I want to make "homemade" dip/pullup stations

[JABOFN]

has anyone tried this, and what works well OUTSIDE

in middle school i remember we had just some basic steel plumbing tubes cemented into the ground that we used for pull ups but i've never seen a homemade dip thing

i really don't wanna pay $150 for a dip machine and plus i'm out of room in my basement with the treadmill, plate tree, dumbbell rack, and bench, and i need a big open space down there for deads so i really can't fit anything else in there

i want soemthing that i can build in the backyard that can withstand the weather...I live in charlotte, NC so the weather is never too bad, it might snow for 2 days in january, an occasionally rainy day, it doesn't get below 30 degree's normally.

[JABOFN]

......

[Astro_al]

Since you're not getting a lot of info, I'll post up my immediate thoughts. Just so you know I'm not talking out of my backside, I've made my own bars and bench - basically copies of Ironmind's Apollon's Axle and Husky Handle Dumbells (all 3 are thick bars), and their '5 star flat bench'.

I'm currently making a rack-type gym which is like an amalgamation of the spotter bars, squat racks and dip bars Ironmind sell, but with an added overhead bar and all combined into one small unit (space is at a premium!).

So. People seem to ask this quite often, but don't state any useful info. Questions occur:
1. Do you have any fabrication skills - welding, woodwork etc? What about tools?

Frankly, I guess if you were a competent welder/fabricator with his own workshop you wouldn't have bothered asking the question. So the real question is do you have access to any tools (what types) and are you competent with them?

2. My initial thought was that you have a basement for your gym, but you can't squeeze in an overhead bar or dip handles???? Sounds a bit odd. My entire gym will fit in a space about 4 foot by 5 foot, or even less. That includes a full set of olympic bumper plates, bench, rack, grippers, dumbells, every thing (except the barbell which obviously sticks out the sides - but I can store it vertically). Surely you can fit a bar in somewhere? The real question is: have you got any overhead structure to attach it to? How about the walls - what's the construction? Can you easily bolt something to it (securely)?

3. This could easily be made cheaply if you use scaffolding for example - and could be designed to fit up against a wall and not take up much room. scaffolding is a cheap as it'll get and galvanised so it won't really rust outdoors.

Do you have any friends who can weld competently? This would be your best bet. However, you can certainly make a good solid structure from wood if it's your only option.

If you've got a 'plate tree' and a 'dumbell rack' and a 'treadmill', but no power rack or squatting/bench press safety bars then I honestly think you need to re-consider the contents of your gym and the equipment to which you have given priority? If you do have some kind of rack or station, can you not add dip bars / overhead bar? Or at least make something which fits on? How about losing the treadmill (sell it and use the money & space for a power rack?) and going jogging outside? Just an idea...

I doubt that you'll want to drag a load of weight outside every time you want to do some weighted dips or whatever - maybe try hard to keep all your equipment in the gym room? Otherwise, it'll probably be such a PITA that you just won't bother using the dip station.

Hope that gives you some thoughts. Sorry if it sounds critical, but from the info you gave, it sounds like you need to think a bit.

Let us know what you decide. Al.

[Biggerfoot]

This link is not exactly what you are looking for but it might give you some ideas:

http://www.geocities.com/fightraining/safety.html

[Kandar7272]

I made one but for inside only, as it uses a doorway. It does the job. If your still interested, let me know and I'll take some pix and post them.