Post by Steve King (Admin) on Jul 9, 2006 17:08:52 GMT -6
Disc Golf is a game played with special frisbees which are smaller and heavier than normal frisbees. The object of the game is to throw the frisbee into a basket which is anywhere from 200 to 700 feet away taking as few throws as possible. 300 to 400 feet is a typical length for a par 3 hole. The rules are very similar to golf and the terminology is the same (holes, drives, putts, par, birdies, bogeys, fairway, etc.)
I have constructed my own disc golf goal with materials you can get at a hardware store for under $80. The frame is PVC pipe and the goal is constructed so that it can be disassembled, thrown in your car trunk, taken to a park, and reassembled. The goal weighs about 30 pounds, most of which is the chains. Here are instructions on how to build your own goal:
Materials:
20 ft of 1-1/2 inch dia PVC pipe
4 1-1/2 inch "L" fittings
4 1-1/2 inch "T" fittings
2 1-1/2 inch "+" fittings
2 ft by 2 ft piece of plywood, 3/8 inch thick
Can of white spray paint
12 lengths of chain, each 28 inches long
12 lengths of chain, each 24 inches long
Brass ring, 6 inches in diameter
Brass ring, 4 inches in diameter
20 feet of 1/4 inch nylon rope
A large nail (about 6 inches long)
A basket 26 inches in diameter, 8 inches deep (If you cannot find a basket like this, I give instruction on how to make one.)
Tools Needed:
Wood saw (jig saw or coping saw to cut wooden disk)
Hack saw or pipe cutter (to cut PVC pipe)
Drill with 3/8 inch wood bit and 1-7/8 inch keyhole bit
Wire cutter or Dremel tool (to cut open brass rings)
Sand paper
I have found a Dremel tool to be one of the most useful tools I own. It is very useful for smoothing out cuts or for enlarging holes. With this tool the keyhole drill bit is unnecessary. This is also the tool of choice for cutting open the brass rings.
Instructions:
1. Cut the piece of plywood into a circular disk 22 inches in diameter.
2. Mark 24 slots on the wood, 12 at radius 10 inches and 12 at radius 3 inches, offset as shown in the diagram. The slots should be just large enough to pass the end of a chain link through them.
3. Using a 3/8 inch drill bit, drill three holes for each slot, then wiggle the bit back and forth to make a slot. Make sure the end link of a piece of chain will fit through the slot. Enlarge the slot slightly if necessary.
4. Cut a 1-7/8 inch diameter hole in the center of the wooden disk, which fits over the 1-1/2 inch PVC pipe snugly.
5. Sand the wooden disk and apply two coats of spray paint (I suggest white). Let paint dry.
6. Insert the ends of the 28 inch chains through the inner slots and the ends of the 24 inch chains through the outer slots. Thread the nylon rope through the ends of the links sticking through the slots in turn and tie a knot in both ends.
7. Cut the 6 inch diameter brass ring and pass it through the hanging ends of the 28 inch (inner) chains. Reseal the break with tape, or weld it if you are able. Likewise cut open the 4 inch diameter brass ring and pass it through the ends of the 24 inch chains and reseal the break. The 24 inch chains will be curving inwards and the 4 inch ring will be directly above the 6 inch ring.
The upper portion of the goal is now complete.
8. Cut a 54 inch section of PVC pipe. This will be the central support rod.
9. Cut the PVC pipe into 8 sections 11 inches long and 4 sections 17 inches long. The 11 inch sections will be horizontal supports and the 17 inch sections will be vertical supports.
10. Cut a 1-7/8 inch diameter hole in the top of one of the "+" fittings. This will be the bottom center of the base.
11. Cut a 1-7/8 inch diameter hole all the way through the other "+" fitting. The "+" fitting should slide over the center support rod, but be snug.
12. Assemble the base: insert 4 11 inch pipes into each "+" fitting. Put the "T" fittings on the end of the bottom 11 inch pipes with the T going in-out-up. Put the "L" fittings on the top 11 inch pipes, with the L going in and down. Put the 17 inch sections on the "T" fittings going upward. Put the top end of the 17 inch sections into the "L" fittings. Slide the center rod down thorugh the center of the top "+" fitting and into the hole in the bottom "+" fitting. The base is now complete.
To keep the pipes in the fittings, you may need to use rubber cement or perhaps hammer a small nail through the fitting and the pipe to hold them together. I used the nails so that they could be taken out and the goal disassembled. It would probably be okay to glue the "L" and "T" fittings, because these can be left together when disassembled.
13. Cut a 1-7/8 inch hole in the center of the basket and slide it over the center pole.
14. Put the wooden disk onto the center pole with the chains hanging down, making sure that both brass rings are around the center pole. Let the wooden disk slide down until the ends of the 28 inch chains are about an inch from the bottom of the basket. Mark a line on the center pole where the bottom of the wooden disk comes to. Drill a hole through the center pole immediately below this mark and put the large nail through the hole. The wooden disk should be above the nail, resting on it.
The goal is now complete. Enjoy!
Making a Basket
Okay, so you've been to every store in town, and nobody sells a basket with a diameter of 26 inches. I had this experience and ended up making my own basket. I must warn you that this is rather tedious and took longer than making the rest of the goal. I'm open to suggestions on how to make a basket more simply.
Here is what I used to make a basket:
12 pieces of plastic canvas (14 by 22 inches)
2 hula hoops
60 yards of 50-pound test fishing line
Brass ring 2 inches in diameter
Plastic canvas is a piece of plastic with a gridwork of squares holes in it, about 5 grids per inch. It can be used as a backing for rugs and is commonly used to make decorations by threading yarn through it. I found that WalMart had a good supply, but it is probably available in craft stores also.
1. Remove the staples from one end of each hula hoop. Bend the hula hoops into circles with inner diameter 26 inches and mark how much the ends overlap. Cut this much (probably 10 to 12 inches) from the end of the hula hoop which does NOT have the plastic plug in it. Reconnect the ends of the hula hoop by sliding the free end over the plastic plug. Remember to take the little metal balls out of the hoops so your goal does not rattle. It is important that both hula hoops be cut to the same size.
2. Cut 8 pieces of plastic canvas 8 inches by 22 inches. Sew them together using the fishing line in an overlapping pattern to form the sides of the basket. Sew 6 lines so that the pieces are connected, place this inside one of the hula hoops, and cut the canvas so that it just fits inside the hoop. Sew the final 2 lines connect the ends of the plastic canvas. I find that it takes five or six feet of fishing line to sew 8 inches of canvas together going through every grid on the way up.
3. Sew the top hula hoop into the edge of the plastic canvas using the fishing line. I went through every other grid around the circle.
4. Sew 4 pieces of plastic canvas together to form the base of the basket. This will form a large rectangle 28 inches by 44 inches.
5. Place the lower hula hoop over the base and set the rest of the basket inside it. Sew the lower hula hoop into the base and the sides, going through every other grid.
6. Cut away the unneeded portion of the base outside of the lower hula hoop.
7. Cut a hole in the center of the base large enough for the center pole to go through. I suggest sewing a brass ring into the canvas around the hole to strengthen it. The canvas can rip if hit the wrong way.
Congratulations, the basket is now complete. If you spent less than eight hours of sewing to make this thing, then you are faster than I.
I have constructed my own disc golf goal with materials you can get at a hardware store for under $80. The frame is PVC pipe and the goal is constructed so that it can be disassembled, thrown in your car trunk, taken to a park, and reassembled. The goal weighs about 30 pounds, most of which is the chains. Here are instructions on how to build your own goal:
Materials:
20 ft of 1-1/2 inch dia PVC pipe
4 1-1/2 inch "L" fittings
4 1-1/2 inch "T" fittings
2 1-1/2 inch "+" fittings
2 ft by 2 ft piece of plywood, 3/8 inch thick
Can of white spray paint
12 lengths of chain, each 28 inches long
12 lengths of chain, each 24 inches long
Brass ring, 6 inches in diameter
Brass ring, 4 inches in diameter
20 feet of 1/4 inch nylon rope
A large nail (about 6 inches long)
A basket 26 inches in diameter, 8 inches deep (If you cannot find a basket like this, I give instruction on how to make one.)
Tools Needed:
Wood saw (jig saw or coping saw to cut wooden disk)
Hack saw or pipe cutter (to cut PVC pipe)
Drill with 3/8 inch wood bit and 1-7/8 inch keyhole bit
Wire cutter or Dremel tool (to cut open brass rings)
Sand paper
I have found a Dremel tool to be one of the most useful tools I own. It is very useful for smoothing out cuts or for enlarging holes. With this tool the keyhole drill bit is unnecessary. This is also the tool of choice for cutting open the brass rings.
Instructions:
1. Cut the piece of plywood into a circular disk 22 inches in diameter.
2. Mark 24 slots on the wood, 12 at radius 10 inches and 12 at radius 3 inches, offset as shown in the diagram. The slots should be just large enough to pass the end of a chain link through them.
3. Using a 3/8 inch drill bit, drill three holes for each slot, then wiggle the bit back and forth to make a slot. Make sure the end link of a piece of chain will fit through the slot. Enlarge the slot slightly if necessary.
4. Cut a 1-7/8 inch diameter hole in the center of the wooden disk, which fits over the 1-1/2 inch PVC pipe snugly.
5. Sand the wooden disk and apply two coats of spray paint (I suggest white). Let paint dry.
6. Insert the ends of the 28 inch chains through the inner slots and the ends of the 24 inch chains through the outer slots. Thread the nylon rope through the ends of the links sticking through the slots in turn and tie a knot in both ends.
7. Cut the 6 inch diameter brass ring and pass it through the hanging ends of the 28 inch (inner) chains. Reseal the break with tape, or weld it if you are able. Likewise cut open the 4 inch diameter brass ring and pass it through the ends of the 24 inch chains and reseal the break. The 24 inch chains will be curving inwards and the 4 inch ring will be directly above the 6 inch ring.
The upper portion of the goal is now complete.
8. Cut a 54 inch section of PVC pipe. This will be the central support rod.
9. Cut the PVC pipe into 8 sections 11 inches long and 4 sections 17 inches long. The 11 inch sections will be horizontal supports and the 17 inch sections will be vertical supports.
10. Cut a 1-7/8 inch diameter hole in the top of one of the "+" fittings. This will be the bottom center of the base.
11. Cut a 1-7/8 inch diameter hole all the way through the other "+" fitting. The "+" fitting should slide over the center support rod, but be snug.
12. Assemble the base: insert 4 11 inch pipes into each "+" fitting. Put the "T" fittings on the end of the bottom 11 inch pipes with the T going in-out-up. Put the "L" fittings on the top 11 inch pipes, with the L going in and down. Put the 17 inch sections on the "T" fittings going upward. Put the top end of the 17 inch sections into the "L" fittings. Slide the center rod down thorugh the center of the top "+" fitting and into the hole in the bottom "+" fitting. The base is now complete.
To keep the pipes in the fittings, you may need to use rubber cement or perhaps hammer a small nail through the fitting and the pipe to hold them together. I used the nails so that they could be taken out and the goal disassembled. It would probably be okay to glue the "L" and "T" fittings, because these can be left together when disassembled.
13. Cut a 1-7/8 inch hole in the center of the basket and slide it over the center pole.
14. Put the wooden disk onto the center pole with the chains hanging down, making sure that both brass rings are around the center pole. Let the wooden disk slide down until the ends of the 28 inch chains are about an inch from the bottom of the basket. Mark a line on the center pole where the bottom of the wooden disk comes to. Drill a hole through the center pole immediately below this mark and put the large nail through the hole. The wooden disk should be above the nail, resting on it.
The goal is now complete. Enjoy!
Making a Basket
Okay, so you've been to every store in town, and nobody sells a basket with a diameter of 26 inches. I had this experience and ended up making my own basket. I must warn you that this is rather tedious and took longer than making the rest of the goal. I'm open to suggestions on how to make a basket more simply.
Here is what I used to make a basket:
12 pieces of plastic canvas (14 by 22 inches)
2 hula hoops
60 yards of 50-pound test fishing line
Brass ring 2 inches in diameter
Plastic canvas is a piece of plastic with a gridwork of squares holes in it, about 5 grids per inch. It can be used as a backing for rugs and is commonly used to make decorations by threading yarn through it. I found that WalMart had a good supply, but it is probably available in craft stores also.
1. Remove the staples from one end of each hula hoop. Bend the hula hoops into circles with inner diameter 26 inches and mark how much the ends overlap. Cut this much (probably 10 to 12 inches) from the end of the hula hoop which does NOT have the plastic plug in it. Reconnect the ends of the hula hoop by sliding the free end over the plastic plug. Remember to take the little metal balls out of the hoops so your goal does not rattle. It is important that both hula hoops be cut to the same size.
2. Cut 8 pieces of plastic canvas 8 inches by 22 inches. Sew them together using the fishing line in an overlapping pattern to form the sides of the basket. Sew 6 lines so that the pieces are connected, place this inside one of the hula hoops, and cut the canvas so that it just fits inside the hoop. Sew the final 2 lines connect the ends of the plastic canvas. I find that it takes five or six feet of fishing line to sew 8 inches of canvas together going through every grid on the way up.
3. Sew the top hula hoop into the edge of the plastic canvas using the fishing line. I went through every other grid around the circle.
4. Sew 4 pieces of plastic canvas together to form the base of the basket. This will form a large rectangle 28 inches by 44 inches.
5. Place the lower hula hoop over the base and set the rest of the basket inside it. Sew the lower hula hoop into the base and the sides, going through every other grid.
6. Cut away the unneeded portion of the base outside of the lower hula hoop.
7. Cut a hole in the center of the base large enough for the center pole to go through. I suggest sewing a brass ring into the canvas around the hole to strengthen it. The canvas can rip if hit the wrong way.
Congratulations, the basket is now complete. If you spent less than eight hours of sewing to make this thing, then you are faster than I.
