If you've seen the spice rack or BBQ Homer Simpson built you have an idea of my ability with tools :D How hard is this power rack to put together? Due to the weight how many people does it take (one to hold while another bolts together)?
Thanks,
Steve

If you've seen the spice rack or BBQ Homer Simpson built you have an idea of my ability with tools :D How hard is this power rack to put together? Due to the weight how many people does it take (one to hold while another bolts together)?
Thanks,
Steve

I should be getting mine any day now. I plan on putting it together by myself. I will certainly let you know how it goes.

four

I don't have the power cage yet but I have the lat machine and bench by powertec. To make assembly fast you should have an adjustable crescent wrench and a standard [not mertric] socket set handy. If you don't know what those are ask a friend who is mechanically inclined. It will speed up assembly quite a bit. If the instructions tell you to not tighten all bolts completely until all bolts are in - listen.

HunkOLove is right; don't tighten all of the bolts until the whole thing is together. I have a Body-Solid rack that I put together myself and it was a snap. (Mechanical Engineer by trade)

I invested in a 15/16 socket and closed end wrench. I highly recommend buying sockets and wrenches for the size bolts used to assemble the rack. By using a crescent wrench, you will round the edges of the bolts, scratch the powder coat and make a mess of things. Get the right tools for the job. Cheap sets can be found a Value Home centers, K-Mart, and of course - Wal-Mart. I bought mine individually at a hardware store because I already had English and Metric sets, they didn't go large enough for all the fasteners.

Pay particular attention to the instructions when they illustrate the correct position of the washers. These are going to help spread the force of the bolt across the tube and prevent it from being crushed. Double check washer position and bolt head direction before assembling.

Another thing I did was make sure the rack was square within 1/4 inch before tightening all of the bolts. This can be done by taking a tape measure and measuring diagonally across the front of the rack in both directions. These distances should be within 1/4 inch of one another. Do this across the back as well. Doing this will improve the stability of the rack, reducing rocking and twisting under load.

Hope this helps :gl:

I take umbrage at that sir. Just kidding.
I use the crescent to just hold the bolt head and then I tighten the nuts with the socket. No stripping or rounding. :D

ahhhhhhhh....
I see you have become the master of the shiney crescent.
Become one with the tool, master it, dominate!

no offence - some just don't know which end of a tool to use. sockets make it fool proof. LOL No offence about the fool part either. I'm going to shut-up now. :o

None taken. I'm just kidding with you. Your way is better for someone who doesn't have tool savvy. :D