A Great Build-at-home Disc Golf Target (or a better use for 55-gal drums!)

Step 3 Step 2, Start cutting

Step2: Start cutting! You can refer to the drawing for dimensions of the lengths of the cuts or read them below. Use a chop saw for the PVC pipe and a table saw for the 55-gallon drum if you can; you’ll get clean, straight cuts so things will go together square.

·         For the ‘basket’ cut the top of the 55-gallon drum off 8” from rim and for the ‘top’ cut the bottom of the drum off 4” from the end. You want to use the top part of the drum as the ‘basket’ because if you remove the two screwed-in plugs they make great drain holes for when it rains. Use the bottom of the drum as the ‘top’ so it helps keep the rain and leaves out. I set up my table saw with an 8” fence off-set for the basket and used a piece of 4” wide board to set against the fence for the top. If you only have a hand saw (powered or otherwise) they only trick is drawing a straight line around the circumference. If it’s not perfectly straight don’t sweat it, you won’t notice it 10’ feet away anyway.

Cut some 2” PVC pipe into two lengths; 27” and 36”. Use a chop saw (if you can) so the end will be square. This way the top will be square with the basket. The 27” cut  (for the inside pipe) will give you the regulation 19” minimum gap between the top and the rim of the basket, and if you bury the 36” pipe (base pole) 12” deep it will give you the regulation 24” basket height above ground. You may make either one a little longer if you want a larger gap or a deeper basket (baskets must be 7” deep minimum) but these cuts will keep you honest.