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Building a GoBar deck
Here is my parts list:
Qty Item
2 24x24x(5/8) Particle Board
4 36x(3/4) black pipe
1 24x24x1 MDF
4 3/4" Pipe clamp
4 3/4" flange
16 1/4" coarse thread 5/8 T-nut
16 1/4" coarse thread bolts 5/8" long
1 12" Lazy susan turntable
8 #6 machine screws 1/2"
24 48" fiberglass kite rods
96 fiberglass rod tips

I attached the lazy susan turntable to the 5/8" particle board base using #6 machine screws


I drilled a 1.125" hole in the base so I could attach the lazy susan to the other piece of 5/8" particle board


I attached the lazy susan to the other piece of particle board using #6 machine screws which becomes the rotating board


I attached the pipe flanges to the rotating board using t-nuts and bolts


I screwed in the 36" long 3/4"pipes to the flanges

I drilled 4 holes 1.125" in diameter into the 1" MDF board which it the top of the deck

I slid a portion of a pipe clamp onto each pipe

I placed the 1" MDF board onto the pipes

I attached the other portion of the pipe clamp to the threaded section of each pipe

I cut 4 foot fiberglass kite rods using a hack saw to use as my go-bars. I put 1" caps on each end of the rods.


Here is a blurry photo of the assembled deck

Good job, just don't try rotating your lazy susan when you have go bars clamping parts down............YIKES!

I made my first one like that and it blew apart. The amount of tension on one of these can be more than one may think. I think you will do best using plywood. If you think about 10 lb per clamp that is a lot of weight. I use Baltic birch and it bows.
Just for safety I would use plywood.

I have some baltic birch that I may drop in to replace the particle/MDF.

I'm already seeing other ways to improve the design too.

Also, I'd double up on the top deck, because it does tend to flex with the pressure of the go-bars....That's what I found with mine.

Also, you actually need to get 4 more (hopefully cheap) pipe clamps, because you need the other part (the moveable part) to clamp on the other side of the board --- in other words, the board has the clamp on the bottom and the clamp on the top of the board --- that's what will hold the board firmly on the pipe. Without the top clamp, the board will just pop upwards with the pressure of the go-bar sticks. (That part with the handle isn't moveable, because it just threads onto the threads at the ends of the pipe.)

And I agree --- plywood would be better -- I like the idea someone had of gluing the plywood to the boards you've already got there.

RC, rather than replacing your existing mdf, why not laminate the birch ply to the mdf? Seems like it would be stronger than either would be alone.

actually if the flange is still on the MDF it most likely will fail. Plywood is so much stronger.

John is right about failure. I used 3/4" pine and it flexed under pressure, finally cracking while I was gluing the bracing for my second guitar. I installed cross bracing to get me though the project, but it made the deck super heavy. I'm going to use plywood to make another, as well as making it adjustable, which I consider a must.