Ladder Toss Game (made With Maker Pipe)

A friend of mine challenged me to make something with Maker Pipe (www.makerpipe.com) and part of the challenge is that it had to be something that is easily disassembled. I decided to make this ladder toss game as I have wanted one to bring with me camping since I first saw them. It is very simple game involving a short ladder and some bolas (similar to the ancient thowing weapon). I will be able to pack this away and store it in my camper.

Don't forget to check out the video above and you can see how easy it is to build with Maker Pipe.

Below are links to tools and materials I used in this article. It is either the exact tool/supply or something very close.

- Maker pipe mixed kit

- 3/4" metal conduit

- Pipe cutter

- Drill press

- 3/16 drill bit

- Clamp

- Golf balls

- Paracord

Note: The amazon links in this article are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

I first started by using the mini maker pipe minis (they are 3d printed and use coffee stir sticks) to design the ladder. This allowed me to try out different combinations of connectors to get the design I wanted.

I then did some research and found that generally in ladder toss the distance between the rungs is 12".

From that I drew up my cut-list. You will notice that there is some math on the cut list, this is because the connectors add 2" of length (and 4" if you have two connectors). To account for that I took the overall dimensions and subtracted to get the correct length to cut.

As you can see in the picture I will need the following pieces of conduit

2x 34"

5x 20"

4x14"

First I marked out the dimensions using a tape measure and sharpie marker. I used a pipe cutter to cut the conduit, but you can also use a hacksaw if you don't have a pipe cutter.

A time saving tip is to use the first piece you cut to mark off the subsequent pieces. This way you don't have to take out the tape measure every time.

The Maker Pipe connectors are very simple. Two (or more) pieces go together using nuts and bolts (as seen in the first picture). The only thing to keep in mind is that the smaller diameter part of the nut needs to be slid into a connector for it to work properly.

To assemble the ladder frame I first started with the bottom T connection. The 34" piece is pointed upwards and two 14" pieces are attached on the side.

I made two of these assemblies.

I then connected them together using two 20" pieces. You can either use a 90 degree connector (as shown) or the simpler T - connector (from the first photo). This will form the base of the ladder.

Moving on to the rungs of the ladder, I first measured 12" and added a T connector with a 20" piece of pipe. I connected the rung to the other side with another T connector.

I repeated this for the second rung.

For the top/third rung I used a 90 degree connector. (note: if I were to make this again I would have made the uprights of the ladder 2" longer and then I could have used three T connectors on the ladder for a simpler design)

Making the bolas was a fun but if you don't have the tools they sell replacement balls on amazon (https://amzn.to/2Wg1hts)

I had a piece of plywood with some holes already drilled in it. This made holding the golf ball even easier as I was able to rest the ball in one of the divot. I also used a clamp to hold the ball. Spheres are notorious for moving when you are trying to drill them so I didn't want my hands anywhere near the drill bit.

Using a 3/16" I drilled through the center of the golf ball. I ended up making 3 bolas, so I repeated this step for a total of 6 golf balls.

Fun fact, some golf balls have different colours inside them. 4 of the ones I drilled were white, one was yellow and the last was pink!

The bolas is pretty simple. It is two golf balls and some paracord (if you cut a piece 18" you will have more than enough). It is held together with 4 knots.

First need to thread some paracord through the hole in the golf ball. This can be a bit tricky, but I found that if I twisted the paracord as I pushed it that I would eventually get it through.

I then tied a stopper knot (knot #1) at one end. I used a figure 8 knot, but any stopper knot will work. I slid the ball up against the knot and then tied another knot (knot #2) as tight as I could against the ball. The captures the ball at one end of the bolas.

Next I tied the 3rd knot 12" away from knot #2.

I then slid the second golf ball onto the paracord and tied the final knot, thus capturing the second golf ball.

Finally I cut off any excess and melted the end of the paracord with a lighter. I always use my fingers to smooth out the melted paracord, but make sure to wet them first!

Repeat these steps until you have all of the bolas you want. Most sets come with 6 bolas, three for each player. You can either paint the golf balls so that you know which team, or if you are lucky like me, the golf balls will have different numbers on them.

Now the best part, playing the game! Grab the bolas and try to get them wrapped around the rungs of the ladder. It is a pretty simple scoring system the top wrong is worth 3 points, the middle rung is worth 2 points and the bottom rung is worth 1 point. If you want to learn more about this game I suggest you check out the wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladder_toss

I showed it to my 3 year old son and he doesn't quite have the hand-eye coordination to throw the bolas yet, but he does enjoy unraveling and collecting them!

I hope you found this project as fun as I did. If you did I would appreciate if you check me out on other social media:

YouTube

Instagram

If this project has inspired you to make your own ladder game I would love to see pictures. If you have any questions or comments please let me know in the comments below.