Recently I had wanted to replace my workout bench because I wanted one with more space, but I quickly noticed that workout benches were expensive. This then drove me to look at what it would cost to build my own custom workout bench and what I found was a surprise. The cost of materials was far less than what you would pay for one in the store, so I set out to build my own. This do it yourself workout bench will not only save you a lot of money, but it will also allow you to create a workout bench that works for you.
Materials for this project
*Metal tubing
*Welder
*Welding iron
*Welding gear
*Blow torch
*Vice
*Metal Sander
*Drill
*Nuts and bolts
*Rubber Padding
*Rubber cement
*Steel cutting saw or hand saw
*wood
Constructing the body
To start this project you must first find out how tall and wide your body is. If you don’t know you can always use a simple tape measure and measure your height and your waist. This will allow you to create the right surface area for your bench and do it in a way that is most comfortable for you. Once you have found out these measurements cut out the required length and width from your rubber padding. Try to find the thickest rubber padding for the best price as this will ensure the most comfort. Once you have completed this step, cut out two metal tubes that are four to five foot longer than required for your rubber padding. Mark two foot away from each end of both pieces of metal tubing, this will be where you heat and bend the metal. Place the long part of each metal tube in vice grips, leaving the piece to be bent out. Wearing protective gloves and welding gear, heat the metal tube at the mark with your blow torch until it glows bright red in color. Grab above the heated area with your hands and bend the heated part of the tube until it reaches a ninety degree angle, doing this with both ends of each of the two metal tubes. These two bent tubes will act as the legs of your workout bench; allow proper cooling before removing them. For the last step, measure the width of your rubber pad and make two small metal tubes to act as the connecting pieces for your two larger bent tubes.
Piecing the body together
Using your welder, connect the two bent metal tubes together using the small pieces of metal tubing as spacers. When welding the pieces together, be sure to use enough welding iron to ensure a proper hold, testing the hold by pressing your own body weight against it. You can further strengthen the weld by adding two small pieces to the front and back of the work bench, following the steps as you did to first bring the two legs together. Cut a small flat piece of wood to act as the backing for your rubber padding and attach it to the rubber with the help of rubber cement, allowing it to dry for twenty four hours. Once completed, attach the padding to the tubing with the help of rubber silicone, being sure to leave a water tight seal between the rubber padding and metal tubing. For the final step, drill four small holes from the bottom of the metal tubing through the wood on the padding. Feed a bolt through each hole and attach it with the use of a nut. This will ensure that the rubber padding stays securely on the workout bench. Take the metal sander and sand out any sharp parts on the metal before attempting to use the bench.
Note: You should only attempt this project if you have prior experience in metal working and welding. If you do not have prior experience, please seek a professional when attempting this project.
