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Anyone got any suggestions for putting a vault box in to 14" tall board runway? what is the best way to reinforce it?

-sd

I built an 8" runway a few years ago and the box section took quite a bit more wood for reinforcement.

-Turn your section, with the box inside, upside down on a flat suface. I set mine on my work bench so I had easier access.
-Use the same width plywood that you used on your runners for each section.
-cut a piece the same length as your joists and fit it to the contour of the back of your box. Screw the ends from the outside of the section to secure it.
-next, measure the distance, both on the top and bottom of the joist you just installed.
-again using the same width board, measure out those distances and connect the dots. Use a skill saw to make your cut. Just make one at first to confirm a fit, then make 7 more.
-next run another joist straight across at the head of your box cut. Secure it with screws, then run a joist down both sides of the box, following the contour of each side.
-now that you have those secured, you need to take the box out of the section to allow room to screw the boards in from the inside.
-finally, take those 8 pieces you cut earlier and screw them in evenly proportioned increments from the back of the section to the joist that runs from across the back of the box.

I know this might sound like overkill, but one of the worst things that could happen would be to have a blow out, especially in a competition.

Good luck!

im building for over kill.. i dont want any probs.

I'm not a big advocate of using lumber in board runways (ie. 2x4's, etc.). Plywood is the way to go and you won't have to worry about snapping and cracking! No nails either. Granted it is MUCH more time consuming and I'm kind of anal about any structures that I build.

We have been to Arkansas and have vaulted on AVC's runways in Hot Springs. The runway had holes drilled to bolt it toghter and the allignment of these holes was PERFECT. Morry is a perfectionist. Morry did send me a set of plans for a portable runway and it has some neet ideas. The Missouri Travelers

With several board runways under my belt and no box problems ever....

Get a STEEL vault box. Reinforce the back with metal, you can use wood to support the metal but put the metal against the back of the box as snug/tight as possible. Reinforce the bottom with wood to prevent the bottom of the box from becoming "bouncy". Check the connection every once in a while to make sure you do not allow the back of the box to start to "round out". My idea for my newest ruway was to use lots of glue to join the metal to the back of the box (or if you have a welder hany go for it). But instead we installed a Skydex Soft box.....1000's of jumps later and no problems.

How would it work if ibuilt a frame for the box and set it in sand?

I think there would just be too much weight and your runway would shift too often. Not to mention sand displacement. If you go with that idea, concrete might be a better solution but you'll probably have to anchor it to the ground with lots of rebar, again because of the weight. Just seems like less work to reinforce it with wood.

i was actually thinking that you could put it in sand. and it seems that if the runway wasnt raised, and the box was in sand, like a sand pit, that it wouldnt move enough from day to day, that it would be just fine. thats just me tho.

The runway is 14" tall though. I have a long jump pit beneath one of my PV pits that we use for camps. We sink a box in the sand and have a plywood cutout around it and we have to adjust the box at least once during the 3 days and all we do is pop-up drills on that pit. I don't think there's enough surface area on the perimeter of the box for the sand to grip. It's a pretty good short term idea (ie. 3-day camps), but I wouldn't like to adjust that box on a regular bases.

I see. I dont know about the wood, but good luck, and get some pics when you do finish it.

I put 2 2x6" boards behind the plant box along with a cement block and a block of 2x6".... havent really tested it out yet though. I'll post some pictures of the start to finish of my project.