kids climbing frame – things ex machina

This variable pikler climbing frame lets your children build a wide variety of climbing combinations.
You can rotate every joint and fix it in place with an easy locking mechanism.

The wooden frame is built out off 18mm birch plywood, the knobs are 3D-printed out of PLA and the locking mechanism uses off the shelf hardware, that you can buy in any hardware store.

project facts

dimensions:	four variable segments with a length of 600mm, 700mm width
material:	birch plywood, PLA (knobs), steel hardware
estimated maeterial cost:	~95€
tools:	cnc-router, 3D-printer, power drill, saw, sanding pads
difficulty:	intermediate
build time:	1-2 days

3D-model

materials

material	estimated cost
birch plywood (1250 x 1250 x 18mm)	45€
round wood Ø23mm – 8m long	20€
SPAX screw, 6,0 x 80 mm	5€
M6x15 flanged nut	7€
M6x12 Allen screws with flange	8€
6x M8x70 bolt	3€
6x M8x25 threaded inserts	4€
PLA for printing the knobs	3€
sum	~95€

building process

The individial parts are quite complex but the process of putting them together is fairly simple.

let the cnc-machine do it´s job and cut the eight long wooden pieces, the connection plates and the star-connectors
cut the round wood to length while the machine cuts your pieces and sand them all to the same length
remove the wooden parts from the cnc and sand the outer edges (ideally you let the machine do a finishing pass, so you don`t have to do that much sanding)
screw the round wood pieces into the side plates and create four separate frame units
Screw the six threaded M8 inserts into the inner connection plates
use the M6 hardware to connect the out connection plate to the outer frames
optional: 3D print the star knob screws or alternatively use off the shelf parts (i could not find them in the right length so i printed them myself)
Put the stars in the side panel cutouts, locate the connection plates on top of each other in the desired angle and screw them in place using the M8 star grip screw (see video below)
rearrange the setup to your liking