DIY Gym Rings

I always feel the need to keep myself in good physical shape. Sports equipment is a must in the place where I live. A pull-up bar is nice, but it does not give me much freedom to do gymnastics. So I decided to make gymnastic rings. To create the rings, I will use plywood, glued in several layers. Rings made from a piece of wood will most likely not withstand the load across the fibers.

Materials:

• Plywood
• Wood Glue
• Tie-Down Straps

Tools:

• Clamps
• Hacksaw (Circular saw)
• Router or Jigsaw
• Orbital Sander
• Angle Grinder
• Sandpaper

The dimensions for the rings are taken from Wikipedia. The inner diameter of the ring is 180 mm (7.1 inches), and the profile diameter is 28 mm (1.1 inches). But here, I think you should choose a size for your palm. I have held pipes of different diameters, and I realized that the most convenient diameter for me would be 26 mm.

Now I have a size of 180mm + 26mm x 2 = 232mm (9.1 inches)

And I cut squares out of 8mm plywood slightly larger than 232mm. You can do it with a hacksaw, jigsaw or a circular saw. I have a table saw at my disposal, so it will be easier to cut plywood on it.

The resulting pieces are sanded and smeared with carpentry glue. Amount of layers depends on the thickness of your plywood. It is not necessary to cover the entire surface of the sheet with glue, only circle parts that will be glued. Fasten this sandwich with clamps and wait for 24 hours.

After the glue dries, you need to cut off all the excess to get the desired ring. Mark the center of the workpiece and draw the inner and outer diameters. In order to cut out the circles, I used a router (you can use a jigsaw, but it can bend on a curved cut). First I went over the outside diameter, and then the inside diameter.

Now the most time-consuming part is to turn the ring profile from a square to a circle. The outer corners can be sanded with an angle grinder, but the inner corners had to be handled with file and a cloth-based sandpaper.

Be very careful at this step don't grind too much.

When you got the desired shape, you can sand the rings with finer sandpaper, to make them nice and smooth.

I applied two coats of colorless oil and let it dry according to the instructions on the can.

The bulk of the work is done, now all that remains is to mount the rings in their place.

I visited local construction store and bought 2 five-meter tie-down straps, a couple of anchor bolts with rings, and screw carabiners. (I have a concrete ceiling)

Drill the holes in the ceiling and screw in the bolts. Put the carabiners in and put the strap through.

When the rings are mounted, you can start mastering them. Long straps allow you to change the height of the rings and do a variety of exercises.

Have a great workout!