Resource Guide on how to create an anchor point for full suspension hanging using only a dumbbell

[JesiBel]

should the length of the rope be short enough that I'm still not touching the ground if the dumbbell starts to lift up? sorry I'm just having a. little bit of trouble understanding how a 2kg dumbbell is supposed to hold up my weight even if it doesn't break

The dumbbell serves as an anchor on the other side of the door; it is not a counterweight.

I had already posted this photo in another thread, but it serves as a graphic example:

Spoiler

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It's important that the door doesn't open under any circumstances, or you'll fall and your attempt will be unsuccessful/interrupted. You'll need to lock the door.

 

[dreamgarden]

The dumbbell serves as an anchor on the other side of the door; it is not a counterweight.

I had already posted this photo in another thread, but it serves as a graphic example:

Spoiler

[Hidden content]

It's important that the door doesn't open under any circumstances, or you'll fall and your attempt will be unsuccessful/interrupted. You'll need to lock the door.

if it's not too much trouble, could you elaborate on this? i'm probably being stupid but i can't seem to wrap my mind around this, coupled with the fact that i am a lost cause when it comes to physics and the like. my main concern would be my weight on the door being too much and the door coming loose off the hinges and ruining my attempt - especially if the door and its hinges are very old. or perhaps i'm being needlessly paranoid?

 

[ifihadnever]

I feel you. I dont understand this at all. I can grasp the purpose of a very low weight dumbell.

But ive always measured my doors and they are high anyway, given if I could work out this dumbell thing, it wouldn't result in full suspension for me. So, I gave up trying to understand it.

 

[AreWeWinning]

if it's not too much trouble, could you elaborate on this? i'm probably being stupid but i can't seem to wrap my mind around this, coupled with the fact that i am a lost cause when it comes to physics and the like. my main concern would be my weight on the door being too much and the door coming loose off the hinges and ruining my attempt - especially if the door and its hinges are very old. or perhaps i'm being needlessly paranoid?

I feel you. I dont understand this at all. I can grasp the purpose of a very low weight dumbell.

But ive always measured my doors and they are high anyway, given if I could work out this dumbell thing, it wouldn't result in full suspension for me. So, I gave up trying to understand it.

The physics of it is that the dumbbell can't fit through the gap between the door and the doorframe. If you tie a rope to a dumbbell (or any other object that's too large to fit through the gap), you can pull on the rope, and it'll hold. The reason it'll hold is that the rope is tied to an object that can't fit through the gap.

When you use this as a setup, the rope and the door will mostly be pulled downward. When a door is closed and it's pulled downward, the hinges can't really come loose. This is because the door is also supported by the doorframe on both sides.

You need to be able to close the door securely in order to use it. If the door can't be closed and locked, that's risky, and you shouldn't use it for this setup.

If the door or its hinges are very old and in bad condition, then you shouldn't use this setup either.

Instead of just thinking about it, I suggest you try it. You'd see it in practice, and perhaps get a better understanding of how and why it works.

Was this helpful, or is there anything you still don't understand?

 

[ifihadnever]

The physics of it is that the dumbbell can't fit through the gap between the door and the doorframe. If you tie a rope to a dumbbell (or any other object that's too large to fit through the gap), you can pull on the rope, and it'll hold. The reason it'll hold is that the rope is tied to an object that can't fit through the gap.

When you use this as a setup, the rope and the door will mostly be pulled downward. When a door is closed and it's pulled downward, the hinges can't really come loose. This is because the door is also supported by the doorframe on both sides.

You need to be able to close the door securely in order to use it. If the door can't be closed and locked, that's risky, and you shouldn't use it for this setup.

If the door or its hinges are very old and in bad condition, then you shouldn't use this setup either.

Instead of just thinking about it, I suggest you try it. You'd see it in practice, and perhaps get a better understanding of how and why it works.

Was this helpful, or is there anything you still don't understand?

Ah that makes perfect sense thank you! Unfortunately my doors arent high enough & would result in a partial hanging as opposed to a FSH (which im hoping for) but helpful to now understand the method behind the dumbells. Thank you for explaining!

 

[JesiBel]

if it's not too much trouble, could you elaborate on this? i'm probably being stupid but i can't seem to wrap my mind around this, coupled with the fact that i am a lost cause when it comes to physics and the like. my main concern would be my weight on the door being too much and the door coming loose off the hinges and ruining my attempt - especially if the door and its hinges are very old. or perhaps i'm being needlessly paranoid?

The anchor object* serves as a safety measure to prevent the rope from slipping to the other side of the door and causing you to fall.

The body will be suspended on the other side of the door, adding weight; if the rope is loose without a stop (anchor object), it could slip.

(* dumbbell, bottle, rolled-up towels, any object that you can tie securely and that won't break will work)

Perhaps this photo is a little more explicit and helps to understand Evelyn's idea:

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[Worndown]

Nice pictures.
If you made the rope from you to the dumbell very short and stood on a taller chair, would that work for you?
Start much higher.

 

[metfan647]

I'm not 100% getting it. There is a very heavy fire door in my office building (very few colleagues and I can sneak in at night). I suspect the door would close with the rope hanging over. What purpose would the anchor then serve?

 

[Worndown]

Please look at the picture.

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

The anchor object* serves as a safety measure to prevent the rope from slipping to the other side of the door and causing you to fall.

The body will be suspended on the other side of the door, adding weight; if the rope is loose without a stop (anchor object), it could slip.

(* dumbbell, bottle, rolled-up towels, any object that you can tie securely and that won't break will work)

Perhaps this photo is a little more explicit and helps to understand Evelyn's idea:

[Hidden content]

The "body" is hanging on the "right" side of the door. The lever between door wing and the center of gravity of the body is "closing" the door. If I would be forced to use this set up (thanks god I am not) I would use a longer rope, etwine it around the door wing and position the "anchor" at the bottom of the door on the side of the hanging body. This way it would fail safe even if both hinges breake.
As ropes would not fit through the gaps of modern doors, I would use lashing straps instead of a rope.

 

[JesiBel]

The "body" is hanging on the "right" side of the door. The lever between door wing and the center of gravity of the body is "closing" the door. If I would be forced to use this set up (thanks god I am not) I would use a longer rope, etwine it around the door wing and position the "anchor" at the bottom of the door on the side of the hanging body. This way it would fail safe even if both hinges breake.
As ropes would not fit through the gaps of modern doors, I would use lashing straps instead of a rope.

I posted that setup with a photo earlier in this thread. I like that idea better.

But OP was talking about Evelyn's setup idea.

Come on, man, how do you think you could break the door hinges even when the door is closed and locked? Unless your house is made of paper. Metal frames embedded in a concrete wall with a thick wooden door with three hinges. Please..

Any setup should always be tested beforehand. Not all houses are the same. With a little force, I can close and lock the door with the key even with the rope passing over the top of the door.

The door stays closed because it's locked with the key; I don't know what the body has to do with it (why did you mention it?)

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

wo I posted that setup with a photo earlier in this thread. I like that idea better.

But OP was talking about Evelyn's setup idea.

Come on, man, how do you think you could break the door hinges even when the door is closed and locked? Unless your house is made of paper. Metal frames embedded in a concrete wall with a thick wooden door with three hinges. Please..

Any setup should always be tested beforehand. Not all houses are the same. With a little force, I can close and lock the door with the key even with the rope passing over the top of the door.

The door stays closed because it's locked with the key; I don't know what the body has to do with it (why did you mention it?)

Imagine, you only have a door wing, no doorframe, only two helpers. (not a real scenario, just to make clear what I mean). If the anchor is on the ground on your side of the door, you can hang from this doorwing, but the door would tilt in your direction and you will land on the ground buried under your door. Therefore you need the two helpers who have to support the doorwing on top, on your side. Of course the doorframe undertakes the task of the two helpers. And you are on the "right" side if this task is not taken by the hinges and the door latch, which are much weaker than the door frame.
The hinges are the weakest points, no matter how stable your walls and the doorframe is, and not all of them are designed to carry a persons weight.
You are right, it´s essential, that the door is closed and locked, because the doorframe supports the door wing, but this is only necessary if the hinges are broken.

 

[JesiBel]

Imagine, you only have a door wing, no doorframe, only two helpers. (not a real scenario, just to make clear what I mean). If the anchor is on the ground on your side of the door, you can hang from this doorwing, but the door would tilt in your direction and you will land on the ground buried under your door. Therefore you need the two helpers who have to support the doorwing on top, on your side. Of course the doorframe undertakes the task of the two helpers. And you are on the "right" side if this task is not taken by the hinges and the door latch, which are much weaker than the door frame.
The hinges are the weakest points, no matter how stable your walls and the doorframe is, and not all of them are designed to carry a persons weight.
You are right, it´s essential, that the door is closed and locked, because the doorframe supports the door wing, but this is only necessary if the hinges are broken.

Personally, I wouldn't consider using a door without a frame and without a lock or latch. Even less so if the hinges are in bad condition.

It's also worth clarifying the materials everything is made of. Always test them to make sure they're strong.

For the door to be secure, you must have both sides of the door firm, with the lock (or latch) and the hinges, one on each side. And the frame that holds everything together.

You can even hit the door with your body force to try open it and check if the lock is working properly and the entire setup/door is still in place and ok.

I'm not 100% getting it. There is a very heavy fire door in my office building (very few colleagues and I can sneak in at night). I suspect the door would close with the rope hanging over. What purpose would the anchor then serve?

The same function as a ship's anchor: to act as a stop.

If the rope were without any object tied to the other side of the door, it could slip; your body is adding weight while hanging, and something must "stop" it so that it doesn't fall.

If a ship were to throw its chain into the water without an anchor, it would not be useful for "stopping and remaining steady in one place."

This photo with an exercise band perhaps better explains the function of the "anchor object":

Spoiler

You can mimic the exercise with your rope + an anchor object tied to understand how it works.

Nice pictures.
If you made the rope from you to the dumbell very short and stood on a taller chair, would that work for you?
Start much higher.

Yes, for tall people it would be better if the ligature were as high up as possible on the door.

Sometimes I forget that not everyone is short like me lol

(I wanted to show in the photo how everything looked from both sides of the door)

 

[dreamgarden]

The physics of it is that the dumbbell can't fit through the gap between the door and the doorframe. If you tie a rope to a dumbbell (or any other object that's too large to fit through the gap), you can pull on the rope, and it'll hold. The reason it'll hold is that the rope is tied to an object that can't fit through the gap.

When you use this as a setup, the rope and the door will mostly be pulled downward. When a door is closed and it's pulled downward, the hinges can't really come loose. This is because the door is also supported by the doorframe on both sides.

You need to be able to close the door securely in order to use it. If the door can't be closed and locked, that's risky, and you shouldn't use it for this setup.

If the door or its hinges are very old and in bad condition, then you shouldn't use this setup either.

Instead of just thinking about it, I suggest you try it. You'd see it in practice, and perhaps get a better understanding of how and why it works.

Was this helpful, or is there anything you still don't understand?

yes, this makes sense to me now, thanks a lot!

do you know how i can check if my door is old? i think i'll just replace the hinges since they're creaking, but i'm not so sure what to do about the door itself.

edit: never mind actually. off first glance alone, my door is definitely not sturdy enough. i'll try finding another anchor point.

 

[Morris1211]

I posted that setup with a photo earlier in this thread. I like that idea better.

But OP was talking about Evelyn's setup idea.

Come on, man, how do you think you could break the door hinges even when the door is closed and locked? Unless your house is made of paper. Metal frames embedded in a concrete wall with a thick wooden door with three hinges. Please..

Any setup should always be tested beforehand. Not all houses are the same. With a little force, I can close and lock the door with the key even with the rope passing over the top of the door.

The door stays closed because it's locked with the key; I don't know what the body has to do with it (why did you mention it?)

Does having the rope pinched between the door make it more likely it could snap under your body weight?

 

[JesiBel]

Does having the rope pinched between the door make it more likely it could snap under your body weight?

I doubt it can be cut by friction. It's not a "sharp" surface. Take a piece of rope and try to cut it with the edges of the door using friction, and you'll see it's almost impossible.

In any case, in this scenario, the rope will be flattened and stuck between the door and the frame.
And the anchor object can be placed on either side, depending on your preference, as discussed earlier. You can place it above - on the opposite side of the door (as Evelyn suggests), or below - on the same side as your body (as I suggested).

You must ensure that the WLL (Working Load Limit) of your rope is higher than your weight, and always test the entire setup.

I suggest reading this entire thread, as the information, advice and photos are scattered across several posts.

 

[Morris1211]

I doubt it can be cut by friction. It's not a "sharp" surface. Take a piece of rope and try to cut it with the edges of the door using friction, and you'll see it's almost impossible.

In any case, in this scenario, the rope will be flattened and stuck between the door and the frame.
And the anchor object can be placed on either side, depending on your preference, as discussed earlier. You can place it above - on the opposite side of the door (as Evelyn suggests), or below - on the same side as your body (as I suggested).

You must ensure that the WLL (Working Load Limit) of your rope is higher than your weight, and always test the entire setup.

I suggest reading this entire thread, as the information, advice and photos are scattered across several posts.

Do you have an illustration of how you'd put the anchor point on the same side of the door as your body? I've seen this one.

 

[Worndown]

Will the door close with a rope over the top?