Help With Homemade DISCatcher

[AriusAneid]

Hey everyone. I've been a lurker around here for a bit now and I have been viewing the various threads that are around on making my own homemade disc golf basket. I started making my own the other day as a way to pass time. I've been using parts that I can find around home and I am looking for some ideas/help on making this a lot more sturdy. Also, the chain assembly is almost too heavy to put together as it is, so some ideas on making that lighter would be great.

Basically, my original plan was to use a metal pole (one of those kinda thin, flat green ones) as a stake in the ground and then slide a 1 1/4 inch PVC pipe over that. In the PVC pipe and the metal pole I then drilled holes at the points where the basket would sit, as well as the chain assembly. The plan was to pin each of those points with a nail. What I over looked was the fact that cutting the circle for the pole to go through was very hard for me and it isn't perfect. Meaning... the basket and the chain assembly either sit crookedly or balance on the nail/pin I use to stop them from falling farther down. This is a big issue of course.

I'm not sure how to fix this, since I can't really screw brackets into the PVC pipe, cause then I won't be able to slide it over the metal pole. My thought is to maybe try to make a cog shaped piece with a smaller hole, closer to the 1 1/4 inch pipe, and then glue that onto the original basket wood. Not sure if it will work or not, but it is all I've got.

As far as weight goes, I'm considering making the base of the basket also made out of metal fencing, but something more sturdy than the sides of the basket. As for the chain assembly though, I'm not really sure, besides reducing the number of chains (I went with 28, like the new DISCatcher models, and I like that so I don't want to change if I don't want to).

Also not looking to spend too much more on this. I have various amounts of PVC and metal pipe available, as well as plenty of scrap wood, boards, plywood sheets, and various kinds of wire fencing. Any and all ideas would be great, cause I'm at a loss (besides a complete overhaul, which... would make me a sad dude). Thank you.

 

[jonespongpilot]

how much did you spend already?

 

[AriusAneid]

$40 or so for chains. Everything else is just what I found lying around the garage.

And I know what a lot of people say ("it's not worth it to make your own," "just save and buy a pro basket," etc). But that's not why I'm doing it. I just enjoy making stuff like this (made a homemade ultimate Frisbee jump trainer out of PVC pipe last summer). I just don't wanna spend any more if I don't have to

 

[King_Scooter]

Couple suggestions from what i've done:

The top part where your chains hang from; You can use a charcoal grill grate. I got one for $8 or so, and it's about 22" in diameter. Real easy to hang chains from. Just use some "S" hooks, and bend them around the grates.

If you don't use that, you can use any wheel with spokes. Aka; wheelchairs, bikes. The only problem with this is usually keeping the inner chains in place.

The basket part: I plan on re-doing mine in favor of DiscChucker's design:
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37357

I'll probably use a bit thinner PVC, but same concept. My current basket is just a round feeding trough I got from a farm store and trimmed down to the right depth. I wouldn't recommend that method.

 

[ThomasOrion]

Cool I want to make a nice basket out of wood someday. Metal chains of course. I really want to save up and get a MAch 5....or even a Mach X, haha, but the 5 is plenty good. I think building your own has a cool meaning also its just fun. Go for it, post updates!

 

[AriusAneid]

Well, after working on it all a bit more, here is what I ended up with. It works pretty well. I solved the wobbly issue (for now) by cutting another piece of wood with a smaller center hole and shaving it down to what I needed it at to fit snug. Seems to work, although some kind of bracket would be better than just a pin. But as you can see, it sits fairly level. Able to stop discs as well as any other DISCatcher. Doesn't look TOO pretty, but I have a few ideas for that that I might do at some point. Looks is important than if it works or not (to me).

Only complaints so far is the weight (top piece is incredibly heavy with 28 chains (14 outer, 7 intermediate, 7 inner)), the basket is floppy (a hard throw that hits the top half and it folds, but I think I have some longer nails/screws I'm going to use to post it a bit), and lastly is the stand. Right now it is just a metal post that I hammer into the ground and then put the PVC over, but it isn't ideal.

Anyone have ideas for a new stand? I'm thinking about getting a nicer Christmas tree stand off craigslist and trying to use that, but otherwise I don't know how to make a stand I don't have to dig into the ground (and will still support the heavy top weight). Thanks for any ideas.

 

[King_Scooter]

patio umbrella bases work good for stands

 

[mattc]

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3044
Try looking here ^^^ for some ideas on the base.

 

[AriusAneid]

Well, I found a Christmas tree stand on Craigslist for $5. It's got about a 19" diameter base and screws in from four sides. Had to cut a hole in the bottom to help stabilize it, but it works very, very well (for flat areas at least). The pole original way of getting it to stand would work for non-flat surfaces.

I'm still having a bit of trouble keeping the basket and the chain assembly level. It's definitely better since I re-cut some holes and screwed those additions to the original boards, but right now the only thing holding the basket/assembly up is a nail that goes through the PVC pipe. Works to keep it in place, but then it tends to lean to one side or another (the sides where the nails don't stick out). I thought about using some kind of L-brackets, but I don't really know how to go about doing all that and still keeping it able to fold up fairly well. Don't want to connect them to the pole because they might get bent/bumped when traveling and damage the pole (not to mention, I couldn't do this for the top part cause I'd need to slide the bottom part on). Also don't really want them connected to the boards because I'd like to have it be as portable as possible and having L-brackets sticking out of the boards again might get in the way and cause damage if they get bumped/hit.

Any ideas for keeping that stuff level?

 

[1978]

Easiest thing to do is place in a tournament where the prizes are portable baskets

 

[AriusAneid]

1978, if you read the other posts in the thread, I'm making this basket partly out of wanting a practice basket and partly out of the fun of making it. So unless you have something useful to offer, why don't you just not bother, ok? Your comment wasn't nearly as helpful as you seem to think it was.

I don't get why people are so against people that want to build their own baskets. It's not your time and money, so why you gotta shoot down what other people are doing?

 

[SLiuGraphite]

1978, if you read the other posts in the thread, I'm making this basket partly out of wanting a practice basket and partly out of the fun of making it. So unless you have something useful to offer, why don't you just not bother, ok? Your comment wasn't nearly as helpful as you seem to think it was.

I don't get why people are so against people that want to build their own baskets. It's not your time and money, so why you gotta shoot down what other people are doing?

Dude... I'm pretty sure he was joking... Nobody shot you down @.@

 

[AriusAneid]

It still wasn't helpful to the issue I'm having. Not all of us can just go out and win a tourny

 

[AriusAneid]

Finished(ish) pics, if anyone wants to check em out. Still gotta get brackets for the basket, but it worked for the top really well. Used it for about an hour today and it likes to spit out discs, but the way I see it, if I get good with sinking baskets in this, sinking baskets on regular ones should be even easier.

Still trying to figure an alternative for the basket, but can't find any tired or anything at the moment. Fix for later I suppose. Thanks for the help, advice, and links everyone.

 

[1978]

I used a car tire cut in half (well not cut in half more like 70%) for the basket on my home made portable...the one I made for fun before I won baskets at tournaments.

Find a used free tire, cut it right where it gets flat and would touch the road. Put it on your plywood and screw down into it.

note: The tire will collect water if you dont drill holes.