Anyone have experience making their own concrete weights? Any problems?
Googling it I see people fudding about how it "isn't worth it" but spending 600$ on worthless dead weight doesn't seem "worth it" to me. Also "just get some used weights off craigslist" -- I've been checking and there are very rarely any craigslist deals on these in my area, and when there are listing they are 300$+, and even then they are snapped up within a few hours.
I made a pair of 50 pound concrete plated with one of those molds during the coronavirus gym shutdown. They suck.
How do they suck?
>Any problems?
Mine broke in half. Use something better than PVC for the bar
Drop test them
>rarely equal weight
>concrete dust when hitting floor/banging in barbell
Wouldn't the concrete be so brittle that it would crack after a while (especially if the concrete didn't set right)?
Wire mesh for reinforcement, plus you can coat it after to protect it when you're dropping it
How long does it take?
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Why would you make them out of concrete? A 20kg concrete "plate" would be heavier than an iron one.
What's heavier - 20kg of concrete, or 20kg of iron?
That's right - it's concrete, because concrete is heavier than iron.
yep thanks biden
I bet you think 1/2/3/4 is relevant
> 20kg > 20kg
my sides
I thought about making some to leave outside at my deer cabin so I could still get gainz while shooting free protein. I finished concrete for a few years after high school and did QC for several years after that, so I feel like I could make some nice ones with consistent weight since I could factor in the water loss. I bet with a decent water to cement ratio and some fiber they could handle being dropped on the dirt without breaking as long as I coated them. Fuck it I'm going for it. The worst that could happen is that I'm out ~$20 in quickrete.
The concrete plates in the pic look heavier than iron plates
Your perception is completely wrong
>A 20kg concrete "plate" would be heavier than an iron one
1) I think steel would be better for the whole than PVC. Significantly less brittle and not affected by the curing reaction of concrete.
2) you want a wire mesh and maybe even some rebar in the weights. The weights being dropped will introduce a significant tensile force through the plate, and concrete does not perform at all in tension.
3) get a rubber sealant to coat the plates in. Like a tub of flex-seal or whatever else you see in the hardware store. This will add a better outer tensile coating and prevent chipping and aerating off the concrete.
These all add up in costs, especially with tools. Like the rebar bender and grinder for the metal whole are tools you might not already have (you should already have wire cutters for the mesh). And the plates will still break early. Meanwhile, your local used sporting gear shop has iron/steel plates that won’t break easily and cost $1-$2/lb, and it’s easier and faster than making your own plates (concrete takes 28 days for the full strength cure before you put on the rubber coat, which also needs to cure). The time investment is where the really-not-worth-it nature of making your own plates comes in.
>unequal weights
just shave them down or cut symmetrical lines into the plates until they are equal
>dust
add a coating
>can’t drop it
then don’t fucking drop it
I like you. Don't go to school tomorrow.
There's no way you're this dumb
Nobody told you to bang up the weights, that's on you fucking retard.