I had my heart set on a Rogue Fitness Flat Utility Bench 2.0 to replace my China-special that wobbles with a load of roughly one-quarter-bodyweight, until I discovered that it would cost about $360 CAD after shipping and tax. Having said the requisite "f*ck that", I endeavoured to build something that would outlast my weightlifting career at a significantly lower price point.
Enter the TwinSpine. This beast was designed with the versatility of steel framing in my back pocket; once you learn the ropes, simple stud and track can be used to realize damn near anything rectilinear. Because I can't weld, and also because you shouldn't weld galvanized steel anyway, which is how steel framing is typically finished, it's all done up with bolted joints and screws (only in wood).
Awesome facts:
- With the pad dimensions 12" wide by 48" long x roughly 17" tall, this bench complies with common regulations (e.g. IPF).
- I specified 14 ga (68 mil) steel throughout, just because I could, but even 16 ga (54 mil) would probably be way overkill.
- There are over 200 holes that need to be drilled in the steel alone. Not so awesome, actually.
- The pad foam will be a full 2" thick, from (probably) 4 layers of 1/2" high-density rebond glued together. This will get glued down to two 3/4" plywood layers laminated together, which then get screwed into from the steel beams.
- The steel beams will never, ever let the plywood pad backing warp, twist, or bow.
- In the finished state, the bench will weigh in at roughly 75 lbs, about 54 lbs of which will be structural steel. Heavy enough to stay stable, light enough to be easily pulled around.
- To make transportation easy, this unit readily breaks down into 4 parts; the two pedestals, the twin-beam platform, and the bench pad.
- I'd be surprised if this monster wasn't able to support the weight of a small car, balanced and loaded properly.
Ongoing costs:
- Skil 3320-01 drill press [$157.07]
- DeWalt D28710 chop saw [$190.97]
- Structural steel stud and track : $70.17
- 3/8" bolts, washers, nuts: $27.98
- Self-drilling #10x3/4" hex head screws: (fraction of) $6.59
- #10x1.5" pan head wood screws: $3.36
- Drill bits: [$25.71]
- Cutting fluid: (fraction of) $13.28
- Plywood: TBD
- Foam: (fraction of) $33.90
- Black marine vinyl: $15.82
Running total: not more than $171.10
Photos:
Steel structure alone:
Bench pad construction shown, sans upholstery:
Enter the TwinSpine. This beast was designed with the versatility of steel framing in my back pocket; once you learn the ropes, simple stud and track can be used to realize damn near anything rectilinear. Because I can't weld, and also because you shouldn't weld galvanized steel anyway, which is how steel framing is typically finished, it's all done up with bolted joints and screws (only in wood).
Awesome facts:
- With the pad dimensions 12" wide by 48" long x roughly 17" tall, this bench complies with common regulations (e.g. IPF).
- I specified 14 ga (68 mil) steel throughout, just because I could, but even 16 ga (54 mil) would probably be way overkill.
- There are over 200 holes that need to be drilled in the steel alone. Not so awesome, actually.
- The pad foam will be a full 2" thick, from (probably) 4 layers of 1/2" high-density rebond glued together. This will get glued down to two 3/4" plywood layers laminated together, which then get screwed into from the steel beams.
- The steel beams will never, ever let the plywood pad backing warp, twist, or bow.
- In the finished state, the bench will weigh in at roughly 75 lbs, about 54 lbs of which will be structural steel. Heavy enough to stay stable, light enough to be easily pulled around.
- To make transportation easy, this unit readily breaks down into 4 parts; the two pedestals, the twin-beam platform, and the bench pad.
- I'd be surprised if this monster wasn't able to support the weight of a small car, balanced and loaded properly.
Ongoing costs:
- Skil 3320-01 drill press [$157.07]
- DeWalt D28710 chop saw [$190.97]
- Structural steel stud and track : $70.17
- 3/8" bolts, washers, nuts: $27.98
- Self-drilling #10x3/4" hex head screws: (fraction of) $6.59
- #10x1.5" pan head wood screws: $3.36
- Drill bits: [$25.71]
- Cutting fluid: (fraction of) $13.28
- Plywood: TBD
- Foam: (fraction of) $33.90
- Black marine vinyl: $15.82
Running total: not more than $171.10
Photos:
Steel structure alone:
Bench pad construction shown, sans upholstery:
Last edited:
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