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Thread: 3" vs 4" channel rack

  1. #1
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    Feb 2010
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    Default 3" vs 4" channel rack

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    In a recent youtube video, you gave a virtual tour of WFAC. In this video, you briefly mentioned that early on, you had racks fabricated with 3" channel. How have these racks performed and held up over the years?

    I ask because I live too far away to buy a SS rack (Sydney Australia), so I am going to have one fabricated, and I am considering using 3" channel.

    Thanks very much.

  2. #2
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    Jul 2007
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    North Texas
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    The old racks were 3 x 1 channel. The new racks are 4 x 1.5 channel. The new ones are better.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    187

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    I have one 4 inch rack and eight 3 inch channel power racks several from the early seventies with thousands of heavy squats and benching done in them they have held up fine I can’t see any real difference

    1-1/8 inch cold rolled pins 1-1/4 inch holes

    If I had a commercial gym like Rips and had the option, I would go with his four inch recommendation, but for a residential application the 3 inch will serve you well

    FWIW Mine are 3x 1-1/2 (5 lbs per foot) steel channel Is available in different weights per foot and different load ratings

  4. #4
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    Indiana
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    Bman, having a squat rack collection is a very eccentric thing. Will you every post a gallery of it? MOMA material, I think.

  5. #5
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    Aug 2019
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    Quote Originally Posted by crossley View Post
    In a recent youtube video, you gave a virtual tour of WFAC. In this video, you briefly mentioned that early on, you had racks fabricated with 3" channel. How have these racks performed and held up over the years?

    I ask because I live too far away to buy a SS rack (Sydney Australia), so I am going to have one fabricated, and I am considering using 3" channel.

    Thanks very much.

    I just got an SS rack fabricated with 4" channels (Metric nomenclature for the channel I used is ISMC-100, where 100 stands for 100 mm and ISMC stands for Indian Standard Medium Weight Channel. It weighs 9.2 kg per metre i.e. 6.2 lbs/ft) based on Rip's plan, but with some modifications such as 30" working depth, 2" hole spacing, bolted connections etc. I got it done through a local workshop, but I made the modified assembly and production drawings myself and I was involved in the production planning. In fact I used to visit the workshop at least once daily so that I could get involved in the fabrication too. So I can answer your question.

    You may save some money if you go for 3" channels, but the savings would be marginal as the material costs would not be a large fraction of your total costs. The most expensive part would be drilling all those holes unless you are planning to drill them all yourself. Drilling costs are not going to change (or only a little, due to difference in thickness) whether you go for a 3" or 4" channel. So I would recommend 4" channels over 3" because it is heavy and rugged. In the end you want your rack to be a "piece of geology", don't you?

    Tip: If there is someone who can laser drill the holes, consider the option. My workshop guy estimated that conventional machine drilling of so many 32 mm holes would be more expensive in terms of machine and man hours. So we went for laser drilling and it definitely saved some money and a lot of time.

  6. #6
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    Jan 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by VNV View Post
    Bman, having a squat rack collection is a very eccentric thing. Will you every post a gallery of it? MOMA material, I think.
    Sad story

    The short version is I was going to open a key club Type Black iron weight room with my son.

    We’ve been gathering Additional racks and York barbells toward that end.

    He died last year, only 32 years old, between that and the virus BS I’ve lost interest.


    FWIW I was wrong I have 10 racks, (forgot I have two in storage)

    I’m going to put 3 Nice racks and three York 400 lb Olympic sets on Atlanta Craigslist this week and probably keep four of my original racks for my personal use.

    Plan Is to offer the other three racks to my daughters and son in laws
    If they aren’t interested those will be on Craigslist soon as well. I’ll just keep paring it down. I can’t use it all, decided somebody should.
    They are all welded channel racks

  7. #7
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    Indiana
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    That’s a gut punch.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    729

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    Quote Originally Posted by PuliMorgan View Post
    I just got an SS rack fabricated with 4" channels (Metric nomenclature for the channel I used is ISMC-100, where 100 stands for 100 mm and ISMC stands for Indian Standard Medium Weight Channel. It weighs 9.2 kg per metre i.e. 6.2 lbs/ft) based on Rip's plan, but with some modifications such as 30" working depth, 2" hole spacing, bolted connections etc. I got it done through a local workshop, but I made the modified assembly and production drawings myself and I was involved in the production planning. In fact I used to visit the workshop at least once daily so that I could get involved in the fabrication too. So I can answer your question.

    You may save some money if you go for 3" channels, but the savings would be marginal as the material costs would not be a large fraction of your total costs. The most expensive part would be drilling all those holes unless you are planning to drill them all yourself. Drilling costs are not going to change (or only a little, due to difference in thickness) whether you go for a 3" or 4" channel. So I would recommend 4" channels over 3" because it is heavy and rugged. In the end you want your rack to be a "piece of geology", don't you?

    Tip: If there is someone who can laser drill the holes, consider the option. My workshop guy estimated that conventional machine drilling of so many 32 mm holes would be more expensive in terms of machine and man hours. So we went for laser drilling and it definitely saved some money and a lot of time.
    how much did it cost?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
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    The rack with powder coating, SS bench steel frame, four weight storage pins, two additional M30 bolt hooks, two cross bars for dips and a 5 kg kids' bar with non-rotating welded sleeves: altogether INR: 27000/-.

    That would be equivalent to US $ 358 as per today's exchange rates. This doesn't include the wood for the bench.

    I am now making a crude DIY rope pulley attachment for lat pull downs for my wife who can't do pull ups. It will cost another INR 1000/- (US $ 14). Got the rope idea from Rip's tour of WFAC.

    My 3 piece compact deadlift platform cost is about Rs 6600/- (US $ 88) including plywood, rubber and carpenter's charges. I had to rely on a carpenter because I didn't have the tools. Else I could have cut down the cost further here.

    I might have spent another INR 300/- (US $ 5) on miscellaneous stuff like some adhesive rubber pads for the dip bar.

    Yea, I am getting them cheap because 1) I am doing a lot of stuff myself, including assembly and production drawings, material selection, supervision of fabrication etc. 2) Steel and labour are cheap here in India, 3) The workshop guy is an old friend who understood my passion and gave me a good deal.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    25

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    Bobman--I'm terribly sorry to hear about your son. That's really tough. Totally understand if you want to test the Craigslist market, but if you would consider a private sale of a rack and weight sets, I'd be interested. I'm also in the Atlanta area. My email is here: buffaloirish9699@gmail.com

    Quote Originally Posted by bobman View Post
    Sad story

    The short version is I was going to open a key club Type Black iron weight room with my son.

    We’ve been gathering Additional racks and York barbells toward that end.

    He died last year, only 32 years old, between that and the virus BS I’ve lost interest.


    FWIW I was wrong I have 10 racks, (forgot I have two in storage)

    I’m going to put 3 Nice racks and three York 400 lb Olympic sets on Atlanta Craigslist this week and probably keep four of my original racks for my personal use.

    Plan Is to offer the other three racks to my daughters and son in laws
    If they aren’t interested those will be on Craigslist soon as well. I’ll just keep paring it down. I can’t use it all, decided somebody should.
    They are all welded channel racks

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