home made cable crossover??

[koltonb]

Has anyone ever made a cable crossover?? I want to buy one but i think i could make one for a few hundred bucks. There is a place here in alabama i think i can get the pulleys from and weight stacks. I may even want to make one thats plate loaded. Has anyone ever seen this done?? Or does anybody have any other homemade stuff they want to put up.

[daniel327]

I've been fooling with the idea of a mini gym using the barbell to hang a lat pulldown and cable crossover. No rocket science involved, ..................

After reviewing your "guide", I don't believe there is any science involved at all.

You are kidding, aren't you?

You expect to hang this highly questionable set up off a barbell, which, in turn, is suspended off another of your highly questionable "pieces of equipment".

Seriously ROFLMAO.

[PaulWog]

Has anyone ever made a cable crossover?? I want to buy one but i think i could make one for a few hundred bucks. There is a place here in alabama i think i can get the pulleys from and weight stacks. I may even want to make one thats plate loaded. Has anyone ever seen this done?? Or does anybody have any other homemade stuff they want to put up.

If you want a useful cable-crossover (one that is adjustable from all different heights from top to bottom), then you're probably going to want to know how to weld, drill holes in metal at symmetrical positions, etc. If you want to create a static cable-crossover (one that is at one height and doesn't change), I think it might be a fair bit easier (you'd just need to design something to support two pullies and work from there).

I'd say go with a premade new unit. You'll probably end up investing a good amount of $$$ on parts and whatnot if you're trying to design this yourself.

To entertain the thought of a home-made unit, you could create two identical high/low pulleys using wood, pulley wheels, some metal pipe, and some good construction methods. Then you'd position them the distance you like, and you'd have a cable crossover for high and low. I don't really know how that'd turn out though. Hey... if you're good with your hands and have made things before, then have at it. If you can weld, know how to do metal work, etc... then all the power to you.

[donforeman]

Has anyone ever made a cable crossover?? I want to buy one but i think i could make one for a few hundred bucks. There is a place here in alabama i think i can get the pulleys from and weight stacks. I may even want to make one thats plate loaded. Has anyone ever seen this done?? Or does anybody have any other homemade stuff they want to put up.

With the price of metal these days you can definitely find items less expensive on Craigslist. I'm not sure what you have for other equipment but Ironmasters are pretty common on craislist for a few hundred $ with weights. They let you do quite a bit with the upper and lower pulleys. They also have uses for many other movements.
http://youtu.be/13VgljJeVKk

If someones wanting one in the northwest, there is a commercial Hoist cable machine for $300 in the Portland area, and its been there for months at the same price
http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/spo/2732002760.html

[koltonb]

If you want a useful cable-crossover (one that is adjustable from all different heights from top to bottom), then you're probably going to want to know how to weld, drill holes in metal at symmetrical positions, etc. If you want to create a static cable-crossover (one that is at one height and doesn't change), I think it might be a fair bit easier (you'd just need to design something to support two pullies and work from there).

I'd say go with a premade new unit. You'll probably end up investing a good amount of $$$ on parts and whatnot if you're trying to design this yourself.

To entertain the thought of a home-made unit, you could create two identical high/low pulleys using wood, pulley wheels, some metal pipe, and some good construction methods. Then you'd position them the distance you like, and you'd have a cable crossover for high and low. I don't really know how that'd turn out though. Hey... if you're good with your hands and have made things before, then have at it. If you can weld, know how to do metal work, etc... then all the power to you.

Yeah ive got access to all the parts and equipment i need, im a decent welder but i was just wondering if anybody had already made one that i could look at. a used cable cross over is still over 1000, i was thinking if i got some good linear bearings and cable i could make a plate loaded one.

[koltonb]

[QUOTE=donforeman;794558113]With the price of metal these days you can definitely find items less expensive on Craigslist. I'm not sure what you have for other equipment but Ironmasters are pretty common on craislist for a few hundred $ with weights. They let you do quite a bit with the upper and lower pulleys. They also have uses for many other movements.
If someones wanting one in the northwest, there is a commercial Hoist cable machine for $300 in the Portland area, and its been there for months at the same price
QUOTE]

For the amount of metal im talking about it wouldnt be bad, i can get 11guage 3x3 tubing, in 20' sticks for about 40 dollars. Metal is expensive but I still think it would be cheap.

[donforeman]

For the amount of metal im talking about it wouldnt be bad, i can get 11guage 3x3 tubing, in 20' sticks for about 40 dollars. Metal is expensive but I still think it would be cheap.

Your not considering the cost of the weight stacks, hardened rods, pulleys, springs, cables etc.... If I'm wrong then do what you want and let us know how it turns out for you with detailed pictures.
Personally though if you have at least a good set of dumbbells and a solid bench, I would just work out with those and see what the Craigslist or play it again sports, pops up. Professional or high end home pieces end up there all the time for pennies of what they cost new.

[ironwill2008]

[
For the amount of metal im talking about it wouldnt be bad, i can get 11guage 3x3 tubing, in 20' sticks for about 40 dollars. Metal is expensive but I still think it would be cheap.

Forty dollars? Please list your source at this price; the best I can find is over $100 for the same thing.

Thanks.

[tweedbrah]

Dumb suggestion - what about using two bands secured to power rack posts?

Obvious problem though is the resistance accelerating rather than being constant.

[koltonb]

Forty dollars? Please list your source at this price; the best I can find is over $100 for the same thing.

Thanks.

find somebody that deals in seconds, it has minor flaws but way cheaper.

[koltonb]

Your not considering the cost of the weight stacks, hardened rods, pulleys, springs, cables etc.... If I'm wrong then do what you want and let us know how it turns out for you with detailed pictures.
Personally though if you have at least a good set of dumbbells and a solid bench, I would just work out with those and see what the Craigslist or play it again sports, pops up. Professional or high end home pieces end up there all the time for pennies of what they cost new.

you may be right, i wasnt going to use stacks though, i wanted to make a plate loaded. i was just playing with the idea, but if i do it ill post it for sure

[sherman]

you may be right, i wasnt going to use stacks though, i wanted to make a plate loaded. i was just playing with the idea, but if i do it ill post it for sure

Here is a nice video about a home made power rack made of of framing channels (commonly called Unistrut). I think it might be a good way to build the cable crossover frame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsCjKFt6X8U

It's all bolt up, an there are many ways to bolt the stuff together. The struts are commonly available at electric supply stores and hardware stores, at $20 to $30 per 10 foot length.. Another advantage is that there are loading specs for the channels and connecting hardware. All you'll ever need to know can be found at www.unistrut.com. The Unisrtut company invented this stuff but now there are many manufactures. mcmaster.com has a pretty big selection of connecting hardware.

And here's a low cost way to do the plate loading on a homemade crossover rack. Not as fancy as the store bought rigs, but adequate for most needs.

[schmack]

Here is a nice video about a home made power rack made of of framing channels (commonly called Unistrut). I think it might be a good way to build the cable crossover frame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsCjKFt6X8U

It's all bolt up, an there are many ways to bolt the stuff together. The struts are commonly available at electric supply stores and hardware stores, at $20 to $30 per 10 foot length.. Another advantage is that there are loading specs for the channels and connecting hardware. All you'll ever need to know can be found at www.unistrut.com. The Unisrtut company invented this stuff but now there are many manufactures. mcmaster.com has a pretty big selection of connecting hardware.

And here's a low cost way to do the plate loading on a homemade crossover rack. Not as fancy as the store bought rigs, but adequate for most needs.

I thought of that too but considering all the other parts to hold the unistrut up the cost was too much. Kindorf is another brand. I ended up finding a nice power rack for 200 bucks.