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DIY Build Guide

DIY Olympic Plate Tree

A wall-mounted board with threaded-pipe pegs that gets your Olympic plates off the garage floor and organized by size — a horizontal stud-mounted rack built entirely from hardware-store plumbing parts, following Testify Strength & Conditioning's build.

Difficulty / easyCost / ~$90Steps / 6
Step 1 of 60% complete
01

Watch the build and plan your layout

Play Testify's linked video end-to-end first — it walks the whole stud-mounted board, flange, and threaded-peg layout. Decide how many pegs you need and their spacing: space them far enough apart vertically and horizontally that a fully loaded peg of large bumpers clears the pegs around it.

TipSix pegs across one 2x6 holds roughly 300 lb of plates — plenty for most garage setups. Group by diameter so plates of the same size share a peg.
02

Cut and finish the board

Cut the 2x6 to length so it spans at least two studs (16" apart on standard framing; three studs / ~32" is even more solid). Sand it smooth, then prime and paint if you want the finished look from the video. Let paint fully cure before mounting.

03

Cut the nipples into pegs

Clamp each 12" threaded nipple and cut it in half with a hacksaw or pipe cutter to make two 6" pegs — three nipples give you six pegs. Each piece keeps one factory-threaded end (that end goes into the flange).

⚠️ Cut ends are sharp and leave a burr. File or deburr every cut end so it won't bite your hands or scratch plates when you load them.
04

Mount the flanges and thread in the pegs

Mark the six flange positions on the board face and pre-drill pilot holes. Fasten each flange with four short wood screws, then thread a peg (factory-threaded end first) into each flange — hand-tight plus a snug quarter-turn with the wrench.

TipDry-fit one flange + peg against a plate first to confirm your spacing clears a loaded peg before drilling all six.
05

Mount the board to the studs

Find and mark your studs with the stud finder. Hold the board level against them, drive one construction screw per stud at the top, re-check level, then drive the rest — two 3/8" × 4" screws into each stud. Every screw must hit solid stud framing.

⚠️ Never anchor a loaded plate rack into drywall alone. If your wall is bare concrete block, swap the construction screws for masonry/concrete anchors rated for the load.
06

Load light to heavy and test

Load your lightest plates first, one peg at a time, and watch the board for any pull-away from the wall before adding your heaviest plates. A solid mount won't flex — if it does, add another screw into the studs.

TipKeep the heaviest plates on the lower pegs so the rack's center of gravity stays low.
Reference Video
Steps
Tools
  • ·Drill/driver
  • ·Stud finder
  • ·Level
  • ·Tape measure
  • ·Pencil
  • ·Hacksaw or pipe cutter
  • ·Metal file (deburr cut ends)
  • ·Adjustable wrench
Materials
  • 2x6 lumber1
    ~4 ft (to span 2–3 studs) · The backer the flanges screw into. The video sands and paints it first for a finished look.
  • 1-1/4" pipe floor flanges6
    One per peg. The flange screws to the board and the peg threads into it.
  • 1-1/4" threaded pipe nipples3
    12" long · Each 12" nipple is cut in half to make two 6" pegs — 3 nipples → 6 pegs. The factory-threaded end goes into the flange.
  • Construction/structural screws14
    3/8" × 4" · Two per stud, through the board into the framing — these carry the whole plate load.
  • Wood screws (short)24 (1.5")
    Four per flange to fasten the flanges to the board.
  • Primer + paintoptional
    Seal and finish the 2x6 before mounting, like the video does.