DIY Equipment

[Moorefoodnow]

Tried searching around and found a couple threads close to this topic, but all were a bit specific or too general (diy grip stuff or garage gyms for example)

Wanted to start a thread for DIY equipment. Put up your projects here for racks, lifting platforms, blocks, special equipment, etc. Perhaps it may even be a good idea for a new subtopic dedicated to all things equipment. diy, Craigslist finds, product reviews etc?

I'll start by showcasing the barbell rack I made.

It's basically 2x4s with dowels in them to hang barbells on with a whiteboard above it.

Materials:
1- 8' 2x3
2 - 5/8" dowel rods
1 - 5/8" drill bit
4 - 4-1/2" lag bolts
4 - washers for the lag bolts

Brief instructions:
1. Set a saw to about 20 degrees and use it to cut a scrap of wood. This will be a guide for the angled holes we'll drill.
2. Use the angle to drill a 5/8" hole in more scrap and cut the section off to make a jig.
3.(optional) I refined the jig by repeating step 2 again for a tighter, wobble free hole
4. Cut the 2x3s into 2 equal lengths for however many bars you want to hang.
5. Use the jig to drill 5/8" holes for as many bars as you want to hang on the wall. Don't drill all the way through and secure dowels with wood glue
6. Anchor the 2x3s to the wall studs with lag bolts and washers. It may be helpful to use a broomstick and level to find where to anchor the second strip. I chose to use studs 32" apart because I had shorter farmer handles i wanted to put on the wall.
7. Let dry overnight and hang all your bars!

Steps for the whiteboard and tray:
1. After the rack is on the wall, screw a piece of 1x4 to the top of the bar rack to span the length of your whiteboard. If you want to get fancy, route a channel to store pens. Use your imagination.
2. Hang the whiteboard on the wall.

The log above the whiteboard is supported by basic brackets and a strip of stallmat anchored finish nails. To keep it from rolling off

[Adam Franklin]

Great stuff, thanks for posting! I'm going to keep this in mind for after I move to VA.

[Christopher Anderson]

Really great work, I am impressed sir.

[Moorefoodnow]

Great stuff, thanks for posting! I'm going to keep this in mind for after I move to VA.

Where in VA? I'm in Fredericksburg, myself

[Adam Franklin]

Where in VA? I'm in Fredericksburg, myself

At risk of high jacking the OP's threat, I will be moving to Petersburg in Aug, but then I'm moving again in Jan-Feb time frame.

[iamsmuts]

Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Is there any reason to make the dowels stick out so far? They are more likely to break that way. 2.5" - 3" should be enough, no?

Would counter sinking the lag bolts compromise the stability?

A sort of off topic question: Is the gap between the drywall and the concrete there to function as a capillary break? I haven't looked at many finished garages. I'm not sure what people do. . . . Is that wall opposite the inside of your house? I guess the back of the drywall is on the sill plate, but it looks like it might all for air flow that would suck heat from that wall by letting air in and up. . . .

[Moorefoodnow]

Cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Is there any reason to make the dowels stick out so far? They are more likely to break that way. 2.5" - 3" should be enough, no?

Would counter sinking the lag bolts compromise the stability?

A sort of off topic question: Is the gap between the drywall and the concrete there to function as a capillary break? I haven't looked at many finished garages. I'm not sure what people do. . . . Is that wall opposite the inside of your house? I guess the back of the drywall is on the sill plate, but it looks like it might all for air flow that would suck heat from that wall by letting air in and up. . . .

6" for the dowels was a guess. They could definitely be shorter, I just don't try to slam a bar on the end. I made them longer on purpose because I wanted to put my axle and farmers bars on there which are 2" in diameter instead of just 1-1/4 bars. I can fit both my farmers on one set of pins, so it's definitely longer than needed.

Also... I got no clue about the drywall question. We're in a townhouse that isn't an end unit so could just be sloppy drywall work? There's no exterior wall there or anything

[iamsmuts]

6" for the dowels was a guess. They could definitely be shorter, I just don't try to slam a bar on the end. I made them longer on purpose because I wanted to put my axle and farmers bars on there which are 2" in diameter instead of just 1-1/4 bars. I can fit both my farmers on one set of pins, so it's definitely longer than needed.

Also... I got no clue about the drywall question. We're in a townhouse that isn't an end unit so could just be sloppy drywall work? There's no exterior wall there or anything

I see. Thanks for the reply.

I doubt it's sloppy work. It's probably by design. I was just wondering if you knew why.

[Moorefoodnow]

Sandbag I made from a military sea bag, lined with thick contractor bags and filled with.... Sand.

The platform was made of 2x6s and I lay it across my spotter arms so I have an adjustable height loading platform for some strongman training.

[Moorefoodnow]

5" pulling blocks made from 2x4s, 3/4 plywood, and 3/4 stall mat. Dimensions 18x24

Made them so I could train for a 13" deadlift event and have plans to make another base to raise the bar to 18".

Probably better for the bar instead of dropping it on pins and those two heights are common events in strongman competition.

Could also be used for a RDL/SDL Platform if you have the flexibility, and could be useful in creating a box for box squats after I make the "extender" bases to stack them