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I want to put a squat rack and bench press out doors. What types of material are best used for outdoor barbells? My concerns are,

  • Rigid to the point of 315 lb capacity
  • Capable of withstanding the extreme humidity and rain of Houston, Texas.
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  • If you can give more details about what criteria you’re looking for with “best”, we can reopen this.
    – Thomas Markov ♦
    Commented Jul 24 at 14:21
  • So “best” means something like “won’t be permanently deformed by 315 pounds” and “won’t corrode substantially in a consistently humid environment”?
    – Thomas Markov ♦
    Commented Jul 24 at 22:14
  • Then please add those details to the question, we I’ll reopen this.
    – Thomas Markov ♦
    Commented Jul 24 at 23:26

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Any kind of iron alloy will rust, even stainless steel. How quickly is determined by the type of stainless steel. For example 316L has added molybdenum, which enhances corrosion resistance in environments rich in salt air and chloride – giving 316L the moniker of “marine grade” stainless steel.

You probably should get a coated bar - either chrome (which is still not ideal), powder coat or ceramic. In this guide they list materials and coatings in order of corrosion resistance:

  • Great Resistance – Stainless steel, Cerakote, and electroless nickel are the best at limiting oxidation.
  • Good Resistance – Hard chrome, zinc, and E-coat resist oxidation at varying levels, but all three do a good job overall. Some maintenance is recommended.
  • Poor Resistance – Bare steel and black oxide are poor rust fighters. Black oxide fares better than bare steel, but both require more frequent maintenance.
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Probably stainless steel, if you want to avoid rust without having to do a huge amount of preventative maintenance, such as regular oiling of the bar.

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  • I'm told that the pieces inside the sleeve are not stainless, and still rust, and that in the case of Rogue the sleeves themselves aren't stainless either. But intuitively I would think you're right.. I wish there was a fixed stainless forged without bearings or brushings. that was made for this.
    – Evan Carroll
    Commented Jul 3 at 14:05
  • even stainless steel will rust brownjordanoutdoorkitchens.com/blog/stainless-steel-rust
    – Luciano
    Commented Jul 10 at 9:14

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