Introduction: How to Make Cheaper Technique Plates and Microloading

I took some time off from lifting thanks to an injury and when i came back I was looking into buying technique plates so i could start light and slowly add weight.  Technique plates would allow you to start light if you're doing a bent over row and they also place the bar at mid-shin height for the Deadlift. Looking around online i found some but i soon found out shipping would cost an arm and a leg, so i decided to make my own.  I'm going to share with you my creation!

You will need a few things first:
45lb plate
2 pieces of plywood(any thickness)
Wood glue
Sharpie/Marker
Jigsaw/anything that can cut out a circle
Drill

 Scale/calculator
Clamps, chain, nuts and bolts (These later)

Step 1: The Supplies and Set Up

Place the plywood on whatever surface you will be cutting on.  Then put the plate on the plywood and if your trying to save wood, place it at the furthest end so you can get the most out of your wood.  Begin to trace the outside of the weight, then trace the inner hole. 

Step 2: Once Traced

One you trace the plate, remove the plate and take a drill to the inner circle.  To start drill one hole in the middle then drill many holes around it; the more holes you have drilled the cleaner the hole will be when your done.  Once all the holes are drilled take your jigsaw starting in the center hole and cut to the outside.  Once all cut up, cut from triangle to triangle and any rough edges left take the jigsaw back to them.

Step 3: Cut and Weigh


Then take your jigsaw to the outside circle and repeat this for the next 3 plates.  Once all the plates are cut out, place them on your scale and turn the scale on so it is zeroed.  Then take the plate off and you'll find the weight of the wooden plate, shuffle around the plates until you have 2 pairs that weigh roughly the same weight.  Then wood glue the pairs of wooden plates together and reweigh them and this will be the weight of your wooden plate.

Step 4: Finished Product!

This is the final product, two technique plates that cost 20 dollars or less.  But like a promised(if you read all the tags!) I'm also going to show you how to make a cheap 1lb clamp so you can mirco-load your lifts(Really useful for OHP).

Step 5: Bonus: Everything About the 1lb Clamp

Turn your scale on, then place the clamp on it to find its weight. 
Once you know its weight add chain or bolts/nuts until it weighs one 1lbs. 
Take a pair of pliers and bend back the ends of the clamp, slip the chain, bolts and nuts.  Close the ends of the clamp again and reweigh it to make sure you got it right and you now can micro-load those tough lifts!