Posted: 10/22/2006 5:39:56 PM EDT
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I remembered at one time American HandGunner had a drawing for a PVC target stand. I think Charles Petty wrote the article. Well I couldn't find the article but figured I would make one for myself. Here is the instructions and pictures. PVC Target Stand This project is constructed of 2 inch PVC. You will need the following: A - 2 90º elbows B - 2 end caps C – 4 T’s I – 1 PVC pipe cut at 11.75 inches II – 5 PVC pipe cut at 5 inches III – 1 PVC pipe cut at 14 inches IIII – 2 PVC pipe cut at 12 inches      
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| When I built it I was going for stability on a grassy field and easy to carry. I'm considering drilling a 1.5 inch hole in the center pripe and running some cable so that I can carry multiple stands. If I can figure out how to cut the t's to take a 2 inch pipe on the bottom they would be stackable. |
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Don't think I'm being an asshole here, but that design has two flaws: A) It will blow over in the wind unless you carry around heavy sandbags or something similar. B) It is three dimensional, and as a result it is difficult to store. If you take that same idea, but at the bottom use just a "U" shaped PVC, drill holes in the trough of the "U" and then carry spikes and a hammer with you to drive the spikes through the holes and into the ground, your target stand will withstand being punched and it will also remain 2-d so it can be stored easily. Here are some pictures of the resilient little bastard I made (the frame has already been shot by 9mm once and .40 twice):     The total cost of that target stand/spikes to me was only $15. All materials were purchased at Lowe's. The only potential problem would be if you shot at targets that were on rocks and couldn't nail the spikes into the ground. I've been to 4 different ranges with it and haven't even come close to having a problem hammering in the spikes. |
Maverick - I'm glad to see that I'm not the onlyone with plastic ideas. The design that I'm using does indeed have the 2 flaws that you pointed out. Although I tried to do a wind test today in the breeze from the cold front. The stand wouldn't tip but the target got weak and blew off. It was the cheap staples that I used. Point B is probably the biggest issue. The 3 demensonial design does pose a storage issue. I'm hoping to find a way to stack them but if you only had a few it wouldn't really matter. Glad to hear that your stand is holding up so well. |
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jyoung, is your stand all glued together? If yes, then why not leave the two upright "T"s unglued and loose? You could then turn the upright "T"s to the inside for it to be two dimensional when stored. And you could incorporate the spikes into your design for added stability. Just some thoughts and thanks for sharing your design. |
| I was planning on glueing all the joints but so far the fit is so tight I haven't found the need to glue. For me the need to store the stands in a flat position isn't a big worry. What I really want is a vertical stack of stands. I'm going to start playing with cutting a 2 inch oversized hole on the botton of the T so that I can stack them. I hope to not loose too much strength by making this cut if it is possible. I'll post any changes to the plan. |