"Billy Bad Ass" Bar

3 1/2 inch PVC Pipe

Plumbing pipe (2) 1 1/4 inch (fits standard plates)

Plumbing nipple(2) 1 1/4 inch

8 bolts

8 nuts

spray paint

2 pipe fasteners (they look like two half circles that screw together.  They tighten on the pipe and will be act like clips for your weight bar to secure the weight)

PVC glue

bag of sand

Directions-take the nipple (yes this is the real name for the part), place it against the cap, mark the holes with a marker.  Drill four holes.  secure the pipe nipple to the cap with the four nuts and bolts.  Do this for the other side.  Apply glue to the outside of the pipe and the inside of the cap.  Put one cap on.  Scoop the sand into the pipe on the open end.  Then glue the other cap.  screw on your pipes.  Set it up with the two ends on something so that it doesn't touch the ground.  use the spray paint, but avoid going heavy so that you avoid drip spots.  After dry turn it and hit the other sit.  when dry put the supports in the middle of the bar and hit the ends with paint.  If you put it on the ground when wet you will end up with news paper or whatever stuck to it.  You can either use standard collars on the pipe or buy 1 1/4 pipe fasteners.  Be aware I have not tested this with a lot of weight yet.  I just got off surgery and have to wait.

Another possible way to make this which may be able to hold more weight is to get the same pvc pipe and caps.  Drill a hole through the caps.  that would fit a 1 1/4 pipe.  You would then glue the caps on.  (Drilling the exact 1 1/4 hole center may be an issue.  That is one reason I did not go this route.)  Guide a long pipe throught the  PVC caps.  Make sure that the pipe is equal lengths on both sides.  then secure the pipe with pipe fastners where it comes out of the pvc pipe.  Do this on both ends so the pipe will not slide through the pvc.  Use two more fastners as weight collars.  The problem with trying this set up is that I don't know how secure the bar will be with just using plumbing clamps. I would skip adding sand to this since making those holes for the pipe may not be exact and the sand could come out.  This also would give you a much lighter bar which would necessitate adding more weight to both ends for lifting.  This is another reason I went with option one.  The sand is added and if you use this bar for curling it is unlikely that you would ever be able to go too heavy for the bar.  Although the second option may be able to add more weight it also starts out lighter.  So I thing it's an even trade.

You can use standard plates on both bars or add olympic adapters to each side.  They will secure to the 1 1/4 pipe, but I'm not sure how secure they would be with a lot of weight.   Please be careful with all this and as always try these ideas at your own risk.