Input for home built rack
gwhizeh
Posts: 269 Member
Hi, I decided I wanted to start Stronglifts after reading about some great results on here. I sold my universal gym and picked up 300lbs of Olympic weights. This should be good enough to start for me. Problem is no rack. I am welder by trade and also can do Autocad, so I scoured the web and looked at a ton of racks. I have drawn up a plan for a simple rack. I have no doubt I can build this and ensure its safe, but I am hoping for some input or feed back on what I have so far.
It will be a 2X2 sq tube rack with 2" hole spacing throughout. I realize some higher end racks have 1" spacing, but this didn't concern me to much. I can always build a custom bench if it's truly a pain.
I guess my main concerns are, is it wide enough,deep enough and stable enough? The height is based on what will work in my basement and not much available adjustment there. I am trying to keep it comfortably usable while not having a giant footprint. These dimensions seem to fall in line with some brand name racks I viewed on the web. I will likely order J-hooks and either fab safeties or buy them also.
Anyway. Looking for thoughts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94513239@N08/8596101173/
Thanks.
It will be a 2X2 sq tube rack with 2" hole spacing throughout. I realize some higher end racks have 1" spacing, but this didn't concern me to much. I can always build a custom bench if it's truly a pain.
I guess my main concerns are, is it wide enough,deep enough and stable enough? The height is based on what will work in my basement and not much available adjustment there. I am trying to keep it comfortably usable while not having a giant footprint. These dimensions seem to fall in line with some brand name racks I viewed on the web. I will likely order J-hooks and either fab safeties or buy them also.
Anyway. Looking for thoughts.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94513239@N08/8596101173/
Thanks.
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Replies
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I have the Kindle version of Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. In it he has some advice on a home gym setup. Below is an excerpt from the book.
Figure 8-8. The best power racks are heavy. This one is welded, and it has uprights of 4-inch channel with holes drilled on 3-inch centers, heavy 1¼-inch pins and chin bar, a heavy plywood floor reinforced with channel, and heavy bolts for hooks. The plan for this rack follows in Figure 8-10.
Rippetoe, Mark (2012-01-13). Starting Strength (Kindle Locations 7881-7883). The Aasgaard Company. Kindle Edition.0 -
Here is a link to the pdf version of the autocad plans that Rippetoe posted on a forum a few years ago for the rack he had built
http://www.wfac-gym.com/files/rack_model.pdf0 -
Good find, they look like the same plans that are in the Starting Strength book.0
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For the safety rails you can just use a piece of 3/4" pipe that slides through the holes. Thread a cap on both sides so that it can't wiggle out and there ya go.
My only other thing would be that drilling 200 - 1 3/8" holes (25 holes x 2 sides per hole x 4 posts) would take for freaking ever, and at least 10 bits unless you have a sharpener. I'd look at shopping that part out if you can. Even the Riptoe one that uses C channel instead of tube with it's 100 holes would still take a very long time.
Oh and I can't really tell from the drawings, they get a bit blurry when I zoom in that far, but I wouldn't recommend welding it into one solid piece. If you ever need to move it, unbolting, moving it, and then re-bolting it is way easier than cutting it apart and re-welding it.0 -
Hi, it is designed to be bolted and broken down . Hard to see in the pic. The holes will be a pain, however I have a connection st a machine shop, that will be able to assist in that part of it. I have looked at the rippetoe version also. Looked narrow, but again i am not sure what i need for room. Thanks.0
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This sounds awesome. Sorry i have no advice, but please post some pictures when you complete it.0
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I think I'd go with 2x4 box or 1x3 channel instead of 2x2 box.0
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hey bro if you have the skills and the means just go to top notch store peep out the rack u want and take mad pics and measurements and just build that **** urself, if the give u flack tell em your doin indepth research prior to purchasing. Good luck homey n add pics when ur done!! good luck bro!!0
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Did lots more reading forums, think I got what will work. Ordered materials today. Getting stoked. Ill post pics as I finish.0
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Well, after a long haul and perfect timing, I finally finished the rack. Into it for maybe around $200 (160 for steel) and a crap load of time. Which is fine, I like to build things anyway. Drilling holes was by far the worst part of the ordeal. A drill press goes a long way there. I did go through one bit, it was used previously though, could have fought through it, but for like $12 I bought a fresh one. I made it completely bolt up so it can be broken down and moved out if needed. I also wound up fabbing the J-hooks. Too late to workout tonight to try it and I am already considering changing the safeties to a square tube/jhook style. Not sure what they're called exactly. But I will test it out and see how she goes! Fairly pleased with the first attempt at building one.
Finished product:
Jhooks:
Here is a link to the photos if you care to look.
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjF5GZxf0 -
very nice job!!0
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Look great, nice work!0
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Worked out last night. What a difference. No more struggling to get to squat position. Felt good man!0
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Nice work on the rack. Are those safety's big enough to catch a dropped, loaded bar? I'm no engineer, so I'm honestly asking - they look thin compared to the commercial jobbies I've seen.0
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I agree they look thin. It's 3/4" solid round bar. Its part of why I will consider switching the safeties at some point. But the total yield strength strength of that bar is aprx 54000 pounds per square inch. From what I understand the shear strength on the safe side is half that in basic terms. This is best guess though, by no means am I an engineer either. Spans and all that will come into play I'm sure. I don't believe it will snap in a uncontrolled drop, it may bend, but at that point I wont care as long as I'm not hurt. Can always get more bar. My other option is sliding pipe over the 3/4". Lower end commercial racks also do this. Especially on 2" sq rack. Definitely wont bend pipe and rod combo.
If I were to build it again I would go larger even if it is just possibly for looks. My personal opinion is some lower rated commercial racks go with larger bars just so it doesn't look wimpy lol. And I really don't intend on throwing 4 or 5 hundred pounds at it. Anytime soon anyway
I currently have 300lbs of weights and I will see where it goes. Not a very good test, but I did lay the bar a cross it, sit my 236 pound *kitten* on it and bounce lol. No movement. But I will certainly be keeping an eye on it. 0 -
I agree they look thin. It's 3/4" solid round bar. Its part of why I will consider switching the safeties at some point. But the total yield strength strength of that bar is aprx 54000 pounds per square inch. From what I understand the shear strength on the safe side is half that in basic terms. This is best guess though, by no means am I an engineer either. Spans and all that will come into play I'm sure. I don't believe it will snap in a uncontrolled drop, it may bend, but at that point I wont care as long as I'm not hurt. Can always get more bar. My other option is sliding pipe over the 3/4". Lower end commercial racks also do this. Especially on 2" sq rack. Definitely wont bend pipe and rod combo.
If I were to build it again I would go larger even if it is just possibly for looks. My personal opinion is some lower rated commercial racks go with larger bars just so it doesn't look wimpy lol. And I really don't intend on throwing 4 or 5 hundred pounds at it. Anytime soon anyway I currently have 300lbs of weights and I will see where it goes. Not a very good test, but I did lay the bar a cross it, sit my 236 pound *kitten* on it and bounce lol. No movement. But I will certainly be keeping an eye on it.
I know the safeties at my gym are thicker but hollow, so I'm guessing solid steel will more than hold any amount of weight you could put on it.
Great stuff, and I'd even go so far as to say that you should price this out and offer to build it for folks. Might come across some liability issues but it might be a fun and profitable side business.0 -
Thanks. Materials wise it was fairly cheap. Time wise not so much. I'm sure I would build another if asked, but unlikely just to build one. I would have to improve the system a bit. Mainly the hole drilling. By far the most time consuming part of the project.0
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I hear ya. Wish I had the space for a rack in my place right now. Need to start saving to buy a house 0
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Nice job on the home-made rack.
Good luck when you get into the cage, and transform your body.0 -
Thats looks good when I get a bigger place I have a friend who's an engineer could make something like that for me.0
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Thanks. Been using it pretty faithfully. Now if I could just weld my mouth shut I'd be all set lol.0
