# How much weight will a 4x6 hold?



## MountainBum (Dec 12, 2011)

After a lot of searching online I cant seem to find any answers to my questions and the few I talked to at Home Depot didnt know for sure. Sorry if this is long and drawn out but I wanted to give as much detail as possible as I dont really know what im doing.....if this doenst make any sense then just feel free to flame away. 

I am going to try and build a stand/frame that I can hang a heavy bag for punching, speed bag, and pull up bar from. As a renter I do not want to mess with any joints in the garage attic to hang a bag from, and I do not like any of the free standing bag stands as they leave you in a fixed straight on position. Looking for any advice/input.

My plan is to have two 7 foot upright 4x6's (fir, whatever the cheaper 8 foot $11 ones are at home depot) and one 7 foot 4x6 layed across the top of those as a frame. The 100lb. heavy bag will hang in the middle, I will either drill through and use an 8 inch eye bolt to hang the bag or if it would relieve alot of stress they sell bag hangers that will wrap around the 4x6 instead. I will drill two 6 inch eye bolts with large eyes through the top 4x6 and slide about a 3' metal pipe through as a pull up bar. On one end ill have a 2x4 bolted to the top hanging out about 2-3' to mount the speed bag and backing to. My questions.....

-I have no idea how much weight that 4x6 will support. Will it hold that 100lb-150lb. heavy bag and me at 235lbs. doing pull ups? And does it matter if I have the 4inch or 6inch side facing the ground on the top 4x6 and also the sides

-Tipping over is the main issue, and I was going to do four diagonal 4x4 stablizers coming off of each leg, but im not sure how long they should be (like a christmas tree stand) and how to figure out what degree to cut them at an angle so they are flush. The shorter the better as I will have more room to move and i was thinking 1 1/2'-2'. I will also put two 4x4 stablizers on the top inside corners of the frame, unsure how long those should be. 

-Metal joining brackets will be used (probably 4 on the front/back, 2 per side) at the top for the 4x6's and I was just going to use one good sized lag bolt for each of the stabalizers.

-Will drilling holes through the top beam front to back for the pull up bar stress the wood to much? Should they be up/down.

Thanks!


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## jredburn (Feb 20, 2011)

*How much weight will a 4x6 hold*

MountainBum
A 4x 6 will be fine. Do not pick the cheapest. The harder the wood the better. Pick one that does not have knots in it. 
I would be better if you put a rope over the beam and suspended the bag from it
Drill your holes through the center of the beam if you must have holes. The closer to the leg the better.
*Put the four inch side down*. 
Make a 4' long floor piece for each leg and bolt it to the upright. Put 4 x 4 braces each side on a 45*
regards
Joe


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## Upstate (Nov 28, 2011)

I would suggest joining the two posts and crossmember with a mortise and tenon or a bridle joint, reinforced with a lag bolt. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how I think you will get the strongest joint between those two members.


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## Flaggfreak (Aug 9, 2011)

I think you will be fine with your design the 4 x 6 will hold up nice.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

If you don't have someone holding that heavy bag you better have it bolted to the floor. When a 100 lb bag starts swinging and moving it will walk that frame around.

Well unless you don't hit it very hard.


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

Have you considered laminating 2 2x6 boards? It would be a lot easies to carry. If you used 3 with lap joints at the corners it would be very strong and the joinery would also be easy. Using screws to connect the boards would make it easy to dismantle and transport.


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## MountainBum (Dec 12, 2011)

Thanks for all the good replies. If possible I will think of another way to hang the bar/bag without drilling. I think the bridle joint is bit beyond my tool and skill level for now. I had asked arround if 2 2x6's would be stronger but nobody really had any input. 

I agree the frame walking could be an issue but I won't really know until I try it, the bag will get some use....what do you guys think about those concrete blocks that have the metal 4x4 bracket in them as added weight and support for the legs instead of bolting the legs to a 4' board like suggested above?


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## EHCRain (Oct 24, 2010)

what if you ran a sheet of plywood between your uprights as the base of your frame? lay it so that you would be standing on it while boxing and attach the outriggers to it with screws from underneath. If you used 2x lumber to make your beams and uprights you could easily create the bridal joint by simply cutting the middle 2x to a shorter length before assembly for your two uprights and leaving the middle 2x longer for the top beam.


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