, you might consider one of these stand-up dummies. A great thing about them is that you can practice your clinch and, to some extent, take-downs as well. The down-side is that you may get tired of standing it back up if all you want to do is work on your strikes.
posted by LordSludge at 12:42 PM on February 1, 2008
posted by LordSludge at 12:42 PM on February 1, 2008
Best answer: Get yourself a 4'x4' piece of 3/4" plywood.
Screw this into the underside of your 2x4's using 3" screws every 12".
Attach your bag to this piece of wood using the aforementioned eye-hook (1/2" bolt diameter). Get a large washer on both sides of the plywood. I drew a little diagram showing how I would do it.
Use s-hooks as required to attach your bag to the eye hook. Duct tape wrapped around the hooks will prevent them from flying off at inopportune moments.
You could hang just about anything from this hook.
posted by davey_darling at 4:27 PM on February 1, 2008
Screw this into the underside of your 2x4's using 3" screws every 12".
Attach your bag to this piece of wood using the aforementioned eye-hook (1/2" bolt diameter). Get a large washer on both sides of the plywood. I drew a little diagram showing how I would do it.
Use s-hooks as required to attach your bag to the eye hook. Duct tape wrapped around the hooks will prevent them from flying off at inopportune moments.
You could hang just about anything from this hook.
posted by davey_darling at 4:27 PM on February 1, 2008
To be clear, all of the nuts should be tightened down - I drew the "exploded view" so it would be a bit clearer.
posted by davey_darling at 7:43 PM on February 1, 2008
posted by davey_darling at 7:43 PM on February 1, 2008
Don't attach the bag to the rafters. Eventually they will fail (especially with you bunching and kicking the bag around) and you'll will wind up with big roof problems. What about the header over the garage door? I realize that you'll have to put the bag up and take it down. But if the header is at least a doubled up 2x6 it will take the weight. And you wanted the exercise anyway, right?
posted by sgobbare at 10:24 AM on February 2, 2008
posted by sgobbare at 10:24 AM on February 2, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by deadmessenger at 12:13 PM on February 1, 2008