Shopsmith Forums

These pull down attic ladders are extremely dangerous, particularly as one becomes less agile. I decided to do something about it a few years ago and decided to post here.

Everything was from scrap wood except for the grab bar that I picked up at a thrift store for $1.

The pictures probably are all that's needed but I'll add a few statements with each one.

Any farm boy can tell thee that it is a good idea to watch where thee walks in a haymow.

I replaced my wooden one with an aluminum one. It is lighter and will hold more weight.

My experience with them is that if not installed correctly(cut to proper length with joints tight) they tend to self collapse and be loose jointed. Often they were installed over a bare floor and the flooring changed later.

When installed correctly, they are very stable and do not move under varying loads. When installed correctly all those joints have zero gaps/play.

A common problem is with the upper hinge(hinge on top) that if the bottom is too long will open as 'weight' ascends the ladder.