Revolverboard - rotatable ash wood hangboard

Revolverboard – variable grip strength training in a small space

The Revolverboard owes its name to its special design: The body can be rotated continuously by 360 degrees around its longitudinal axis and securely locked in any position. To do this, the two locking levers are pulled down, the board is rotated to the desired position, and then secured again.
This simple mechanism opens up training possibilities that would not be achievable with a rigid board in a comparable space.

The rotatability allows for a wide variety of grip positions and load angles to be set. This means that stimuli can be varied very finely and progressions can be designed without having to change or reconfigure the training device. Overall, the Revolverboard is clearly aimed at advanced climbers and professionals who want to work specifically with grip positions, angles, and load levels.

On the front there are four pockets with different depths (12 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, and 30 mm). This is complemented on the underside by a rail with an 8 mm or a challenging 6 mm depth. The pockets are made with a special milling cutter that deliberately leaves a rough surface. This ensures a high coefficient of friction between skin and wood without the need for artificial coatings.

The top of the board is equipped with generous radii. These allow for very finger-friendly dead-hang and pull-up training and also offer less experienced climbers a safe way to perform their first controlled hanging sessions. Nevertheless, this aspect does not replace a classic beginner board – the full potential of the Revolverboard unfolds with increasing experience and resilience of the fingers.

If the body is rotated further so that the back faces upwards, a distinct sloper surface is created. Depending on the rotation angle, the difficulty of this sloper training can be continuously increased. Another training variation arises when the front is rotated downwards: In this position, very demanding pinch grips can be simulated and specifically trained, which are hardly possible in this form on classic boards.

The Revolverboard is made of glued European ash in numerous steps in my workshop. The metallic components are manufactured externally. Production of these parts within Europe was not economically feasible despite intensive searching, which is why a non-European supplier is used here.

Installation is preferably above a doorframe so that the body can swing freely. Alternatively, it can also be attached to a sloped surface or to the ceiling, provided the subsurface is sufficiently load-bearing. This can be a practical solution, especially for training rooms in the basement.