Ninja Climbing- Shoe Spikes
by the.rollie in Outside > Climbing
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Ninja Climbing- Shoe Spikes
how to make a pair of ninja tree(or wall) climbing shoe spikes
**the picture shown here is of the retail version, found in some specialty stores and online. i am recerateing them
Gather Materials and Tools
you will need:
dremel and/or angle grinder
tin snips
drill and drill bits
hammer
ruler
sharpie
paper
duck tape
8nails 1/2 inch long 1/8 inch thick (i used 1" nails and had to cut them to size, see later step)
flat steel or(as i used) tube from old metal floor lamp... altogether: 1foot long x 1 1/4" wide. and about 1/16 inch thick
shoelaces or twine
JB weld (amazing stuff this is, and cheap too)
Draw Template
remember to label the "sides"
the holes are centered(or close to centered) from the middle of the template
use a hole punch to make holes in template to mark where nails need to go
Trace Template and Cut Steel
pictured templates are offset to show tracing
*if useing a lamp tube as i did you will need to flatten after cutting and before the next step(s)
wichever method you used : make sure the metal pieces are as close to flat as possible at this time
Drilling and Bending Sides
(i drilled both pieces at once useng a c-clamp but this is optional)
set the piece in the edge of something solid with a sharp corner like the end of a 2x4 and clamp down as pictured. strike the "side" of the piece with a hammer as pictured, to bend it down. (as shown)
Nail Time! (pt.1)
the easiest way to mark your nails to cut them to size is to gea a post-it note pad, a ruler, and a sharpie.
lay sharpie with lid off on post-it pad andadd or remove layers of notes till the TIP of the sharpie measures 1/2 inches high from work surface(as pictured, with nails befor and after) and touch your nail to it while spinning the nail and holding sharpie in place
cut your nails to size along the line you just made and sharpen them. be very careful when cutting small metal pieces, or cutting any metal.
test-fit your nail in the holes you drilled previously. you want them to go all the way through the metal so the head of nail is against the metal strip. if they dont fit right, make holes slightly bigger with drill or dremel
Nail Time! (pt.2)
JB Weld and Finishing Touches
drill mounting holes in "sides" that you bent in earlier step (see picture) [did this after i jb welded the pieces, sorry for the inaccurate pic]
with nails test-fitted, its time to mix the JB weld, following instructions on package (i suggjest useing the liquid kind you have to mix, its about 50% stronger than the JB"stick"... but either one should do the trick just fine)
i find mixing on the bottom of a soda can works quite well
apply the jb weld on nails and metal pieces (as pictured)
place on something like a bowl, or between books so that the jb weld isn't being touched and nails are held in place by gravity, (or use duck tape to hold them while it cures over night(yes, i said over night) with nails pointed down
next day: add shoelace or twine (once again refer to pictures) to make the foot strapping that holds the item to your shoe.
paint: i prefer flat black paint, it dosent shine and is more stealthy
go use your new tool to climb a tree, some adjustments of the cord will most likely be needed to get it so stay in place on foot