Adding plate storage to powertec power rack

[iportal]

Pretty nice, the corners on the new brackets are wigging me out a little though.

I would for sure find a way to hit my head on those. LOL

I'll be rounding these off in the very near future, I might even cut them properly with a hacksaw so they're more like pyramids lol.

[My2BoysDad]

Great job. You will notice a world of difference having the plates on each side of the rack.

[Stasher1]

Best looking Powertech rack I've ever seen!!

This^^^

Very, very nice.

[blkbelt42]

nice work dude!!!! Those sharp corners on the joining pieces would freak me out.

I wanted to do this with mine a number of time but I have the lat pull-down attachment so
it didn't really seem feasible between that and the space I have to work with.

[TommyStarwind]

It is the WB-PR11 rack ya?

[iportal]

nice work dude!!!! Those sharp corners on the joining pieces would freak me out.

I wanted to do this with mine a number of time but I have the lat pull-down attachment so
it didn't really seem feasible between that and the space I have to work with.

It would still be possible on the edition with the lat pull down option. You would just have to have plate storage to the height of the cage / uprights, oh and to manufacture a high level cross member.

I'll be removing these sharp edges very soon...

[iportal]

It is the WB-PR11 rack ya?

I think so, It's the 2011 edition power rack by Powertec. It's now called the WB-PR11-PS lol

[blkbelt42]

It would still be possible on the edition with the lat pull down option. You would just have to have plate storage to the height of the cage / uprights, oh and to manufacture a high level cross member.

I'll be removing these sharp edges very soon...

yeah, just too much effort to too little return. I've got 2 weight trees, one
on each side of the cage so it seems like enough.



Reps for a great job!

[TommyStarwind]

I think so, It's the 2011 edition power rack by Powertec. It's now called the WB-PR11-PS lol

Yeah I bought mine almost exactly 2 years ago so thanks for the dimensions haha

When you say you couldn't bench before... You couldn't incline bench right? That is my biggest issue with it.

[iportal]

yeah, just too much effort to too little return. I've got 2 weight trees, one
on each side of the cage so it seems like enough.



Reps for a great job!

Thanks, I'll rep everyone on recharge.

Having a plate tree each side of the rack is almost perfect so there's not the need.

I almost bought the lat additional for the power rack but I ended up buying a selectorized Body solid Pro lat machine instead...

[iportal]

Yeah I bought mine almost exactly 2 years ago so thanks for the dimensions haha

When you say you couldn't bench before... You couldn't incline bench right? That is my biggest issue with it.

I literally couldn't fit my Body Solid pro club line bench in there. The lower rear cross member was in the way and placing the bench in front of behind the cross member meant the bench was in totally the wrong place.

Now I can bench as the cross member is higher up and much further back (300mm) or so.

I don't have to buy a new set of dumbbells every month or two now which is nice, I can do it the cheap way, and just add additional plates to the bar... Oh and it's safer than potentially, dropping a heavy(ish) 45kg or more dumbbell on my face.

[Stasher1]

I literally couldn't fit my Body Solid pro club line bench in there. The lower rear cross member was in the way and placing the bench in front of behind the cross member meant the bench was in totally the wrong place.

Now I can bench as the cross member is higher up and much further back (300mm) or so.

I don't have to buy a new set of dumbbells every month or two now which is nice, I can do it the cheap way, and just add additional plates to the bar... Oh and it's safer than potentially, dropping a heavy(ish) 45kg or more dumbbell on my face.

This thread is something the owners of the Body Solid GPR378 should check out, as well. It would solve what I feel is the biggest issue with that rack - the lack of depth due to the lower rear crossbar placement.

[iportal]

This thread is something the owners of the Body Solid GPR378 should check out, as well. It would solve what I feel is the biggest issue with that rack - the lack of depth due to the lower rear crossbar placement.

I completely agree, I meant to say 'in front or behind the cross member', not what I said above.

I can't see why Body Solid would make the GPR 378 rack that's not compatible with one of their benches.

I agree they're from different lines but still.

The only benefit with the Body Solid rack over the Powertec rack is that the Body Solid rear lower cross member is a little lower down, well it seems to be in the photos anyway.

But you're right, both racks are shallow.

I feel that Powertec and Body Solid could add plate storage to their racks, even if it's 2x2" box section, for a very minimal cost.

This would allow a much wider range of benches to be used and open up the market if the plate storage is an add on.

I would of bought a plate storage add on if it was available,. e.g. Powertec rack is £450 ($550), if a plate storage add on was priced as a £150 ($175) option it would still be half way in between the Powertec / Bodysolid and much better racks like the Sorinex dark horse (which seems to be an amazing rack).

[Accutron]

WOW, reps on sight for life.

In all my time here this is the first time I can recall someone has actually done anything, usually people ask how to make a rack then fall off the face of the earth and never post about it again.

Thanks for posting all those pictures, great to see, excellent workmanship there. Enjoy the rack, respect for seeing your vision through.

[Flex14]

Wow, now that is awesome.

Well done.

[Xtian]

amazing work!

[iportal]

Here's a pic of the plate storage painted yellow.

It's a slightly different yellow to the rack but not a million miles away. It just makes things look a little nicer. It could do with another coat but I ran out, here you go.

[ProtienandIron]

Nice to see the rack all painted up mate, you've done a really good job there. The yellow is close enough for it to be barely noticable. As with any job you do yourself, you always notice it more then anyone else.

[JB426]

As many have said, excellent job. Thanks for posting all the pics, looks great.

[cmarti063]

I'll be removing these sharp edges very soon...

Did you ever de-weaponize the gussets?

[iportal]

Did you ever de-weaponize the gussets?

Not yet but I have upgraded the m12 threaded rod to m20 threaded rod for the plate storage.

[cmarti063]

Not yet but I have upgraded the m12 threaded rod to m20 threaded rod for the plate storage.

I think the crowd is chanting... what's that? "Pics, pics, pics..."

[iportal]

I think the crowd is chanting... what's that? "Pics, pics, pics..."

I'll try and take a photo later on if I have time :-)

[Skidmarx]

I think this is a damned good job for a bolt on.

You probably could've gotten a local welder to do those welds for you and even welded on some pipe for the weight storage, maybe an hours time

[iportal]

I think this is a damned good job for a bolt on.

You probably could've gotten a local welder to do those welds for you and even welded on some pipe for the weight storage, maybe an hours time

If I rented a welded I could of welded up a lot of it myself, but to be honest I wanted it to be bolted so I can easily transport the rack when we move.

It could of been a little prettier welded but this was the cheapest way of building it.

It is very strong, functional and cost effective :-)

[iportal]

Here are the additional photos of the plate storage upgraded to M20 threaded rod, (just a little larger than 3/4") and then 25mm" (1") conduit has been placed over it.
I'm going to install 32mm conduit over the 25mm conduit in the week.

Here are the images.

[EEB_27]

Nice work!

I been wanting to do something similar to the rack I bought last summer.

[dskoo65]

I built these homemade racks and put one on each side...they hold about 250 lbs each and as placed do not interfere with any lifts, yet still allow the rack to stay against a wall.

[chobs]

I built these homemade racks and put one on each side...they hold about 250 lbs each and as placed do not interfere with any lifts, yet still allow the rack to stay against a wall.

Can you post more pics/instructions of how you made that?

And to OP, very good work, nice! Too bad it seems to be such a a narrow room you work out in though, looks like it might be trouble to make it around the barbell without brushing up against the wall?

[dskoo65]

Can you post more pics/instructions of how you made that?

And to OP, very good work, nice! Too bad it seems to be such a a narrow room you work out in though, looks like it might be trouble to make it around the barbell without brushing up against the wall?

I got the idea from this thread I had found.

http://www.board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=12678


its all 2x4 construction and 3 inch long 1/4" lag bolts (through each side rail and into the post...one high one low so the posts are stable), so that dictates the width of the "rails" that hold the weight. I made the posts where the smaller weights would be shorter so I wouldn't be scraping my hands on them.

I sold the rack and plate holders so I don't know any exact measurements....but I do know I made sure each post was a length that was between half and 2/3 of the diameter of the plate it would be holding. painted with black rustoleum hammered.