Equipment Crew- Part III

[fishpat86]

Mirin mansard roof shed.

[Wildtim]

Well I bought a new Troy Olympic bar and pair of Troy 45 lb bumpers yesterday. I guess I am back in the game.

Knew you couldn't stay out of it!!!

[buffbrown21]

Knew you couldn't stay out of it!!!

Yeah, didn't take long. I have missed my low rep, heavy weight stuff mainly.

[KBKB]

Second page bump!

Here are two photos from Friday's hike...

[owasM]

Thats a good looking shed Steven, nicely built. When I move ino my next house I'm still undecided on whet to make my gym. Timber framed building, shipping continer, brickbuilt garage extension are all possibles I'm considering.

am i right in thinking you can make a timber building higher then a brick/block building?

my parents only paid £15000 for a two bedroom, new kitchen and a big front room extension ... is it just me, or does that seem really cheap?

[ProtienandIron]

am i right in thinking you can make a timber building higher then a brick/block building?

my parents only paid £15000 for a two bedroom, new kitchen and a big front room extension ... is it just me, or does that seem really cheap?

TBH mate I haven't read the new rules. I think the difference with a timber and a block built structure is that you can claim the timber one as non permanent which should make life a bit easier. They've recently relaxed a lot of the rules to encourage more building work anyway so its all changed since I built the outhouse you see in my avi.

15000 seems extrordinarily cheap. We are in tough times though so the builder was probably more desperate for the work then in times gone by.

[owasM]

TBH mate I haven't read the new rules. I think the difference with a timber and a block built structure is that you can claim the timber one as non permanent which should make life a bit easier. They've recently relaxed a lot of the rules to encourage more building work anyway so its all changed since I built the outhouse you see in my avi.

15000 seems extrordinarily cheap. We are in tough times though so the builder was probably more desperate for the work then in times gone by.

i see,
i like the shipping container idea, do those come in one solid peice or can be taken apart?

it was actualy built in 2006 if i remember correctly, not had any problems on the new side since too so he did a good job.

[ProtienandIron]

i see,
i like the shipping container idea, do those come in one solid peice or can be taken apart?

it was actualy built in 2006 if i remember correctly, not had any problems on the new side since too so he did a good job.

They are 1 piece welded very heavy steel box. The main problems are that you need access (by crain or lorry) to where ever you are going to put it, and it needs to have a level surface made/marked out for it. Wherever you put it, it will stay!

Once you have it though you would probably want to modify it by unsulating it, as it will be like a giant oven or freezer depending on the time of the year. Another very important reason to insulate it is to stop the condensation/moisture built up otherwise the roof will be dripping in the winter.

[owasM]

They are 1 piece welded very heavy steel box. The main problems are that you need access (by crain or lorry) to where ever you are going to put it, and it needs to have a level surface made/marked out for it. Wherever you put it, it will stay!

Once you have it though you would probably want to modify it by unsulating it, as it will be like a giant oven or freezer depending on the time of the year. Another very important reason to insulate it is to stop the condensation/moisture built up otherwise the roof will be dripping in the winter.

seems like a cost effective idea, at a quick look there about £1000 for a 20ft,
although there only 2.3 meter wide so might feel a little cramped.

i personaly don't have any acces around my house apart from the building site behind, i dont think theyd use there crane to move a container over my fence

[ProtienandIron]

seems like a cost effective idea, at a quick look there about £1000 for a 20ft,
although there only 2.3 meter wide so might feel a little cramped.

i personaly don't have any acces around my house apart from the building site behind, i dont think theyd use there crane to move a container over my fence

Yep, they come in various conditions and prices, and I thing transport is about 250. For the cost of a few tins of hammerite and some insulation you can have a great lifting den. They are a bit narrow, but they can fit a lot more gear then you would think. I'm giving it some serious consideration.

[ProtienandIron]

All this carpentry talk recently got me thinking about my 20oz leather handled Estwing hammer. I had some spare time so I decided to make a belt holster out of leather to compliment it.

[Wildtim]

Problem with the leather handle is that it rots if you use it out in the weather. I much prefer wood. My spare hammer has a fiberglass handle but all my first choice tools are wood handled.

Her's what it looked like new:




All the paint and laser etching is gone now. Hard to believe this ones ten years old. I used to go through one or two a year when I was in the trade.

[ProtienandIron]

Problem with the leather handle is that it rots if you use it out in the weather. I much prefer wood. My spare hammer has a fiberglass handle but all my first choice tools are wood handled.

Her's what it looked like new:




All the paint and laser etching is gone now. Hard to believe this ones ten years old. I used to go through one or two a year when I was in the trade.

Right you are about the leather. I'm very selective where I use it for that very reason. I find the leather handled ones really comfortable, especially when you sand the handle varnish down a bit on the new ones. I have the blue handled straight claw too which I use outdoors and messy jobs. For some reason I own about 10 claw hammers, but my estwings are my favourites.

I read on a forum once that estwings arent popular in the trades over in the states, is that true? Every builder on site has one over here, its practically uniform. lol That framing hammer looks nice. We don't get that brand over here but I am forever reading tool reviews online about them, especially the demolition tool they make.

[Accutron]

They are 1 piece welded very heavy steel box. The main problems are that you need access (by crain or lorry) to where ever you are going to put it, and it needs to have a level surface made/marked out for it. Wherever you put it, it will stay!

Once you have it though you would probably want to modify it by unsulating it, as it will be like a giant oven or freezer depending on the time of the year. Another very important reason to insulate it is to stop the condensation/moisture built up otherwise the roof will be dripping in the winter.

Those shipping containers are VERY cool. In my area they use them for portable construction satellite offices so they have a little place for the managers to work on a construction site. They come with a conversion kit with a door, some windows, vents, connection holes for things.








Container Offices

Shipping, or ISO, container offices are extremely popular given the many ways they can be used. They are designed to provide the same level of portability and security as typical containers but are modified with features that allows them to act as office space.

Storage container offices are typically used as on-site field offices for contractors, project managers or engineers in major construction or land development projects. They are also used as remote or emergency offices due to their portability and durability.
Specifications:

20′ x 8′ x 8.5′ standard ISO dimensions (40′ long available also)
Approximately 5,000 lbs.
All steel construction
Vinyl tile flooring
Insulated walls with finished interior walls and ceiling
Air conditioner and heating
Interior and exterior lighting and power receptacles
36″ swing door and sliding windows (security bars available)
Optional storage area with double-doors

[ProtienandIron]

Nice pics. Over here they use them for the same reason, when you are inside you can't tell them apart from a normal building.

A neat trick I forgot to mention when buying these is to keep an eye out for old refridgerated models for shipping temperature sensitive goods. These cabins are already insulated for you.

As with all of these though, price varies dependant on specs and condition, but I have seen some great deals in the past.

[KBKB]

Bottom of 2nd page bump...

I've been doing a seven and a half minute kettlebell complex that's been kicking my butt...

I've set up my gymboss with two intervals, 35 seconds and 10 seconds for 10 rounds. That's 45 seconds per round; 10 rounds makes it 450 seconds or seven and a half minutes.

During the 35 second interval, I've been doing 10 swings with one hand, one extra swing to transition from one hand to the other and then 10 swings with the other hand. The gymboss usually beeps right as I'm doing the tenth swing. In the shorter, ten second interval, I do a half snatch so that the bell is above my head; I lower it to rack position and then press it back up again where I "rest" with the bell locked out above my head for whatever time remains of that ten seconds. When the timer beeps to start the next round, I do the top-to-bottom portion of a the snatch and start the series of swings over again.

I've been using a 20kg bell. My forearms are toast when it's done. There have been a few times when I've had to transition to the other hand early because I was unsure about hanging on. After ten rounds, I've done 210 swings, 10 presses, and 10 snatches.

I'd like to be able to add more rounds, but at the moment, I doubt that I could do more without dropping the bell.

[Accutron]

Bottom of 2nd page bump...

I've been doing a seven and a half minute kettlebell complex that's been kicking my butt......
I'd like to be able to add more rounds, but at the moment, I doubt that I could do more without dropping the bell.

Im really interested in starting something like that I should look into Kettle bells. Ive never really given them much thought or attention but now Im changing things up...

May I ask what type of kettle bells brand do you have, were you really picky when you looked for them? (Some people take the finish off the handles, or things like that...)

[KBKB]

May I ask what type of kettle bells brand do you have, were you really picky when you looked for them? (Some people take the finish off the handles, or things like that...)

I started out with the Ironmaster kettlebell handle. Back in the fall of 2011, someone else had started a thread about the Ironmaster handle. The OP was really enthusiastic about the handle and I asked him about how he liked it for doing cleans and snatches because there had been some discussion in the past about it perhaps being less than ideal for those movements. It turned out that the OP hadn't actually had that much kettlebell experience. But to be fair, I hadn't either. I had been using the handle for swings every now and then, but that was about it.

Another poster who used to be quite active here, keyboardworkout, gave me some good advice about kettlebell brands that he liked. As I recall, he had some Dragon Door bells, but they're very expensive. He also had some Lifeline USA bells that he thought were very good, but less expensive than the DD bells. Anyway... the first real kettlebell I got was a Lifeline USA bell. I've also purchased some AOS / Punch bells from Rogue mainly to fill in the sizes not covered by Lifeline USA. I also own a 28kg competition style bell from MDUSA and a 24kg VF Fitness Kettlebell from World Kettlebell Club. I have a 24kg VF Precision Kettlebell on order.

Anyway... of all the kettlebells I own, I still like the Lifeline USA bells the best. After experimenting with the MDUSA competition bell, I purchased additional Lifeline and AOS/Punch bells so that I'd have doubles in the sizes (weights) that I use most frequently. I have two each of 20kg, 24kg, 28kg, and 32kg. The 20kg, 24kg, and 28kg bells are from Lifeline USA and the 32kg bell are AOS/Punch bells from Rogue. (Rogue calls them "Kilo" Bells.) I also have two 8kg bells and one each of 12kg, and 16kg bells all from Lifeline USA. I don't use these lighter bells very often, but my wife does. I also have a 36kg bell from Lifeline and a 40kg AOS/Punch bell. My daughter uses those heavier bells for doing deadlifts; I've started using them again for heavy swings. I occasionally use them for doing push presses and TGUs too.

Daniel has mentioned in the past that he finds the smaller diameter handles of competition style bells to be superior for doing high volume work. Since I'm starting to increase my volume, I've decided to experiment again with competition style bells. I thought the VF Fitness Bell that I got on sale would be good, but the handle does not fit my hand well - it's too narrow.

The Lifeline and AOS/Punch bells are very similar. Of the two, I like the Lifeline Bells better due to their slightly smoother finish. I haven't sanded the handles on any of my kettlebells. This is a concern however; it's my understanding that some handles have to be modified to be more user friendly - they'll sometimes have a rough seam that has to be ground away. Competition style bells that still have paint on the handles is often removed so that the handle will take and hold chalk more readily. The climate here is very dry; I haven't found it necessary to use chalk yet.

Below is a somewhat recent photo of the doubles that I use most:



Actually, I took this photo to show what the IM Super Bench looks like when it's tilted up on end, but it's also a good shot of some of my kettlebells. If you visit some of the links mentioned earlier in this post, you'll find a lot of other kettlebell photos too. In particular, that Ironmaster KB handle thread has a lot of comparison photos showing the Ironmaster Handle w/ plates next to a Lifeline USA bell of a similar weight. I thought it would be interesting to compare the height and girth of the IM handle next to a more conventional style of bell.

Cliffs: I am picky about kettlebells. I really like Lifeline USA kettlebells.

[jackbravo]

Anybody know anything about axes? Just need to chop down and cut up a few thick limbs around the yard. I know nothing about axes. Click-a-pic.

[trimble006]

Anybody know anything about axes? Just need to chop down and cut up a few thick limbs around the yard. I know nothing about axes. Click-a-pic.

I know that the second one looks bad-ass!

I don't know how well it would split the wood though as the head isn't one solid piece. It appears that there's a bit of a curb where it disappears into the handle, which might diminish the effectiveness. Just an observation. As stated, my knowledge only tells me the second one looks bad-ass!

[rthawker]

Anybody know anything about axes? Just need to chop down and cut up a few thick limbs around the yard. I know nothing about axes.

Why an ax over a saw? Is it for an alternative form of exercise or do you just need to get the work done? If you are set on getting an ax there are a lot of variables to consider. Type of limbs (hardwood, softwood), size of limbs, amount of limbs, will they need splitting as well, will they be used as firewood? I'm sure there are other considerations that I can't think of but it's 2:00am so I will leave you with an article that should help in deciding. http://www.orionn49.com/choosing_an_axe.htm

[morebarbell]

Anybody know anything about axes? Just need to chop down and cut up a few thick limbs around the yard. I know nothing about axes. Click-a-pic.

If you're just cutting down some branches in the yard and want a decent ax, the Fiskars should be fine. If you enjoy fine tools or want a family heirloom ax or if your hobby is bushcraft, then spring for a Gransfors Bruks or a Wetterlings axe.

edit: I agree with rthawker about the saw possibly being a better choice. The Shark saws are cheap and would make quick work of cutting smaller branches.

[KBKB]

Why an ax over a saw?

I remember trying to use an axe a few times as a kid. It wasn't easy and it wasn't quick. We had a chainsaw that we used when we really wanted to get something done...

[buffbrown21]

I started out with the Ironmaster kettlebell handle. Back in the fall of 2011, someone else had started a thread about the Ironmaster handle. The OP was really enthusiastic about the handle and I asked him about how he liked it for doing cleans and snatches because there had been some discussion in the past about it perhaps being less than ideal for those movements. It turned out that the OP hadn't actually had that much kettlebell experience. But to be fair, I hadn't either. I had been using the handle for swings every now and then, but that was about it.

Another poster who used to be quite active here, keyboardworkout, gave me some good advice about kettlebell brands that he liked. As I recall, he had some Dragon Door bells, but they're very expensive. He also had some Lifeline USA bells that he thought were very good, but less expensive than the DD bells. Anyway... the first real kettlebell I got was a Lifeline USA bell. I've also purchased some AOS / Punch bells from Rogue mainly to fill in the sizes not covered by Lifeline USA. I also own a 28kg competition style bell from MDUSA and a 24kg VF Fitness Kettlebell from World Kettlebell Club. I have a 24kg VF Precision Kettlebell
The Lifeline and AOS/Punch bells are very similar. Of the two, I like the Lifeline Bells better due to their slightly smoother finish. I haven't sanded the handles on any of my kettlebells. This is a concern however; it's my understanding that some handles have to be modified to be more user friendly - they'll sometimes have a rough seam that has to be ground away. Competition style bells that still have paint on the handles is often removed so that the handle will take and hold chalk more readily. The climate here is very dry; I haven't found it necessary to use chalk yet.

Below is a somewhat recent photo of the doubles that I use most:



Actually, I took this photo to show what the IM Super Bench looks like when it's tilted up on end, but it's also a good shot of some of my kettlebells. If you visit some of the links mentioned earlier in this post, you'll find a lot of other kettlebell photos too. In particular, that Ironmaster KB handle thread has a lot of comparison photos showing the Ironmaster Handle w/ plates next to a Lifeline USA bell of a similar weight. I thought it would be interesting to compare the height and girth of the IM handle next to a more conventional style of bell.

Cliffs: I am picky about kettlebells. I really like Lifeline USA kettlebells.

Nice info and nice collection of bells!!!!

Hope everyone is doing well. I am still doing the mma training (no plans to compete) and enjoying it.

[ProtienandIron]

Anybody know anything about axes? Just need to chop down and cut up a few thick limbs around the yard. I know nothing about axes. Click-a-pic.



[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/MnXTEO4.jpg[/IM]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/BH9aB8.jpg[/IM]

I think everyone is right about using a different method to the axe. But if you do decide to go with an axe, the gransfors is a beautiful tool. I do a lot of bushcraft and my buddy has one. Its as sharp as a knife and cuts through anything like a knife through butter. Personally, for smaller branches, I highly recommend the ontario military machete. I have the smaller of the two (can't remember its name right now), and it joins me on most bushcraft trips now.

[jackbravo]

Thanks for the recs. Thought it'd be fun to learn to use an axe. Hadn't considered a chainsaw actually.... that would definitely be much easier.

[KBKB]

Hadn't considered a chainsaw actually.... that would definitely be much easier.

We have a small electric powered one for use around the yard. The major downside with it is that you need to be somewhat near an electrical outlet. Wouldn't have been any use on the farm when I was growing up, but it's fine for what we need to do.

[Accutron]

I started out with the Ironmaster kettlebell handle. Back in the fall of 2011, someone else had started a thread about the Ironmaster handle. The OP was really enthusiastic about the handle and I asked him about how he liked it for doing cleans and snatches because there had been some discussion in the past about it perhaps being less than ideal for those movements. It turned out that the OP hadn't actually had that much kettlebell experience. But to be fair, I hadn't either. I had been using the handle for swings every now and then, but that was about it.

Another poster who used to be quite active here, keyboardworkout, gave me some good advice about kettlebell brands that he liked. As I recall, he had some Dragon Door bells, but they're very expensive. He also had some Lifeline USA bells that he thought were very good, but less expensive than the DD bells. Anyway... the first real kettlebell I got was a Lifeline USA bell. I've also purchased some AOS / Punch bells from Rogue mainly to fill in the sizes not covered by Lifeline USA. I also own a 28kg competition style bell from MDUSA and a 24kg VF Fitness Kettlebell from World Kettlebell Club. I have a 24kg VF Precision Kettlebell on order.

Anyway... of all the kettlebells I own, I still like the Lifeline USA bells the best. After experimenting with the MDUSA competition bell, I purchased additional Lifeline and AOS/Punch bells so that I'd have doubles in the sizes (weights) that I use most frequently. I have two each of 20kg, 24kg, 28kg, and 32kg. The 20kg, 24kg, and 28kg bells are from Lifeline USA and the 32kg bell are AOS/Punch bells from Rogue. (Rogue calls them "Kilo" Bells.) I also have two 8kg bells and one each of 12kg, and 16kg bells all from Lifeline USA. I don't use these lighter bells very often, but my wife does. I also have a 36kg bell from Lifeline and a 40kg AOS/Punch bell. My daughter uses those heavier bells for doing deadlifts; I've started using them again for heavy swings. I occasionally use them for doing push presses and TGUs too.

Daniel has mentioned in the past that he finds the smaller diameter handles of competition style bells to be superior for doing high volume work. Since I'm starting to increase my volume, I've decided to experiment again with competition style bells. I thought the VF Fitness Bell that I got on sale would be good, but the handle does not fit my hand well - it's too narrow.

The Lifeline and AOS/Punch bells are very similar. Of the two, I like the Lifeline Bells better due to their slightly smoother finish. I haven't sanded the handles on any of my kettlebells. This is a concern however; it's my understanding that some handles have to be modified to be more user friendly - they'll sometimes have a rough seam that has to be ground away. Competition style bells that still have paint on the handles is often removed so that the handle will take and hold chalk more readily. The climate here is very dry; I haven't found it necessary to use chalk yet.

Below is a somewhat recent photo of the doubles that I use most:

[img]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5406733&d=1361047869[img]

Actually, I took this photo to show what the IM Super Bench looks like when it's tilted up on end, but it's also a good shot of some of my kettlebells. If you visit some of the links mentioned earlier in this post, you'll find a lot of other kettlebell photos too. In particular, that Ironmaster KB handle thread has a lot of comparison photos showing the Ironmaster Handle w/ plates next to a Lifeline USA bell of a similar weight. I thought it would be interesting to compare the height and girth of the IM handle next to a more conventional style of bell.

Cliffs: I am picky about kettlebells. I really like Lifeline USA kettlebells.

Thanks for the comments. I found a place in Canada which sells the Agatsu kettle bells...I might start with the 16kg for now. The brand you mentioned LifeLine I dont know if I can find in Canada but I will check. Tx again.

[KBKB]

Thanks for the comments. I found a place in Canada which sells the Agatsu kettle bells...I might start with the 16kg for now. The brand you mentioned LifeLine I dont know if I can find in Canada but I will check. Tx again.

It looks like Agatsu sells pro style (or competition style) kettlebells. One of the nice things about this type of bell is that they're all the same size and shape regardless of weight. This means that it's easy to adjust when going up or down in weight because the bell is exactly the same aside from being heavier or lighter. The handle has more gripping area than most cast iron bells making it easier to do two handed swings. One of the problems I have with some of the smaller lifeline bells is that I have trouble getting both hands on the handle. The handle diameter tends to be somewhat smaller than that of cast iron bells, but this can be a good thing, especially if you're doing high volume work with the bell.

Here's a photo of a 16kg bell from their site:



Aside from the markings they're probably very similar to the MDUSA kettlebell that I reviewed.

Anyway, it should be fine.

[Accutron]

It looks like Agatsu sells pro style (or competition style) kettlebells. One of the nice things about this type of bell is that they're all the same size and shape regardless of weight. This means that it's easy to adjust when going up or down in weight because the bell is exactly the same aside from being heavier or lighter. The handle has more gripping area than most cast iron bells making it easier to do two handed swings. One of the problems I have with some of the smaller lifeline bells is that I have trouble getting both hands on the handle. The handle diameter tends to be somewhat smaller than that of cast iron bells, but this can be a good thing, especially if you're doing high volume work with the bell.

Here's a photo of a 16kg bell from their site:



Aside from the markings they're probably very similar to the MDUSA kettlebell that I reviewed.

Anyway, it should be fine.

Wow yorre right, they look the same - maybe they were made at the same foundry or factory...I will shop around a bit and be sure of the size. For now I only want to get one to see what its like. Thanks for posting the pic.