Okay, so today I’m gonna spill the beans on my little project: making stainless steel barbells. It wasn’t as straightforward as I thought, lemme tell ya.
First off, I had this crazy idea to make my own weights. You know, be all self-sufficient and whatnot. Stainless steel seemed like the way to go – durable, rust-proof, and just looks damn cool. So, I started by sourcing the steel. I went to a local metal supplier, talked to the guy there, and got some 304 stainless steel rods. Turns out, 304 is pretty standard for this kind of stuff. I grabbed a few different diameters to experiment with.
Next up, cutting the rods. This was trickier than I imagined. I initially tried using a regular hacksaw, but that was a joke. Took forever and the cuts were all wonky. Ended up investing in a decent metal-cutting bandsaw. Man, that thing was a game changer! Clean cuts in seconds. I cut the rods into the lengths I wanted for the barbell handles. I aimed for around 5-6 feet for the main barbell.
Then came the fun part: welding. I’m no expert welder, but I’ve dabbled. I used a TIG welder – seemed like the best option for stainless steel. Prepped the metal by cleaning it with a wire brush and some acetone to get rid of any grease or grime. Tack welded the ends of the rods to keep them in place, then went to town with the actual welds. It wasn’t pretty, I’ll admit, but it held. Lots of grinding and sanding later, the welds looked… acceptable.
After the welding, I started working on the sleeves – the parts where the weight plates go. I used some thicker stainless steel tubing for this. Cut them to the right length, then bored out the inside diameter to fit snugly over the barbell handle. More welding, more grinding, more sanding. It was a never-ending cycle!
To make sure the weights didn’t just slide off, I needed to add some sort of stop. I decided to weld on some collars. Simple stainless steel rings that I attached to the sleeves. Again, welding, grinding, sanding. Are you sensing a theme here?
The final step was polishing. I wanted that shiny, stainless steel look. So, I spent a ridiculous amount of time with a polishing wheel and various grits of sandpaper. Started with coarse grit to get rid of any major imperfections, then gradually moved to finer and finer grits. Finally, I used a polishing compound to give it that mirror finish. My arms were killing me by this point.
The result? Not perfect, by any means. The welds aren’t professional grade, and there are still a few scratches here and there. But damn, it’s a solid, functional barbell. And I made it myself!
- Sourced 304 stainless steel
- Cut the rods with a bandsaw
- Welded the handle and sleeves
- Added collars to stop the weights
- Polished to a shiny finish
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, and honestly, probably cheaper to just buy a decent barbell. But hey, I learned a ton, and now I have a unique piece of equipment that I can say I built with my own two hands. Plus, bragging rights, right?
