How to Build a Pommel Horse
The pommel horse is a piece of gymnastic equipment used by male gymnasts. The top of the horse has two upright handles bolted to a padded surface. The gymnast supports his body on the two handles as he swings his legs around the horse. Official pommel horses have adjustable legs.
Things You Will Need
- 4-by-12-inch lumber, 12 feet long
- Circular saw
- Drill
- 3/8-inch drill bit
- 1-inch bore
- 6 carriage bolts, 7 inches long with nuts
- Ratchet wrench
- Tape measure
- 4-inch foam
- Scissors
- Spray adhesive
- 2 yards of vinyl
- Staple gun
- Nail
- Pommel handles
This gives the gymnast flexibility in practice. In a home pommel horse, the top portion rests on the floor, making it easy to lift and store the pommel horse.
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Cut two 5-foot sections of the lumber. Stack the pieces and drill a hole in each corner through both pieces of wood. Replace the drill bit with a bore and drill a 1-inch countersink at both ends of each hole.
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Insert the bolts through the holes. Secure the bolts with the nuts to hold the lumber together. Tighten the nuts with a ratchet wrench. This is the pommel core.
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Find the center of the lumber with the tape measure and mark it. Measure and mark 8 inches on either side of the center of the lumber and drill a hole in each mark. Drill a counter sink at one end of each hole.
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Turn the pommel core so that the bolt heads are facing upwards.
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Cut three pieces of 60-by-12-inch foam with the scissors. Spray the top of the pommel core with adhesive. Press one of the 60-by-12-inch foam pieces to the top of the pommel core. Spray one side and press a second length to the side. Repeat with the opposite side.
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Cut two 16-by-16-inch pieces of foam. Spray adhesive to either end of the pommel core and stick the foam to the ends.
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Lay the vinyl over the top of the pommel. Turn the entire pommel over and staple the edge of the vinyl to the bottom of one side of the pommel. Pull the vinyl tightly to compress the foam and staple the vinyl along the other side of the pommel.
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Pull the vinyl at either end and staple the ends to secure. Trim any excess vinyl.
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Turn the pommel upright and use the tape measure to find the center. Measure 8 inches from the center and press into the vinyl to find the pre-drilled holes. Punch a hole in the vinyl for the bolt.
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Push the last two bolts through the hole in the bottom of the pommel handles, then through the holes in the pommel. Secure the bolts with the nuts at the bottom.
Tip
It may be helpful to have one person pull the vinyl while another person staples the vinyl in place.
References
Writer Bio
Based in Nashville, Shellie Braeuner has been writing articles since 1986 on topics including child rearing, entertainment, politics and home improvement. Her work has appeared in "The Tennessean" and "Borderlines" as well as a book from Simon & Schuster. Braeuner holds a Master of Education in developmental counseling from Vanderbilt University.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
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