Creating a platform underneath the power cage

[ArcReactor]

I looked online but couldn't find an easy mega tutorial or anything but is there a general method to creating the platform (some kind of plywood subsurface + mats? or a combination of the two?) that the power cage sits on?

I am building all of this over a hardwood floor. Furthermore if I were to buy a bolt-down rack, I don't know how you "bolt it into the plywood" or if the bolts would "poke through" and potentially scratch the hardwood?

[twodog]

I looked online but couldn't find an easy mega tutorial or anything but is there a general method to creating the platform (some kind of plywood subsurface + mats? or a combination of the two?) that the power cage sits on?

I am building all of this over a hardwood floor. Furthermore if I were to buy a bolt-down rack, I don't know how you "bolt it into the plywood" or if the bolts would "poke through" and potentially scratch the hardwood?

In making a platform, use two layers of plywood, MDF, or OSB that are at least 5/8" thick, then cover with stall mats. The best way to "bolt" down a cage is probably from the bottom. Mark the holes you need, drill them, with a small countersink on the bottom, then run some carriage bolts (from the bottom up), place the cage on top of the platform and use some nuts to tighten down the cage.

[john-t-b]

Found this if it helps.

http://www.gryphon-sc.com/sedona_wod...-platform.html

This site is also good for lot of different homemade stuff. The guy from the site below also is a member here.

http://www.home-gym-bodybuilding.com...-platform.html


Good luck

Also you could buy an area rug to put underneath to save the flooring.

[ArcReactor]

In making a platform, use two layers of plywood, MDF, or OSB that are at least 5/8" thick, then cover with stall mats. The best way to "bolt" down a cage is probably from the bottom. Mark the holes you need, drill them, with a small countersink on the bottom, then run some carriage bolts (from the bottom up), place the cage on top of the platform and use some nuts to tighten down the cage.

1. I assume I'd also need to bolt through the stall mats, too?

2. When you say two layers of plywood, do they have to be contiguous? As in, can a single layer, in itself, be two parts? Or does that defeat the purpose? (I'm not sure if I'd be able to fit an entire thing of plywood through the door to the area I am building this thing).

3. So if I buy a mat that is 3/4" thick, and two pieces of plywood 5/8" thick, the entire platform should be 2 inches tall?

4. When you say a "countersink," I assume this means cylindrical chunks are removed from the bottom so that when the bolts go through, they are flush with the bottom of the plywood and won't scratch against the floor? Do I need a dremel (or whatever they're called) for this?

5. How long do the bolts typically need to be?

6. How big should the platform be if I am also doing deadlifts?

[Wildtim]

1. yes.

2. Most people building a lifting platform use two thicknesses of plywood, four sheets total each 3/4 inch thick.

3. more like 2.5.

4. No, a dremmel would be useless. You need two drill bits. One large enough for the head of the bolt, the other small enough for just the shank.

5. 2.5 inches minimum.

6. eight by eight is usually fine, and since sheet lumber comes in four by eight sheets this makes a convenient size for shopping too.

[ArcReactor]

Maybe I misunderstand you but I don't want any metal scraping the hardwood

[Domicron]

the large drill bit would be for the bottom layer only. the head of the bolt would sit inside of the hole you drilled. the smaller bit would be for the shank to git through the entire platform and anchor the cage.

[Synthetickiller]

OP needs a countsink attachment like this:


Now you can decide just how deep you need the screw to be. It will sit flush.

[ArcReactor]

I don't understand. If the bolt is going through the bottom then won't the head be right against the hardwood? Then if the platform were to move somehow, lots of weight + metal = scrape?

[6mildollarman]

I don't understand. If the bolt is going through the bottom then won't the head be right against the hardwood? Then if the platform were to move somehow, lots of weight + metal = scrape?

That's what the larger drill drill bit is for. You're just drilling a few cm for the head of the bolt to settle in so that it would be nestled in the plywood and away from the floor.

[ArcReactor]

So wait I was right before when I said this?

"When you say a "countersink," I assume this means cylindrical chunks are removed from the bottom so that when the bolts go through, they are flush with the bottom of the plywood and won't scratch against the floor?"

I was told this was wrong?

Maybe I am misunderstanding how drill bits work or what I need and what bit to use where and how large and how deep etc.

[ArcReactor]

2. Most people building a lifting platform use two thicknesses of plywood, four sheets total each 3/4 inch thick.

Can you please clarify what you mean by this?

Do you mean four pieces of plywood each X by Y big, and then you lay out two of them flat and against each other on the floor, then put the other two on top (second level) then the two mats on top? (Third level)? How does this entire thing stay together? The bolts to the cage alone? Glue? More nails and drill bits?

[Synthetickiller]

Examples of countsunk holes:




Screws are fine IMHO.

If you wanted to do bolts as others have stated, you used a counter bore; here's what it looks like compared to a countersink:



Does this clarify things?

[twodog]

Synkiller and Domicron, I thank you for fielding these questions as I have little patience for people that ask how to do something, but have absolutely no knowledge of actually doing manual labor. I owe both of you reps because I'm on spread with both of you.

[Domicron]

Synkiller and Domicron, I thank you for fielding these questions as I have little patience for people that ask how to do something, but have absolutely no knowledge of actually doing manual labor. I owe both of you reps because I'm on spread with both of you.

well i'm not super handy myself, i just happen to know what's going for this question.

but haha some days you have the patience to answer certain questions, other days you just pass it on to others

[Synthetickiller]

Synkiller and Domicron, I thank you for fielding these questions as I have little patience for people that ask how to do something, but have absolutely no knowledge of actually doing manual labor. I owe both of you reps because I'm on spread with both of you.

No worried. You helped me out a ton when it came to the lathe work for those oly dumbbell handles I made a post about a while ago.

I frankly got tired of people explaining & you know what they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words. There's a TON of articles on this topic & I mean a ton. If OP just googled it, there's an insane amount of info. He can also just get the wood required & figure it out himself. This isn't a complicated issue. The only thing that could pose a problem is the center wood & what quality you want (sanded & polished, etc). There's also infinite posts on the internet about that as well as books on the topic.

Btw, it's Synthetickiller

[twodog]

1) The only thing that could pose a problem is the center wood & what quality you want (sanded & polished, etc).

2)Btw, it's Synthetickiller

1) I used semi-gloss to finish mine, and haven't found it slippery.

2) I know, I'm really lazy sometimes, lol.

[ArcReactor]

Synkiller and Domicron, I thank you for fielding these questions as I have little patience for people that ask how to do something, but have absolutely no knowledge of actually doing manual labor. I owe both of you reps because I'm on spread with both of you.

You have to start somewhere, dude. Not everyone is a natural or has the experience.

[ArcReactor]

No worried. You helped me out a ton when it came to the lathe work for those oly dumbbell handles I made a post about a while ago.

I frankly got tired of people explaining & you know what they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words. There's a TON of articles on this topic & I mean a ton. If OP just googled it, there's an insane amount of info. He can also just get the wood required & figure it out himself. This isn't a complicated issue. The only thing that could pose a problem is the center wood & what quality you want (sanded & polished, etc). There's also infinite posts on the internet about that as well as books on the topic.

Btw, it's Synthetickiller

Where? I Googled the hell out of this and could not find what I was looking for. Please do not imply that I didn't try.

[Wildtim]

Where? I Googled the hell out of this and could not find what I was looking for. Please do not imply that I didn't try.

Bull*hit, your google skills are seriously lacking.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+build+a+lifting+platform


The youtube video should tell you all you need. If you can't figure it out from that, please give up or you will hurt yourself.

[Synthetickiller]

1) I used semi-gloss to finish mine, and haven't found it slippery.

2) I know, I'm really lazy sometimes, lol.

You have to start somewhere, dude. Not everyone is a natural or has the experience.

LOL! I've had people read my name as Syn The Tickler... I **** you not. Yeah... I'm handing out tickle-me-elmos left and right.

Where? I Googled the hell out of this and could not find what I was looking for. Please do not imply that I didn't try.

Bull*hit, your google skills are seriously lacking.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+build+a+lifting+platform


The youtube video should tell you all you need. If you can't figure it out from that, please give up or you will hurt yourself.

I agree with Tim. There's GIFs that show how the platform falls into place.

Example 1:


Videos:



And if this is STILL too difficult, here's a time lapse video of guys building a platform:



For everyone who wants to do this: here's how to put a logo on a lifting platform!



If none of these videos cover the issues, maybe someone is willing to go to your apartment & build it for you. I'm not volunteering.

*drops the mic*

[ArcReactor]

Well you may as well pick that mic back up and retract your boom because that isn't what I'm asking for.

Besides, I saw all of those during my Googling -- but they don't explain all the steps + I can't necessarily use those steps in my situation. I am not simply after a deadlift area. I am after a rack + deadlift area that allows for bolting, isn't super loud, and doesn't scrape the hard wood beneath it. No such tutorial exists from what I could find.

[Domicron]

what you need to do, and i'm not being snarky, is pay someone to come build it for you. materials plus labor shouldn't be more than a few hundred bucks.

because if you can't wrap your head around how to drill holes through the bottom of that platform and then anchor a cage without scratching the floor, you probably shouldn't bother building it in the first place.

[Synthetickiller]

Pick that mic back up: I saw all of those during my Googling -- but they don't explain all the steps + I can't necessarily use those steps in my situation. I am not simply after a deadlift area. I am after a rack + deadlift area that allows for bolting, isn't super loud, and doesn't scrape the hard wood beneath it. No such tutorial exists from what I could find.

Did you not watch the 2nd video? The cage sits on the platform as well.

If you want to make the platform in more of a T shape, just use your brain.

What I am wondering at this point is what's so complicated? Get a thin layer of rubber for the base, build a platform to your ideal dimensions & place rubber/ higher quality wood on the top. Countersink or counterbore the platform together (not into your floor, obviously). The rubber underneath will not allow the platform to shift & will save your floor from damage. When bolting the rack down, measure the thickness of the platform + the foot of the rack you'll be bolting down. Your bolt should be shorter than this to ensure you don't drill into your floor. The thin layer of rubber on the bottom should also provide a buffer zone.

I cannot fathom for the life of me what you could possibly want beyond what I explained.

I did not go to school to do this as I'm actually on the research (non-real world LOL) side of things. When it comes to this problem, or anything else, spending time researching & learning how to research is key, not just to building a platform, but to all facets of life. Maybe going out & looking at the parts you need at home depot or lowes will also fix your problems.

[Domicron]

you know i'm thinking i might find a guy to build this for me actually...i can handle cutting a rack to fit, but don't think i can handle something like this.

anyhow it'll be nice to have i can drop weight onto without worrying about my tile floor, and bolting it down will mean i can get a dip attachment on the outside if i want and not worry about the thing tipping.

[ArcReactor]

Did you not watch the 2nd video? The cage sits on the platform as well.

If you want to make the platform in more of a T shape, just use your brain.

What I am wondering at this point is what's so complicated? Get a thin layer of rubber for the base, build a platform to your ideal dimensions & place rubber/ higher quality wood on the top. Countersink or counterbore the platform together (not into your floor, obviously). The rubber underneath will not allow the platform to shift & will save your floor from damage. When bolting the rack down, measure the thickness of the platform + the foot of the rack you'll be bolting down. Your bolt should be shorter than this to ensure you don't drill into your floor. The thin layer of rubber on the bottom should also provide a buffer zone.

I cannot fathom for the life of me what you could possibly want beyond what I explained.

I did not go to school to do this as I'm actually on the research (non-real world LOL) side of things. When it comes to this problem, or anything else, spending time researching & learning how to research is key, not just to building a platform, but to all facets of life. Maybe going out & looking at the parts you need at home depot or lowes will also fix your problems.

The second video is one of the first that I found. But it is more of a demo, not a description of the actual process and how-to.

"What's so complicated?" is that there are so many variables/questions involved. "Just get rubber for a base" -- already I am thinking, "What kind of rubber? Will it leave marks? Will heat/friction make it stain the wood?"

It's easy enough for me to just hack some crap together and get it working, but unless I do it correctly, I'm going to be making lots of potentially costly mistakes. That's why I am asking for the wisdom of those who've already done it and have already worked out the kinks and know how to create a platform that correctly distributes the weight from the rack, doesn't scrape, is properly bolted, whatever. I don't want to just go plugging away at things until I know what I need to do. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a tutorial that explains all these things in sufficient detail.

So I take some slight offense to people in this thread (you included, honestly) who are being needlessly rude to me for being a genuinely interested newbie who is asking legitimate questions in good faith and has already done the due diligence of doing my own research. But there are many other variables to take into account and I can't find the answers. If people don't want to help, then just don't reply. But don't act like I'm a complete moron, either.

It's sort of like when people on this board pass around those videos of people doing dumb things in the realm of fitness -- "Haha, if only he took the precaution of X, Y, Z, he wouldn't have had this horrible thing happen!" I'm here asking what X, Y, and Z are -- so if the people of this board actually care about things like safety and proper assembly and all that sort of thing, please take my questions seriously.

[Domicron]

how about doing the legwork first, instead of having others do it for you?

"i went to homedepot.com and they carry X type rubber padding...have any of you used this"

instead of "tell me exactly what i need to build a platform and how to do it"

[Synthetickiller]

So I take some slight offense to people in this thread (you included, honestly) who are being needlessly rude to me for being a genuinely interested newbie who is asking legitimate questions in good faith and has already done the due diligence of doing my own research. But there are many other variables to take into account and I can't find the answers. If people don't want to help, then just don't reply. But don't act like I'm a complete moron, either.

It's sort of like when people on this board pass around those videos of people doing dumb things in the realm of fitness -- "Haha, if only he took the precaution of X, Y, Z, he wouldn't have had this horrible thing happen!" I'm here asking what X, Y, and Z are -- so if the people of this board actually care about things like safety and proper assembly and all that sort of thing, please take my questions seriously.

If you have a floor that generates heat (radiant heat flooring), then that's something to mention. No one here would even assume that's an option for people as that's a very costly upgrade or initial install price, even for an apartment. No one would know that. Also, are you talking laminated wood flooring or actual wood? That determines the characteristics you should be concerned with. Don't present issues without knowing what you're talking about. Do your homework first. I shouldn't even have to ask you this. Being vague isn't helping anyone when you want a specific answer.

Second, if you're concerned about the rubber becoming THAT hot, you would want to find out manufacturer specs on it to see if your choice in rubber flooring is proper or not.

I have no clue what is available to you locally. If all you have are stall mats, you could make the first layer on the floor out of rubber, then wood, then wood & rubber for the top. If you drag rubber, I'd say 9 times out of 10, it may leave a scuff, but it won't damage wood. A warm wash cloth & a rag should do the trick to clean that up.

For the underside, here's what available at home depot if you don't want to use another heavy horse stall mat. I'd assume any of these would work, but you can google or wiki the properties of the polymer & make an educated choice if any of these will work for you:
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-...g/N-5yc1vZb97t



The reason people are treating you rudely is you're coming here & asking all sorts of questions without spending the time to iron out the issues before you hit a wall. Write down all the problem you have & think about how to overcome them. If you'd spend half the time you took to write up your rebuttal, you'd already have found a possible solution. Look here... I already found one. It might not be the option you want, but it's at least something to go off of.




Also, telling people to buy a power rack vs a squat stand for safety is NOT comparable to us telling you how to not scuff or stain your floor.

how about doing the legwork first, instead of having others do it for you?

"i went to homedepot.com and they carry X type rubber padding...have any of you used this"

instead of "tell me exactly what i need to build a platform and how to do it"

You beat me to it...

[ArcReactor]

how about doing the legwork first, instead of having others do it for you?

"i went to homedepot.com and they carry X type rubber padding...have any of you used this"

instead of "tell me exactly what i need to build a platform and how to do it"

I have been doing the legwork but there are too many options and too many questions. It'd be meaningless for me to just arbitrary pick random items only to have someone recommend a replacement no matter what the original selections were.

[p4in7]

I'd agree with domicron, I don't think your ready for this project op, you're going to scratch your nice hardwood floors, it doesn't sound like you're very handy, maybe pay someone else to do it.
Its a pretty basic build if you buy the materials shouldn't cost much in labour for someone to throw it together