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How to make a Pilates push-through bar?

Hello,

Pilates equipment is ridiculously expensive so I have chosen to make my own for use at home. I have made a makeshift Pilates "Springboard" using shelving corners (see photo) and put it in on the wall in my spare room. It does the trick and definitely meets my springboard needs. My next little project is to make an attachment called a "push through bar" (see photo) which to buy is $350 and it wouldn't work on my home made springboard anyway. You can see in the photo that it attaches/clamps to the board and can be moved up and down the board quickly during a work out. When attached, the bar pivots up and down and would need to take a fair amount of force/weight. I'd be pushing/pulling with full force. I cannot for the life of me think of any smart way of creating the attachment so it has the easy movability. Any ideas?

My home made Pilates Springboard

A commercially available Pilates Push Through Bar that I'm trying to replicate

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings workshop community @minabina. It's sensational that you've joined us, and many thanks for your question on creating a push-through bar.

I've had a bit of a think, and I believe you could create something very similar with our products:

Australian Handyman Supplies 20 x 5mm Steel Flat Bar 2mtr

Porta 25.4mm Tasmanian Oak Dowel

Zenith 3/8 x 2" Zinc Plated Cup Head Bolt And Nut

Zenith 3/8" M10 Zinc Plated Flat Washer - 50 Pack

Zenith 3/8" Zinc Plated Diecast Wing Nut - 3 Pack

Zenith 3/8 x 3" Zinc Plated Hex Head Coach Screw

Sutton Tools 9.5mm HSS Viper Metric Drill Bit

Craftright 300mm Tubular Hacksaw.

The basic principle would be to cut the flat bar down to the length you require the bar to be from the wall. Use the 9.5mm drill bit to drive a hole at either end of the bar approximately 12mm from the end. You might need/like to cut the corners off/round the bar ends. Cut the dowel down to the width between the black angles. Pre-drill each end with the drill bit. Connect the flat bar to the dowel with the coach screws. Then connect the other ends of the flat bar to the frame with the bolts, washer and wing nuts.

I've put an image together below to illustrate. You could possibly also construct a full timber version utilising hinges as the pivot point.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

minabina

Hello Mitchell,

Thank you for taking the time to help me on this. I have a few questions, particularly around the end that joins the black frame. Everything else looks easy.

At the wall, the arm needs to be 1) free moving in a 180 degrees arc from ceiling to floor and 2) very firmly attached to the frame so that it is not sliding up and down the long slot/hole in the frame while being used 3) easily removable and re-attachable at a different height along the frame.

I may not understand how the hardware works but with the version you have drawn, it looks it would either be firmly bolted into position with no moving arm OR lightly bolted with a free moving arm and at the same time vulnerable to sliding up and down the slot. I might need 2 separate actions 1) a clamping action and 2) a pivot action. And then it is the clamping action that would have a quick release so it can be re-positioned.

MitchellMc

@minabina,

You're correct. My intention was for the bolt to be left slightly loose to be a pivot point, which might cause it to move up and down in the slot. You could drill additional holes in between the slots if there's enough room. Alternatively, you might need to use a block of timber as a go between point. The timber would be bolted to the frame tightly, and the arm bolted to it slightly loose. How that would work might be a bit of trial and error. I'll include an image below. Although this can be undone by hand and relocated fairly easily, I wouldn't call it quick release.

I'd like to include Lawnkeeper Handle Knob & Bolt or Lawnkeeper Upper Handle Locking Lever Assemblies, but I can't quite figure out how they would work in the space available. The second link is to a quick release handle, but it's only a quick release of the holding pressure, not for removal.

Mitchell

Brad

Could also add a washer with a couple of pins on it to stop the sliding.

minabina

This solution looks like the most likely to work so I could get 2 out of the 3 functions (and probably the most important ones). I like the idea of the lawnkeeper handles but can't think of how to get them to work either. I think I've seen similar mechanisms for bike seats. I'll leave that for now unless other people have ideas.

As far as hardware goes, I think you've listed the bolts for the clamping action in your first post. What hardware would I need for the pivot function? How would I attach it so the arm can move freely?

Also, would the tubular hacksaw work for cutting and shaping the ends of the steel? I've already purchased steel for the arms and dowel like you suggested.

thanks again!!

🙂

minabina

Hi Brad, I'm not quite picturing this. Where would the pins go?

Brad

I don't have @MitchellMc Cad skills.

Pins would fit in the top and bottom of the slot so it couldn't slide.

MitchellMc

Hi @minabina,

You can use the same Zenith 3/8 x 2" Zinc Plated Cup Head Bolt And Nut for the pivot function, depending on what thickness timber you choose. Just get one that is long enough to pass through the timber, arm and have enough room left for a nut. Instead of the nut it comes with, grab a Pinnacle 3/8" Stainless Steel Nylon Lock Nut - 4 Pack. These nuts can be tightened to be snug but not tight. That should allow the arm to move still but not become loose. The head of that bolt has a little square section under it. I would position the bolt so the arm is right next to the nut, so this square section on the head doesn't interfere with its movement. This would be the opposite way to what I have shown in the image above. A Zenith 3/8" M10 Zinc Plated Flat Washer on either side of the arm will also assist it in moving freely.

You'll be able to use the hacksaw to round the ends, though this might take a little time and patience. Obviously, an angle grinder would be much more proficient at this, but would require another tool.

Mitchell

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