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Thick bar


Jman 101

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Buy a 7' length of 1 1/2" handrail or pipe.  That will be 1.9" outside diameter - make a couple inside collars and you're setup about as cheaply as possible.  If your Fatgrips are too slick - wash them.

 

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9 minutes ago, Jman 101 said:

Where is the best place to find an economical thick bar for training?

Fat grips are too slippery. 

When it's in stock, the Titan Axle is just about the cheapest way to go at $45-65 (depnding on if there is a sale). That being said, it's a cheap titan bar.

You can also make your own out of 1 1/2" pipe (1.9" OD) for a similar price, give or take. I talked with @Lucasraymond about it and he really recommended using schedule 80 pipe versus schedule 40 pipe because it might bend.

On that same note, Arm Assassin Strength Shop makes amazing gear, and even though an axle from him costs $100 it's going back into the grip community. I just bought a 2 3/8" axle from him which arrived today and I'm really stoked to try it out.

Edited by devinhoo
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One thing to consider with diy or cheap bars is collars and plates. Bumpers and high quality plates like Ivankos, Yorks, and certified plates won't fit on a 2" OD end and are made for standard 50mm oly bar ends. Most but not all cheap plates will fit.  1.9" OD pipe will work with all plates but spring collars and spin locks won't work with that. Just something to consider.

Edited by acorn
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I recently made a 2" axel. Went to the local steel shop and had them cut 2" OD pipe to the exact length, works great. I have a welder so added the flanges, but you could just as easily use collars. Total price was about $20. 

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13 hours ago, brandon_3s said:

I recently made a 2" axel. Went to the local steel shop and had them cut 2" OD pipe to the exact length, works great. I have a welder so added the flanges, but you could just as easily use collars. Total price was about $20. 

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What wall thickness did you get to be 2" OD because that isn't a common size to keep in stock and to get at least 0.25" wall thickness DOM it is significantly more than $20 from a scrapyard/steel place. I have 2" OD (16g) that falls in that price range but that will bend very easily, anything under 1.5" sch 40 wall thickness (~5/32") is a waste of money and will not be worth your time building. Also mentioned above any calibrated plate will not fit a 2" loading sleeve. 

Edited by Lucasraymond
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Thanks guys! Very helpful information. 
I tried to find one on the Arm Assassins site, but didn’t see one. That’s why I was asking about DIY. 
Maybe I didn’t look hard enough or just need to PM Lucas. I imagine shipping had to be a ton!

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Luke's shipping is pretty reasonable. Full disclosure, I have a Titan axle, but I have bought a lot of grip toys from Arm Assassin.

The item is listed as an Axle and it's on the first page under Products.

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37 minutes ago, Tom Flesher said:

Luke's shipping is pretty reasonable. Full disclosure, I have a Titan axle, but I have bought a lot of grip toys from Arm Assassin.

The item is listed as an Axle and it's on the first page under Products.

Duh! Right in front of my face! Thanks guys. You guys are awesome. 

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I've never seen actual 2" "Pipe" - schedule 40 or 80.  DOM tubing is an actual 2" and comes in a couple wall thicknesses but is not cheap at all - even as scrap.  Measure your bar (calipers) and see if it's actually 1.9" or 2").  I'm curious now.

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The 2” bar is what you’re far and away most likely to see in a competition. I like thick bar a lot so I have some items in 2 3/8 or 2 7/8 diameter but 2 is really the sweet spot in terms of being a challenge and still letting you get some good weight off the ground.

If you’re buying an axle because you don’t have much in weights, then you’ll get the most out of a 2 3/8 bar because 2 7/8 is flat ridiculous for most people. I only like it because I’m a glutton for punishment. 

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There's no good answer I guess.  If you plan to compete you will probably find more contests having the IM Axle which is 2".  If the Inch DB is a big goal then the 2 3/8" will give more specific training towards that goal.  If you have average sized hands you should have no problems with either but with very small hands the 2 3/8" might make your thumbs sore.  For general strength I personally like 2" - it allows me to use more weight.  

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Who has an actual apollons axle? How do they compare to the scd 40/80 pipe bars?

Do both rust? 

I used to have an okie deadlift bar and it was raw steel and would easily develop rust spots,  which will pit if left untreated,  so I'd coat it in fluid film but obviously you cant coat the areas you grab the bar.

 

Edited by king crusher
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I'm a big fan of 2 3/8" and it's all I use in training. Makes it easier on the body so I can still have a heavy deadlift session without any issues. Also makes a regular axle feel easy in comparison. 

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1 hour ago, king crusher said:

Who has an actual apollons axle? How do they compare to the scd 40/80 pipe bars?

Do both rust? 

I used to have an okie deadlift bar and it was raw steel and would easily develop rust spots,  which will pit if left untreated,  so I'd coat it in fluid film but obviously you cant coat the areas you grab the bar.

 

I have an Actual IM Axle and a Schedule 40 Pipe bar.  I had a schedule 80 one but sold it.  If you buy "Pipe" it comes with a  thicker coating which sucks - I ground it off and made it bare steel - which is just like the IM Axle (which is DOM tube with a .25 wall thickness and the ends ground down so quality plates will fit).   Being bare steel both will rust under certain conditions   They will also develop a sort of brown patina if you don't allow the rust to accumulate - I actually keep mine cleaned off and don't allow any seasoning.   I don't apply any oil like coatings to them - I wipe it down with water and thoroughly dry it.

IM Axle is actual 2.0" and pipe is 1.90" approximately (not as exact as Tube when you consider the coating)

You can also buy "handrail" in the same size as pipe and it has a very light "coating"  - I've only found this in schedule 40 though.

The difference for me as far as weight - I can lift around 10# or so more on pipe than my IM Axle

One thing I have found is that schedule 40 works OK if you use bumpers which are wide and spread the stresses over more area.  I have an old schedule 40 pipe bar that I have used up to 350# and is still straight.  Oh - and don't drop it from overhead etc.

Edited by climber511
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4 hours ago, Lucasraymond said:

What wall thickness did you get to be 2" OD because that isn't a common size to keep in stock and to get at least 0.25" wall thickness DOM it is significantly more than $20 from a scrapyard/steel place. I have 2" OD (16g) that falls in that price range but that will bend very easily, anything under 1.5" sch 40 wall thickness (~5/32") is a waste of money and will not be worth your time building. Also mentioned above any calibrated plate will not fit a 2" loading sleeve. 

I used 2" x 1/8" mechanical tube which runs about $2.78 /foot. Its probably not ideal but i've gone up to 400 lbs with no failure or bending. I've had no problem fitting any of my plates, but yes calibrated plates wouldn't fit, fortunately I only owe old cheap iron. The 2" would be a problem for slightly smaller diameter collars, all my iron is old though. If it fails it fails, I'll build another one with a thicker wall. I'd love to buy something high quality, and if i had the money i definitely would, in a pinch though this was better than nothing. 

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26 minutes ago, climber511 said:

I have an Actual IM Axle and a Schedule 40 Pipe bar.  I had a schedule 80 one but sold it.  If you buy "Pipe" it comes with a  thicker coating which sucks - I ground it off and made it bare steel - which is just like the IM Axle (which is DOM tube with a .25 wall thickness and the ends ground down so quality plates will fit).   Being bare steel both will rust under certain conditions   They will also develop a sort of brown patina if you don't allow the rust to accumulate - I actually keep mine cleaned off and don't allow any seasoning.   I don't apply any oil like coatings to them - I wipe it down with water and thoroughly dry it.

IM Axle is actual 2.0" and pipe is 1.90" approximately (not as exact as Tube when you consider the coating)

You can also buy "handrail" in the same size as pipe and it has a very light "coating"  - I've only found this in schedule 40 though.

The difference for me as far as weight - I can lift around 10# or so more on pipe than my IM Axle

One thing I have found is that schedule 40 works OK if you use bumpers which are wide and spread the stresses over more area.  I have an old schedule 40 pipe bar that I have used up to 350# and is still straight.  Oh - and don't drop it from overhead etc.

So is the apollons axle just shined up pipe? What makes it worth 289.00?

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It's DOM tubing with a .25" thick wall which is much different than pipe.  It's also been turned down on the ends so quality plates will fit,  It has inner collars welded on.  Only you can decide if a .1" difference is worth the money - it was to me and I'm one of the biggest do it yourselfers on the board.  

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51 minutes ago, king crusher said:

So is the apollons axle just shined up pipe? What makes it worth 289.00?

Tubing is much more expensive than pipe, the tighter tolerances and manufacturing are why. If you just want to get strong then literally any thick barbell pipe or whatever will work. If you plan on going to competitions it might be worth it to train on the exact equipment. 

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4 hours ago, Jman 101 said:

Thanks guys! Very helpful information. 
I tried to find one on the Arm Assassins site, but didn’t see one. That’s why I was asking about DIY. 
Maybe I didn’t look hard enough or just need to PM Lucas. I imagine shipping had to be a ton!

just search Axle

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1 hour ago, brandon_3s said:

I used 2" x 1/8" mechanical tube which runs about $2.78 /foot. Its probably not ideal but i've gone up to 400 lbs with no failure or bending. I've had no problem fitting any of my plates, but yes calibrated plates wouldn't fit, fortunately I only owe old cheap iron. The 2" would be a problem for slightly smaller diameter collars, all my iron is old though. If it fails it fails, I'll build another one with a thicker wall. I'd love to buy something high quality, and if i had the money i definitely would, in a pinch though this was better than nothing. 

Yes definitely better than nothing for sure...ive seen a sch 40 pipe bent so thats why I asked being that 1/8" is a few hundreds thinner. If you are using it for yourself then absolutely good to go. 

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50 minutes ago, climber511 said:

It's DOM tubing with a .25" thick wall which is much different than pipe.  It's also been turned down on the ends so quality plates will fit,  It has inner collars welded on.  Only you can decide if a .1" difference is worth the money - it was to me and I'm one of the biggest do it yourselfers on the board.  

I guess it's not a bad deal considering this is what I found for just the raw pipe 

 

Screenshot_20200331-121839_Chrome.jpg

Edited by king crusher
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Update:  First of all, the bar got here scarily fast!  I’m pretty sure it is faster shipping than Amazon...  

The bar is great.  I can’t imagine needing anything more fancy.  I haven’t loaded it up super heavy yet.  Maybe around 300 lb.  But it felt super solid.  Finish is nice.

Only think I might add is tape ore something to mark the center.  It’s a little hard to find the middle for single hand lifts.

I highly recommend.

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