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Thread: Flat Bench Specs

  1. #1
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    Default Flat Bench Specs

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    Hello Mr. Rippetoe,
    I'm welding my own equipment such as the power rack that you had made, but I was wondering as for as the bench did you happen to have a plan for that one?

  2. #2
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    A flat bench is 48" x 10" x 17" net dimension.

  3. #3
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    When welding one would 2x2 square tubing work? or should I use 3x3?

  4. #4
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    One inch tubing is adequate. You don't want the damn thing so heavy you can't move it easily.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by icarrillo15 View Post
    Hello Mr. Rippetoe,
    I'm welding my own equipment such as the power rack that you had made, but I was wondering as for as the bench did you happen to have a plan for that one?
    From IPF rule book, converted to Imperial units;

    1. Length - not less than 48" and shall be flat and level.
    2. Width - not less than 11.4" and not exceeding 12.6".
    3. Height - not less than 16.5" and not exceeding 17.7" measured from the floor to the top of the padded surface of
    the bench without it being depressed or compacted.

  6. #6
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    1/8" thick should be strong enough right? or should I go with the 3/16"?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Giri View Post
    From IPF rule book, converted to Imperial units;
    Giri has caught me in another error. Good boy!! I said 10 inches wide, and the IPF likes no less than 11.4. You get a pat on the head and a treat!!

    If you upholster a piece of 2x10 lumber, you'll be able to satisfy both Giri and the IPF. Just don't use a 2x12. Or the OP could just ask the IPF and not me.

    Quote Originally Posted by icarrillo15 View Post
    1/8" thick should be strong enough right? or should I go with the 3/16"?
    The tubing wall? Sure, 1/8 is plenty, but 3/16 won't hurt anything.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Giri has caught me in another error. Good boy!! I said 10 inches wide, and the IPF likes no less than 11.4. You get a pat on the head and a treat!!

    If you upholster a piece of 2x10 lumber, you'll be able to satisfy both Giri and the IPF. Just don't use a 2x12. Or the OP could just ask the IPF and not me.



    The tubing wall? Sure, 1/8 is plenty, but 3/16 won't hurt anything.
    I was counting on an SS T-shirt, delivered to Bangalore, with shipping paid for, dear uncle Rip. Guess I have to do with the smug satisfaction to be derived from "catching your errors"

    But otherwise, having spend the last three months studying power rack and bench designs, standards and reference dimensions, going through several iterations of CAD, getting quotes from a dozen odd fabricators etc., I posted the IPF reference fresh in my memory. SS book recommendation is for bench dimensions is 17 inches high with the padding compressed, 12 inches wide, and 48 inches long.

    In the context of the discussion, I used 2.8" x 2.8" x SWG 10 stock, the same stock used for the power rack, just to keep the raw material procurement simple. It would probably be unnecessarily strong and heavy as a tank. If it is of any satisfaction, its height would be 18" uncompressed as the 1.5" foam I recommended wasn't available and the fabricator had to use the 2" foam. Rogue has a couple of 18" high benches too. They might lose some height with usage.

  9. #9
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    Another delightful catch for you!!! A typo in the book!!!!!!!!!!! Ha!!! 12 inches is too wide. Use a 2x10 or whatever is the equivalent lumber on The Subcontinent. And there's always the satisfaction derived from pleasing your peers.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    All of these shenanigans aside, a flat bench is just a thing that provides stability for a given head to butt length. Keep that in mind. Satisfy your dimensions and work from that.

    If you're not particularly design engineering inclined, just do what I did and copy Rogue's. It's a simple design requiring few tools.
    Starting Strength Indianapolis is up and running. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching session.
    I answer all my emails: ALewis@StartingStrengthGyms.com

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