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Time to purchase a Power Rack..


Guest Canthar

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Guest Canthar

The time has come for me to finally get around to buying a rack. I work out alone and my wife has been spotting me for my bench but truth of the matter she'd be hard pressed to move the weight. I should have been using one all along but am now going to buy one and just started looking for the first time. I have an open rack now that's junk basically and will be trashed. But enough of my blabbering.

    I need some advice from you all on what to look for here. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Trying to keep the price under $500. It doesn't have to be anything to fancy. Thanks in advance for the help.

Nic

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BASIC POWER RACK

Materials:

3" heavy wall Channel Iron - 44'-0"

4 pieces - 7'-0" OAL - Uprights

6 pieces - 2'-0" OAL - top, bottom and top sides

Two (2) pieces - 1 1/2" diameter bar stock X 44" OAL - pull-up bar and back support

Flush the 4 - 7'-0" pieces together side and ends and spot/tack weld 1/2 inch tacks on each piece so that the four pieces are aligned and can be placed in a press. Mark 3 inch centers starting at 18 inches from one end, stop at 12" from other end. Place the four (4) tack welded 7'-0" pieces in the press and press 1 1/16" holes at the 3" centers marked down the center of the stacked 7'-0" channel.

On two (2) of the 2'-0" pieces of 3" channel, bevel the ends so the two (2) pieces of the 1 1/2 inch bar stock fit one on each end making a rectangle 24" X 44 inches. This will be the top of the rack.

Break the tack welds on the four (4) 7'-0" channel pieces. Bevel both ends of the each of the 7'-0" channel pieces and the four (4) remaining 2'-0" channel pieces so that they fit together squared and flushed forming a rectangle. Weld the channel using full penetration welds on both sides.

Take care not to warp the pieces (up-rights and top and bottom). I slipped an "L" shaped piece of steel into the inside of the 90 deg joint and welded it as a brace to reinforce the top and bottom angles.

Place the top of the rack on the 12" end of the two (2) 7'-0" X 2'-0" rectangular sides of the rack and drill 1/2" mounting holes.

Drill mounting holes on the bottom of the rack and mount to the floor or a lifting platform. When fully assembled the rack should be 7'-4" OAH X 44" center line to center line on the holes on the front of the rack.

I then obtained 1" Dia. X 5" bolts (not all-threads) with two (2) nuts each. I set the pins at the height I needed for Squat and Bench with a nut on the inside and outside of the channel. I then bought 1" inch bar stock and cut four (4) 30" 1" bars for spotter pins.

originally posted by ermantroudt @ various powerlifting boards

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