Okay, so I’ve been wanting to add center knurling to my barbell for a while now. It just gives you that extra bit of grip, especially for front squats. I finally got around to doing it, and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
First, I cleaned the center section of the barbell really well. I used some rubbing alcohol and a rag to get all the chalk and grime off. You want a nice, clean surface for this.
Then, I measured out the area I wanted to knurl.I marked my barbell with tape. You gotta make sure it’s centered and even. I just eyeballed it, but you could use a measuring tape if you want to be precise.
The Process
- Clamped: With the barbell prepped, I secured it firmly in a vise, I use a soft cloth between barebell and vise for barebell protected.
- Started Knurling:Using tool and starting slowly. I make many rounds on the barbell’s center.
- Checked Progress:Stopped frequently to check the knurling depth and pattern.
- Finished Up:Once satisfied, I removed the barbell from the vise.
After that, I just took my time and went slow. I made sure to keep them straight and even. It took a few passes to get the depth I wanted, but it wasn’t too bad.
Once I was done, I wiped the bar down again to remove any metal shavings. And that was it! It looks pretty good, and it definitely adds some extra grip. I’m happy with how it turned out.
It’s not perfect, mind you. My lines aren’t perfectly straight like a machine-made knurl, but it’s functional, and that’s what matters to me. It gives me that extra bit of confidence when I’m going for a heavy front squat. So, yeah, pretty stoked about this little DIY project!
