Alright, so today I’m gonna walk you through my little adventure figuring out the right width for a balance beam. It sounds kinda simple, but trust me, there’s more to it than just grabbing a piece of wood!
It all started when my daughter wanted to try gymnastics. Instead of shelling out big bucks for a fancy setup, I thought, “Hey, I can build a balance beam!” Famous last words, right?
First, I hit the internet, trying to figure out the standard width. I saw a bunch of stuff mentioning 4 inches. Seemed straightforward enough. So, I went to the local hardware store. I grabbed a piece of lumber that was supposed to be 4 inches wide. Turns out, “4 inches” in lumber-speak isn’t always exactly 4 inches. Go figure.
Anyway, I got it home, sanded it down real nice, and slapped some padding on top. Looked pretty good, if I do say so myself.
My daughter hopped on, and immediately I could tell something was off. She was wobbly, kept stepping off. She’s a natural athlete, so this wasn’t just her being clumsy. I started watching her closely.
Then it hit me. The beam felt…thicker than the ones at her gymnastics class. I measured it. Yep, it was closer to 3.5 inches after sanding and padding. That half-inch made a HUGE difference.
So, back to the drawing board (and the hardware store!). This time, I was on a mission. I needed something that was actually close to 4 inches after all the prep work.
I ended up getting a slightly wider piece and being extra careful with the sanding. I also paid closer attention to the padding I used. Too much, and it would throw off the width again.
This time, bingo! After everything was done, it was just a hair under 4 inches. My daughter gave it a try, and she was much more stable. She actually started practicing her routines!
Here’s the takeaway from all this:
- “4 inches” isn’t always 4 inches. Check the actual dimensions of the lumber.
- Sanding and padding matter. They can significantly change the final width.
- A little bit of width makes a big difference. Even half an inch can throw off balance.
I learned a lot building that thing. It was a fun little project, and my daughter’s happy, so that’s all that matters!
