I was wondering since the plans only call for 8 dowels do you cut them in half only making a 24" wide climbing space? Looks like there are a total of 15 dowels for both sides.
I am going to try to make this today but was wondering if I made it approx 12 inches higher would the triangle stay the same dimensions or would I have to work it out differently?
So, there are a couple ways I see this. You could make the triangle taller and steeper, but the base footprint would still be the same. Or you could make the entire triangle larger, including the base, in which case the shape would be identical, just bigger. Either way, the cuts/lengths of each board would probably be different.
So, paint is actually pretty durable on it's own and while you could put water-based polyurethane on top for extra protection, you really don't need to. For the wood portions, I'd recommend Zinsser's Shellac Sealcoat for the finish. It's non-toxic, and probably edible after a 30 day cure time just in case your kid starts chewing on it. (I say probably because shellac in general is edible; I'm less positive about this specific mixture.) As for conditioning the wood, that's only necessary if you're staining, and even then it's only necessary sometimes. If you want more info, I've actually got posts on all of these things: - Choosing a Finish: abutterflyhouse.com/polyurethane-varnish-shellac-lacquer/ - Wood Finish Toxicity/Food Safety: abutterflyhouse.com/food-safe-non-toxic-wood-finishes/ - Wood Conditioner: abutterflyhouse.com/wood-conditioner/
