Homemade DiscCatcher Gallery

[ZMesenbrink]

Thanks for the praise on my project, i didnt know if people would like it or not. It's already provided lots of fun for my friends and i playing 21 and 51 like darts. Not to mention that I live in Omaha Nebraska and disc golf isnt available everyday in the winter.

[el siege]

that shopping cart basket is truly very cool!

[jnicola]

This is a fun thread. I'm going to join up with this and post my contraption as soon as I finish!


I did some research on PDGA approved baskets and what not as of 2014 according to PDGA. Here's their spread sheet of data, with some inconsequential data (IMO) removed and then put into google drive. I also calculated for averages, maximums and minimum on all dimensions. I also converted to inches. Check it out below.

PDGA Chart of Accepted Disc Golf Targets with Avg, Max and Min plus Inch conversions:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing


Looks like 26" bicycle tires are spot on for the average accepted diameter of the basket, technically 5" over but well within the min and max. 26" also appears to be the closest to the mean (most common number). Even without the mean it's technically closer to the Max so very much within reason. Seems like with three of these 26" tires from your local dump you'd be in business. Steel wheels are cheap and easiest to weld of course, and coincidentally most likely to be found on dump bikes.

I figure get one 26" wheel for the bottom, one for the top, one to use just the rim for the top part of the basket. Weld up a few pieces of cheap steel between the bottom wheel and the just rim portion to form a basket... Hang chain like everyone else is doing... etc etc etc... should be pretty simple to get a fairly close to regulation basket.

I'll be out measuring random things I spot on my dump run this weekend (I'm going to get in deep **** for bringing things BACK from the dump, hah!) for size potential relative to what is trying to be accomplished here. Some cursory research says that these items have potential:

Washing Machines average 27.5" wide. Some may have large enough baskets to potentially use. At the very least smalelr ones would be within the PDGA accepted Min and Max.

Steel Drums are 22.5" inner diameter, and scrape past the minimum width by 2.5" or so. These would be best though as with some cutting and some drain holes you'd have the basket part done right away.

Poly drums (plastic ones a few people post) range from 20 to 23" per a few manufacturers that I saw. A bit smaller than the steel drums, but still within the PDGA minimum.



Anyways, I'm going to invest some time and energy into this. Dump run to come this weekend. I'll drag a tape measure and see what I can make off with!

[jnicola]

Additional note... The disc catcher pro baskets I am used to have 22" tops, so a 20" BMX wheel on top and a 26" cheap-o mountain bike on the bottom will be close enough for me!

[Jimb]

Originally Posted by jnicola

Additional note... The disc catcher pro baskets I am used to have 22" tops, so a 20" BMX wheel on top and a 26" cheap-o mountain bike on the bottom will be close enough for me!

I used tires off of a Monte Carlo for the basket and wheel chair wheels for the chain assembly on my home-made baskets. My basket sizes do conform to PDGA standards.

Have fun with your dive and be careful. Nobody wants a tetanus shot after all!

[discguy42]

Originally Posted by jnicola

Additional note... The disc catcher pro baskets I am used to have 22" tops, so a 20" BMX wheel on top and a 26" cheap-o mountain bike on the bottom will be close enough for me!

These measurements will be correct if you plan on having tires/tubes mounted on them.

FYI a 20 x 1.75" wheel without a tire is only about 18" and a 26 x 1.75" wheel is only about 24" without a tire. The sizes are based with a tire included with the diameter measure.

So for your top a 24 x 1.75" wheel will be closer to your 22" and 27 x 1 1/4" wheel will be closer to 26 actual inches.

Here is another bike wheel/tire fact. You have two tire sizes that are labeled 26 x 1.75" and the other is labeled 26 x 1 3/4" math class tells you that they are the same and will fit the same. NOT TRUE in the bike world, in math they are the same but in the bike world the 26 x 1 3/4" tire is larger and will be too big to fit the modern standardized 26 x 1.75" MTB rim.

[jnicola]

My first effort, more a proof of concept and itching a scratch than anything serious.

This build cost $1.22, mostly because I used 8% of the $14 of stick welding supplies I picked up.


For the base, I found a solid steel restaurant table base, the small two person table style. It had a big metal base, and a smaller top where the wood table would attach. Nice and simple.

For the basket bottom, I grabbed a dryer and ripped out the internal basket. It measured 26.5" so pretty darn good fit. I was rushing to get this project done before the end of the day though so you can tell I didn't do a precision job on the cutting. Now that I know this is within reason I will do a better job next effort!

For the bar between the basket and the top I just used some scrap rod. Welded it into place. I welded a bolt on the top.

For the top, I just grabbed a BBQ lid. I couldn't find any bicycle wheels at the dumb. Given that it's not quite spring cleaning time here in NH this doesn't entirely surprise me. It's also a very small town dump.

I found a steel ring from god knows what. I grabbed some scrap car tire chains for the chains. These two in combination with the BBQ lid seemed to have potential.



Anyways, I rushed the whole thing as I did it all after finishing work, but before the sun set. Proved to myself it's very easily possible though and now I've got a practice disc golf basket. Catches puts no problem, did a few minorly irksome stuff due to lack of chains but pretty solid overall. Wouldn't want to hole in one this puppy though with so few chains, hah.


A better basket to come in the future. Going to scope the dump everytime I go now in search of a 26" bicycle tire for the top, another dryer to grab the basket from, and anything else needed.

[lexxerd]

Me and my girl made this over the weekend.

[Jimb]

Originally Posted by lexxerd

Me and my girl made this over the weekend.

I really like the scroll-work basket!

[mattc]

nice