Making a treadmill running deck

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  • Birth control glasses
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 8:44pm CST
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    Please help me with ideas for making a running deck for my treadmill. They only last a couple seasons before they develop a length-wise crack on the bottom. This eventually leads to deformities in the top surface which causes friction with the belt, which causes overheating of the motor and excessive wear on the belt.

    Treadmill decks (I've learned) are made from "MDF" or "medium density fibreboard", but I'm not sure what the slick material is on the surface that contacts the belt. You can get a sheet of MDF from home depot for about $30 which is enough material for 3 decks for a treadmill my size 48"x27". Trouble is, there is not a slick surface on it, so I need to find one to adhere to the top or just lay on top. I've seen formica (placed bottom up) suggested as a material to use. I have an old shower stall with a flat section that is big enough to cover the whole deck, but I'm not sure if it would hold up. Then there's this stuff called "melamine" that home depot has, which just looks like particle board with a smooth coating.

    They say the reason MDF is used is because it doesn't expand or contract like hardwood which would cause problems on the treadmill frame. It is supposed to be strong stuff, but it doesn't seem to hold up as a treadmill deck. So I wondered what could be placed under it to compensate for the tension force of a footstrike. I thought of putting some sheet metal underneath for support. I don't know if it would do any good, and if it would help, should it be a full sheet completely supporting the deck or would a few straps lain width-wise be sufficient.

    Has anyone tried this? What worked/didn't work for you? Any ideas would be nice. Thanks.
  • J.R.
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 9:08pm CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    I'm not familiar with deck material but am interested in your question.

    It would be interesting to improve the deck on my treadmill.

    Would hardwood really expand and contract that much in such a small space?

    Keep me posted on what you find out.
  • Birth control glasses
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 9:22pm CST
    re: J.R.
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    [quote]J.R. wrote:

    Would hardwood really expand and contract that much in such a small space?

    [quote]

    That's what I read in one of the very few discussions I found when googling the subject. You sound skeptical and I am too. The temperature indoors won't fluctuate much during the year, but the relative humidity might. That could have an effect, but really I don't know. My TM came with a fiberboard deck. I'm not sure if it's because it's the best material, or if it's the cheapest. I'll let you know what I find out.
  • Time will Tell
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 9:27pm CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    This is a great thread!!

    I can offer no help, but I can tell you my solution. I bought a NordicTrack and purchased an extended warranty that covered wear and tear. I asked - it even covered the walking board.

    About once a year, I call their 800 number and they ship me a free walking board.

    Mine will be out of warranty in about a year. I'd love to find a way to make my own when I can't get them anymore. I'm hoping to put 10,000 miles on mine before it dies (I'm at about 7000 now.)
  • Birth control glasses
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 9:45pm CST
    re: Time will Tell
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    I wish I had though of that! I just bought a new one last week and I wonder if it's too late to buy the extended warranty? Anyway, I'm keeping my old one so I can play around with making my own decks.

    It's really aggravating because a bad deck seems to cause a series of other problems which shorten the life of the TM. Being a skinflint, I wondered if I could avoid the $100 replacement cost and make my own. If the melamine fiberboard works ok, I can have 3 replacement decks from a $35 sheet.
  • J.R.
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 9:50pm CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    Birth control glasses wrote:

    I thought of putting some sheet metal underneath for support. I don't know if it would do any good, and if it would help, should it be a full sheet completely supporting the deck or would a few straps lain width-wise be sufficient.

    I'd probably put the sheet metal on top of the deck, and the slippery surface on that. This way the sheet metal would spread out the impact.
  • thoughts
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 9:50pm CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    I know I saw a post on RWOL about a guy repairing the deck of his treadmill. It was in the last month or 2. I think it was in one of the marathon training threads.
  • J.R.
    9 years ago 02/12/2011 10:45pm CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    Birth control glasses wrote:

    Being a skinflint, I wondered if I could avoid the $100 replacement cost and make my own.

    I got my treadmill from walmart 8 years ago for $300.

    When it wears out I'll just get another one.
  • Birth control glasses
    9 years ago 02/13/2011 10:39am CST
    re: J.R.
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    Bump
  • Birth control glasses
    9 years ago 02/13/2011 11:08am CST
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    J.R., on mine, I had to remove some plastic molding that protects the tightening screws on the rear roller, and some molding that protects the edges of the deck (much of it was secured to the deck with screws). Then I loosened the tension screws on the rear roller to loosen the belt. Then I unbolted the deck from the frame, slid the old deck out from under the belt and slid the new deck in. Then reversed the dissembly process. My TM is Horizon make and they have pdf instructions for doing many maintenance and repair tasks which I'm sorry to say I experience many.

    On TM's, there's always plastic covering up the nuts and bolts of how it's constructed. Once you pull that stuff off, it makes sense how it's all put together. Careful, some of the screws that attached the molding to the deck were hard to find. I kept removing screws thinking I found the last one, but it was still attached. When I bought my replacement deck, it wasn't pre-drilled properly to receive the screws, so I had to drill my own. Then, the molding didn't quite fit right and rattled in operation. Eventually, I ripped it all off so that all the inner workings are completely exposed. Another reason I'm annoyed at paying +$100 for a replacement deck.

    The surface material is important and that's one of the big questions. I have three ideas for it: 1) use the melamine coated MDF, 2) use the back-side of formica flooring bolted and maybe glued to the deck, 3) use sections of an old junked shower stall as the surface. I like #3 because that stuff is rigid, flat, slippery as hell and big enough to cover the entire deck. I'll probably just try one first since it's easiest.
  • Birth control glasses
    9 years ago 02/13/2011 11:12am CST
    re: thoughts
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    Interesting, don't suppose you have a link? I'll have a look.

    I'm surprised there is so little out there about trying to do this. There has to be engineers out there who can't abide shelling out so much for a small sheet of fiberboard.
  • 2 Legit 2 Quit
    registered
    9 years ago 02/13/2011 11:23am CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    Just an random thought, what is your treadmill sitting on? If it is sitting on something soft (like carpet) it may be that the way you land when you are running on it is putting a stress (torsion) on it that they didn't design it for. If you can make sure it is on a hard surface that may help.

    Or it just may be a piece. Good luck making the new deck.
  • Rodger Kram
    registered
    9 years ago 02/13/2011 12:11pm CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    Many higher end treadmills use a material called "phenolic".
    I've built treadmills from scratch for research purposes and I find phenolic is the best. I tried UHMWPE (teflon generic) but it wears out, buckles etc.
    You can buy sheets of phenolic from a local plastic supplier.
  • wood guy
    9 years ago 02/14/2011 5:43am CST
    re: Rodger Kram
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    Agree that UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight poly ethelyne) would work but is expensive and would need to be backed up by proper thickness of plywood to make it rigid enough.

    I'd go with a cabinet grade (the more plys the better) plywood. myself and make sure edges are sanded round and hardware is countersunk below the surface. Then get some belt lube from a store that specalizes in exercise equipment.
    I am surprised that you get cracks in your deck though. You might want to reinforce the plywood with a wood strip lengthwise if there is space for it. Good luck!
  • Birth control glasses
    9 years ago 02/14/2011 10:19pm CST
    re: 2 Legit 2 Quit
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    2 legit, my TM is on a sheet of plywood that is on top of carpet. I don't really have a place to put it that is not carpeted. I put the plywood down to have something rigid for the frame.

    Thanks Rodger and Woodguy for the excellent ideas. I will seek out the materials you described.
  • Todd H
    8 years ago 01/06/2012 10:49am CST
    re: Rodger Kram
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    Rodger, which phenolic did you find the best? Linen, canvas?? And how did you secure it to your wood? THANK YOU!
  • Pizzaguy
    8 years ago 01/06/2012 11:15am CST
    re: Todd H
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    When I first read this I imagined you trying to turn the surface of your deck outside of your house into a running treadmill. The belt would be say 15 feet by 30. You could run stationary on the treadmill with a group of friends, maybe 5 or 6 friends, while your wife cooks hotdogs off to the side, occasionally spraying you guys down with the garden hose, etc. etc.
  • redux
    8 years ago 01/06/2012 11:18am CST
    re: Pizzaguy
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    That would be awesome! I'd feel bad for whoever fell off pace with the group.
  • InWyo
    registered
    8 years ago 01/06/2012 11:33am CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    I'm pretty sure Melamine is what you want. I have a LiveStrong treadmill and that is what my deck is made of. The issue of expansion and contraction isn't caused by the ambient temperature in your room, it's caused by the friction of the belt itself. This is why you are supposed to lubricate it with a silicone lubricant every 1000 miles or so. Also, if you attempt to place metal, or phenolic with plywood or MDF, you'll get differential expansion and contraction and that will torque the materials and likely make things a bit worse.

    Now if you are cracking the the deck lengthwise, I think you may want to consider just using Melamine, and just be very carefull with your assembly. There may be a mounting bracket that is just slightly out of tolerance so you are not loading the deck uniformly (causing a moment or shear concentration). This may require some calipers to check, but it may be that one of the brackets was damaged one time, or it may be a manufacturing flaw.

    Good luck
  • lardo
    8 years ago 02/23/2012 8:51pm CST
    re: Birth control glasses
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    try using vinyl planks, used in flooring. usually see them in the clothes section at walmart,looks like wood on their floors.

    heres an example of what it is. http://www.lumberliquidators.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=6964&CAWELAID=899334823&gclid=CNDuiIzAta4CFRN3hwodEymsow