Some of my work

[strength_and_power]

Drivesitfar suggested I start a thread on some of the equipment I build so here it is. In my day job I deliver safes and vaults. In my free time when I am not powerlifting I build gym equipment. Equipment wise I use a Miller 350P for the welding, a Scotchman cold saw for the cutting and a Grizzly drill press for the drilling. Plan is to replace the Grizzly drill press with something better but this thing won't die. I bought it used for $150 and I would conservatively estimate it has drilled over 20,000 holes in 4 years. My welding table is a custom piece I built. I use a lot of laser cut jigs and various fixtures for repeatability.
First pic is a rack on the table in process and the second pic is the finished project. I did the entire build including the platform.

 

[strength_and_power]

This is a piece used for squatting. Roughly 40 hours of build time and 22# of .035 wire

 

[cnc-me]

Nice job

 

[Strouty]

Great end result, but we need more pics of the shop and machines in use!

 

[strength_and_power]

Here is a modular vault we just finished on the east coast. 3 man crew, 27,000# total weight. Took 1.5 days to build. Our first day was cut short as the building was was under construction and didn't have the roof on yet. At 3pm the sky opened up and poured so the day was over.
First pic, the panels on the ground.
Second pic, progress just before the rain came
Third pic is the finished vault

 

[Buckgnarly]

Holy ****! How thick is that steel?... is it a special grade?... what do you weld it with?

 

[strength_and_power]

Some of the shop with various works in progress

 

[strength_and_power]

Holy ****! How thick is that steel?... is it a special grade?... what do you weld it with?

The pan is only 16 ga. Stick weld with 6011, 1.5" weld every 12 inches on all seams. Inside the pan is where the magic happens. High PSI concrete with various additives, fibers both composite and steel and rebar. That is just the wall/ ceiling panels. The door is another animal completely

 

[drivesitfar]

S & P: awesome idea for a thread.

you have some very good ideas and talent. not to mention you are as big as a house and fit too.

thanks for sharing your hobby and business and shop stuff with us and i'm looking forward to more. also if you have any links to youtube videos to post of your lifting or equipment in use please do.

if you want to post on my losing weight thread in the link in my signature please do with some good snacks or meals for those of us that need help. you can aslo join the group of members that are trying to lose or maintain weight and just say so and it's done.

in case you want more members to see this thread you can go in your GJ profile and cut and paste a link to it in your signature. also while you are in there click on Avitar and you can download a picture of you or your favorite picture that will show up where my buffalo is.

thanks big guy

 

[macgyver37]

SnP is this yours?

Jason

 

[Richard Cranium]

S&P are you from Seattle also? Please update your profile to include your location.

 

[strength_and_power]

SnP is this yours?

Jason

Yes it is

 

[DPG]

I would like to see more on how a vault is made.

 

[MattVette89]

Those are some pro quality power racks. Very nice work.

 

[NASTYZEN]

Cool stuff you make.
Thanks for posting and welcome to G.J.
Looking forward to seeing more of what you do.

 

[Leoruiz]

Nice shop and squat rack. I see a Ventamatic Maxx back on the wall. Good Choice

 

[macgyver37]

Thought it was, your screen name is unique enough it caught my eye. Are you guys still doing the classic?

You build some pretty sweet equipment.

Jason

 

[ADSR]

that's some nice commercial grade equipment!

 

[drivesitfar]

S & P: did you sell that red squat rack to a gym where Stan Efferding worked out because I've seen it in several of his videos? or did you make several of them?

nice work and anything new this week that you are working on.

BTW i really like your shop and work.

 

[strength_and_power]

S & P: did you sell that red squat rack to a gym where Stan Efferding worked out because I've seen it in several of his videos? or did you make several of them?

nice work and anything new this week that you are working on.

BTW i really like your shop and work.

Stan has trained at a couple of different places. Currently I believe he is in Las Vegas. He has a Monolift he bought from a buddy of mine. The Monolift is fairly common in powerlifting, mostly in the multi-ply federations where the big numbers are hit. By big I mean 1,100+ pound squats, 7-900# bench presses and 800# deadlifts. I'm not sure when the first Monolift was built but aside from a few minor things, they haven't changed much.
This is a chalkbowl I built for a gym in northem California where Stan trained at some point.

 

[strength_and_power]

Thought it was, your screen name is unique enough it caught my eye. Are you guys still doing the classic?

You build some pretty sweet equipment.

Jason

They didn't do the classic last year. I'm not sure if my buddy is going to put it on this year. It takes a good bit of planning to put a meet on and his crew has lost a few members so we will see.

 

[strength_and_power]

Here are some jigs my local laser/ fab shop did up for me. I have them in various lengths for the size tubing I use most often.
The jig in the back is 24" long with the holes spaced 1" apart. The 3 holes put me in the center of 2", 2.5"
and 3" square tubing. I can alter my spacing by skipping holes or if I need additional length I just unclamp the jig, slide it over, line up to a hole, reclamp and do what I need to do. I could have gotten fancy and used drill bushings as over time the holes will open up some but as it is, I've only had to have the most often used jig remade twice in 5 years.

 

[drivesitfar]

S & P: i can't read the last word on your shirt in your Avitar. what does that say?

just curious since you do drill a lot of holes in steel as to what quality drill bit you use and how do you clean off the burrs or rough spots? i am thinking as many holes as you do there is probably a great system you have if you don't mind sharing.

also your welding work tables are awesome.

have a great day

 

[strength_and_power]

S & P: i can't read the last word on your shirt in your Avitar. what does that say?

just curious since you do drill a lot of holes in steel as to what quality drill bit you use and how do you clean off the burrs or rough spots? i am thinking as many holes as you do there is probably a great system you have if you don't mind sharing.

also your welding work tables are awesome.

have a great day

The last word on my shirt is open for interpretation....

For pilot holes and holes up to 1/2" I use Norseman black and silver bits. Basic cutting oil and proper fees rate and speed is important to bit life. Unless I miss drilling a hole before welding, all my holes are drilled using a drill press.
Enlarging a hole that was lasered is just rough on bits, no good way around it.
For holes 5/8" and up I use Roto Kut Ultra carbide tipped hole cutters from Kimball Midwest. Norseman has an almost identical product that is cheaper but bit life is shorter. $75 for a bit that will go 10,000+ holes is well. Worth it. The carbide hole cutters are pretty much burr free. On material I can get to the back side if need be I will use a flap wheel.

 

[drivesitfar]

S & P: thanks for all the great tips on drilling and drill bits. is that your back the shirt is on or just a saying you like.

just curious if you use an inversion table to stretch out after all the heavy weights you lift.

ever tried the gyro www.dynaflexpro.com to build up your grip?

take care big guy

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice fabrication work and nicely equiped shop.

Mike.

 

[strength_and_power]

S & P: thanks for all the great tips on drilling and drill bits. is that your back the shirt is on or just a saying you like.



just curious if you use an inversion table to stretch out after all the heavy weights you lift.



ever tried the gyro www.dynaflexpro.com to build up your grip?



take care big guy

That is my back in the pic.

Never used an inversion table but we have a reverse hyper that does about the same thing . We spend a lot of time strengthening the posterior chain ( low back, glutes, hips and hamstrings) and the reverse hyper does great.
Grip wise, I have yet to drop a deadlift from losing my grip. Between working out, handling a grinder in the shop and pulling safes around on pallet jacks, my grip gets a good workout as it is. I have built a plate loaded grip machine that I will use between sets and also do plate pinches if I'm really bored. We use a deadlift specific bar that is slightly smaller diameter than a regular bar (1-1/16" vs 1-1/8") and has skin tearing knurling. Our dedicated bench bar is 1-3/16" diameter and our squat bars range from 1-1/4" to 1-3/8" depending on the federation sanctioning the meet.

 

[strength_and_power]

this was from a meet I did a few years back. On Monday the week of the meet I was 243#. By manipulating my water and spending some time in a sauna I weighed in Friday morning at 220# which was the max for the 220# weight class. By the time the meet started the next day, I weighed 246#. I pretty much ate and drank everything in sight in those 24 hours.

 

[drivesitfar]

S & P: pretty cool when you need 5 spotters to help in case you miss a lift because you are lifting that much weight. on the squat was that a machine you made or just one similar?

i have to think that is a little hard on you going up and down that much weight?

the reason i mentioned the gyro was because i sprained both my wrists punching a BOB dummy because I forgot to tape up and it was 32 degrees in my garage gym. so wrist rolls killed me and i found a gyro that a friend gave me that still hurt to use, but i recovered from the sprains in about a month of using it an hour a day and after 3 months i came within about 3/8 of an inch of closing a #3 Captains of Crush and i did squeeze shut a #2.5 twice. anyway with all you do i'm sure you have a great grip, but if you ever tweak it or hurt one or both try a gyro for the rehab.

if the hyper takes care of your back i'm happy for you and i bet not having a beer belly helps a lot too.

thanks for the video link too

 

[drivesitfar]

S & P: you mentioned that you built a plate loaded grip machine. any chance you can post a few pictures of it?

I've tucked my Sorinex grip machine behind the door with my CC grips above it and the little training olympic plates a client gave me that i never use, but they are great wall art.

the guy i bought the Sorinex from could stand on the grip machine and pull up his own weight and i haven't tried it much, but i'm sure it will be easier in 6 months if i lose all the weight i'm planning on losing. i took a few pictures in case you needed them for design. i have a chunk of black steel for a grip exercise and i also have a smaller grip machine. i really don't use these much because my gyro seems to do a better job and the CC's and the Sorinex are only to see if i'm improving.

also thanks for stopping in on the losing weight thread and feel free to stop in more often and offer up some good cardio or workouts if you want to share.

Are you training for a contest in the near future?

 

[strength_and_power]

Here is the plate loaded gripper I built

 

[drivesitfar]

S & P: thanks for the quick reply. nice looking design too. is that weighted with 3 45's for one handed or two handed workouts?

cheers and hope you are having a good day