Need Thickbar Advice

[Steve B.]

I have two solid steel 2.5"db thickbars that are 2.5" for the whole length of the bar.

This makes it imposible to put oly weights on it.The guy that gave them to me use to work in the metal industry and was going to make his own plates but never got around to it.

My question is would it be expensive to get the ends machined down to fit oly plates or is there another option that someone knows of.I'd like to use these db handles one day.They are actually very nice pieces of steel that i hate seeing just sitting around.

[climber511]

That's what they are all right - nice pieces of steel. You can certainly get them turned down but take your wallet - it ain't gonna be pretty for all that lathe work. You could get plates drilled out too but that's no easy task either and then they aren't good for anything else. You can use them for deadlifts etc by just looping a piece of webbing or something over them and down to a loading pin or whatever. What do they weigh as they are anyway? Maybe you can trade something for them? Use your imagination - they have to be good for something!

[Wes]

You could cut em' and use them for a pseudo rolling thunder. Or you could put a screw in the bottom and make a 2.5'' vbar

[BIKERICH]

you can go to a machinist and get a price.its worth to ask, then if the price is ok, get them lathed for oly plates and use the 2 1/2 in. handle as the inside collar or if too expensive, call John at FBBC and order a pair.

[joehawkins]

Or you could have someone weld some 2" pipe to either ends, and have some pretty long dumbells.

[Sean Dockery]

How much are you willing to pay?

Do you know a machinist personally?

If you know a machinist and said machinist might consider you a friend....He'd prolly do it for a couple beers...or whatever bartering tool you've got around.

If you don't know a machinist.........get ready to be shocked. Lathe work in a real machine shop is not cheep.

I wouldn't weld 2" on the ends...I'd be worried about the strength of that butt weld. The end of a bar falling off while you're lifting can be a painful experience.

[Rick Browne]

You can have the machinist cut a length of 5 inches for a handle. Then have him mill a bore of 1 1/16 diameter through the handle. Next get an olympic dumbell and cut the handle leaving a 2 inch stub on each sleeve. Insert the stubs into the handle and weld to the inside of the collar.

[Steve B.]

Thanks guys.

Kind of what i thought that it would'nt be cheap.

Just trying to get some ideas.

[bencrush]

Steve, the only different ideas I have would be to put one or both of the 2.5" dumbbells into a set of Power Hooks if you have them. That way they'd be suspended and you could do pullups or just hang from them for time. Should be a great grip workout.

Or you could use a judo belt or other sturdy belt and tie them until they hang vertically from the top of a power rack. That way you could also do an interesting version of vertical bar pullups or timed hangs.

I'm sure there are many things you could do with them though that we haven't thought of yet.