Budget bumpers for the DIY guys (pics)
Almost feel like crying after seeing the prices of commercial bumpers, even the 'cheap' ones?
Then you were like me, fed up with having to drop your iron plates on your floor and have your parents/wife/landlord come out and bitch you out totally ruining your training groove. Now if you got some technical know-how and the proper materials you can have your own bumper plate for much less than those other guys (assuming you can find some used parts).
[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/crackyflipside/lifting/DSC_0040.jpg[/IMG]
Things you will need:
- Golf cart tire with rim. The tires I used were the same exact size as a 20kg metal plate and can withstand 815lbs each tire.
- Sacrificial iron. The smallest plates you can fit into the rim.
- A drill press or a handheld drill with some balls (no cordless crap) and the proper size bit
- A good wrench or two.
- Nuts and bolts that will hold your crap together
1. Get your crap together
2. Clamp a sacrificial plate onto the rim and start drilling
[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/crackyflipside/lifting/DSC_0033.jpg[/IMG]
3. Now figure out a way to clamp the second plate so you can drill straight through without the plates moving or your bar will not fit. We made a simple bushing and clamped the bushing to hold the plates together.
4. With each hole drilled in the second plate, slide in a bolt and make sure to check the bar will fit, this bolt will just help things from moving around while you finish drilling.
5. Drill all the holes and slide the rest of the bolts through and tighten them to hell. You can use Loctite to make sure the nuts don't slip after use.
[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/crackyflipside/lifting/DSC_0035.jpg[/IMG]
6. Test fit on bar.
7. Go back to step 1 and finish the other bumper plate.
[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/crackyflipside/lifting/DSC_0036.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/crackyflipside/lifting/DSC_0034.jpg[/IMG]