Since I started lifting weights (a few times a week for just 10 or 15 minutes at a time), I found that it’s far more convenient to do at home than at the gym (or at least, I like having that option).  I initially priced a 35# kettlebell and found the cost to be outrageous at around $2/pound ($70). In the 4 Hour Body, Tim suggested a T-handle as a low-cost alternative.

I built my Handle out of materials around the garage (minus the stack of 5# plates, which I got from Dad), so it’s not quite perfect.  The construction is all 3/4″ black steel pipe (And fittings) with some old rubber grips instead of athletic tape for the handle bit.

One place that I deviated heavily from the standard design was on the bottom, where people typically use a pipe flange to support the weight stack.  I had such a flange, but the only section of pipe that I had was way too long.  I improvised by cutting off the pipe at an appropriate length, flaring the end of the pipe and welding a solid steel slug into the open end, keeping it from unflaring itself.  This approach is probably far stronger than a floor flange (which would tend to bend the threads as the weight stack exerts uneven pressure on them when setting the weight down), but it leaves an uneven protrusion on the bottom of the unit.  I typically remedy this by setting it on carpet, which doesn’t care much, or on a board with a large hole drilled in it.

One important thing to note about using screw-together weights: Inspect your assembly regularly.  Loose fittings are far more susceptible to damage than properly tightened ones,  and NPT (pipe) fittings aren’t really that great at load bearing to begin with.

On an aside, I chose the 5# plates because their small diameter makes the fully-loaded handle easier to use, and spreads the weight vertically, reducing the pendulum effect. A few of the weight plates I got had holes too small for 3/4″ gas pipe (I suspect it’s some slightly smaller metric approximation) so I had to use the lathe to bore them out just a touch.  Let me tell you, 5 pounds of spinning steel held by a 3-jaw-inside chuck is a bit disconcerting.  In the end, though, the work was completed without incident.

I’ve been using my T-handle regularly for a few months now, but was inspired to post about it when my friend Drew showed me  the KettleStack, which is basically a T-handle in an alternative physical configuration. This makes it more ergonomic for certain exercises, but doesn’t really have any advantages for the things I use mine for.

Filed under:
Products, Projects by Kevin