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Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB DIY Equipment

Products recommendations and reviews, items For Sale or Wanted To Buy
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JeffC

JeffC

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Share your DIY implements.

Some of my custom equipment.

I have a T-handle with a 27mm, and 33mm handle I have loaded to 175 for swings, and duck walk carries, landmine, strand pull made from loadable D-handles with mini bands.

A 2 3/8" custom rolling thunder , 4" loadable pinch block, 3" hub pinch, and loading pin.

48mm dumbbell handles, 60mm dumbbell handle. A 33mm, and a 48mm dumbbell handle made from 1" threaded rod, and 1" nuts.

I anyone wants to see some of my other home made equipment, or details on how I made some of it, I am open to sharing.
 
I made a homemade speed sled (before it broke). I had a medium sized piece of wood (which I grabbed of the top of an old wooden desk before we got rid of it) and attached pvc piping along two of the sides with elbows on them. Then I drilled two holes in the wood and attached a rope through. I also attached a wood cylander that 2 year olds use as the pole that kept my weights in place. Next I put the rope through a pool noodle and used that as my harness. What broke was the wood. The rope went right through it! I realized I couldn't fix it and didn't have anymore of the right materials, so I bought a real one from to store though. I think what went wrong was that I drilled one of the holes a little to close to the edge, but overall it worked great.
 
I've got a few home made pieces of equipment kicking around too. I've posted a few pics in the past from time to time.

I was just wondering what that brown piece in pic 1 is Geoff

& also is that dumbell with the really thick handle (pic2 on the left) made with a piece of SHS with a large radius on the corners or is it some other shaped section ?
 
The piece in pic #2 is a barbell landmine. The 1 1/2 pipe goes into a stack of plates as a anchor, and the barbell goes into the tubing, and held in place with a lock nut. You can buy them, but I made this in about a half hour with minimal parts. My favorite lifts are half kneeling one arm landmine press, full contact twist, meadows row, and lumberjack squats.

The pinch block on the left is made of 4"X1/2"HSS. The 1/2" wall material has a larger radius on the corners than thinner walled tubing. I cut a 1" hole, and welded 1"UNC nuts on the back of 4"x1/2" flat bar, before I welded that to the 4"HSS. It is loadable with 1" UNC bolts, and 1" plates. It weighs 15lbs empty, 55lbs as shown. I have not had it long. I have been pinch deadlifting for reps, and holds, and clean and pressing it for singles. My idea is to simulate a York Blob. I have lifted a 50lb Blob, and this is close.

The T Handle was one of the first, and easiest things I have made. I only had the 3/4 pipe handle, but hurt the hands as weight increased, so I made one from 1" pipe, now I will make one from 1 1/4 pipe. I have bushings made of chunks of 1 1/2 XXH pipe to adapt olympic plates to 1". Used in for swings, and keystone deadlifts, as assistance exercises for Weightlifting, and originally introduced me to kettlebells.
 
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My favorite piece of furniture, the "mookshelf."

All my life, long before I had a clue what to do with one, I've wanted a mook yan jong (wooden man dummy) of my own. The situation is better now, but when I built this setup more than a decade ago, imported dummies commanded outrageous prices, not to mention were constructed with Asian fighters in mind--that is to say, not long armed six foot-something gringos...

Somewhere along the way, I scored the plans for building your own dummy for less than $100, appropriate for your own height and reach. A salvaged length of telephone pole, some common lumberyard boards, and a few weekends at a friend's woodworking shop and we were in business. I'm particularly proud of the arms, which are old Louisville Sluggers cut down to my own forearm length, with lead plumbing pipes stuffed inside with the help of a lathe--just the right amount of play in each arm slot, as well.

It's evolved over the years, and during a long deployment I had the brilliant idea to do away with the somewhat unsightly supporting structure and simply slapped the entire thing onto a nondescript IKEA bookshelf--training AND storage space.

(Yes, the landlady thinks I'm a little different.)
 
My Axel Bar. 1 1/2" sch.80 black pipe @ 84". Two collars are 2" sch.80 black pipe @ 2", held on with two 1/4"x1/4" set screws. I painted in with red oxide primer because I have found it holds chalk well.

Total cost $72. A bargain compared to the ones you can buy, and made from thicker, high quality steel pipe.

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Deadlift Jack made from from 3/4" pipe, and fittings.
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Rack mounted wrist roller. Made with 1 1/2" sch.160 pipe, and pins are 1" bolts. I connect the rope to a plate loading pin. I stand on a box, and put the roller at the top holes of my power rack.
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Two 3"x4" and one 2"x4" loadable dumbbell handles.
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A Double Barreled Bastard, it is a really difficult pinch grip implement.

A 3" loadable dumbbell handle, 2 3/8" and a 3" Rolling Thunder. The 3" diameter is a very challenging support grip.
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Loadable Sledgehammers. The 12lb loads by a carriage bolt through the top of the handle, and the 10lb loads by adding plates to the snubber on the handle. The hammer is my favourite tool in the gym, and at work. If all else fails, get a bigger hammer.
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A 33mm and a 48mm T Handle, and loading pin. I have bushings made to adapt 1"standard to 50mm Olympic plates. Also a 3" Hub Pinch which is an effective gripper crushing assistance exercise.
image.jpeg One 3" and one 2" Two Hand Pinch implements. Two hand pinch is a core grip exercise. I should have left the 2" raw steel because the 3" sandblasted piece is well seasoned.
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@offwidth I have a lot of fun tinkering. I want to make my version of a Saxon Bar or Glass Bar when I find a suitable, cheap piece of steel. When I see many things I know I can make it better, cheaper, easier than buying it. In my family we don't pay someone else to do something we can do, or learn to do. Tinkering, making things, and my tinker days where I play in the gym. My tinker days I do grip, sledge, strand pulling, odd objects, obscure Oldtime Strongman and USAWA lifts, different stuff. I train with a rough plan and improvise by feel, want, and experience. Generally I will stretch between sets to add value. Play is an important aspect of training for me. I am a lot less serious about strict, monotonous training as I get older, but I still believe in hard work. Despite what people think, you can, and should, work smart and hard
 
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I have made a pair of parallete bars, foam rolling bars modeled from some triggerpoint models, a softball grip, and pull up grips from softballs. Not shown Is a set up for nordic curls.

Eventually I'll make a T handle.
 
I like the softball grips. I have heard they work very well, but never tried them. I will make a set.
 
If anyone works with Isometrics a set of Tree straps and a crane scale can go a long way. The set up can handle a 2000 lbs pull. (Well the board can't. I broke it yesterday with a hip belt squat :p.) The straps will hold 1400 lbs each. The loadcell in the crane scale will read up to 2000 lbs. Be sure to get one with a Peak Hold function - which saves the highest value - so you don't have to look at a screen while trying to give it everything.
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@Geoff Chafe I could use your skills at the moment. I'm working on a platform replacement. I'd just build it from lumber, but I'd like to to be portable... no welding is gonna happen in this studio apartment :(
 
What kind of board is it? Maybe use 2"x12" construction grade or framing grade. There is also a grade of plank for scaffolding which is rated to carry people. You could buy an 8'-12' and laminate two pieces together with wood glue and screws. One piece of good lumber would probably do the trick, and you could have a spare but the extra insurance of two would protect you from a injury.
 
I think it was just 3/4" plywood. Seemed to be 3 layers, plus the faces. Those LVL scaffolding planks look like 10 or more layers! I'll see if I can find some locally. The 2x12 is probably the easier thing to try first. Thanks!
 
I'm not sure what you are trying to build here, but possibly you could laminate 2x4's. That would be seriously robust...
 
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