milow369
Birdie Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2008
- Messages
- 277
I'm about 99% done with my first homemade disc golf target so I thought I'd post some pictures. It's been a great learning experience and I am pleased with the way it turned out. Now I can't wait to get it installed out in the yard and start improving my short game, but of course this has spurred other projects i.e., hole design (pitch & putt length with multiple tee box areas), pin locations/sleeve installation, preparation of areas around target, tee box preparation (uh... I mean path building), tree trimming, etc.
This project was done mainly during the late night, early morning hours and on weekends in my garage - I have sacrificed about a month's worth of disc golfing to make this happen. I'm hoping that in the long run, it will have been a good investment as far as my game is concerned. I have owned a basket in my previous life and it made an incredible difference in my putting - hoping for the same thing this time around.
I went the extra yard on the design/quality because I needed something that would stand up to the harsh Texas weather but more importantly, I needed a "that looks great" response from the wife and not a "you plan to put that where?" response when I unveiled the end product (we just got done landscaping the front yard - so couldn't really have a tire basket hanging from a tree - not to say that isn't a brilliant idea for a homemade basket) So, my initial idea of trying to keep it around the $150 range was blown out of the water for that reason. But I got the response I was hoping for, well worth the extra $100 I spent. I also wanted the target to be similar in quality to that of high end baskets that go for $495 retail, not the lower end types.
Some basic info about this basket:
Materials cost: $250 - I had some stuff on hand and I got some stuff for free (i.e., old bike rims). Chains were by far the most expensive item - 2x 30' spools at $40.40 each for a total of $80 bucks! - that shot down my idea at trying to do a $100 basket. I could have gone with one spool and just done the outside circumference but as it was coming together I decided it was worth another $40 bucks to do it right.
Time spent to complete - approximately 40 hours (does not include time to dig holes and set sleeves at pin locations)
Target dimensions are similar to those of the Innova Disc Catcher Pro Line target and fall within PDGA specs.
Target design was guided and driven by materials that I had on hand in the garage (i.e., sheet of copper from a kitchen redo, romex wiring, etc.) but was also influenced by my two favorite targets the Mach series and the Disc Catcher series.
Chain configuration is similar to the Mach series because I love this design, it reminds me of the baskets at the course where learned to play disc golf (De Laveaga Park, Santa Cruz). Chains grab discs and it sounds great when a disc hit its mark.
Copper was left raw (was not patina'ed) in order to let nature do it's thing. It comes off a little flashy at the moment, but it should turn brownish relatively quickly, then eventually light green after years of exposure.
Contains 27 lengths of chain (9 around the pole and 18 around the outside of the chain catcher) That's just the way the spacing off the spokes worked out, given that I used a bike rim for the catcher.
Basket is made from steel round bar, steel flat bar, copper wiring (10ga.) Oak board laminated with aluminum flashing for the hub and some clear flex tubing to protect discs and to prevent contact with any sharp edges. I used banding wire with JB Weld on most of the joints since I don't have an acetylene torch (or the expertise) I did use a butane torch and a vise to bend the main supports of the basket.
Pole is 1 1/2" threaded galvanized pipe.
That's it, feel free to ask questions if you have them - hope you like it
See all the pictures in full quality here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigblackpooch/sets/72157616175077999/
milow369
This project was done mainly during the late night, early morning hours and on weekends in my garage - I have sacrificed about a month's worth of disc golfing to make this happen. I'm hoping that in the long run, it will have been a good investment as far as my game is concerned. I have owned a basket in my previous life and it made an incredible difference in my putting - hoping for the same thing this time around.
I went the extra yard on the design/quality because I needed something that would stand up to the harsh Texas weather but more importantly, I needed a "that looks great" response from the wife and not a "you plan to put that where?" response when I unveiled the end product (we just got done landscaping the front yard - so couldn't really have a tire basket hanging from a tree - not to say that isn't a brilliant idea for a homemade basket) So, my initial idea of trying to keep it around the $150 range was blown out of the water for that reason. But I got the response I was hoping for, well worth the extra $100 I spent. I also wanted the target to be similar in quality to that of high end baskets that go for $495 retail, not the lower end types.
Some basic info about this basket:
Materials cost: $250 - I had some stuff on hand and I got some stuff for free (i.e., old bike rims). Chains were by far the most expensive item - 2x 30' spools at $40.40 each for a total of $80 bucks! - that shot down my idea at trying to do a $100 basket. I could have gone with one spool and just done the outside circumference but as it was coming together I decided it was worth another $40 bucks to do it right.
Time spent to complete - approximately 40 hours (does not include time to dig holes and set sleeves at pin locations)
Target dimensions are similar to those of the Innova Disc Catcher Pro Line target and fall within PDGA specs.
Target design was guided and driven by materials that I had on hand in the garage (i.e., sheet of copper from a kitchen redo, romex wiring, etc.) but was also influenced by my two favorite targets the Mach series and the Disc Catcher series.
Chain configuration is similar to the Mach series because I love this design, it reminds me of the baskets at the course where learned to play disc golf (De Laveaga Park, Santa Cruz). Chains grab discs and it sounds great when a disc hit its mark.
Copper was left raw (was not patina'ed) in order to let nature do it's thing. It comes off a little flashy at the moment, but it should turn brownish relatively quickly, then eventually light green after years of exposure.
Contains 27 lengths of chain (9 around the pole and 18 around the outside of the chain catcher) That's just the way the spacing off the spokes worked out, given that I used a bike rim for the catcher.
Basket is made from steel round bar, steel flat bar, copper wiring (10ga.) Oak board laminated with aluminum flashing for the hub and some clear flex tubing to protect discs and to prevent contact with any sharp edges. I used banding wire with JB Weld on most of the joints since I don't have an acetylene torch (or the expertise) I did use a butane torch and a vise to bend the main supports of the basket.
Pole is 1 1/2" threaded galvanized pipe.
That's it, feel free to ask questions if you have them - hope you like it
See all the pictures in full quality here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigblackpooch/sets/72157616175077999/
milow369
