Paintball field project; need advice on poles, etc

Wesdor · Feb 16, 2006

You might be able to get some good poles / lumber from a friend of mine in Leavenworth. Are you willing to drive that far? If so I can PM you his information.

You are getting some really good information and advice here.

EddieWalker · Feb 16, 2006

I'm sure that I got this wrong, but to me it seems your aproaching this from the wrong angle.

Do it like you would a fence. Set your corners with bracing much stronger than you thing you need. Say 4 inch galvanized pipe. It's pricey, but allot less than what you mentioned for wood.

Than for line posts just put in 2 inch galvanized set in concrete about 20 feet apart. That's what it looks like in your example.

I'd run cable from each corner and tighten it up really, really tight. Then fasten the cable to the line poles to keep things ligned up.

Attach your screen.

No way will wind bend those pipes if they are three feet down and set in concrete!!!! Four feet would be even better.

The weak spot to this is the netting . The poles will outlive all of us.

Eddie

SnoFalls · Feb 16, 2006

(
The weak spot to this is the netting .
)
And if strung like a shower curtain, can simply be tied up when not in use .. (therby avoiding wind damage) ...

turbo36 · Feb 16, 2006

I second this method!
By the way where are you? If your close to me I'll bring my Dye over and break some paint!

Investorguy · Feb 16, 2006

I'm in NW Washington state, near the Can-Am border.

I'm beginning to think about the metal pipe idea. Any idea what it costs? I'd need to weld hooks or eye-bolts on for the cabling, something I have no experience with.

Here's the thing, I'm going to initially be going w/ 12 foot netting, but I'd like the ability to be able to switch over to 20 foot netting w/o pulling up whatever poles/supports I have for the stuff.

I may go w/ SOME phone poles at the corners (b/c they're the strongest maybe?) and use metal poles along the way.

Of course, anyone here who's in the area is welcome to come play anytime.

I'm thinking that when I close down next september, I may want to run some drainage tile under the field so it dries out earlier in the season.

I just picked up a 2-bottom plow today so I can now do up some more of my field for this purpose. Should be fun.

Investorguy · Feb 16, 2006

( Check with savage sales of local electric utilities and REA Co-ops. Utilities are constantly taking out old poles that are no longer useful for their operations but would work well for your uses (i.e. short). You don't need tall or 40 year life. Also check with the line crew Foreman if you see them pulling poles. )

I've pulled my hair out trying this. No luck at all. I consistently get told that they don't sell the poles. We all know that they end up giving them to someone, but I guess I just don't know the right people.

This is the route everyone suggests I go, but I'm just not having any luck w/ it.

I really don't want to have to spend $5000 on poles, but I may have too.

Investorguy · Feb 16, 2006

( I think you'll find it much cheaper to change from 30' to 10' spacing between support post. Making that change will allow you to use much cheaper supports, even if you need 3 times as many they will be one tenth the unit cost. Another problem would be tensioning 30' of cable to remove the sag isn't going to be an easy thing to do. I think the least expensive long term method would be to build it like a chain link fence. If you can't find a cheap source of pipe long enough for the 12' height, you could weld sections of standard length together.

Something else to consider is that on the fields I've played only allow spectators on one or two sides of the speedball fields. Doing that could allow you to put up just a standard rail fence on the other sides to mark the field boundaries. Will this be the only field you putting in, or are there others in the planning?

)

I'd like be able to split my field in half some how, but not have any big posts in the middle. I also may want to add another field, but it would be smaller.

I want to minimize the number of posts, especially if they aren't set up for 12 or 20 foot netting. Then again, it's all about the money for the most part, as there's going to be a lot of work either way.

DKinWA · Feb 18, 2006

I'm sure if you talked to some of the local loggers they could fix you up with something. Pulp wood is running between $29-$39/ton around here and it's good enough for what you're planning to do. Just treat the section that will be buried so they last awhile. You might even be able to get cedar pretty cheap. You could get them even cheaper if you haul them and don't have to pay trucking.

If you were closer, I would've given you a dozen or so poles from a logging job we did today. They were too small for the sawmill and not enough for a pulp load.

Defective · Feb 19, 2006

Investorguy,

Take a look at this web site: Adrenaline Paintball

Then get in touch with Greg (the owner). We opened up the new field last spring & he's been through the WHOLE thing. Great guy to talk with and he'll have lots of helpful info for you on how to make things work.

Investorguy · Feb 19, 2006

( I'm sure if you talked to some of the local loggers they could fix you up with something. Pulp wood is running between $29-$39/ton around here and it's good enough for what you're planning to do. Just treat the section that will be buried so they last awhile. You might even be able to get cedar pretty cheap. You could get them even cheaper if you haul them and don't have to pay trucking.

If you were closer, I would've given you a dozen or so poles from a logging job we did today. They were too small for the sawmill and not enough for a pulp load. )

Well, the price I'm getting from McFarland-Cascade is $250 for a 30 ft class 6 w/ butt treatment. I wouldn't know the first thing about getting in touch w/ loggers. My dad was a logger (killed in an accident when I was 8, 22 years ago) but it's not something I've been around too much. I would need treated poles (butt treated at least). I don't need them until May at the earliest (probably more like June so the boom truck won't rip up the field so much). Any other advice you can give? I can certainly afford to pay for poles/trucking/etc. I'm just trying to save a little bit of cash; lots to buy for this field.