Portable Base for really old Mach III

[esdubya]

A local disc golf course recently replaced their old Mach IIIs with shiny new Discatchers. The Mach IIIs were auctioned off, and I was luck enough to win one.

So I get it, and find out it was sawed-off at the base. The only easy use for this is as a portable target, which I'm fine with.

This brings me to the purpose of this post. DGA started using a smaller diameter center pole around 1998 or so, and this basket is circa 1991 and has the larger (2") diameter pole. What this means is that the standard off-the-shelf mach series base from DGA will not fit around the pole on the old baskets.

So, now I'm looking at either making my own base, or trying to find something available to fit. Any ideas?

I want to avoid replacing the entire center pole, as the chains assembly and cage would not have a tight fit without shims.

I'm thinking all of the other auction winners may be looking for the same thing, so any answers would not just benefit me FWIW. Thanks!

 

[Jenga54]

Grab a ruler and give us the closest measurement you can on the OD of the post

 

[Jenga54]

I use this A LOT for building projects...
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pvc-cpvc-pipes-dimensions-d_795.html
Find a material that has the ID just a little bigger than the OD of your post. Buy that pipe (maybe it's 2" SCH 80 PVC, maybe it's 1.5" SCH 40 PVC, maybe it's 2" EMT conduit, maybe it's 2" steel pipe...) and put it in a 5 gal bucket filled with cement.

MAYBE you can find a drill bit that is the right size, but not likely.

 

[esdubya]

Grab a ruler and give us the closest measurement you can on the OD of the post

Just a hair over 2" OD on the center pipe.

 

[Jenga54]

Just a hair over 2" OD on the center pipe.

Well SCH 40 2" PVC Pipe is 2.067" ID so if you can find a really cheap piece of 2" to take home, see if it slips over the pole. There are lots of other pipes with slightly bigger ID but that's your cheapest and probably most readily available first try.

 

[esdubya]

Schedule 40 2" steel is also 2.067. At this point I'm planning on buying a chunk of that then trying to find a local welder to make me a base.

I want something easy to transport, so the traditional metal base with a rolling wheel is what I really want. This basket will get used a lot for local events and demonstrations and things, as well as in my yard.

 

[Jenga54]

If the 2" does fit, you could look for a 2" closet flange and bolt that thing to some kind of base, depending on your budget and aesthetic desires.

 

[esdubya]

The "closet flange" has opened up a few doors.

What I'm thinking now is I buy the same standard schedule 40 2" steel pipe, and this essentially becomes an adapter to a 2" galvanized RAIL flange. This then gives me some holes to bolt on whatever type of base I can dream up. No welding req'd is the key here.

So it goes
Mach III pipe in the center, 2" steel pipe in the middle, then 2" (2.375 ID) rail flange outer.

 

[esdubya]

Just finished this project and basically got lucky and only drill one hole. Not even a trip to the depot. More to follow

 

[Jenga54]

I suppose with that 2 inch pole, a 2 inch hole in a big monstrosity of wood should be good enough !

 

[esdubya]

Breakthrough! I currently own two portable targets, and one of them in an old Innova Skillshot. Well, the base on this is beefy, for what it's doing. It also slides perfectly into the inner diameter of the Mach III pipe.

The only thing I did was to drill a hole for a 1/4" galvanized bolt in the Mach III pipe.

Once in place, I drilled a hole through the Skillshot base.

It's a heavy basket for sure, but I think this solution will stand the test of time.

Front yard putting on a basket from my former home course of 15 years FTW!

 

[esdubya]

So, basically, I got lucky! Saved me a lot of time and effort despite me looking forward to engineering / inventing something. Sometimes, follow the path of least resistance.

I wonder if it is possible to buy just a base for a Skillshot? I know there are 23 other baskets out there that would potentially want to be modified in a similar way.. And 24 more to come when they upgrade the baskets on the other course.