Domino Ladder

[woodguy7]

Go get an Indian takeaway, it worked for us with our second boy  [thumbs up]

Only problem is she was sick in the hospital  [doh]  Not so keen on curries after that.

All the best anyway  [big grin]

 

[Eli]

I want to see the load test. My money is on the rail failing in the middle, before dominos fail.

 

[Wonderwino]

A totally non-Festool solution would be to emulate the ladders of the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest.  They simply lashed rungs to notched rails with rawhide, which tightened as it dried and shrank.  Some of the ladders still in use are hundreds of years old. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

A totally non-Festool solution would be to emulate the ladders of the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest.  They simply lashed rungs to notched rails with rawhide, which tightened as it dried and shrank.  Some of the ladders still in use are hundreds of years old. 

Kids would dig that too!

 

[online421]

For the record if anyone is reading this, Australia and New Zealand has a bunk bed safety standard. In the standard there are various safety requirement, there is static load requirement and dynamic impact load requirement on the ladder, unfortunately you have to buy the standards to get a soft copy, it cost about $120 USD after tax.

Without going into too much detail,

For static load requirement you are to test the ladder by putting an object of 1500N at 100mm interval of the tread for 30 seconds at each interval

For dynamic load, your ladder should be subjected to an impact load of 15kg, located at 400m from the tread and impact the tread at 150mm distance for 10 impacts, the 15kg object is tied to a rod that is 1000mm from the centre of its pivot point. the tread is 1400mm from the pivot point.

If you require further info about relevant safety requirement in this safety standard, send me a PM.

 

[NL-mikkla]

Come on guys - how many bunkbed ladders have been built and used for years and years with only 2x4's + 10D nails or 3" drywall screws?

Surely the shear strength of (3) 10mm Dominos would exceed those methods and be plenty strong for 30-100lb children to use?

More Dominos may not make for a stronger joint, but they'll surely increase the shear load for each ladder rung.

I've climbed up lesser structures, and I'm close to 200lbs.

JT

My thought exactly, I'd go for the domino way easily.

 

[Harry1561]

For the record if anyone is reading this, Australia and New Zealand has a bunk bed safety standard. In the standard there are various safety requirement, there is static load requirement and dynamic impact load requirement on the ladder, unfortunately you have to buy the standards to get a soft copy, it cost about $120 USD after tax.

Without going into too much detail,

For static load requirement you are to test the ladder by putting an object of 1500N at 100mm interval of the tread for 30 seconds at each interval

For dynamic load, your ladder should be subjected to an impact load of 15kg, located at 400m from the tread and impact the tread at 150mm distance for 10 impacts, the 15kg object is tied to a rod that is 1000mm from the centre of its pivot point. the tread is 1400mm from the pivot point.

If you require further info about relevant safety requirement in this safety standard, send me a PM.

As beautiful a it is to live in, Australia is so over regulated and full of red tape. The next generation won't know how to think for themselves. ..That's my rant for the day , now for some work 

 

[HarveyWildes]

There is no way that a 10mm domino is going to shear under any reasonable load, but the wood could split around it.  If you want to build a really strong ladder put a 3/8-1/2 dado at each step into the supports, then use the dominos and glue and clamp it together.  You can run the dominos through from the outside if you want a decorative effect or domino the supports then cut the dado after the fact.  You may have to cut down the dominos if you go that route, if you do then glue the dominos into the steps then cut to length with a miter saw.

More or less what I did with the last bunk beds I made, but with sliding dovetails on the top and bottom steps.