Gandhi: 17' Tall Cardboard Avatar

Step 7 Building the Base

I built a very sturdy base on which to support the entire figure:

1) The Pallet I build a simple wood structure that looks kind of like a pallet for shipping. It is essentially one piece of 3/4" plywood raised above a base by 2x4" pieces. All screwed and glued together.

2) The Posts The posts are 1 1/4" galvanized pipe. These were both roughly 5-6' in length providing the ultimate support for the legs and the entire figure. These need to be positioned according to the angle of the legs so do this step very carefully by making the holes in the top of the wood base, sliding the legs over the top and positioning them then marking on the bottom plate the location of the pipes. I also traced the position of the feet. You then will cut, glue and screw cleats from wood around these markings. Did I mention that many of these steps require another set of hands?

3) The Clamps Finally, use C-clamps to secure the bottom of the posts to the base. I also used bits of wood wedging to be sure the pipes would not wiggle in the upper holes of the base.