Recommend wall fixings for DIY pull up bar

I’ve started making a DIY pull up bar to be setup in between two solid walls along a corridor. It’s made of two 40mm thick blocks of wood each with two slots for a 35mm bar which can be removed and replaced in either position (high or low).

I guess each block should hold at least 50kg – if I actually get more power at pull ups then they’re going to need to support more total force than my bodyweight alone.

What fixings would be recommended for this please?

if I actually get more power at pull ups then they’re going to need to support more total force than my bodyweight alone.

Not sure I understand that but…

setup in between two solid walls along a corridor

Solid what?

FWIW I’d probably be sticking 4 well spaced m8 100mm+ coach screws into 10mm plugs firm in the knowledge its very unlikely to budge. That being said 2 a side would likely hold fine – given the direction of the load if the blocks can’t slide along the bar (some sort of collar) they’re very unlikely to move even with crap fixings. to some extent it will depend on what you’re fixing into though.

Solid what?

☝️

Not sure I understand that but…

Similar principle to making your weight on the bathroom scales fluctuate wildly by bending your knees etc.

Solid what?

The corridor walls. Made of breezeblocks etc, ie not stud walls.

Made of breezeblocks

Definitely plastic plugs unless you want to mess about with a lot of resin.

Any idea how heavy or lightweight those blocks are? A huge difference in load bearing and how well they take a drill IME.

I’ve used Fischer Duo(?) in my aircrete light blocks to attach interior wall and patio door. They were super long (like all frame fixings) but had an odd red insert that really held well, but only deep inside the wall.

Edit: these
https://www.fischer.co.uk/en-gb/products/frame-fixings/frame-fixing-duoxpand/frame-fixing-duoxpand-with-countersunk-head-screw

It’s a 1950s terrace so no spring chicken. Sparky claimed they were a bit crumbly when we found some of the sockets and switches they’d installed were loose.

I did fit a fairly heavy duty extending TV bracket (max 50″) to them successfully, can’t remember what size coach screws they were, but looking at them I’d estimate M8.

Not sure I understand that but…

Similar principle to making your weight on the bathroom scales fluctuate wildly by bending your knees etc.

Or, future proofing the fixing to be able to use a belt/plates to add more weight

Breezeblocks vary in their strength, some can be 3x stronger than others. Some are very crumbly and a pain to drill accurately and some are hollow
What finish is on the walls? If it’s plasterboard you might consider cutting the bracket shape out and then fixing the brackets
You want a fixing that’s good in shear and you don’t want too many because you run the risk of the wood splitting.
I’d start with two fixings suitable to the block set vertically with as much wood around them as possible, but your posted question is difficult to answer and you’ll need to experiment. Start with the least intrusive option, screws and plugs, and work up

I’d make the blocks a bit longer – about 2m oughta do it. That way they could rest on the floor!

@sirromj – I 100% agree with scotroutes, run them to the floor, but I would likely fit a horizontal between them. This could give you a range of heights in case you ever wanted to try muscle ups etc.

Have you thought of a way to stop the bar spinning in use?

Unless you are full on “ninja warrior/professional rock climber” strong you will really struggle with any spinning, which limits how useful it would actually be.

Hmmm I doubt running them to the flour will get approval from mrssirromj.

Technically it’s not really a corridor but half way up the stairs, means plenty of space above and below.

Re bar rotation it’s a fairly snug fit and my current setup is similar and yes does make pull ups difficult maybe I should fix that.

Back to the drawing board then.

Might not rule it out completely, you could add a removable fixing pin through it for example or dowel to stop the rotation. Flex on a ~1.2m wooden bar might be quite a lot though if the ends aren’t fixed.

Just need to be super sure how solid your blocks are, especially if it’s over the stairs etc.

Edit: after watching some people at my rock climbing gym do pull ups with 20-30 kg of plates to failure I might not be keen to do that unless on a concrete floor.

Screws?

I reckon you’re overthinking it. The force will be perpendicular to the fixings because unlike say a shelf it’s supported at opposing ends, the load isn’t going to be anything like what you think it is. With your mounts I’d be far more concerned about the wood splitting than the fixings failing. I had a bar in my bedroom doorway for decades, it was held in with six self-tappers.

If you can weld some flanges / thick washers near the bar ends so they’re flush against the mounts to stop them pulling away, you could hang an elephant on it (with sufficiently high walls). Mine was a telescopic affair with a screw thread so you could butt it up against the mounts, the only way that was coming down was if the door frame fell out.

It’s a 1950s terrace so no spring chicken

The cinderblock in my 1930s internal walls is basically dust held together by tradition. You’ll need a reasonably long fixing.

The issue with your wooden mounts for me is that I can only see places for 2 or 3 fixings without risking cracking the softwood under load. There will be shock forces no matter how carefully you use the bar, particularly as there is room for the bar to move up and down within the slots. I’d be looking to secure a longer horizontal chunk of wood separately on each wall then fix those to it.

An expanding screw-together bar could help a bit too by stopping excess movement as you monkey-around on it.

Technically it’s not really a corridor but half way up the stairs

Is this WCA’s alternate account? RIP your ankles if you cock it up.

Cougar +1, I think you’re massively overestimating the load on the wall. Decent rawl plugs and some thick screws to avoid and the wall part will be fine with a couple of decent sized screws. I’d be more worried about the wood, drill it and use pan head screws rather than countersunk ones.

Or, just get one of those telescoping bars that’s held in to a doorway by a few self tappers, or a bar that hooks over the door frame itself.

Remake your brackets out of thick plywood, might need to stack a couple together , (glue and screw/dowel) to get the thickness.

I like these Fischer frame fixings with the rawl plug that goes right through the wood and wall.

Put those in the log burner and get an Iron Gym: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B07WQK8WNN