Tips on Building Wooden Power Rack

[Essential2]

I'm building it this summer with my dad so don't blame me for not posting pictures for a while.

This is the plan that I will be using: home-gym-bodybuilding . com/support-files/powerrackplan.pdf

The power rack will be housed here: t.costco. com /Lifetime-Brighton-8'-x-15'-Storage-Shed.product.11650111.html

The guide states that if you are using an olympic bar (which I am), the sides need to be bought in 2.5". There is also a suggestion to pay extra to "replace the 3/4" diameter plumbing pipe with thick walled hydraulic pipe," which I will most likely do. (Where to buy this kind of pipe?)

I don't know how much my dad knows about building but he assures me that he can build this. Is there anything I should know before I embark on this project? I've looked around at other threads and have seen things about treated wood vs. untreated, etc. and I'm not sure what any of that means. Also, where would be a good place to buy the wood? My dad says he believes he can get it at Home Depot. My dad plans to shorten the rack to about 6', would that cause any problems?

Any other tips, you can post them here.

Thanks in advance! As OP, I will deliver when the rack is completed. There is no time until the summer so it won't be built until then but it's fast arriving.

[vic84875]

Not to be negative.... Think about using steel tube. You do not need to learn how to weld, you just need a bench drill, some angle or T pieces, and 1/2'' bolts. You do not need to have a cutting tool either. The stores/business that sell steel tube, will cut it for you, usually for free, or maybe they will charge you about USD $ 1 per cut, USD $ 3, worst case scenario. Ain't as hard as it looks working with steel tube. Think about it.

[fishpat86]

I'm building it this summer with my dad so don't blame me for not posting pictures for a while.

This is the plan that I will be using: home-gym-bodybuilding . com/support-files/powerrackplan.pdf

The power rack will be housed here: t.costco. com /Lifetime-Brighton-8'-x-15'-Storage-Shed.product.11650111.html

The guide states that if you are using an olympic bar (which I am), the sides need to be bought in 2.5". There is also a suggestion to pay extra to "replace the 3/4" diameter plumbing pipe with thick walled hydraulic pipe," which I will most likely do. (Where to buy this kind of pipe?)

I don't know how much my dad knows about building but he assures me that he can build this. Is there anything I should know before I embark on this project? I've looked around at other threads and have seen things about treated wood vs. untreated, etc. and I'm not sure what any of that means. Also, where would be a good place to buy the wood? My dad says he believes he can get it at Home Depot. My dad plans to shorten the rack to about 6', would that cause any problems?

Any other tips, you can post them here.

Thanks in advance! As OP, I will deliver when the rack is completed. There is no time until the summer so it won't be built until then but it's fast arriving.

Treated wood is wood that has had a chemical painted into it that protects from wood worm and other pests/diseases. It is usually discoloured by this process so will need to be painted. If the rack is going to be inside a garage then treated wood is not necessary. For the safeties I would get some 25mm+ steel bar, if you ring a few steel stockists and tell them what you want they will probably be able to point you in the direction of a decent grade of steel. The height required depends upon your height and what you want to be able to do inside the rack. I am 5'6 and can just OH press inside my rack which is 209cm tall or 6.9ish feet. In a six foot rack you won't be able to OH press and if you put a pullup bar on it you will struggle with those also.

[Essential2]

Not to be negative.... Think about using steel tube. You do not need to learn how to weld, you just need a bench drill, some angle or T pieces, and 1/2'' bolts. You do not need to have a cutting tool either. The stores/business that sell steel tube, will cut it for you, usually for free, or maybe they will charge you about USD $ 1 per cut, USD $ 3, worst case scenario. Ain't as hard as it looks working with steel tube. Think about it.

Any plans I can look at? I'm trying to keep the cost below ~$200 and steel seems to be pushing $400 if I'm not mistaken.

Treated wood is wood that has had a chemical painted into it that protects from wood worm and other pests/diseases. It is usually discoloured by this process so will need to be painted. If the rack is going to be inside a garage then treated wood is not necessary. For the safeties I would get some 25mm+ steel bar, if you ring a few steel stockists and tell them what you want they will probably be able to point you in the direction of a decent grade of steel. The height required depends upon your height and what you want to be able to do inside the rack. I am 5'6 and can just OH press inside my rack which is 209cm tall or 6.9ish feet. In a six foot rack you won't be able to OH press and if you put a pullup bar on it you will struggle with those also.

Online, when I search up 2x6 on Home Depot, there isn't a differentiation from what I see. I'm going to go to the actual store but I'm just looking online to see what parts I need first. And I guess I won't need treated wood. Is the 25mm+ steel bar the replacement for the 7" olympic bar or is it for building the power rack? I'm 5' 6" as well and I'll only be doing squat, bench, and sitting shoulder press inside the rack. I don't need a pullup bar either.

[fishpat86]

Any plans I can look at? I'm trying to keep the cost below ~$200 and steel seems to be pushing $400 if I'm not mistaken.



Online, when I search up 2x6 on Home Depot, there isn't a differentiation from what I see. I'm going to go to the actual store but I'm just looking online to see what parts I need first. And I guess I won't need treated wood. Is the 25mm+ steel bar the replacement for the 7" olympic bar or is it for building the power rack? I'm 5' 6" as well and I'll only be doing squat, bench, and sitting shoulder press inside the rack. I don't need a pullup bar either.

Stores often just use a generic image of some wood or steel for pictures online. The 25mm+ steel bar would be for the safety bars, it would be a lot stronger than pipe.

[JohnPurple]

Not to be negative.... Think about using steel tube. You do not need to learn how to weld, you just need a bench drill, some angle or T pieces, and 1/2'' bolts. You do not need to have a cutting tool either. The stores/business that sell steel tube, will cut it for you, usually for free, or maybe they will charge you about USD $ 1 per cut, USD $ 3, worst case scenario. Ain't as hard as it looks working with steel tube. Think about it.

I'm not sure if you have ever worked with steel. But without high quality equipment, your rack will take forever to make. Drilling holes take forever especially if you want them two inches apart. With all the hours invested and equipment purchased, you could probably just buy a high quality power rack.

[Essential2]

Stores often just use a generic image of some wood or steel for pictures online. The 25mm+ steel bar would be for the safety bars, it would be a lot stronger than pipe.

Ahh I see. The safety bars are the ones on the side I'm assuming. My dad said he already has some really strong steel for that and I'll try to post specifics on it if I can later on. If anything, I can just get the 25mm+ steel bar. I'm only going up to 300 lbs in weight for now and by the time I need more, I'll probably be moving out and be able to buy some commercial equipment.

I'm not sure if you have ever worked with steel. But without high quality equipment, your rack will take forever to make. Drilling holes take forever especially if you want them two inches apart. With all the hours invested and equipment purchased, you could probably just buy a high quality power rack.

I believe people can drill the hole for you for about a few dollars a hole. I read it it another thread and it said about 2 euros. But a wood power rack seems a lot easier to make. Steel is most likely out of my budget anyways.

EDIT: Will the rack be strong enough for 300 lbs? It should be but I wanted to be sure.

[Wildtim]

MY advice would be to just buy a power rack. By summer you wil have had pleanty of time to search for a good used one pretty cheap.


That PDF does not give yo fastener sizes or locations. Using that plan I could build a safe power rack but then I have a decades worth of construction equipment and I actually have a power rack and understand how its built. Build it wrong and I could push it over easily. For someone who has never used or even seen a quality rack that plan would not be enough to build one. Likewise for someone who does not understand construction intimately that plan is not adequate.

[daniel327]

MY advice would be to just buy a power rack.

+ 1

[Essential2]

MY advice would be to just buy a power rack. By summer you wil have had pleanty of time to search for a good used one pretty cheap.


That PDF does not give yo fastener sizes or locations. Using that plan I could build a safe power rack but then I have a decades worth of construction equipment and I actually have a power rack and understand how its built. Build it wrong and I could push it over easily. For someone who has never used or even seen a quality rack that plan would not be enough to build one. Likewise for someone who does not understand construction intimately that plan is not adequate.

If it's any help, my dad's brother works in construction. However, he's an immigrant who came from China but I could say he has a lot of experience. He works on houses and hopefully he knows something about sturdy construction, though I'm not too sure. If anything, are there any other wooden rack plans that you would recommend if you've seen any better ones? I have trouble finding racks on CL even though I live in NY. Everything is pretty much shoddy or out of my price range and every time I post on the Official Thread, people answer too late or not at all and the item gets sold. (I have different accounts but keep forgetting username/password and keep making new accounts cause I'm an idiot.) Another problem is that transporting a steel rack to my house is very hard because my house has a pretty narrow staircase and taking the whole thing apart and putting it together seems so much harder than just building a wooden rack. Thanks for all the advice so far!

[Wildtim]

If you are to lazy to unbolt a power rack and bolt it back together you are way to lazy to keep up with a work out routine.

Its a few bolts and less than an hour to put a rack together. It wiull be days and hundreds of fasteners to build one.

Of course a multiple account troll wouldn't care about any of that.

[Essential2]

If you are to lazy to unbolt a power rack and bolt it back together you are way to lazy to keep up with a work out routine.

Its a few bolts and less than an hour to put a rack together. It wiull be days and hundreds of fasteners to build one.

Of course a multiple account troll wouldn't care about any of that.

I worked out for a year straight taking only a day or two off a week. I was a high school senior last year and I've finally acclimated to being a college student so I'm getting ready to work out again. And it's not that I'm too lazy to unbolt a power rack but I literally have no idea how; I'm also a bit unsure of how to transport one, as I saw a thread where some guy used a forklift to load one onto his truck or something. My dad is basically the one building the wooden rack and I'm just trying to get information to pass onto him.

And I'm not a troll. I blatantly wrote that I forgot the username/password for my accounts because I don't really visit here often. I have a lot of emails as well so sometimes I recover different accounts (I just recovered this one today).

[one.lifter]

MY advice would be to just buy a power rack. By summer you wil have had pleanty of time to search for a good used one pretty cheap.


That PDF does not give yo fastener sizes or locations. Using that plan I could build a safe power rack but then I have a decades worth of construction equipment and I actually have a power rack and understand how its built. Build it wrong and I could push it over easily. For someone who has never used or even seen a quality rack that plan would not be enough to build one. Likewise for someone who does not understand construction intimately that plan is not adequate.

Those plans are more than adequate for making a perfectly safe rack....here's a page full of photos of racks made with those plans
http://www.home-gym-bodybuilding.com...ck-photos.html

[Essential2]

Those plans are more than adequate for making a perfectly safe rack....here's a page full of photos of racks made with those plans

I see your mentioning HomeGymBodybuilding in your title so I'm guessing you're affiliated with them in some way? Thanks for posting up the great plans. I'll be sure to try and add my pictures when my gym is completed. Do you have any other tips besides the ones mentioned on your site already? My main concern is the safety pins.

[one.lifter]

I see your mentioning HomeGymBodybuilding in your title so I'm guessing you're affiliated with them in some way? Thanks for posting up the great plans. I'll be sure to try and add my pictures when my gym is completed. Do you have any other tips besides the ones mentioned on your site already? My main concern is the safety pins.

Plenty of building tips in the comments section at the bottom of this page http://www.home-gym-bodybuilding.com...ower-rack.html

[tmhan]

I would recommend either 1" cold rolled steel or stainless steel for the safeties if you go through with this; you don't want that **** bending.

[Seatard]

...And it's not that I'm too lazy to unbolt a power rack but I literally have no idea how...

You got nothing? You're really just drawing a complete blank?

[Essential2]

I would recommend either 1" cold rolled steel or stainless steel for the safeties if you go through with this; you don't want that **** bending.

Cool, thanks.

And I'm actually getting a bit confused. Is the safety the part I put my barbell on after I finish my set (the top part) or the two bars on the side (near the bottom)? 300 pounds will be the max I'm lifting on the rack but I won't mind paying a bit extra for 1" since safety is paramount.

[sherman]

Cool, thanks.

And I'm actually getting a bit confused. Is the safety the part I put my barbell on after I finish my set (the top part) or the two bars on the side (near the bottom)? 300 pounds will be the max I'm lifting on the rack but I won't mind paying a bit extra for 1" since safety is paramount.

The safeties are the two bars on the side (that's where you put the steel bars). The things you put the bar on after you finish the set are called j-hooks.

Wooden racks are plenty strong. I live in central NY. The local steel supply store sells 1" thick steel round bars for about $40 per 12' length.

[Essential2]

The safeties are the two bars on the side (that's where you put the steel bars). The things you put the bar on after you finish the set are called j-hooks.

Wooden racks are plenty strong. I live in central NY. The local steel supply store sells 1" thick steel round bars for about $40 per 12' length.

For the safeties, my dad just showed me a steel bar he had. He's an audiophile and has thick bars (1" or over for sure) that he uses to lift his speakers off the ground. I'll try to post pictures up.

And from what I gather from the guide, the j-hooks are gonna be the 3/4" diameter plumbing pipe or thick walled hydraulic pipe? And to clarify, I'm more worried about the j-hooks, not the safety.

[Essential2]

Update: I bought my weights off CL. Picture: images.craigslist . org/3G53K73N45I95Gf5Fed3aace3fdde81851706.jpg

It was listed as a Troy bar and came with 255lb Fitness Gear Plates (interestingly enough someone posted about these and it seems that they're beginners plates but still serviceable). Also came with a curling bar so that's awesome.

I have two beginner benches on Amazon that I'm looking at and I'll post those up eventually when I get closer to pulling the trigger.

[tribeless]

I built this rack last summer. Been using it for eight months now. I used 3/4" black iron pipe for my hooks and safeties. I've set 600 pounds on them with no worries. Use a 1 1/8 spade bit to drill your holes and you'll be fine. If you have any other questions, ask away.

[vic84875]

I'm not sure if you have ever worked with steel. But without high quality equipment, your rack will take forever to make. Drilling holes take forever especially if you want them two inches apart. With all the hours invested and equipment purchased, you could probably just buy a high quality power rack.

A good drill it is important. Clearly. Mostly for time efficienty.

Also, it depends on how long (time frame), equals forever for you.

With a cheap drill 13mm 1/2 HP, and low skills, 5 minutes per hole.
With a more decent drill 16mm 3/4 HP, and medium skills, 90 seconds per hole.

Better drill, more skills, less time.

Essential2, sorry, no blueprints for a bolted cage.

Also, in my oppinion, if you are going to build a cage, it should be the first step to building more equipment; in the future. Buying tools for building just a cage, makes no sense. In that case; just buy a used cage, and get it done ASAP.

[1300c]

A good drill is essential if your going that route. Also I would look into 4x4 posts as they will have a greater compressive strength than the 2x6 plated will. The 2x6's strength is only as good as its fasteners are.

[Essential2]

I built this rack last summer. Been using it for eight months now. I used 3/4" black iron pipe for my hooks and safeties. I've set 600 pounds on them with no worries. Use a 1 1/8 spade bit to drill your holes and you'll be fine. If you have any other questions, ask away.

I don't know what drill my dad's going to use but I'll try to find out (though it may be a while). And for the j-hooks, can I just get them at any local store? Any specific brand/ strength I should try and get? I'm a bit worried because the length of the hook is very small and needs to hold an enormous amount of weight. Also, I'm planning to make the rack a bit shorter so would that strengthen the wood or keep it about the same? Thanks!

Essential2, sorry, no blueprints for a bolted cage.

Also, in my oppinion, if you are going to build a cage, it should be the first step to building more equipment; in the future. Buying tools for building just a cage, makes no sense. In that case; just buy a used cage, and get it done ASAP.

I'm most likely not going the steel route though I'll see. My dad says steel will be better and he said he'll try to see if he has the tools/time/willingness to spend extra money to make it for me. And this is probably the only piece of equipment I'll build since I'm only going to be living at home for a few more years before I'm up and out. I wouldn't call it recreational lifting but I'm not going to be killing myself to work out 5x a week like before, thought I probably will. There are a lot of problems (assumed or not) I have with getting a used cage and it's more interesting to build your own cage- especially since a wood one is more than suitable for my needs.

A good drill is essential if your going that route. Also I would look into 4x4 posts as they will have a greater compressive strength than the 2x6 plated will. The 2x6's strength is only as good as its fasteners are.

I read that in the guide for the wood rack plan as well. I'm definitely going to splurge on the 2x6's.

I have absolutely no technical knowledge but is fasteners just used to screw all the wood together? And I'm confused about what you mean when you mention the 4x4 posts and 2x6 plated? Is that referring the metal route because I thought 2x6 was wood (though an extrapolation of the idea should apply to metal as well).

[KBKB]

I have absolutely no technical knowledge but is fasteners just used to screw all the wood together? And I'm confused about what you mean when you mention the 4x4 posts and 2x6 plated? Is that referring the metal route because I thought 2x6 was wood (though an extrapolation of the idea should apply to metal as well).

After reading through some of your comments, I think you'd be better off following Wildtim's advice of buying a power rack. It will be far less effort to assemble and has a better chance of being safe to use once it's assembled.

[Essential2]

After reading through some of your comments, I think you'd be better off following Wildtim's advice of buying a power rack. It will be far less effort to assemble and has a better chance of being safe to use once it's assembled.

I'm not the one making it. My dad is making it, preferably with help from his friends and my uncle (who has construction experience). My dad has knowledge but it is not quantifiable so he assures me he can make it on his own. Maybe I'm worrying for nothing but I just wanted some info to pass on to my dad considering you guys are a repository of info on workout equipment.

[KBKB]

I'm not the one making it. My dad is making it, ....
...but I just wanted some info to pass on to my dad considering you guys are a repository of info on workout equipment.

Take a look at this post:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1030809583

I think there are some other wood racks in that thread that you might get ideas from too.

[1300c]

A 4x4 post is a solid wood post instead of two boards screwed and glued together. You can get them treated, or untreated typically in southern pine or Douglas fir. Remember a 2x6 is not actually 2" x 6", but rather 1.5" x 5.5", and a 4x4 is 3.5" x 3.5". However if your a novice builder I would buy a rack. I have woodworking experience. However if I didn't the novelty of building it myself would quickly wear off when the bar fell on my face. If I were you I would buy a safe used rack off craigslist especially if your people helping you don't train. Racks will turn over if not mounted or weighted down.

[Essential2]

A 4x4 post is a solid wood post instead of two boards screwed and glued together. You can get them treated, or untreated typically in southern pine or Douglas fir. Remember a 2x6 is not actually 2" x 6", but rather 1.5" x 5.5", and a 4x4 is 3.5" x 3.5". However if your a novice builder I would buy a rack. I have woodworking experience. However if I didn't the novelty of building it myself would quickly wear off when the bar fell on my face. If I were you I would buy a safe used rack off craigslist especially if your people helping you don't train. Racks will turn over if not mounted or weighted down.

KBKB summed up my previous post pretty well:

I'm not the one making it. My dad is making it, ....
...but I just wanted some info to pass on to my dad considering you guys are a repository of info on workout equipment.

I'll mention the wood post part to my dad though.