Rules For Wooden Planks?

metomeya

Hey. I'm replacing some heavy planks with wooden ones, cause I need something more light weight (Has anyone seen magnesium planks?)

Safety is of course an issues. I'm about 210.

They are going to spand, a little over 4 feet. And be about 10" in width.

How thick do you think the wood should be?

Type of wood? (oak i'm guessing)

What do you think of adding a sheet metal backing on the bottom to add support?


Any opinions or alternatives would be appreciated.

Toothpick

Have you looked at the standard osha planks? Most lumberyards carry them, they are made from clear yellow pine with steel rods in the ends to help prevent splitting and cupping. Usually 2x10 and 8'-16' in length.

TimNJ

How about regular "scaffolding" planks. Should be available at any commercial lumber yard.

metomeya

Any picture of these?

you think i'll find it in 4 feet?

boman47k

Made some temps out of 3/4 ply with 2x's on the under side. They are a little heavy though. Better than some I have been on though! Whew!

Frankawitz

Home Depot has adjustable aluminum plank for around 100 bucks. It's 6' to 12'

metomeya

Weight and size is a concern,

thats why i wanted to make my own.

Is yellow pine light weight? How exactly does the steel rods fit in?
Can I buy yellow pine locally?

JustaFramer

Just buy some OSHA rated scaff planks. They are just rated micro lams basicly.

steves

What are these OSHA planks?????
OSHA aproves NOTHING they just set standards.
If any sales people try to sell you anything that is OSHA aproved ask them for the aproval paper work. There is none.

metomeya

??? I don't think anyone said they are approved, just rated to their guides like other things are like masks and such.

What do you mean micro lams, JustaFramer?

Teetorbilt

If you have the ambition, you can fabricate your own from 1 X 2's or greater. Foam and fiberglass can be really light AND strong.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Blackbird

extendo-plank

metomeya

i think i'm interested.

What exactly do you mean by foam and fiberglass? Like bondo? What kind of foam exactly?

Teetorbilt

Here, most commercial HVAC co's sell 2" polyurethane foam. This can be ripped through a tablesaw. The 'stringers' (wood) can be as light as you want to make them. I usually go 1/4" Fir. For a 16" platform I'd use 4, two on the outside and two equally spaced in the center. Laminate the sandwich first, level the decks and then glass. A few layers of 6 oz. works fine for me but I'm good at it. You may want to try mat for starters. Wrap it well over the edges.

These are just something that I whipped up in my spare time and I had the materials on hand (I have always built surfboards). The ones that I have built have working loads of about 550#s over an 8' span.

I never did any engineering as I knew that they would work for MY purposes but I lately asked a friend to drive over an old one in his F-350 diesel with one end on a concrete block and it didn't break. The worst fractures were at the block interface.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

metomeya

Kinda lost here.

I've seen from some guides on the internet, how they do the foam/fiberglass thing.

-foam
-resin over it
-fiberglass cloth over that, and get all the air out.
-then resin over that

I'm kinda lost in how the wood fits in order of options. Is it being bonded by the resin?

Also what is the best way to color the fiberglass, do they sell dyes for it? Are there different grades of fiberglass or does the bondo work fine?

JustaFramer

Laminated engineered lumber. Some OSHA rated planks are laminated just like microlams.

plazaman

OSHA planks must have osha Stamp on them with a date. After so many years, they have to be dumped. Im not sure on the type of wood, but OSHA planks have ties on the ends to prevent splits.

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metomeya

Like metal ties?