Homemade basket - The Pin Wheel

[DiscChucker]

I've been meaning to post this for several months now but life has been to busy for me to just sit down and hammer this out. Lately though there have been a rash of threads that people have posted that I've felt I could share some knowledge on so I was inspired to get this done.

So without further ado…

I'm proud to present my first homemade disc golf basket; The Pin Wheel. This was an incredibly fun project to work on. I don't know that I'll ever say that it's finished. I'm always thinking of new design elements and tossing around new ideas in my head. Right now, this basket is prototype 1.3. As I modify or add things to the design, the revision number will change.

There were several homemade baskets on this site that served as inspiration in the design of my basket. I tried to incorporate in my basket what I thought to be some of the best design elements in these other baskets. I have a lot of admiration for those fellow discers out there who have taken on the challenge of designing and building their own basket. There are some incredibly creative people out there.

One of the biggest challenges for me is that I do not have the equipment necessary to weld nor do I have the skill set for welding. If I possessed both of those assets, this project would have been a breeze. I would like to one day learn the trade of welding for the obvious reason of creating my own permanent basket design. But until then, I had to make do with alternative materials.

Here are the details of this project.


Objective

To build a homemade basket that meets the following requirements (this is what I came up with prior to the start of this project):

1. Must meet regulation dimensions as outlined by the PDGA specifications.
2. Must use components or parts that are attainable from local and on-line retail stores, hardware stores, secondhand stores, flea markets, garage/yard sales, on-line listings (eBay, craigslist, freecycle, etc.), everyday household items and curbside refuse or other unwanted trash/garbage items.
3. Build process will not require welding, brazing or torch cutting of any kind. Many people don't have the necessary tools or skills to accomplish these tasks. The tools required to complete this DIY project should not include high end specialty tools.
4. Custom fabrication by third party sources can increase the cost of the final product exponentially so this too will be avoided as much as possible.
5. Must be structurally stable and able to withstand a forcefully thrown disc from as little as 20' away.
6. Must be light enough and be able to break down to a point that allows it to be portable. Portable in this case would mean it can be easily transported in the trunk of a car and carried by a single person.
7. Final product must be disc friendly. This means that it will be designed such that there are no sharp edges/points or rough areas that will easily mar, dent, scrape or gouge a disc.
8. Assembly of the final product should require as few tools as possible. Ideally, it should require no tools whatsoever.
9. Total assembly time of the final product should take no more than 10 minutes. Target goal for assembly time for this basket will be 5 minutes.
10. Basket must perform as well if not better than a championship caliber basket.
11. Final product must have at least one feature that does not currently exist on production baskets that are on the market (both permanent as well as portable).
12. Not to exceed $100 in material.

Other notes:

1. There is no restriction on the build time for this project.
2. Obviously this will not be a final, ship to market quality basket. This is, for all intents and purposes, a fun DIY project.

Now check out the pictures.

Hornets Nest #13

We don't need no stinking glow sticks!

 

[DiscChucker]

More pictures

View from the edge of the circle.

View from tee pad to #13 basket.

Packed up and ready for adventure!

Here's where the center poles attach to the basket when it's broken down for either transport or storage.

Tee snaps...

 

[DiscChucker]

The "finished" product
I'm incredibly pleased with the end result. Honestly, it far exceeded my expectations of what I thought it would ultimately look like as well as how it would perform.


How does it score against the objectives?
1. Must meet regulation dimensions as outlined by the PDGA specifications. I ensured that all dimensions of my basket were in compliance with the specifications as outlined on page six of the PDGATechStandards_61510 document. All measurements were done in metric to prevent human error in converting metric units to the American system.
2. Must use components or parts that are attainable from local and on-line retail stores, hardware stores, secondhand stores, flea markets, garage/yard sales, on-line listings (eBay, craigslist, freecycle, etc.), everyday household items and curbside refuse or other unwanted trash/garbage items. This will become obvious when I outline and inventory the components in a future post.
3. Build process will not require welding, brazing or torch cutting of any kind. Many people don't have the necessary tools or skills to accomplish these tasks. The tools required to complete this DIY project should not include high end specialty tools. I used a table saw and compound sliding miter saw but they are typical Craftsman and Chicago Electric hardware; inexpensive and widely available. All the other tools that were used for this build were pretty basic (with one exception, see next objective). I'll provide a complete inventory of tools in a future post.
4. Custom fabrication by third party sources can increases the cost of the final product exponentially so this too will be avoided as much as possible. I had four washers (two for this basket and two for my next basket) that needed the center hole drilled out to accommodate the axel of the wheelchair in the upper assembly for the entrapment. All I had available was a cordless drill that didn't have the required torque to drill through the washers. I took these to a fabrication shop to have these drilled. The shop used a beast of a drill press and drilled through the four washers in less than a minute. I could have done this myself at home if I had a beefier drill or even a small drill press. Alas, I took the easy way and fortunately it didn't cost me a cent.
5. Must be structurally stable and able to withstand a forcefully thrown disc from as little as 20' away. Passes with flying colors. This basket has taken some direct hits with some high speed drivers from a distance and it shows no signs of damage.
6. Must be light enough and be able to break down to a point that allows it to be portable. Portable in this case would mean it can be easily transported in the trunk of a car and carried by a single person. The weight of the basket is 30.5 pounds. It's certainly portable. In more ways than one in fact. It breaks down and consolidates to a form where I can connect load bearing military straps to it and carry it on my back à la quad shocks and a bag. Also, once it's assembled, it can be rolled on the casters. Lastly it can be broken all the way down and rolled on the casters as well. I don't have a car with a trunk to verify if the basket will fit when it's broken down. It fits in the back of my SUV just fine. I've even managed to squeeze it in the extended cab of my Toyota Tacoma (not the four door version).
7. Final product must be disc friendly. This means that it will be designed such that there are no sharp edges/points or rough areas that will easily mar, dent, scrape or gouge a disc. Unfortunately, base line plastics and soft plastics don't fair well with this basket. I suspect that the exposed edges of the PVC joints (elbows, crosses and T's) are the culprits for the gouges I've witnessed on some discs. This isn't an epic failure but I am disappointed. My Champion and Star plastic putters have not been affected at all and they've seen a lot action on this basket.
8. Assembly of the final product should require as few tools as possible. Ideally, it should require no tools whatsoever. No tools are required to assemble/disassemble this basket.
9. Total assembly time of the final product should take no more than 10 minutes. Target goal for assembly time for this basket will be 5 minutes. I haven't actually timed the assembly yet but I'm certain it's well below 5 minutes.
10. Basket must perform as well if not better than a championship caliber basket. In my opinion, it catches as well if not better than many of the PDGA approved championship caliber baskets that I've played with over the years. I've encountered very few spits outs through the "chains," bounce outs from within the basket or those frustrating bounces off the center pole.
11. Final product must have at least one feature that does not currently exist on production baskets that are on the market (both permanent as well as portable). Yep. I've covered this one. My favorite "new" feature by far is the LED lighting that I incorporated within the wheel. Turn on the light and the entire green is lit up! Perfect for those midnight Ring of Fires.
12. Not to exceed $100 in material. I haven't yet totaled up the cost of the materials to construct this basket but I think a ball park figure would put it around $75. This cost is offset as some things are split between this basket and the second prototype that I will be building in the future. For example, the cost of the wheel chair and the irrigation tubing is shared between the two baskets. The other wheel of the wheelchair will be used for the second prototype and I have plenty of irrigation tubing left to build the basket as well.


What?! No metal chains?!
Now, I know there are going to be people chiming in about how they "can't play without the sound of chains," or, "I won't let my putters touch anything that doesn't have chains." Yeah, well I love the sound of chains too. It truly is a wonderful sound. However, that sound isn't necessarily appreciated by everyone. I would have to say that by far my favorite overall feature of this basket is its lack of sound. I can't even begin to tell you how quite this basket is. So why do I like this lack of sound? There are two very simple reasons. First, I think it's safe to say that my neighbors in my community wouldn't exactly share my enthusiasm for the sound of crashing chains. I have elderly neighbors that live on either side of me. They tend to retire pretty early in the evening. The last thing I want to do is disturb these kind folks. Second, I'm a night owl by nature. I'm always the last person in the house to go to bed. This works out well as the night time hours serve as "my time." In fact most of the time that was put into making this basket was done late at night when the family was asleep. Since finishing this basket, it's not been uncommon for me to practice putts or approach shots in the front yard as late as 2:00 am. I simply don't have to worry about disturbing the family or the neighbors. I would NEVER be able to do that with a typical metal chain laden basket. By the way, if anyone is wondering, that is garden hose strung up on cotton rope.


So why not just buy a basket? It would be so much easier, right?
Well yes, it would be easier. But lack of funds and the desire to have a championship caliber basket were my biggest motivators. I'll be honest; dropping $300-$400 for a basket is not exactly a priority in the family budget. I've always enjoyed creating things with my hands and I saw this as an opportunity to take on a fun and exciting challenge. Net naysayers are a dime a dozen and I can't tell you how many times I've read peoples comments about how building a homemade basket affordably "can't" be done. That was another big motivator. Where's there's a will, there's a way and I have a lot of will. This basket serves as my proof of concept that it "can" be done. Of course, many other people have proven that it can be done with their own creations. Mine is somewhat of a blend of those creations.


More information coming
I really wanted to reveal my creation here and get some feedback so I'm posting what I've put together so far for this write up. I'll be posting more information on the specific tools I used, where I obtained the materials and their respective costs.


What does the future hold?
As I've alluded to in this write up, I plan on making another Pin Wheel. This next prototype will have metal chains just like what everyone is accustomed to having on the course. While that will be a significant improvement in many people's eyes, I have several other exciting ideas in store for version 2.0. I'm not going to let the cat of the bag but I will say that I'm going to try to incorporate some ideas that we often see here on this site in other aspects of this sport. Obviously, I'm going to address the issue of base plastics getting eaten up. I also have some ideas that I'm toying with to make this basket the most versatile basket ever designed. This last idea is going to be challenging but if I can pull it off, it's going to be pure sweetness.


A special note
I want to send out a big THANK YOU to my local DGCR fellows, jedwards and chain-addicted, for taking time out of their schedules to meet me out on the course on a cold March evening to play test my basket and provide me with feedback.

 

[SGTP3PP3R]

That is one trick basket. What's the final weight on it? It looks like it travels nicely.

 

[simplepmart]

Nicely done, you should be proud!!! Way to create!:clap:

 

[DiscChucker]

That is one trick basket. What's the final weight on it? It looks like it travels nicely.

It tips the scale at 30.5 lbs.

 

[Jivecody]

How does it light up, maybe i missed that between pages 3 and 5? Seriously, best basket i've ever seen, brilliant, you get a blue ribbon!

 

[ZWood15]

Absolutely beautiful. I love the PVC use and the LED lighting is amazing, beats the hell out of a glow stick attached to a basket! How is it lit? Multiple LEDs? And what is the power source? Sorry for the numerous questions. I want a basket and you have inspired me to build my own

 

[DiscChucker]

How does it light up, maybe i missed that between pages 3 and 5? Seriously, best basket i've ever seen, brilliant, you get a blue ribbon!

No, you didn't miss it. I used a patio umbrella LED light. The light only uses 3 AAA batteries and they last a really long time before they have to be changed.

I'm working on a list of tools and materials to post. It may be a couple of days before I can get it posted but it will be forthcoming.

 

[DiscChucker]

^^ D'oh! You snuck that one in before I could finish my other reply.

I used a patio umbrella LED light. The light only uses 3 AAA batteries and they last a really long time before they have to be changed.

Absolutely beautiful. I love the PVC use and the LED lighting is amazing, beats the hell out of a glow stick attached to a basket! How is it lit? Multiple LEDs? And what is the power source? Sorry for the numerous questions. I want a basket and you have inspired me to build my own

Awesome! I'm glad to hear you've been inspired by my basket. I too was inspired by other homemade baskets I had seen so I know how you feel. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[jedwards]

A special note
I want to send out a big THANK YOU to my local DGCR fellows, jedwards and chain-addicted, for taking time out of their schedules to meet me out on the course on a cold March evening to play test my basket and provide me with feedback.

The hardest part was guarding the spy photos/videos I took that night.

In all seriousness, this basket is top notch.

As for the hose "chains": I have seriously considered removing the chains from my SkillShot and replacing them with this system. It really is the stealth bomber of disc golf baskets. Also worth noting, I would go on record and say that it catches considerably better than any DiscCatcher I have ever seen.

Anyone that is toying with the idea of making their own basket should seriously consider contacting DiscChucker for words of wisdom because he has created something that I feel is first class. Well done my friend. :thmbup:

 

[DiscChucker]

I appreciate the compliments everyone.

By the way, I'm open to any and all criticisms and suggestions. This basket can only get better and input from others may help me see some things that were not obvious to me before.

Thanks for the kudos, J.

 

[GLong]

Final product must be disc friendly. This means that it will be designed such that there are no sharp edges/points or rough areas that will easily mar, dent, scrape or gouge a disc.
Unfortunately, base line plastics and soft plastics don't fair well with this basket. I suspect that the exposed edges of the PVC joints (elbows, crosses and T's) are the culprits for the gouges I've witnessed on some discs. This isn't an epic failure but I am disappointed. My Champion and Star plastic putters have not been affected at all and they've seen a lot action on this basket.

i think this could be remedied with light sanding with a Dremel tool.

 

[weaktit]

Nice Job! There are some good ideas I might have to incorporate into my next basket. I've been looking at the umbrella light and I think your experience might just seal the deal. A 18 hole course with those would be impressive.
I was wondering if you could explain your 'chains' in more detail and perhaps show a close-up picture?
Thanks

Ahh, I see you describe it in the 'quiet basket' thread.........reading now.........

 

[DiscChucker]

i think this could be remedied with light sanding with a Dremel tool.

In some places that would work really well. Specifically, where the straight pieces of sch40 PVC meet the joints. I'm assuming you're thinking of tapering the edges down, right? I've thought about that and if another idea that I have doesn't work out for the next basket then I will go this route. The places where this isn't feasible, unfortunately, is where the irrigation tubing runs through the joints. The tubing is quite a bit smaller in diameter than the openings of the joints.

Although, now that I think about it, maybe you're thinking I should just round the edges off a bit with the Dremel? Hmmmm... I'll have to look into that.

Thanks GLong!

 

[GLong]

yea just enough to taper the edge down as to minimize disc damage. you could hand sand it but a dremel would make the work a breeze.

 

[DiscChucker]

Nice Job! There are some good ideas I might have to incorporate into my next basket. I've been looking at the umbrella light and I think your experience might just seal the deal. A 18 hole course with those would be impressive.
I was wondering if you could explain your 'chains' in more detail and perhaps show a close-up picture?
Thanks

Ahh, I see you describe it in the 'quiet basket' thread.........reading now.........

The umbrella light is well worth it. They can be had for $10 at Harbor Freight. Those lights actually have a remote control to turn them on/off. There was a thread a long time ago where someone was looking for advice on what to use to light up a basket. Even at that time I had the idea of the umbrella light. I suggested it and someone else totally bashed the idea. I thought it would work well. I now have the proof that it does.

Having these lights on every basket on an 18 hole course would be impressive. I haven't yet tried using the umbrella light on say a DiscCatcher. The light would have to be mounted below the top of the entrapment frame as I don't think the shell of the light fixture can be worked into the entrapment frame between the supporting spokes. This would put it in a position where it could get hit by a disc, although honestly, I think the chances of impact are going to be pretty low and even in those cases where it does get hit, it's probably not going to be a very forceful impact.

I was thinking of mentioning this to 1978 as he runs a glo league here in the Charlotte metro area. Before league starts, a few people could make the rounds and attach the lights to each basket (this already done but with glow sticks). Then each group that finishes their final hole could remove the light and bring it back to him.

I should mention that even on a private course where theft wouldn't be a problem, you wouldn't want to leave these lights on the basket all the time. I'm certain that they are not weather proof. However, this cold be remedied with some plexiglass covers on top of the basket. :thmbup:

As far as the chains go, I'll post some pictures that I took while making one of them and I'll explain each step. I'll do that sometime this weekend.

 

[bizarbies]

Very nice! I'm lovin the light set up, very creative all around.
Biz

 

[Skankin77]

sickest homemade basket ive ever seen..awesome lighting, too.

 

[joshuajames]

Awesome design man!!

I will be going to Lowes to get an umbrella light for my machlite today.