what would i need to weld a bench press together, and a squat rack?
what metal will i need? how much will it cost…any websites to help?
im getting a mig welder today and have nothing to use it for…and i want a squat rack and a bench press…so yeah
i was going to weld a bike together but…i drive now so that got screwed
im 16 btw…pretty good at it…i was in welding for 2 years at school and got As all 4 semesters and i didnt do my homework lol
see…i havent welded in a year…ive just been messing around with mig, arc and tig welders for the last year…but now im in small engines
and the bike i wont make it aluminum
i cant remember the metal i had for it
its somewhere around here
Your best bet is to go to a few fitness stores and look at the racks you really like, sketch them out, and then measure them to give you something to fall back on when you are in your shop. However, I can tell you that buying a rack will probably be cheaper than making one unless you go with a very simple design. The reason is that steel prices are extremely high and for a really usable rack, you will need hardware that only adds to the price. 2″x2″x1/8″ box tube of mild steel costs around $3.00-3.50 per linear foot with more hardware being a least a dollar per bolt. For a squat rack, you are looking at probably a full 20′ stick of 2″x2″ then another 10′ or so of smaller tubing for the bar holders on both sides.
A bench press will take about as much steel but I would add some 1.75″x1.75″ steel to have the rack telescope and make it adjustable.
If you ever think you will move the rack and press more than the next house over, I would strongly suggesting making everything in sections that you bolt together. Moving any weight lifting equipment as one large piece is difficult and cumbersome. Rated hardware isn’t really necessary, but anything that holds the weighted bar on a telescoping assembly should be a piece of solid tubing at least 0.5″ in diameter. I have seen plenty of bolts sheer.
Last thing, I would strongly evaluate your skills at welding before you start doing something that could cost you your life. MIG welding is one of the easiest welding techniques to make very pretty welds that are structurally defective. I have done plenty of butt welds myself that looked amazing with full penetration but did not fuse to the base metal enough to keep from breaking under testing. Anyone can weld and have it hold under light duty activities. it takes much more to weld two metals together seamlessly. It took me almost three years to really understand that, and it took plenty of bend tests to prove I didn’t know everything about welding. So, I would really evaluate yourself before you take this on.
Making a Welding Table (Part One)
