Collapsable Archery Target Stand

The closest range that I have access to is a 25 minute drive away.

With the cost of gas these days that is a bit too far to drive for a few rounds to keep in practice.

So I decided to make a target stand for myself so that I can practice in my back yard.

"Whoopee" you say "get a few 2x4s and you are all set."

nay nay my friend, I have a limited amount of storage space, so I need to make the stand collapsible. Time to get creative.

* This project has been submitted and accepted into to the Great Outdoors Contest Please remember to vote for this entry*

Tools:

Eye and Ear Protection

Table Saw

Drill and Bits

Spade Bit or Hole Saw

Tape Measure

Carpentry Angle

Marking Utensil ( I like Sharpies)

Flat Head Screwdriver

Clamps

Materials:

4 - 8 foot 2x4's

1 - 60 inch black iron 3/4 inch pipe

2 - black iron pipe caps

2 - 3/4 - 1 1/2 inch hose clamps

2 - S hooks

2 - 1 inch Rubber lined Clamps

1 - box of 2 1/2 inch screws

Cut 2 of the 2x4s to 6 foot long

cut 1 2x4 into 2 4 foot sections

cut the last 2x4 into 4 2 foot sections tapering both sides of each section to a 45 degree angle

using your spade bit or hole saw (and a scrap piece of wood) test to make sure you have a hole that the black iron pipe fits snugly into

(the hole saw set I have was a flea market special and after the first time using them the marking were worn off since they were just painted on instead of etched into the metal ... you get what you pay for)

Find the center of your 4 foot footer and your 6 foot upright and line them up.

Take 2 of the tapered 2 foot sections and line them up so they meet in the middle of the upright and are flush with the bottom of the Footer. I used a section of 2x4 placed against the bottom of the footer to keep everything lined up while I drilled pilot holes and screwed in the screws.

Now I know what you are thinking .. why did I place the angled supports along side the footer and upright instead of on the top of footer and flush with the upright.

I'd love to say that my real aim was that I wanted a slightly wider footprint on the base for stability. It turns out that is just a happy coincidence. The truth is, working by myself out on my porch ( since I don't have the luxury or a workshop / a garage / a basement that doesn't double for a damp creepy cave that time forgot) and having a general sense of aesthetic apathy I went for the "quick and dirty" look instead of the "consummate professional" look. It's not like this is fine furniture, it just has to hold up a target bag out in the yard.

At this point You can Fit the Rubber lined clamps around the pipe. Looking at them in the package I thought I was going to need the vice grips to clamp them around the pipe for a good fit, but they turned out to be fairly flexible and easy to mold to the form of the pipe.

If you need to adjust the position of the rubber lined clamp you can unhook the S hook and it will allow the clamp to flex and move fairly easily along the pipe. Get it to the position you want, reconnect the S hook to snug up the clamp and it won't move.

Put your hose clamps loosely onto the Pipe a few inches from the end. pass the pipe through the hole you drilled in the upright and screw on the end cap. Then snug the hose clamp up to the other side of the upright and tighten it into place. The cap will keep the pipe from slipping out of the upright and the hose clamp will keep the upright from sliding towards the center of the pipe.

Now that you have it all assembled you will find out that it is about as stable as a new born giraffe.

Take it apart, grab a few pieces of left over scrap 2x4 drill it to match the hole that is currently in the upright.

Clamp and screw the additional piece onto the top of the upright, making sure that the holes line up.

readjust your hose clamps to accommodate the new thicker uprights.

Put it all back together and marvel at how much like the aforementioned baby giraffe, with a few minutes and a little encouragement, your new stand is decidedly more stable.

Hang your target bag up and go to town.