Making a Wooden Squat Rack

08 December 2025

Several years ago, I built a squat rack out of new lumber that I purchased from Home Depot. It served me well, but the construction was utilitarian. This was fine for my old basement where the sun never really shone. But my new cellar has windows and a walk out slider. I plan on making a bit of an orangerie down there next to my workshop and squeezing the fitness equipment in the middle. So, the latter has to look more presentable.

Now, I could buy a squat rack, but quality ones are not cheap. Further, they still look like welded steel beams. That is, they look like they belong in a commercial gym. This is a tinker cranny slash embassy of Mediterranean botanicals, not some $10/month sweat factory.

So, I am still using cheap "dimensional" lumber, but this time it's salvaged, and instead of leaving it as is, I am carving it up to look like old hand-hewn timber. A few coats of walnut Danish oil and a coating of beeswax will hopefully give it a 19th century textile mill aesthetic.

Construction

A squat rack is a cage that you willingly put yourself into and then further yoke yourself with hundreds of pounds. My cage is made of four posts of laminated 2x4s that I am buttressing with more laminated 2x4s. The front posts are half-sized, whereas the back two are over 6-feet tall. I did this, because I did not like how I could not comfortably perform standing presses inside my old rack with four full-sized posts. So, in theory, the half posts in the front of this one will allow for that. Also, it feels more open and airy. Less cage-like.

Each post is made of three 2x4s laminated together with glue and screws. These were hewn, sanded, and had holes drilled through them at exact intervals for horizontal safety bars and hooks to hold the bar. All of that hardware is made of black gas pipe. I read somewhere that this pipe is not as strong as thicker steel pipe, but I am not a power lifter. If I suddenly start squatting 300 lbs, I'll buy thicker pipe.

The one downside to having half posts in the front is that they are not as stable. I am using laminated 2x4 diagonal braces at every 90-degree point on the rack, along with a back buttress(?) to keep the rack from rocking backward if I slam the bar onto it while pressing. But the front posts only have one diagonal brace on the same axis as the safety rails. Nothing is really keeping them from rocking from side to side. I am going to try and remedy this with steel L-brackets that connect them to the horizontal 2x4 base on the floor. If this is not enough, I guess I could add a buttress to the side of each. The issue is that this takes up more floor space, and it becomes a tripping hazard.

Finishing

Danish oil is an all-in-one finish made of both natural oils and artificial varnishes, petroleum distillates, etc. The basic idea is that the tung oil or whatever inside cures faster in the presence of the accelerants. I would have gone with something like pure linseed oil or tung oil, but I did not want to wait a month before I could use my squat rack. As it is, the Danish oil takes a good week or so before the smell goes away.

The process of adding the oil is very satisfying. The wood actually drinks it in as you paint it on. Then you wait about ten minutes and wipe away any excess. A second coat really does deepen the color, especially with pine. What a difference it makes once that rich color is on there! It goes from cheap wood to something old and dignified-looking.

The final stage I have yet to do, which is to seal the exterior with beeswax. This is not technically necessary, but it adds an extra layer of protection. Also, it smells nice. The process involves melting the wax over a double-boiler with some odorless mineral spirits to make a kind of soft paste that can be buffed over the Danish oil. I am really looking forward to this step, but it cannot be rushed, lest the oil layer fail to cure and become gummy.

The Final Product

Check back in couple of weeks to see how this rack has progressed. I will update here. Until then, happy making.