!!Big Bertha!!
The above dumbbell, nicknamed Big Bertha, was made for very low cost. It was made with used weight equipment, picked up at used sporting goods stores, Goodwill's, and garage sales. The thick handle was made with an olympic adapter. These can be found at any weight equipment store, and occasionally on the used market. The sizes I have found are 1 7/8" and 2".
I also used this method to make the following dumbbells.
I used this method before I developed the PVC method. It is more expensive. New adapters are about fifteen dollars each. Either method works great. This method is easier, however, the PVC method is very easy.
Happy Lifting!!