That's a cool idea. My worry would be racking of the little frame. There's really no lateral stability to it at all. I'm sure it's tricky to incorporate so that there's room for the bar. Could you incorporate a little bit a panel in the bottom to stiffen things up. I'm guessing that someone has made one out of wood before, so maybe some research into their findings would be valuable.
The little back frame is primarily there for supporting the large frame and for weight storage.
The Buff Dudes did a
DIY power rack with no back frame and a higher center of gravity (my design tops at 80 inches for a low ceiling basement). They have used it for
six years without any major issues. However their design uses steel ties, nails and screws which I want to avoid using. I'm more interested in using timber framing techniques to put the frame together, hence why I posted this project here.
What I'm wondering is if those joints that I've drawn are ok or if I should remove the top beam recesses to strength the post 'tenons' and simplify the joint like at the base of the posts. Two of them are 3.5/6 inches thick which leads me to believe they're the weak point in the design.
