It's possible to spend a surprising amount of money on something as simple as a chin-up bar. This is especially true if you buy a bar distributed by a brand-name gym chain or celebrity personal trainer. Alternatively, you can simply build your own using gear available at any home improvement center. This project is suitable for beginning to intermediate do-it-yourselfers and should take about one hour from setup to cleanup.
Location
The first consideration when building your own chin-up bar is where you will hang it. You want an area where two stable mounting points face each other, preferably less than 4 feet away. A door jamb or pair of ceiling joists are two common, suitable locations. When picking a location, it's best to choose one that's out of your house's high-traffic areas. Otherwise, you risk bumped heads.
Materials
Use black pipe for your chin-up bar, 1 inch in diameter. You can find this in the plumbing section of your home improvement center. You will need a length of pipe 1 inch shorter than the width of the area where you want to mount it. Have staff at the home improvement center tread one end of this pipe. You will also need two caps for the bar --- one threaded, one not threaded --- and two screws at least 3 inches long
Tools
Your tools for this job include a jigsaw, power drill and safety goggles. Use a hacksaw blade for the jigsaw and a metal bit for the power drill. You will also need screwdriver bits for the drill. Because you'll be cutting metal, the safety goggles are there to protect your eyes from sparks and metal slivers.
Preparation
Before mounting your chin-up bar, you need to prep both end caps. Drill a hole through the center of the threaded end cap, using a drill bit the same diameter as your screws. The unthreaded end cap requires an extra step. Cut it in half using the hacksaw blade, then drill a hole on center in one of the two halves.
Mounting
To mount your chin-up bar, screw the two end caps into the area where you want to mount it. They should be level and facing each other. If mounting in a door jamb, position them with one edge flush with the edge of the door jamb opposite the door. Mount the end caps by driving a screw through the hole you drilled. To finish, set the unthreaded end of the pipe into the half-cap-much like you do when installing a curtain rod. Screw the threaded end into the threaded pipe until you have about 1/2 inch of space between the visible end of the pipe and the wall. You should be good to go.
References
- Today Fitness: Make Your Own Chin Up Bar
- Mike Byers; General Contractor; Corvallis, OR
- Ben Cohn; Fitness Coach; Hillsboro, Oregon
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