Materials Needed for Homemade Dumbbells

Here's what you need to make the dumbells.

Total cost: under $100 for 210 lb weight set, if you can get everything at local stores.

1. One 6 to 10-ft, 1-inch diameter PVC plumbing pipe
   to make the grips - be sure to get the thicker walled version of the 1-inch pvc pipe. Current cost is $3 for 1 inch (inside diameter) 10 feet long plumbing pipe
   Available at Home Depot, Lowes, Ace
2. One 6 to 10-ft, 1.12-inch diameter PVC plumbing pipe
   Get a SECOND piece of PVC pipe just large enough to slide on the first piece of pvc pipe
   
   Generally this means  1 inch or 1.25 inch inside diameter pvc pipe.  Just walk over to the PVC pipe with your first piece of pvc pipe and try them until you find a good fit. 
   
   You will also need a hack saw or other type of saw to cut the pipe.  A circular saw would work, too. I used a cordless reciprocating saw with a fine tooth blade on it.
   
    
    
3. For EACH dumbbell:
   Four 6-inch long, 1/4 " diameter hex bolts,  and 8 matching 5/16" nuts. Total cost about $7.
    These will be used to anchor the pvc pipe to the concrete (kind of like rebar)
   
   
4. Concrete mix:
   High strength for up to 2 inch thick.  The bag weights give you an idea of how many bags you will need.  If you want to make two 25 lb plates, you will need one 50 lb bag of concrete mix.  Hopefully you can do elementary school level math to approximate how many bags you will need.
   Type of concrete mix? Really, any type will work, but higher strength is better, as is the type with added fibers to resist cracking.  typical cost is $3 to $5 per 50 - 80 lb bag. 
   
   Available at Home Depot, Lowes, Ace,
and online at but the shipping costs are absurd for online.
 
 



5.  Plastic oil change pan, and or buckets of various sizes. 
   Buckets between 6" and 12" in diameter are just right to make the two weights at each end of the dumbbells.  The oil pan is used for heavy dumbbells, say 50 lbs and up[ (each end would be 25 lbs)
   The oil pan at Walmart for less than $3 .
   
   It is also available online for about the same price which saves you going into Wal-Mart.
    
    
   
   
   
   
6. Plastic hand trowel -
   For mixing the concrete. go to the garden section and get the cheap hand trowel there. Any small plastic hand trowel will work as long as it is sturdy (because you will use it to mix the concrete and water).
    
   Or order online here.
    
   
    
    
   
   
   
   
7. Concrete epoxy sealer paint -
   This stuff makes the plates SO much easier to hand, no sharp edges, no sand or crumbling; really they are so much better painted.  Otherwise will you will be vacuuming up dust every day. I used the Behr 1-part epoxy, (about $32) for 1 gallon, which was plenty)  but I'm sure any driveway / concrete paint should work as well.  Like this one online.
   
   
   And you will need a cheap nylon paint brush, like this one, available online.
   
   
   
    
    
    
    
8. Rubber, leather, nitrile or latex gloves -
   
   Concrete is an alkali and abrasive, so you want to protect your hands while working with it.
   
   
   
   
9. Bathroom Scale:
   
   You will want a bathroom scale to weigh the plates as you fill the mold to achieve the weight you want in each!
   
   This one gets unbelievable high ratings and is well priced, so if you need a new scale anyway, get this one. I did!

 

 

This is ALL you need!

Next: How to make the dumbbells!