Simple Budget Disc Golf Basket

Intro

During the 2020 covid lockdown, I got the urge to set up a disc golf basket in my backyard, to keep my kids and myself busy. After looking through several designs online, I decided to design my own, using as few tools as possible, as cheap as possible, but more durable and more affordable than what I could find online. All the supplies are available at the big orange DIY centers in the U.S. If you have to buy everything, it should be around $70 to build. If you have a good eye out on trash night you may be able to find the majority of the supplies for free. After my trash picking, I spent around $30 to complete.

Supplies

Tools

Bench vise

Right angle grinder with cutoff wheel

Drill and or drill press

2-3/8" hole saw

¼ drill bit

13/64 drill bit

¼-20 tap and handle

Mixing tub for concrete

EAR protection

Eye protection

Materials

5 gal bucket with lid

2-3/8" fence post

Fence post cap

2 x 72” galvanized tension bars (located in chain link fence section)

4x ¼-20 3 inch long screws

16x ¼-20 1 inch long screws w nuts

Bag quickcrete

26 inch hot water heater drip pan

2x packages of #135 chain 15ft long

Chain repair link

Small scrap of Styrofoam or plywood 3” x3” x ¾

extra ¼-20 nut

Step 1: Cut Fence Post Down to 52 Inches

Step 2: Cut Notches Into Fence Post Top

Using a right angle grinder cut 4 notches on the top of the fence post.

On 1 axis they should be 1/4 inches x 1-1/2 inches deep

On the cross axis they should be 1/2 inches x 1-1/2 inches deep

Step 3: Drill and Tap Pan Mounting Holes

26 inches down from the top of the fence post (the end with the notches), drill 3 holes 13/64inch diameter equally spaced around the fence post.

Do not screw bolts on til step 5

Step 4: Setting Fencepost in Base (Good to Have a Helper for This Step)

Drill 1/4 inch hole in the bottom of the bucket

Drill 2-3/8 inch hole in the bucket lid

In scrap of plywood or styrofoam, cut round plug and bolt it to the center of the bucket bottom

make sure the long end of the bolt sticks up into the bucket

make sure the plug fits into the bottom of the fence post

- a wood plug may need to be sanded a bit

Slide fence post over the plug in the bottom of the bucket

Mix 40 lbs quikrete according to instructions and pour into the bucket

This is only about half a bucket of quikrete, but a full bucket is heavy to move around when finished

Slide bucket lid over post onto the bucket and let the quikrete set up

Step 5: Thread in 3 Inch Long Bolts Into Holes From Step 3

Step 6: Drill Drip Pan

In the center of the 26 inch water heater drip pan, drill a hole 2-3/8 inches

Slide pan over the fence post

Step 7: Draw Pattern and Bend Ring to Match

Draw pattern above onto scrap of paper. Circle should be 22 inches in diameter.

In a bench, vise bend tension bar into a circle to match up with the pattern.

It will take many passes through the vise of sliding the bar a little, bending a little, and repeating until it matches the pattern. There should be around 3 inches of overlap to close up the ring when finished.

Yes it is easier to bend a ring with a ring roller or slip roll is you have one, but its not required

Step 8: Cut and Bend Cross Pieces

Cut second tension bar into three pieces. 1 at 26 inches long and 2 at 16 inches long

Bend pieces to match the cross pieces in the pattern

To get nice clean bends in the bars, it helps to position the bar vertically in the vice and slide a scrap of longer pipe or tube for leverage to bend the bars

Step 9: Drill and Bolt the Cross Pieces to the Ring

Drill ¼ holes where needed to bolt the frame together

When drilling the pieces for middle cross, make sure the holes are 2-1/2 inches from the center / intersection

Step 10: Slide the Ring Assembly Into Fence Post

Step 11: Cut Chain Into 12 Pieces 26 Inches Long

There will be a scrap around 10 inches left over, save it

Step 12: Attach Chain to Ring

Unbolt ring from cross pieces two sections at a time and slide chain lengths onto the ring

Re-bolt ring when completed

Step 13: Tie in Chain Bottoms

Feed the short piece of chain through the bottom of chain ends and complete the bottom chain circle with a chain repair link

Step 14: Put Fence Post Cap on and Putt Away