My Baby - Uh, I mean my new homemade disc golf basket

milow369 · #1 04-02-2009, 03:40 PM

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/bigblac...7616175077999/

milow369

skurf · #2 04-02-2009, 04:00 PM

Looks like that thing will catch some discs...unlike my homeade basket. Nice work.

Hamilton · #3 04-02-2009, 04:05 PM

nice work...i think i will stick with the discatcher sport and add the inner vertical chains myself...maybe 225 total and only a couple hours work...yours looks awesome though...

DWill · #4 04-02-2009, 04:13 PM

That's very nice and impressive work. How is the center of the bottom of the basket connected? Where do you get the steel round and flat bars, Home Cheapo?

milow369 · #5 04-02-2009, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamilton

nice work...i think i will stick with the discatcher sport and add the inner vertical chains myself...maybe 225 total and only a couple hours work...yours looks awesome though...

yes, I was a little surprised when I totaled up all the odds and ends - probably $50 more than I had ballparked. That being said, If I could have re-used some chain it would have cut costs drastically.

This for me was more than going to the store and dropping a couple hundred bucks for a basket. I really got into the challenge of overcoming issues I encountered during the way, and learning how to work with steel. Anyway, to each his own. The important thing is to have a practice basket nearby that you will get out and use!!!

enjoy and thanks for the comment

milow369 · #6 04-02-2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWill

That's very nice and impressive work. How is the center of the bottom of the basket connected? Where do you get the steel round and flat bars, Home Cheapo?

coming up with the hub of the basket was the hardest part of the whole build. I decided to cut a round "disc" out of 1" thick solid oak. I drilled a 1 1/2" hole in the center. I used the disc to trace out circles of equal size on aluminum flashing, cut them out and affixed one to either side of the oak disc using heavy duty construction adhesive. It's the weakest part of the finished product. I figure that if the center piece gives way or breaks down or whatever, I can take it to a metal shop and have them weld in a 2" sleeve in the center.

On the edge of the center hub, I drilled holes to accept the round bar. After I made somewhat of a star with the round bar then attached the bottom support for the basket, then the outer "ribs" of the basket. With each addition, the basket became more solid. It's like a rock now and more than sturdy enough for my personal use. I hold it in place simply by using some rubber gaskets (actually rubber end caps with the center cut out.) one on top, one on bottom. They are torqued down with a screwdriver. The basket remains in place and solid.

I got the steel at Home Depot

solomon.trenton · #7 04-02-2009, 05:05 PM

is it modeled after a discatcher or machv?

andyman · #8 04-02-2009, 05:10 PM

Very nice work, I hope you enjoy it.

milow369 · #9 04-02-2009, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solomon.trenton

is it modeled after a discatcher or machv?

I guess my answer would be both. I think that the band across the top of the chain hanger is more like the discatcher, while the chain configuration is more like the mach series. Another similarity to the discatcher is that there is a means for the outside chains to give when struck then to fall back into position. I believe the outside chains on a machv are stationary.

anyway, my main concern was to get the dimensions correct - i.e., distance from bottom of chain hanger to top of basket, width of chain hanger and width/depth of basket - just so I was practicing on something that was close to what I'd find on the disc golf course.

Overall, it was the materials that I had and the idea to use a bike rim on top that drove my design.

Later

milow369