Building My Own Squat Rack (With Pictures)

[endlessscott]

Here are pictures of the modifications I made earlier today.

These are the little steel brackets I put on the edge, just so the bar won't roll on me. They're strong, so a rolling bar won't bowl them over.

Here's the ****l brackets I sawed off to cover the gap between the two boards. The boards were together pretty nicely, but I agree with raw_sinew in that I like the extra caution up there. I put 135 up on the rack and kind of hung from it, so it seems good and that's a good 410 on the bar.

This one goes out to the S & P, especially the "New idiot in the gym moment" thread.

 

[endlessscott]

why is m.e.t.a.l censored?

****l

From what I've seen, it's something to do with the word "m.eta" being used in code or something. I thought I saw something else that "S.cript" doesn't work either, but I don't know/care.

 

[bacon]

Awesome job, dude. Building your own shit is uber satisfying.

 

[Merrill]

Cool beans.

 

[endlessscott]

Awesome job, dude. Building your own shit is uber satisfying.

Thanks man, I took your idea that you can, in fact, make your own rack. I can't weld, but we made due. Your story (that I believe is still somewhere in the stickies) was a big inspiration.

 

[bacon]

I can't weld, but we made due.

Fuck it. If it does what it was designed to do, then it doesn't matter how you got there. Not to mention that you built that for half of what mine cost.

 

[nomilkforsanta]

I would lay some rubber in the grove on the squat rack to keep your bar's life long and happy.

 

[gza]

cute.
i made mine out of 4 me.t.al folding chairs

 

[endlessscott]

cute.
i made mine out of 4 me.t.al folding chairs

Sweet deal man. Like bacon said above, whatever works for you is perfect.

 

[liquid!]

good job endlessscott

 

[gza]

thats awesome

come build me one? <3

 

[1mmort4l]

Great job on the rack dude! Well done.
Although, steel would have been much easier, less bulky and you could even make it transportable.

Heres some pics of my rack i made a while back.
Cost me nothing, as i got the steel pretty much free. :icon_twis

Separatedbefore bolting together.

 

[1mmort4l]

Finished product with removable spot racks.

I changed the pins to rest the bar since this pic, to bits of flat plate, at 2 different heights.

I have had 1000lbs on it with no dramas!!!

Not hijacking your thread either mate...

Edit, heres a more recent pic.

 

[SmashiusClay]

If you're going really heavy in that thing I'd reccomend putting in another diagonal reinforcement running lef-right along the diagonal members that prevent it collapsing backwards. At the moment it's only the joints that are giving any torsional rigidity and the last thing you want is the damn thing to mouse trap sideways with you inside it.

Probably not necessary but I'd do it anyway just to be safe.

 

[Danoliver2]

Did you use any woodglue?

 

[endlessscott]

Not hijacking your thread either mate...

Definitely not hijacking. That's an awesome rack you've built there. I only really used wood instead of steel as it's more familiar to me. Maybe one day in the future I'll try to build one like that. After building this, I kind of feel like making pretty much anything I need.

As far as hijacking goes, I think it's pretty cool when people share their ideas/creations like that. I invite more people to post pics of their creations in here. We can all help each other until we've come up with the ultimate squat rack or something.

 

[endlessscott]

If you're going really heavy in that thing I'd reccomend putting in another diagonal reinforcement running lef-right along the diagonal members that prevent it collapsing backwards. At the moment it's only the joints that are giving any torsional rigidity and the last thing you want is the damn thing to mouse trap sideways with you inside it.

Probably not necessary but I'd do it anyway just to be safe.

That's actually something I've had in mind. I am not at the huge numbers yet (or ever), but I'm definitely keeping it in mind. I also liked the idea someone had of putting some rubber in the grooves of the squat rack to protect my bar.

I've also kicked around the idea of putting a couple of diagonals off the front end, just for stability. As of now, though, I've kept a couple of plates on the floorboards and the thing's been solid as a rock.

 

[endlessscott]

Double. First ever for me.

 

[endlessscott]

Did you use any woodglue?

The only wood glue I used was to make up for a tiny mistake. I cut one of the boards about 1/8 of an inch too short, and I just so happened to have a matching piece laying around. I then glue it on the end (just a little tiny bit, really more to make it level) and screwed it in. Honestly, I forget which board on the rack had the tiny little chunk added to it.

For the double boards, I did nail them all together before we screwed them into the rack, just to keep them tight.

 

[bacon]

My OCD says that you should have counter sunk the V-plates before using those screws, but it's just a style point.

*twitches*