Thursday, July 2, 2020

How to make a DIY basketball hoop out of reebar and plywood










Tools and materials I propose:

In this video I make a basketball hoop out of reebar, 18mm plywood, some metal parts and nylon strings. This project combines metalworking and woodworking and it was a good opportunity for me to practice my stick welding skills. 

First of all I used a scrap melamine piece to make a jig so I could bend the reebar close to a circle. I cut it out on the bandsaw and I divided it into 12 parts using my dividers. I used my jigsaw to cut some slots for the the clamps and I also made 4 pieces to help keep the clamps in place. 

I then bended the reebar and clamped it in place. I found that using heat with a propane torch really helped. To finish the circle I welded more  reebar on both ends to get more leaver power. Finally I welded the circle’s ends together and cut off the excess with the grinder. It really helps If you have someone to help you do this but I was alone in the shop. Anyway it was not super easy but it worked. 

Then I welded the circle on a metal corner. I added more reebar in the areas I had more gaps. I used 2mm sticks and my welder was mainly set around 70amps. 

Once I finished the hoop I cleaned it up with the grinder. 

Then I used the grinder to cut grooves on the circle. On there I tack welded small metal hooks. These act as net holders. I smoothed everything out with the sanding flap disc on the grinder. 

I primed and painted the circle. 

I then drilled the holes for the nuts and bolts on the plywood. I cut the bolts flush with the grinder. I also used the grinder to chamfer the edges of the bolts. 

I used a paint can a s guide to create round overs on the edges of the wood. I then cut them out on the bandsaw and used the sander to remove the saw marks. 

I used the router with a round over bit to smooth the edges of the plywood. 

I then nailed in place two spacers. I secured them in place with screws. 

I masked the board with tape and then painted it black. I finished it with water based clear satin varnish. 

To hang the hoop on the wall I bended two hooks on my vise and then screwed them in place. In future I will just screw the hoop on the wall. 

Finally I made the net using two colours of 4.8mm nylon cord. This was pretty simple as you can see in the video. 

My hoop came out great and it is ideal for small basket balls. But that was it. See you soon with a new project video.



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