How do you tighten the steps on a pipe ladder?

Duayne Levan
by Duayne Levan

I built the sides first to make sure that they were the same length, but when I try to insert the ladder rungs, they don't get tight because when you screw in one side, it unscrews the other. I have watched a few youtube videos on building one, but they don't address this.

  10 answers
  • Mogie Mogie on Aug 27, 2020

    My dad had a ladder in his tree stand (for hunting) and he used something called tree hopper bolts and so did his friends.

  • Cheryl A Cheryl A on Aug 27, 2020

    Could you glue them in? use like JB Weld to glue the pipes into the holes?

  • Recreated Designs Recreated Designs on Aug 27, 2020

    I would try to use some sort of bonding agent in the one that is loose to hold it tight once it is screwed in place.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Aug 27, 2020

    HI,

    I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS MYSELF, BUT IMAGINE FROM YOUR INFORMATION I WOULD FIT ONE SIDE ONLY, AND THEN TURN THE LADDER OVER AND FIT ALL OF THE OTHERS. IT MAY MEAN YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE OTHER SIDE APART TO DO IT AND THEN REBUILD THAT SIDE AGAIN!

  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Aug 27, 2020

    What if you turned the one vertical side upside down and then tried to screw in the horizontal pieces? Would that make the threading work?

  • 17335038 17335038 on Aug 27, 2020

    1.Mark each piece as to where it will go in the final position.

    2.Take the pieces apart and lay down in place.

    3.Reattach all the horizontal pieces again on to the ends.

    4.Reattach the vertical pieces on to finished horizontal (with ends) pieces.

  • Mogie Mogie on Aug 27, 2020

    But if the idea is for something that can be taken apart and put together elsewhere anything like JB Weld wouldn't work. So is this for a ladder in a permanent location or something you would like to be something that can taken down and moved around?

  • William William on Aug 30, 2020

    Best solution I have is to tighten all the rungs to one side as far as they will go. Then apply a two part epoxy to the threads on the other of side of the rungs and tighten them into the side. The first side will loosen some but not much. Then you can apply epoxy to the rungs on the first side and let it flow into the threads.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTN0yhsgF3I

  • I glued my pipe project used epoxy glue.

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Aug 31, 2020

    Bolts with epoxy glue for sure will help