Rick Gates Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Hi, I'm getting the hardware to make wall spreaders out of 2x4s. But I'm anticipating a problem. The maximum length 2x4 my vehicle can handle is 8 feet. Is it safe to join a couple of 2x4s to make a longer span for the wall spreader? As I'm not seeing any 2x4 coupling hardware, I'm thinking maybe this just shouldn't be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Hartman Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Get a speedrail spreader. Get double duty out of your pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Gates Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 JD, I thought about that. I was thinking it would be easier to cut 2x4s than speedrail, but it would be nice to get double duty out of the pipe. Do you consider joining 2 pieces of speedrail for a wall spreader to be safe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Hartman Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Not nearly as risky as the wood. I wouldn't take two ten foot pieces and make a 20, but I'd add a few feet to an end with a coupling if I had to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Gates Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Hmm, if you had to span 24 feet, would you consider 3 eight-foot pieces of speedrail? Or would that be tempting the fates too much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Hartman Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 24 feet? I'd be using truss. You really need to consider the structural strength of the speedrail and the amount of deflection at the center for a given load. You're starting to veer way off course to where off the cuff advice doesn't apply, but real engineering calculations do. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Gates Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Yeah, I'm gonna play it safe and design a different shot. Thanks for all the tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Gates Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 Aha! Discovered that I can get away with a 13' span for the shot. Also saw that Dave Donaldson at the Youtube channel "Grip Tips" recommends joining two pieces of speedrail with a coupling to make a larger span. Here's a grab from his video: I think I'm going with this technique. I can get the Modern Studio wall spreader kit at Barn Door for $80, and their couplings are $33 each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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