People Who Have Built Their Own Fields..Help Please?

[mjs1217]

Okay, this is my last resort. I am going to attempt to build my own paintball field and let in only people who aren't compelete morons¹. However, I'm not sure if I know everything I should to start a field. So far, I know that I need a place to do it (on my own property), some waivers to insure that I don't get sued, and bunkers (see below).

The thing is, I don't have any of these things. My backyard is waaay too small to be a field, and same with all my friends' backyards. And, I don't know how to get a hold of bunkers. I hear that I can use shipping pallets, but everywhere I call says that they return them to wherever they got them from (I have called chain supermarkets, Home Depot, and Lowes.) But, I can make up the waivers fairly easily (thanks to my dad being a lawyer), so that isn't a problem at all.

The point of this thread is to see if I'm missing something that is important. The only other things that I can think of are paint and air, which are available at The Sports Authority very close to here. Also, I'm trying to make this more of a speedball field than a woodsball field.


Thanks,
-mjs




¹In this case, a "moron" is a typical 6th-9th grader who doesn't play by the rules, turns the velocity all the way up, and does other moronic things (shooting people without masks, etc). I added this in because, sadly, these people make up a good 60-70% of the community here.



Oh, btw... My budget is between $40 and $60. To see just how desperate I am, please read my other thread: http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=130367

[WenULiVeUdiE]

garbage hunting. Couches work great, Its free and you can add on to the field every week. You need insurance. Thats the main thing. No waiver will allow you to not have insurance. Since you have a tigtht budget and your yard isnt big enough, it probably wont happen. And you will need netting.

[mjs1217]

Ok, netting..got it...I'll figure out some solution to that somehow...
But I don't really wanna use couches from the trash...Sorta bad-looking IMO...

[WenULiVeUdiE]

Yea they look bad. But its all for free, so who cares? My field is like that, if it looked better that would be nice. At least no one can tell when its getting "trashy" Go for it. No garbage = 100+ for a 5 man field, even more with a snake.

[OysterBoy]

lol do what we are doing and makeit really cool;

have the center fifty a 'living room', 4 couches (arranged in a square) and the coffee table holds the flag.

[Mag Master 04]

Ok either you do what I did and get a big truck and go out really late one night and "borrow" field supplies. Or you make really good friends with the dudes at the shipping, electrical and drainage companies. They hook you up with pallots, spools and hyperball tubes... But i prefer to take the "borrowing" technique. Its a rush!!:D

[Got_Paint]

This I can help you with. A chrono is a MUST. A friend of mine puts on Pump Days on his field.

Safesty Netting won't be cheap, its about 250 for 100 feet at teh cheapest. Then about 200 more for supplies, renting a machine to dig post holes, cement, posts. You can rent the machine rather cheaply from many places. We use 12 foot posts and have two foot deep posts. Use a clamshell to dig out the rest of the loose dirt after your done using the machine. Put the posts in the ground, support the posts by pushing a steak into the ground at a 45 degree angle and then nail the end to the post to support it. About two 90 pd bags of cement will fit well, and then just pour water over it. Make sure the posts are firm, and in a scenario of really bad wind take the netting down, it is possible for the posts to be driven out of the ground in strong enough wind because the netting causes so much drag.

We have used many things as bunkers, such as barrels, farm equipment, metal fences, cardtables, pallets.

A big box of loaner barrel plugs

Search junkyards for good bunekrs, make sure they are safe though.

If you have any bunkers that have pieces of wood nailed below the bunker, take those nails out. If someone was to slide in and break through the bunker the nails can do A LOT of damage. We've had this happen luckily there were no nails.

You can secure the bunkers by driving metal posts into both sides of the bunkers.

A radio! Everyone needs some good music to play with :D

It won't be cheap, but if you can invest money YOU WILL LOVE what can be done. Good luck, keep us informed as to how it turns out.

[JimmyBeam]

wooden shipping pallets are free, just go behind your local ace hardware with a truck and two or three friends

[shartley]

Your budget seems way too low to do much of anything. It will not even get you a decent chronograph, which should be a MUST on your list of things to get.

Read the other posts, and then I will add…. Waivers will not protect you from being sued. They don’t do what most people think they do… even less if used on a private field.

Good luck, but from reading the other posts I think folks are setting “your” sights too high for what it appears you will be able to realistically do.

[shartley]

Originally posted by JimmyBeam
wooden shipping pallets are free, just go behind your local ace hardware with a truck and two or three friends
I would NOT advise that, unless you want to spend some time in jail. ASK before taking anything, Wooden shipping pallets are NOT always free.

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

$40-$60

not much to work with...

how bout plywood, just nail each board to whichever shape you want and make yourself a bunker.

[shartley]

Originally posted by SuiciDal Sn Y p ER
$40-$60

not much to work with...

how bout plywood, just nail each board to whichever shape you want and make yourself a bunker.
Contrary to popular belief, plywood is not cheap either. And the cheapest stuff is really not going to last much over one season when left outdoors…. Unfortunately.

Used plywood and other materials is usually the best way to go if you can. A truck or trailer and some good legwork can net you some good stuff though. Construction sites, home remodeling, etc. are a good source for bunker materials. Most of the time they just dump the old materials anyways. And it costs nothing to ask.

Another thing to think about is visiting places like Tire Warehouse. They usually pay to have their old tiers taken away. If you get in good with the owner, you may be able to snag a good many Tires.

Someone also mentioned spools… another great bunker material.

And keep in mind that since this is not going on YOUR land, you will have to be able to remove it all when/if you stop using the field.

I will also suggest that you do a search on AO, there have been many “bunker/home field” threads here, and all of this has been discussed in great detail before.

[FreakBaller12]

my field is made up of pallets, some plywood my friend got for free(his dad works for street cleaners or something) barrels and miscellanious wood. The barrels are very good, light and provide good bunkers. My solution would be go around looking at nite. There's always places that leave crates outfront. We'd take em all in town, but we don't drive so we'd need to carry them:(

[mjs1217]

Thanks for all the help...
Chances are, there's no way that I'm gonna have netting. I'll need insurance...how much do you think that will cost/month or year? And maybe I can get a used chrono...If not, I'll buy one of the handheld ones.

As for bunkers, will the electrical company just give me some used ones or what? And I think I can score some used tires, but where did you get the barrels from toyotaboy12?

Oh, and stealing anything is OUT OF THE QUESTION.

[shartley]

Is this going to be a private field, or will you charge to play on it?

I have my own private field and it is covered in my property/home owner’s insurance.

[mjs1217]

It would be a private field, and I wouldn't charge for it. I would only let friends of mine and people that I know aren't morons to play on it. Really, I'd be doing it more for myself, because if I don't find a solution to my problem soon, I'm gonna give up paintball forever / untill people stop being morons (ie. a long time).

[Head knight of Ni]

Palets are great but hard to find for free.:(
look at tarps. you just stretch one side to a post and same on the other. Tires are good and construction sites throw away perfectly good scrap wood.:)

[Dryden]

Try hitting up some print shops for palettes. Any company in your area which does high volume labelling or paper processing will have dozens of spare palettes which aren't reused for outgoing product, so they're typically left beside dumpsters for scrap. Call around, you should be able to secure as many as you need over the course of a weekend.

Check carry-outs, supermarkets, etc for old displays that are being tossed out. Many of these places are throwing out aluminum and plastic shelving and displays all the time.

Hit up outdoor advertising companies too. Old billboard panels are great.

I'd discourage old tires though. Breeding pits for mosquitos ... :(

[shartley]

Originally posted by Dryden
I'd discourage old tires though. Breeding pits for mosquitos ... :(
Some states now have laws about tires and other objects that can create standing water, for just that purpose. Filling them with dirt takes care of that problem… but it makes removing them after much harder.

And sandbags are also a great building tool if you have the available dirt.

[Annihilator44]

Ok...I have my own field...luckly I have 40 acres to make a course, but anyways. Yes I use pallets and the way I got them was by calling Walmart...they sold them to me for $2 each all you gotta do is call em and take your truck behind and pick them up. The hard part was filling them in =/ and u will have tiny holes so splatter is a problem, but it beats paying $20-$30 to go to your local field. I was also lucky enough to get some plastic pallets from a friend, which dont have holes in them, and that makes it a lot easier. Also I heard that sometimes plumbing business have extra HUGE pipes. Maybe you can call around and find some. I dont know if anyone does this, but to set your bunkers up I use teeposts one on each side and wrap bailing wire to hold them up...it works PERFECT. Lol, yes I just changed subjects there. Anyways good luck on your course its a hella lot of work/mantinence, buts its sure worth it :D

[steveo356]

much like Annihilator44 i have a lil over 40 acres to work with i like the idea i can have a full fledges scenario goin on if i want too , but id never do it. Well im only 16 so i borrowed my dads van n went to construction sites n stopped out back of chase pitkin (my current place of employment) for sum pallets dropped them off at what we thoght was a good area n tehn i use my dads scraps because hes a carpenter. All we have to outline the field is some caution take like in police movies out line the field with a good 10 ft between them n the nearest bunker. its a huge field id say 10 man teams would fit in it n feel comfortable but its mine n I only let my team nad few others.

pallets= $50 (30 pallets)
other wood= freebee from dad
caution tape n steaks=$20 rounding up


note theres nothing stopping the ball from flying off n hitting my car in the parkinlot so this wont work for a person in the citie

[TTCosmo]

Another bunker idea would be to use hay bails... they are cheap, easy to move, and can be stacked to make nice sturdy bunkers.
i played at a private field that used them along with tarps tied to stakes. the best part is that you can take the field down after play or move things around and it doesn't give that junkyard look that you get with tires and old broken furniture.

good luck with whatever happens

(oh yah, i was waiting for pictures of my new custom RT to make my first post but i saw this post and wanted to share)

[mjs1217]

TTCosmo, Welcome to AO bro. Thanks for posting.

I think I know where I can score some hay bails and tarps, so this is very good news.

stevo356, From who did you buy the 30 shipping paletes for $50?? I can afford that and the caution tape!

I think this just might work out...

Thanks all, and keep the help comin' please!
-mjs

[havoc531]

When my friend and I built a field, we used sod to make bunkers. Its surprisingly easy to use and is very durable. We have had the same sod bunkers for two years and they're still fine. But unless you have woods behind your house where you can get it, it will cost a lot of $$

[Nick_DGA]

at my friends field we have plastic barrels(like waste barrels or something) and they work pretty good for a speedball setup(we just need more), I think my friends dad got them free from work

[chunk_daddy]

me another kid and torbo from here on AO built a feild, the feild didn't cost a thing, we used tires, sticks(woods field), borrowed pipeing, got hook-ups at a hardwear store for wood, we did it for a church so they paid for insurence, rentals, paint and air

[yeahthatsme]

places like best buy and bulk sellers like sams club go through a ton of palats all the time, and i'm pretty sure they'd give them to you for free/cheap.

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

trenches anyone? absolutely free, just get a few friends and do a lot of digging.

But if this is just some backyard thing i don't recommend you do this

[D-CeLL]

Originally posted by yeahthatsme
places like best buy and bulk sellers like sams club go through a ton of palats all the time, and i'm pretty sure they'd give them to you for free/cheap.

I worked at CompUSA for awhile, basically they call a guy to come pick up the pallets. The basic trade is this: they get them outta the warehouse so that's good for the store, and the guy goes off and sells them back the the shipping places for $1 - $1.60 each. So the only person you'd be screwing is the pick up guy :) I'd just go ask for them, I know my old manager wouldn't care.