Australian Handyman - July 2018

THINGYW

O^8 Drill the holes

Using a 12mm drill bit and an

electric drill, make three holes in

each 3m piece of timber and two

holes in each 2m piece of timber.

For the 3m pieces, drill a hole

150mm in from each edge. Use

a piece of tape to mark a depth

of 200mm on the drill bit so you

don’t drill down into the base,

dulling the bit.

For an afordable

surface, use

decomposed granite

O^6 Set the timber

Use a stringline attached to a stake

to mark out the 9 x 2m area again

and place the stringline 200mm

above the top of the base. Create

a bed for the timber to sit on with

brickie’s sand about 50mm wider on

either side. Compact with a hand

tamper. Reference the stringline to

level of each of the pieces of timber.

Place three 200 x 150mm x 3m

timber lengths on the long sides

and tuck one 200 x 150mm x 2m

length perpendicular to the long

sides on either end of the court. Use

a level and a speed square to ensure

the frame is level and square.

O^7 Install the

side supports

Install two 300mm

timber screws on each

corner to secure the

2m end pieces to the

vertical lengths of

timber on the inside.

O^5 Prepare the timber

Depending on what’s available

in your local area, you will likely

have the choice of cedar or treated

timber. Both are good choices, but

treated timber is the best in terms

of longevity as it is chemically

treated to resist rot and insects.

I used a type of cedar that is

naturally resistant to rot and

insects. Although this timber is

rated for ground contact, I applied

a coat of preservative-timber oil to

the bottom and stained the other

sides of the timber with a

protective colour stain to extend

the longevity of the timber.

DIY TIP

This project used big

lengths of timber,

but you can also

secure smaller pieces

together to create

the same span.

DRILL

12mm

DRILL BIT

HAND

TAMPER

TIMBER

OIL

BRICKIE’S

SAND

2m END
PIECE

300mm

TIMBER SCREW