Free-standing speedbag platform

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  • speedbag4life
    Senior Member
    • Jun 2007
    • 139

    Free-standing speedbag platform

    Hi everyone, it has been a long time --and a few major life events-- since I've been on the forum. It's nice to see everyone hitting so well!!

    I have no speedbag in my life right now, nor have I had one for a long time. You all can probably imagine how hard that is! I'm trying to think of ways to build/buy a free-standing platform for my apartment-- can't drive nails/screws into walls, ceiling, or floor. Everything I see on the "Platforms" forum is affixed to a wall or ceiling.

    I've tried the typical metal frame model (Everlast?), with one arm for a heavy and the other for a speedbag, but it wasn't stable enough even with a weight on top. I remember Tim's giant "cage" and think it's a great idea, but it may be beyond my skill level to build one. ~not sure. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions that would work... for a constructionally-challenged-but-willing-to-try-anything, speedbag lover like me?

    By the way, for anyone who knows him, I visited Jerry Neuman at his community gym in a couple days ago. Nice fellow! --and smooth on the bag.
  • Tim
    Administrator and Founder of SpeedBagForum.com


    • Jan 2006
    • 3428

    #2
    Originally posted by speedbag4life View Post
    Hi everyone, it has been a long time --and a few major life events-- since I've been on the forum. It's nice to see everyone hitting so well!!
    Welcome back!

    By the way, we've got SPEED B.A.G. II coming up in June 16-19 at Keyport NJ (Real Gymm - same location as last year). Would love to have you be there....

    I remember Tim's giant "cage" and think it's a great idea, but it may be beyond my skill level to build one. ~not sure.
    At your skill level you definitely need something super-stable.

    In all honesty, the cage is NOT hard to build. Can you use a ruler and have access to a drill? Can you work a wrench? That's as complicated as it gets. You can have Home Depot do all the wood cutting for you, you won't even need a saw!

    Check your local Home Depot or Lowes. Look for 4" x 4" wood. It typically comes in 8' lengths. That's plenty of height. Then get 2" x 6" wood, typically in either 10 foot or 8 foot length. Have them cut it in half on site.

    Then buy a bunch of 6" 1/2" bolts, washers, and nuts. An an "Auger" bit for your drill.

    Drill holes for the bolts, staggered so that they don't interfere with each other (see cage photos in my photo album)

    Then just bolt the whole thing together!

    Hope that helps.

    Comment

    • speedbag4life
      Senior Member
      • Jun 2007
      • 139

      #3
      Originally posted by Tim View Post
      Welcome back!

      By the way, we've got SPEED B.A.G. II coming up in June 16-19 at Keyport NJ (Real Gymm - same location as last year). Would love to have you be there....
      Looks like SPEED B.A.G. II is going to be a great gathering, and I would love to be there! ... just have to find a way to make it work.

      Originally posted by Tim View Post

      In all honesty, the cage is NOT hard to build. Can you use a ruler and have access to a drill? Can you work a wrench? That's as complicated as it gets. You can have Home Depot do all the wood cutting for you, you won't even need a saw!

      Check your local Home Depot or Lowes. Look for 4" x 4" wood. It typically comes in 8' lengths. That's plenty of height. Then get 2" x 6" wood, typically in either 10 foot or 8 foot length. Have them cut it in half on site.

      Then buy a bunch of 6" 1/2" bolts, washers, and nuts. An an "Auger" bit for your drill.

      Drill holes for the bolts, staggered so that they don't interfere with each other (see cage photos in my photo album)

      Then just bolt the whole thing together!

      Hope that helps.
      Hmm. I have a drill, and a wrench. You're making this sound easier than I expected, which is great! I didn't know you had cage pictures in your photo album-- that'll help, too. Thanks!! Just a couple more questions: can this be disassembled and reassembled without weakening the structure? I'm moving in a few months. Also, what about vibration control? Will that be an issue with a cage? I'm thinking about my downstairs neighbors.

      Comment

      • Dutchman
        Speed Bag Historian
        • Jun 2006
        • 1903

        #4
        Vibration (and noise) control in an apartment building is going to be determined on how it was built and what materials. If it uses wooden joist floor system you're in for a lot of greif unless you do your bagging when the downstairs tennant isn't home. You could try using heavy carpet padding or rubber shock mounts under the frame to reduce the transmittal of sound and vibration. Either that or move into a ground floor unit (which is what I did). If the building has a poured concrete floor it shouldn 't be too much of a problem.

        Comment

        • Tim
          Administrator and Founder of SpeedBagForum.com


          • Jan 2006
          • 3428

          #5
          Originally posted by speedbag4life View Post
          Hmm. I have a drill, and a wrench. You're making this sound easier than I expected, which is great! I didn't know you had cage pictures in your photo album-- that'll help, too. Thanks!! Just a couple more questions: can this be disassembled and reassembled without weakening the structure?
          Yes, that is not a problem. it's all held together with bolts, washers, and nuts. You simply take it part , put it back together, and tighten everything up. I've had my main cage for years. The other cages (the ones we used at SPEED B.A.G. 2010 and STL) have been taken apart and put together multiple times with no problems.

          In fact, I use the 4'x4' cage as a squat rack every week. I put it together , use it, take it apart, and stack it in the garage.

          Here's a pic. If you look closely you'll see the bolts are staggered slightly. This particular design doesn't require a whole lot of precision drilling. In fact, I drill the bolt holes oversize for ease of take apart/put back together.



          I'm moving in a few months. Also, what about vibration control? Will that be an issue with a cage? I'm thinking about my downstairs neighbors.
          I use mine in a garage with a concrete floor... if it's on a wood floor it certainly would transmit some kind of noise.

          Comment

          • speedbag4life
            Senior Member
            • Jun 2007
            • 139

            #6
            Thanks Dutchman, thanks Tim. I'm sold on the cage! I'll have to find out what kind of floor joists we have, but I suspect they're wooden, which means bag times will have to be coordinated with the neighbors. It's worth the trouble though, just to have a bag in my life again! Thanks again for the advice and answers.

            Comment

            • Speedbag
              Author of the Speed Bag Bible, founder of speedbagcentral.com

              • Feb 2006
              • 7109

              #7
              Hi SB4L

              Good thing you will try to make one. Unfortunately there is No decent, stable and affordable free standing unit avail that I could recommend. All present models are wibbly wobbly crap without extensive cabling or additions to make them worth of a decent workout. The only one I would consider is the Balazsboxing UBS1 but the standard $1,849.00 price is just a bit high for a home based freestanding frame.
              Speed Bag

              Put a little Rhythm in YOUR workout!
              *attendee: Every SB gathering so far!
              The Quest Continues...
              Hoping for another Gathering...


              sigpic

              The Art of the Bag

              Comment

              • speedbag4life
                Senior Member
                • Jun 2007
                • 139

                #8
                Originally posted by Speedbag View Post
                Hi SB4L

                Good thing you will try to make one. Unfortunately there is No decent, stable and affordable free standing unit avail that I could recommend. All present models are wibbly wobbly crap without extensive cabling or additions to make them worth of a decent workout. The only one I would consider is the Balazsboxing UBS1 but the standard $1,849.00 price is just a bit high for a home based freestanding frame.
                Hi SB.

                That DOES look like a nice unit... and unfortunately, *looking* at it is about all I can do. I have an interesting predicament though. This weekend I was all jazzed up, ready to buy some wood and build a cage, only to discover that the 4x4's at Lowe's are 8' long, my ceilings are slightly less than 8' high, and Lowe's can't cut their 4x4s because their saw isn't big enough!! So, my new mission before building a cage is finding a neighbor with a circular saw, or finding a place where I can buy shorter 4x4s. ...Now that I think about it, I guess I could fasten together some 2x4s, which CAN be cut at Lowe's, and use them as corner beams instead of 4x4s. I'm not the construction/handy type though, and don't have a good sense of whether this would make for a rickety frame. Anybody know?

                Comment

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