DIY - Ball Stop Net, Help Required

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I need the help of the clever people of GC.

I’m hoping to make DIY version of this: Stop That Ball™ - Socketed Ball Stop Net & Post System

Almost £200 seems quite pricey for a couple of poles and a net!

I’ve bought a 7m x 3.7m net for £10, I now just need to source a couple suitable poles, but I’m struggling to find what I want...

I’m looking for two poles/tubes about 4m in length, with a join (screw together, push pin connector etc) so I can store them easier in 2m halves, 30-40mm in diameter (for strength) and light weight so my kids can put them up if necessary, so made of fibreglass, galvanised steel, aluminium, or similar.

I don’t really want to spend more than £60 for two poles, as the aim is to make what I need for half the price of just buying the one linked above to make it worth the effort.

I’ve Look at bell tent poles, flag poles, canoe poles, scaffold poles etc, but can’t find anything that ticks all the boxes?

Has anyone got any good ideas, or know where I can find what I’m after?

Thanks
 
If you're going to take up and put down you need to think about how you're going to fix the poles in place.

7mtr worth or net is going to be a pain to keep taut with just a pole at one end. And I suspect once a ball hits it, it will just pull the poles over.
 
If you're going to take up and put down you need to think about how you're going to fix the poles in place.

7mtr worth or net is going to be a pain to keep taut with just a pole at one end. And I suspect once a ball hits it, it will just pull the poles over.
Yeah my plan is to put a post holder into the ground, something like this:
 

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Looks like you might have seen this already but less than £140.

 
Certainly ticks a lot of boxes. I’m concerned how strong it is though, no details on how thick the aluminium is and with plastic joints I’d be worried they wouldn’t last.

Good find though and maybe an option so thanks for your help.
 
Looks like you might have seen this already but less than £140.

Yeah, that’s the 10ft version of what I’m after, the 20ft (or 7m) is the size I’m looking to make.
 
Reading the FAQ the ‘Stop the Ball’ product uses a pole plus another pole for every 10 feet - so for 20 feet you need three poles.

I also read the system as ‘semi permanent’ so yes it can be put and taken down but I can’t imagine that it is an easy job that you would want to do often.

When you say something the kids can put up - how old are they - how many are they - and how regularly do you see this being put and and taken down.

Appreciate that £195 sounds a lot, but can’t help thinking you are going to end up spending a lot of time and at least half the money to come up with something that doesn’t work as well.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
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Have a look at this: Round Tube System for 25mm and 32mm Tube

This system uses relatively thick walled steel tubing and slot together joiners. It is the same diameter as the commercial system, so you could just use their ground anchors.

I would be tempted to fit a top bar to make fiting the net easier and some guy ropes to add some stability. The system you are looking at has a rope sewn into the top to give some support, so not sure if the net you have is the same?

None of these systems are a 5 minute job to erect. If you try and leave the net connected you end up with a huge mess and tying it on - even with bungy toggles is time consuming. I would suggest this is the sort of thing you put up for a season and only take down when not being used for a long period of time.
 
Reading the FAQ the ‘Stop the Ball’ product uses a pole plus another pole for every 10 feet - so for 20 feet you need three poles.

I also read the system as ‘semi permanent’ so yes it can be put and taken down but I can’t imagine that it is an easy job that you would want to do often.

When you say something the kids can put up - how old are they - how many are they - and how regularly do you see this being put and and taken down.

Appreciate that £195 sounds a lot, but can’t help thinking you are going to end up spending a lot of time and at least half the money to come up with something that doesn’t work as well.

Cheers,

Nigel

Yes I read the same thing and they do also sell a free standing / less semi permanent version as well, but that looks like it takes some putting together and even less simple to take down and put away. There’s a pop-up version also, but I think something that can be dropped into support holes seems the best option.

By semi permanent it appears to just mean the poles slot into a ground anchor and are tightened.
The kids are 10 & 8, but I think I’ll have to forget them being able to put this up, unless I can find plastic or fibreglass poles, as even 3.2m galvanised steel ones I’ve found weight 7.5kg each, so it won’t be safe for them to drop them in and tighten up.

I also realise the Ball Stop system would use 3 poles for this distance, I was going to test it with 2 and get a third if necessary.

Whatever I end up with clearly won’t be as good as the real thing, but if it prevents 80% of the balls going over the fence it will achieve my aim. :)
 
Have a look at this: Round Tube System for 25mm and 32mm Tube

This system uses relatively thick walled steel tubing and slot together joiners. It is the same diameter as the commercial system, so you could just use their ground anchors.

I would be tempted to fit a top bar to make fiting the net easier and some guy ropes to add some stability. The system you are looking at has a rope sewn into the top to give some support, so not sure if the net you have is the same?

None of these systems are a 5 minute job to erect. If you try and leave the net connected you end up with a huge mess and tying it on - even with bungy toggles is time consuming. I would suggest this is the sort of thing you put up for a season and only take down when not being used for a long period of time.
You may we’ll be right, that this is something we end up leaving out for the season. If I can sell it to the wife, that it can come out as required, I’m more likely to get it approved. Lol

The net I’ve bought is just a net with no edging, I have however also ordered some parachute cord to sew into the perimeter to provide some additional support.

I’m not sure about chrome plated poles which you’ve linked to, but have found similar galvanised steel ones and may have to comprise and go with 3.2m lengths, so they don’t have to be broken down and can be stored as one piece.
 
How will you attach the net to the poles. You can zip tie them, but then what is to stop it sliding down under gravity. Does the proprietary system have eyelets or other fastening points on the poles.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
I think I would just some holes at the top of the poles and run the cable ties through - or fit some S- Hooks to hook the parachute cable to.
 
Galvanised will no doubt last longer. It's just worth checking the wall thickness. It's not so much balls colliding with the net but children deciding to hurl themselves into it...

I wonder if a set of poles off a trampoline might work for you? These are normally 2-3 metres tall and will have the fittings for the net as well. Universal Trampoline Fibre Glass Rods to Replace Top Pole / Metal Ring of Net Enclosure for 14 FT. Frame with Curved (Bent) Poles | 6 Pole Caps Included - UBFGPCS-14
The kids shouldn’t be colliding with the poles as they will be fixed into a raised flowerbed made out of railway sleepers, so if they end up running into them, they’ve got more to worry about than just the poles!

Those trampoline rods look the same as tent poles I’ve looked at, I don’t think they will be strong enough, but good idea.
 
Electrical conduit maybe? 20mm and 25mm are the common sizes but it does come in 32mm and the galvanised steel ones are generally threaded.

PVC ones are available too, which may be stiff enough for what you want but I think they're normally glued together so you'd need some sort of fixing system that could be taken apart.
 
How will you attach the net to the poles. You can zip tie them, but then what is to stop it sliding down under gravity. Does the proprietary system have eyelets or other fastening points on the poles.

Cheers,

Nigel
I think I would just some holes at the top of the poles and run the cable ties through - or fit some S- Hooks to hook the parachute cable to.

As noiseboy72 says, I was thinking of making some holes and either using cable ties or parachute cord to secure it at the top and then cable ties, or you can buy hooks that fix to steel poles for securing further down that I’ll just slot the parachute cord “seam” into.
 
Electrical conduit maybe? 20mm and 25mm are the common sizes but it does come in 32mm and the galvanised steel ones are generally threaded.

PVC ones are available too, which may be stiff enough for what you want but I think they're normally glued together so you'd need some sort of fixing system that could be taken apart.

Good shout, I’ll check it out.
This is what I’m thinking at the moment:

Giving up on the idea that I can break the poles down and just using a shorter 3.2m length that I can store easy enough.
 
I like the idea of PVC electrical conduit.
Basically make a larger “goal” with posts and a crossbar, behind their actual goal using 4 of these: Marshall Tufflex CR8BK Black High Impact Heavy Gauge Round Conduit 32mm 3m Length, CR8BK
(One for each post and two joined for the crossbar) with one of these: Marshall Tufflex MC4BK Black Straight Round Conduit Plain Coupler 32mm, MC4BK or these: Marshall Tufflex MAB4BK Black Round Conduit Female Thread Adaptor 32mm, MAB4BK
With the posts held in the flowerbed by these: Marshall Tufflex MSB4BK Black Round Conduit Spacer Bar Saddle 32mm, MSB4BK or something like a washing line ground spike?
 
I think electrical conduit, even 32mm stuff will be quite flexible over a 4m length.

Wonder whether the weight of the net would bend the conduit over, making the net go slack.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
I think I’ve decided what I’m going to use and how I’m going to build it...

Looking to use 40mm solvent waste pipes that are extremely durable and impact resistant.

I can get 4m lengths for the “posts” cut and put in a joint if I decide I want to store them easier.
I’m going to use three posts to be safe.

The crossbar I’ll make from two 3m lengths.

A tee piece for the middle of the crossbar and middle post.

Two 90 degree knuckle bends for the corners:

I’m thinking I can then sink some 50mm pipes into the flowerbed to drop them into, or washing line spikes if I’m feeling fancy.

Looking at just over £25 for that lot. :)
With the net and parachute chord I’m in for about £40 which isn’t bad.
 
I'm sorry to burst any bubbles in this thread but I have 2 teenage boys (one is an avid footy player) who both regularly play football in the back garden and trust me when I say no plastic pipe (no matter the thickness) is gonna contain a leather football when kicked full force at said pipe/net.

You need to use metal.......
 
I'm sorry to burst any bubbles in this thread but I have 2 teenage boys (one is an avid footy player) who both regularly play football in the back garden and trust me when I say no plastic pipe (no matter the thickness) is gonna contain a leather football when kicked full force at said pipe/net.

You need to use metal.......
They are 10 and 8 years old, if it lasts a season or two I’ll be happy. They’re cheap enough that I can replace any bits that get broken and can “upgrade” to metal if/when required.

Have your boys broken any goals? The Samba goals mine use are made of the same stuff? 68mm though...

For £25 I think it’s worth a go.
 
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