Rigging a gliding gymnast ring ceiling track

[enkidude]

howdy. i'm looking for some hardware advice to make a diy project at home rather than pay $200+

i want a ceiling rack, as close to the ceiling as possible, with independent gliding racks or hooks that can move across the length of the track. it would have two gliders that can run the track any direction they're pushed, so i can hang two adjustable gymnast rings on them.

i don't love having them only stationary hanging from a chin-up rack close to a wall or door frame and with only a little range.

so, what kind of hardware can i buy and install that isn't just an expensive industrial glide track?
-it needs to support at least 300lbs just to be safe
-it needs to be able to glide easily if a ring is moved left or right
-the closer to the ceiling, the better, as in not hanging or jutting down too far from it's installation points

here is a fantastically drafted MS paint concept image to help:

 

[BillTre]

If you are going to do something like gymnastics with them, you will have to be able to lock them in place. Otherwise you could use barn door hardware.

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to PF.

i want a ceiling rack, as close to the ceiling as possible, with independent gliding racks or hooks that can move across the length of the track. it would have two gliders that can run the track any direction they're pushed, so i can hang two adjustable gymnast rings on them.

What's a Gymnast Ring? Can you share some pictures? Click on the "Attach files" link below the Edit window to upload PDF or JPEG files to help us understand your questions. Thank you.

 

[BillTre]

He's probably referring to these things:

I had a room mate who did this.
They move and flip around hanging from the rings.

My room mate was a national champ. His arms were twice as thick as those pictured here.

 

[Baluncore]

Welcome to PF.

Search; hanging door sliding rail
Or maybe find a lower cost version of; Ronstan, track and traveller, slides

 

[berkeman]

Thanks @BillTre

@enkidude -- why do the fastners for these need to be able to slide across your ceiling? I've installed pullup climbing peg boards in my house and a climbing rope from my hallway into my attic in a previous house, but never felt the need to slide across the living room upside down hanging onto rings...

 

[enkidude]

wow, thanks to everyone for the quick replies, i really appreciate the willingness to read, the curiosity, and help.

Welcome to PF.What's a Gymnast Ring? Can you share some pictures? Click on the "Attach files" link below the Edit window to upload PDF or JPEG files to help us understand your questions. Thank you.

howdy, thank you. i attached a file in the original post, but i re-saved it as jpeg so hopefully it's visible now, and i added it to this post as well.

Thanks @BillTre

@enkidude -- why do the fastners for these need to be able to slide across your ceiling? I've installed pullup climbing peg boards in my house and a climbing rope from my hallway into my attic in a previous house, but never felt the need to slide across the living room upside down hanging onto rings...

i want the rings attached to the gliders to be able to move the fulcrum distance of the rings freely on the track for ease of movement and dynamic movement instead of them being stuck at whatever distance apart they are. otherwise i would just screw ropes into the ceiling.
lol i don't wanna slide upside down for my plans (but i could!), it's more for freedom of movement in the variable width of their fulcrum sounds very appealing and dynamic. i could go from upside down ring pushups to wide split leg (with the ability to widen or narrow any time) tiger pushups, normal hanging L-sits, wide L-sits, wide holds to narrow holds. it sounds fun.

i'll have to check out the barn door hardware, which i've seen pop up in my searches. it looks like they have open tracks (which is easily amendable) meaning gliders could fly off, but they look like they all only attach to walls and not ceilings. i'd like, if possible, to be able to rig this up in the middle of a room, and be able to slide the rings against a wall or hook when i'm not using em.

 

[Tom.G]

-it needs to support at least 300lbs just to be safe

That seems like a VERY small safety factor (x2 ?) for vigorous activity!

Consider if you are on them with your hands at your waist, then drop to hanging on them with hands over your head -- or dropping after losing your grip with one hand.

(Just my 2-cents worth)

Cheers,
Tom

 

[enkidude]

That seems like a VERY small safety factor (x2 ?) for vigorous activity!

Consider if you are on them with your hands at your waist, then drop to hanging on them with hands over your head -- or dropping after losing your grip with one hand.

(Just my 2-cents worth)

Cheers,
Tom

i honestly don't know what it should be. i weigh half that, so double seemed fine as long as it's bolted into a ceiling support frame. industrial gliders hold 600, like this one you can search on amazon. but i'd rather just find some similar hardware that can jank together to do the same thing myself if it's possible. i'm not ruling out just buying something, but if there is a cheaper alternative that basically does the same thing, like a safety rail with some kind of ball bearing rings hooped through it, with straps tied to those lol. whatever insight, i'm listening.

 

[Tom.G]

I suppose one way to find out the needed support strength would be find the breaking strength of the straps/rope that hold the rings then double it.

I suspect that just screwing into the rafters would not be adequate.
paging: @jrmichler For the construction details.

 

[jrmichler]

The photo shows how I anchored a chinning bar to the ceiling of my shop.

The verticals are 1 X 4 oak. Each is held by 8 wood screws. The 1 X 4's are drilled to the body diameter of the wood screws, and the 2 X 4 was drilled to the pilot diameter of those screws. The screws are various diameters because they came from my junk box used screw storage. The use of 8 screws is a little overkill, but it's easy to pull sideways on a chinning bar and I did not want any problems. The 2 X 4 is a repurposed slightly weathered oak board.

Each 2 X 4 is held to the ceiling with four 3/8" lag bolts. The 2 X 4 is drilled to the body diameter of the lag bolts, and each bolt has a washer. The lag bolts are sized for over 2" penetration into the truss, after allowing for the thickness of the drywall. The trusses were drilled to the pilot diameter of the lag bolts, so the full depth of the threads is used without the body trying to split the wood. The image below shows the proper diameter for a wood screw pilot hole. If the hole is smaller, the bolt can split the wood. This is also a little overkill, but better safe than sorry. All screws and lag bolts should be driven by hand because it's just too easy to strip them when driving with a power driver or drill. Tighten snug, then stop.

If you have a continuous length of very rigid track running across the trusses (or floor joists), then 3/8" lag bolts with at least 3" of thread engagement in every truss should be enough. If the track is shorter pieces, or has any flexibility, then you need to assume that the entire load is carried by one truss. The design load should be at about 10 times your body weight to account for heavy use and peak loads. Any failure is unlikely to be catastrophic - the screws will loosen and the track will start to peel off.

If you really want a solid installation, drill holes through the drywall, and bolt straps to the trusses. Each strap should be at least 1/8" by 1" steel, and fastened by two 1/4" bolts. The two bolts should be vertically separated by at least 2", and 3" would be better. One strap on each side of the truss.

 

[Lnewqban]

...industrial gliders hold 600, like this one you can search on amazon. but i'd rather just find some similar hardware that can jank together to do the same thing myself if it's possible. i'm not ruling out just buying something, but if there is a cheaper alternative that basically does the same thing...

Welcome!
Did you note that $220 can only buy the beam, not the rollers?

Not sure if available in your area, but Unistrut trolleys may be an economic and solid solution.
Please, see:
https://unistrutstore.com/trolleys.html

Whatever you do, be safe regarding anchoring to a solid structure, and level the beam perfectly horizontal and rigid, so you don’t have any strong side force when hanging from the rings, or low points.

A simple brake system could help for excercises that require a fixed position.

 

[enkidude]

Welcome!
Did you note that $220 can only buy the beam, not the rollers?

Not sure if available in your area, but Unistrut trolleys may be an economic and solid solution.
Please, see:
https://unistrutstore.com/trolleys.html

Whatever you do, be safe regarding anchoring to a solid structure, and level the beam perfectly horizontal and rigid, so you don’t have any strong side force when hanging from the rings, or low points.

A simple brake system could help for excercises that require a fixed position.

ty. i considered braking, as well as quick release hooks for the rings from the rope, just in case something goes wrong. if it's not come through yet, i have no idea about what kind of hardware could help brake or make a glider/trolley static, much less make any of this, so i very much appreciate the suggestion. just knowing that it's a thing is helpful. apologies for the broad asks. i will tinker through that link and see what i could use or for inspiration. i'll let the thread know what i'm considering, or decide, before i begin the project.