Here was a relatively short project I just did this afternoon+evening. I bought a cheap volleyball kit at the coast with some mates but the PVC poles that came with it broke so I volunteered to make some replacements out of steel.
The idea for the poles way a relatively simple, minimalist design with a smaller section that collapses into a larger section for storage and some separate removable stakes/anchors (the cross shaped things in the pictures) to stick it firmly into the ground. The narrower top of the stakes slots snugly into the bottom of the poles allowing them to be driven in/taken out separately and carried apart from the poles for transport. Two cross pieces help in driving them into the ground and also hopefully stability when driven all the way in I couldn’t manage to stick them all the way in with just my boots outside MHV but hopefully on different soil or with a hammer I can.
Poles
Raw materials for the poles. The four longer sections which make up the pole were purchased from Metal mart cut to size. The smaller piece is to be used as handles for the locking nuts. The nuts and bolts were found around the workshop.
Here are the poles with the ends tidied up. Got rid of the bur and rounded the edges on the inner extending piece. Just about to drill hole for the locking bolt.
This is the hole for the locking bolt. The nut is welded over the top of the hole and the bolt goes through the hole and holds the inner extending piece in place during use.
I had some trouble with the drill bit being badly sharpened but I resharpened it slightly less badly and managed a cleaner hole for the second hole.
I forgot to take pictures but I then cut off two pieces of the very small bar for locking bolt handles and rounded the ends of them and cleaned the paint off.
Locking nuts welded to the pole and handles welded to the bolts.
Both done and in place. Next up was making the stakes.
Stakes
Raw materials (forgot to take picture before cutting main body of stake) scrounged from"weld box" (off cut box) I bought from Metal Mart.
Metal prepped and ready for welding.
All welded to together.
Further work
I forgot the nets needed something to hold onto so I cut some notches into the top of the poles. Not the tidiest job but hopefully I can fix it up later.
But that was all the work I did on it. I really needs a proper coat of paint to stop it from rusting but I’ll leave that to another day.
Thanks for reading!
