Plastic Success Story: Dave Taylor Fitness and The Strength Mace
- Isabella Seed
- May 22
- 3 min read
Our plastic materials are incredibly versatile, allowing you to create virtually anything you can imagine from plastic. We've partnered with Dave Taylor Fitness, a company founded by a talented machinist with a passion for strength training. Dave combined his love for machining and strength to design a strength mace!
What is a strength mace you ask? A mace is a versatile training tool that enhances strength, stability, and mobility. Unlike traditional barbells, its uneven weight distribution challenges your core and stabilizer muscles, improving both balance and co-ordination. Incorporating exercises like squats, overhead presses, and rows with the mace not only targets major muscle groups but also engages your grip and rotational strength, making it an effective addition to any fitness routine. Its unique design and historical roots offer a dynamic way to build functional strength and resilience.
Development Process
We provided Dave with a navy blue ABS rod measuring 4" diameter x 36" long. Dave started by drilling center holes in the rod to his build specification before moving on to the lathe.
Dave then fully turned and chamfered the rod. You may notice some jaw marks—these occurred during the machining process. While there are several ways to avoid jaw marks, such as gripping excess material, using protective layers like paper, brass shims, sandpaper, or machining custom soft jaws. In this case, Dave chose to clamp on sections of the part that will naturally experience wear and tear during use. This part took Dave approximately two hours to machine—quite efficient considering the precision involved. Dave used sharp, high-polish carbide inserts originally designed for aluminum, which perform exceptionally well with plastics, producing a smooth, high-quality surface finish.
Dave noted that our ABS machines extremely well—"it cuts like butter". However, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind during the process. One of the primary challenges is chip management. ABS tends to produce long, continuous chips that can easily wrap around the tool or part, creating a mess and potential safety issues if not handled properly. Additionally, due to the material’s lower rigidity, longer unsupported sections—especially those with thin walls or extreme aspect ratios—are prone to deflection. In this case, Dave was working with a 2" diameter ABS bar extending over 30", which behaves very differently compared to steel or even aluminum. The lack of stiffness means extra care is required to ensure dimensional accuracy and surface quality throughout the turning process.
Final Product Look
And here it is! Dave's strength mace, a remarkable piece of fitness equipment crafted from our durable ABS plastic. This innovative design not only showcases the versatility of ABS as a material but also highlights the ingenuity behind Dave's creation. The strength mace is not just a simple tool; it represents a blend of functionality and adaptability that is essential for any serious fitness enthusiast.
One of the standout features of this mace is the adjustable weight mechanism located at the bottom. As you can see, Dave has designed it to allow for full customization of the weight clamped on. This means that users can easily modify the mace's weight according to their specific training needs, whether they are looking to build strength, improve endurance, or enhance their overall fitness. The ability to interchange weights makes this mace suitable for a wide range of exercises and skill levels, from beginners to advanced.
It’s always so interesting to our team to witness the creative possibilities that emerge when utilizing our materials. The process of transforming raw ABS into a functional and aesthetically pleasing piece of equipment showcases the potential of modern manufacturing techniques. We take pride in producing materials that inspire innovation, and Dave's strength mace is a perfect example of how our products can be used to push the boundaries of conventional fitness tools.
Don't forget to follow our Plasti-Block® page to check out all the innovative designs and materials @plastiblock
To check out the mace in use please go to Dave Taylors Fitness page: @taylor_david_c
Ready to start your journey? Check out our shop to see what product sparks your interest!
References
Dave Taylor