ideas for right, mobile outdoor / backyard targets.

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freeballer

Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
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I'd love to spitball ideas for throwing knife targets. I use to throw several years ago,
and this summer I'd like to get back into it. My old target, a couple of pine boards
crudely glued together broke apart.

I had considered a u-shaped frame that could sit out in the yard and the main target could
be unhooked and brought in. I had considered combining another interest; archery as well.
But, because I'm not exactly a handyman I've been searching forums and sites looking for
design ideas, or howtos. I'd really appreciate if some visitors might give me their ideas, or
share links to help me.

Thanks for visiting
I hope to share some ideas with you
Geoff
 
my target is simply a bunch of cardboard tied to a tree. i know that the lack of a flat surface makes throwing harder for some people, but I've been doing just fine with my simple target for several years now.

i also do some archery. for that i just take a box stuffed with newspaper and tie that to the same tree. once again, it may seem crude, but it's practically free and requires almost no effort.

another idea would be leaning plywood against something and putting cardboard over the plywood to make the knives stick better.


i hope this sparks your imagination.
 
The best target is a nice round of wood as large as you like with a back stop of some sort. I just made myself a new set of throwers and a couple targets. Great way to pass time while heat treating blades.

I have an endless supply of cottonwood, so I just cut rounds 5 1/2" thick with a chain saw, drill a 1/4" hole somewhere up top on the back and hang them from a nail on the back stop. Any soft wood works great. If you dont have access yourself find someone to cut you a bunch of rounds of soft wood.

You can also use 2x4s or 2x6s edge joined, just google target construction and you will see a bunch of target designs. For outside you can simply hang rounds on a backer. Or use the edge joined type target, but rounds are much easier on your knives when they dont hit right.
 
I used to throw against cardboard and i didn't like it very much. I guess its personal preference but
I didn't feel any material, except wood, gave me an accurate guage

I've been back and forth on google and youtude but I'm looking for clear instructions. I'm not
a "handyman" and the backyard which i'm planning on using this time has no standing trees.
Maybe I can make a base for the type of target you mentioned. I could weigh it down with sandbags -
worse case senario.

I'll ask around, to see if anybody knows where I can get round cuts of (I assume) softwoods. Attaching one or two
of those to a free standing target would be ideal since you could replace that piece instead of the whole thing.
 
Check out The Great Throwzini pages dedicated to targets. They range from very complex to dirt simple. As for construction of any wood targets using log rounds, you'll need a power drill, some large lag screws (wood screws and other similar fasteners just can't take the shock) and some washers. You'll need to drill pilot holes slightly smaller than the stem of the lag screw (the radius of the screw inside the thread not counting the thread). Shoot for a length of screw that goes through the base/post/whatever and about halfway into the round. Too far, and it could chip/ding your knife when a solid throw penetrates. Not enough, and it won't stay on.

Good luck.
 
Haven't ever gotten into throwing knives yet, but when I was heavily into archery (pre-screwed up shoulder days), I would make my own targets using compressed cardboard. Take 2 2x6s or 2x8s about 3 feet long. drill holes 3-4 inches in from the ends on each board. using all-thread rods from Home Depot or Lowes, put a nut and a washer on the rods, run them through the holes in one of the boards. stack 6 or 8 inch wide cardboard strips on the 2-by up to however high you want to go and then slip the rods through the holes in the other board and tighten down good and tight with another set of washers and nuts. Add a couple of 2x4s to the bottom board for 'feet' and the target is self-standing and pretty stable. The compressed cardboard is tight enough to stop arrows shot from 60-80# pull bows (until shot out - then you just loosen and move the cardboard strips around and re-tighten the bolts). relatively cheap. can be made with a hand saw, a drill with a bit, a wrench and a utility knife. The hardest part is collecting cutting all the cardboard strips.
 
I definitely want to make a target like that for archery.
I do prefer wood, It feels like cardboard was more forgiving in how the blade
penetrated.

I'm considering a log design if I can find a decent size piece. Then
maybe some 4x4. But I'm going to get the lumber yard to make my cuts..

Maybe the log and cardboard can be switched depending on which "weapon"
I want to use; archery/throwing knife.

No clear design...... but a mental picture is developping
 
I know when I'm looking for rounds, there's often a lot on Craigslist--even plenty for free if you keep an eye out.
 
excellent tip. I hadn't considered that source.
I tried someone my cousin gets firewood from and they didn't know much..

I might also try kijiji since many people are on there too.
 
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