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How to make your own basketball backboard
How to make your own basketball backboard
BUILDING A DIY BASKETBALL BACKBOARD
David Schultz
Since moving into our house a few years ago, one of the things we wanted to do was replace the old busted up basketball hoop we inherited from the previous owners. We took down the (really heavy) rusty metal backboard and lived with a lonely pole for a while, as you may have seen in photos previously. The classic crisp white school yard hoop is the look we like, but it turns out those are expensive, so we kept our eyes open for one on the thrifted market.
When one became available we pounced and made plans to install it. BUT the new (really heavy) metal backboard unsurprisingly proved difficult to lift up 13 feet in the air for an extended period of time. More importantly, the holes in the backboard for connecting it to the pole weren’t in a great position to make things as sturdy as I would want. So, we shifted to our typical strategy when we can’t seem to find the right product to fit our needs – make it yourself.![]()
Our design ended up very simple, two pieces of plywood glued and screwed together with a couple support pieces of 2 x 8 for 1) the rim and 2) attaching everything to the pole.
MATERIALS
- (2) 3/4” x 4’ x 4’ plywood panels ($50)
- (1) 2”x 8”x 8’ pressure treated lumber ($8)
- 1 and 1/4” screws ($16)
- construction adhesive ($3)
- caulk ($5)
- 2 and 1/2” RSS Screws ($15)
- hardware for attaching pole and rim, we used different sizes of galvanized hardware ($30)
- porch and floor paint ($30)
PROCESS
- Cut plywood panels identically to size for the backboard. We made ours 36 inches tall and 44 inches wide.
- Cut (1) 2 x 8 piece so the length is the same as the width of the backboard. Cut an additional 2 x 8 piece 12 inches long.
- Glue, clamp, and screw the plywood panels together using the 1 and 1/4” screws. I put screws about 8 inches apart on the edges and used a grid-ish pattern on the interior.
- Sand the edges of the backboard so both panels are smooth and continuous. Sand faces of backboard. Sand all corners to round them slightly.
- Caulk all seams and screw holes on the backboard.
- Paint backboard and 2 x 8 pieces. I did three coats to maximize moisture protection.
- The next part, mounting, will vary depending on how you’re putting up your backboard, but our existing pole was set up so we were attaching our backboard to a flat rectangular piece of metal (I’ll call this the bracket) with four large holes at the corners. I clamped the long 2 x 8 to the bracket, centering it in both directions. Then, on the side of the 2 x 8 opposite the bracket, I used a spade bit to make recesses where the heads of the bolts could sink under the surface of the 2 x 8. Then I drilled holes through the 2 x 8 and attached it to the bracket using bolts, nuts, and lock washers.
- Clamp the backboard to the mounted 2 x 8 at the appropriate height so the rim can eventually be attached at 10 feet.
Attach the backboard to the mounted 2 x 8 using construction adhesive and the 2 and 1/2” screws, screwing through the 2 x 8 into the back of the backboard. - Clamp the 12 inch 2 x 8 to the back of the backboard in the appropriate position so you can attach the rim through the backboard and the 12 inch 2 x 8. Attach the 12 inch 2 x 8 to the backboard using construction adhesive and 2 and 1/2” screws, screwing through the 2 x 8 into the back of the backboard.
- Attach the rim to the backboard using whatever hardware works for your rim, going through the backboard and the 12 inch 2 x 8.
- Caulk remaining screw holes and seams.
As the primary recreational b-baller in our family, I was concerned with how a diy backboard would hold up and how well the ball would bounce off the wood.
After testing it for some time, I haven’t been able to tell the difference in bounce between our hoop and a nice indoor one. IT’S BEEN REALLY FUN to shoot around and our backyard looks much more normal with something attached to that pole.
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How to Build a Super DIY Wood Basketball Hoop in Hours!
Our DIY Reclaimed Wood basketball Hoop was incredibly easy to make & only took a few hours to build for just the cost of a basketball rim. Sharing all of our tips & tricks for how to make an awesome DIY wood basketball hoop with pictures. It’s a hit with our kids for those home bound rainy days when they are stuck indoors!
Table of Contents
DIY Reclaimed Wood Basketball Hoop
*this post contains affiliate links for more information check out our disclosure page here*
Hands down our family’s favorite sport is basketball.
With the kids home this Spring & so many rainy days to come we decided to make an indoor DIY wood Basketball Hoop for our new home gym/ office.
With most of the furniture out of the room, thanks to our new bookcase turned entertainment center (see that here) we have plenty of room for the kids to let out ALL this extra energy they have!!!
Although our basement ceilings are low (7 feet), we decided it would still be fun to make the kids a DIY reclaimed wood basketball hoop since they love playing basketball together & can’t play outside when the weather is bad.
Supplies Needed for a DIY Wood Basketball Hoop
Our DIY Basketball Hoop Backboard Dimensions are 27″ inches high & 44″ wide.
- Reclaimed Wood for Basketball Wood Backboard
- Saw to Cut the Wood to Size
- Basketball Hoop (we purchased this one Here)
- Spray Paint
- Scrap Wood to Secure the Wood Basketball Backboard to the Wall
- Screws & Screwdriver
How to Build/ Make a DIY Wood Basketball Hoop in 4 Steps…
Step ONE – Creating the Wood Backboard for the DIY Basketball Hoop
Jason had some leftover wood from our former dining room church pew (see that here) that there had been some controversy over.
Long story short, I wanted to keep the church pew & Jason wanted to build benches for our dining room instead.
Jason won & he built 2 benches to replace the pew.
However, I do have to admit that I love the character the old reclaimed wood from our former church pew gives to both the DIY wood basketball hoop backboard as well as our bookcase/ entertainment center.
Our custom DIY wood basketball hoop backboard is a bit smaller than regulation size so we could fit it in our room. Jason cut the reclaimed wood boards for the backboard to be 27 inches high and 44 inches long.
Once the pew boards were cut to the same length Jason attached some spared oak boards to the attach to span any board seams and hold the boards together.
Step TWO – Painting the White Square on the Wood Backboard
Once the DIY wood basketball hoop backboard was together Jason painted on the white square with the same spray paint we used for Audrey’s nightstand & desk. (see those makeovers here)
Printer paper & masking tape did a great job creating the perfect square for our wood basketball hoop with spray paint.
Step THREE – Securing the Basketball Hoop Wood Backboard to the Wall
To secure something heavy to a wall a good method is to cut 2 boards at a 45 degree angle the length of it.
You can then attach one board to wall securely finding the studs to screw into such that it will receive the similar board attached to the backboard and draw it into the wall.
For the DIY wood basketball backboard Jason doubled this up and did 2 boards on the wall and 2 boards on the back of the backboard.
Measure carefully to space out the angled boards appropriately that are attached to the wall and the angled boards attached to the back of the wood basketball hoop backboard.
Once these are attached you should just be able to lift the backboard up to the wall and set it in place.
Jason found that the backboard rattled when a ball bounced against it more than he liked so he also put 2 screws through the front of the wooden backboard to the wood he had already screwed into the wall.
As you noticed from the picture of the back of the backboard Jason finished off the sides with some wood from the pew to give it a nice finished look and hide the support boards on the back of the wood basketball hoop backboard.
Step FOUR – Attaching the Hoop to our DIY Wood Basketball Hoop Backboard
We added this basketball hoop to the wood baseboard.
It took the kids no time to start putting our DIY Reclaimed Wood Basketball Hoop to use.
Our family is not known for our height & everyone was excited to FINALLY be able to dunk. 🙂
See our Home Gym & Exercise Room with our DIY Wood Basketball Hoop (
here)
I hope this inspires you & answers all your questions about how to create a DIY Wood Basketball Hoop at your home!
by Tara Lehman
DOn’t forget to pin & save our DIY Wood Basketball Hoop to your Favorite Pinterest Board!
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DIY basketball backboard. Project Made of Metal: print_design — LiveJournal
Oh sport, you are the world!
There is nothing to do in the country, only bending metal, fumbling with barbecue, drinking beer.
It is necessary to go in for sports both by ourselves and by children.
True, for this you will first have to "bend the metal" and celebrate this matter with beer and shish kebab.
In the next series of the "Made of Metal" project - to make a basketball backboard.
Joint work of me and my father.
Batko studied the standards for the height and dimensions of a basketball backboard, made a wooden backboard, painted it, made thumbscrews, installed a pole. Well, he additionally made critical remarks to the metal part.
I - designed the whole metal part and welded the metal.
Let's go!
01. First I sit down at the computer and sketch out the drawing of the shield and the pole itself.
The original plan was to put the ring in another place and pull it with a solid hitch to the nearest tree. But there turned out to be a lot of roots and they decided to put them in free flight and without a screed, which is why the ring in the upper part of the column remained rudimentary only in the drawing. Diagonals that are not in the drawing (green) have also been cancelled. We decided that the rigidity of the wooden shield and metal fasteners would be enough not to "walk".
Also on the move I changed the method of strengthening the outboard knee. Not with a corner as in the drawing, but with two stripes on the sides, see the photo below.
A 5 cm profile was used for the pole, a 6 cm profile was used for the bracket strung on the pole. A strip is welded inside to prevent play.
Everything that adjoins the wooden shield is a 25 mm corner.
Important: the ring must be universal for both adults and children of different heights. Therefore, a height offset system was made.
02. The main large elements are welded: a pole, a knee, two stepson solid fuel boosters. The upper edge of the pillar and stepchildren is bevelled: for rainfall and for beauty.
03. More different types
04.
05. There is a strip welded inside the elbow pipe. At the top of the hole.
06. Welded shield fixing system. No, this is not a bottle of Zhatetsky Gus beer, this is gasoline.
07.
Stepchildren are welded on. There was an error in the calculations. It was assumed that the stepchildren would strengthen the pillar from swinging, but they were attached lower than necessary. Further in the photo you will see that they protrude quite a bit from the ground. It would be possible to raise 30-40 cm higher. And now, nevertheless, the pillar sways during the game.
08. The heels are welded to the part that goes underground.
09.
10. Everything is painted
11.
12. Hole
there was no putty for metal, to putty the seams. The putty was bought in addition, puttied and repainted a little later.
14. Up!
15. Shield assembly.
16. Done!
17. The ring is now at its lowest point. Even lower than calculated, because one hole is not used (see the vacant thumb screw). Altitude change occurs with the help of one man-power on a stepladder.
18.
19. The village basketball open championship has begun!
Other series of the project at the link
DIY homemade basketball hoop
DIY
Reading 2 min Views 5.6k.
Basketball is a sport that is popular not only in America but also in Russia. Many fathers seek to build a playground for their children in the yard. What are the requirements to follow when arranging a basketball hoop.
Shield and ring standards:
- Height 105 cm;
- Width 180 cm;
- Square in the center of the shield - height 45 cm, width 59cm;
- Indent from the edge of the shield to the red square - 15 cm;
- Ring diameter -45 cm;
- Mesh for a ring 45 cm long;
- The ring is attached at a distance of 15 cm from the shield;
The shield itself is raised to a height of 3.
05 meters.
Contents
- Required materials for the ring and shield
- Making the shield
- Making the ring
- Fastening the structure
Required materials for the ring and shield
Basketball circle can be made from plastic pipe, metal rod or other suitable materials. Also, the ring needs a mesh, which is made of lace, rope, braid or chain.
The shield is made of fiberboard, MDF, multilayer plywood, high-quality and thick organic glass, plastic. You also need fasteners and red or black paint for marking, white for the base.
Weather conditions must be taken into account when choosing the material for the shield. The location for the basketball court should be comfortable and allow the hoop to be hung at the desired height.
Making the shield
Steps:
- With a pencil, draw the lines along which the blank will be cut.
- Cut out the shield with a jigsaw.
- Paint white.
- In the center, draw with black or red lines a rectangle for aiming before throwing. The base of the target must be at the top edge of the ring.
- The stripes of the rectangle must be 5 cm wide.
- You also need to circle the outer edge of the shield.
Making a ring
Steps:
- Choose a pipe or twig 45 centimeters long with a little margin. Using the formula, calculate the exact length:
D(ex.). \u003d D (o) * Pi;
L(ex.) = 45*3.14=141.3 cm.
- Take a length of approx.
- Bend the ring on the round template, bolt the remainder to the shield.
- You can make a mesh from a metal chain or rope.
- On the twig you need to make ears for the net.
- Take 20 m of rope, cut it to the number of eyes, tie it to the ring. Perpendicular to the sea knot, tie all the pieces. Should be 4-5 rows.
- To prevent the ends of the mesh from fluffing, you need to tar them with fire.
