Cheaply made bunker thread

[Skoad]

Well, our paintball field at school got demolished.

We need to come up with super cheap, easy to move, collapsable bunkers. We've just started kicking around ideas. Has anyone made their own bunkers that fit the description?

I just made a quick drawing of one of the possible prototypes. Made from 1 inch pvc pipe and a tarp. Brown lines would be some sort of fastener maybe a clip or just rope, Grey line would be a stake in the ground that goes over the top of the "leg" to keep it secured to the ground. Players would be on the "legless" side just so they don't get in the way.

Anyone else have any ideas?

[Garrum]

Might be a feasable idea. I'm not sure if 1 inch PVC would be strong enough, though. Might need to move up to 2 or 3 inch. Might also want to double the tarp.

However, I haven't priced any PVC in a while, so even 1 inch might be expensive if you buy enough for several bunkers. Look at metal conduit tubing as well. Some people say that it can be gotten cheaper than PVC sometimes.

The tarp will require you to either be able to install grommets after you cut it to size, or sew two peices into a 'bag' that will slide over the frame snugly from the top. You might need a stout sewing machine for that. You could then stuff foam or something similar in between the layers for added strength and resiliance.

Either way, let us know how it turns out.

[Brophog]

From a construction aspect:

I think its a pretty novel idea. Lightweight, portable, yet rugged. Will allow you to change the field around with ease. I'd like to reiterate what the above poster said about the grommets.

From a gameplay aspect:

I've never really liked flat bunkers. If the field is wide, they don't provide adequate coverage. If the field is narrow, the game quickly becomes a more stagnant, paint throwing event.

I'd suggest you use some of these in your field, and supplement with a rounder, boxier kind of bunker for the remainder of the field. Perhaps make some of these a little taller for use as rear standups. You could also use some of these along the perimeter, in a snake like application.

[Lee]

those type of bunkers are already being manufactured by a guy i saw at waynes world last december. sorry, don't remember his company name, though the product looked nice and as well made as pvc and vinyl can get.

[Gabriel]

pallettes make good bunkers.

gabe

[adam shannon]

good idea, however if you can afford it you should double up the tarp and make it go around the pvc pipe so there arent any gaps, like a pillow case. and make the legs like a " Y " at the bottom and fill them with sand or concrete for stability. and 2 inch pipe should work well. just my thoughts, anything you can afford will be a winner, but my suggestions and the others in the thread may make them last longer and play harder.

[845]

When we played in the backyard we used a tarp for one of the bunkers and you could shoot through it. It would really suck to have to play that bunker tight with people hammering on it.

[Bad_Dog]

lol, and umbrellas dont work either... My friends convinced me it would be ok, so we tried it... I was hiding behind it (this is when I was a n00b) and I thought someone had bunkered me... nope it was the paintballs going right through it...

[Branchvillian]

Do NOT use tarps. 4-5 shots through the heavy dudy tarps put holes in them. I wouldn't recommend spending all that money on something that won't work. Pallets would be the best idea, mostly because they are free.

[FreakBaller12]

use pallets, my new field we just have to finish is using pallets.
Thye are free to get, just ask around or look on the side of the road. Some may need to be filld in in the gaps, not very hard to do. Extra scraps will fill it in, which almost everybody has.

[tony3]

we use plywood bunkers at out private field they look something like this. We got plywood boards and cut them to all different sizes, then we got door hinges and attached them to the board, then got 2x4's and attached them to the other side of the hinge, then we drilled a hole through the bottom of the 2x4 and we put a string stapled to the plywood board and thru the bottom of the 2x4 so the legs wouldn't collapse. Hope that made sense.

[street1356]

one word



SPOOLS!!!!!!!!!!

with barrels on the end of them to cover up those cheap foot shots

[sneakyhacker420]

add legs on the other side to give extra support when someone goes crashing into the bunker from a slide

double up the tarp

use 2" PVC

[NGp8ball]

as long as the tarp isn't pulled tight, it shouldn't rip. leave some slack in it jst incase someone decides to hammer on it. thats a good idea tho, i might try it

[Skoad]

Some of you people don't understand. THEY HAVE TO BE PORTABLE, LIGHTWEIGHT, COLLAPSABLE, ETC.


We have to bring them to the field, set them out, play, pack them up, and bring them back.

Pallets are bad, spools are bad. Our old field we had tires, box springs, railroad ties, etc. But we went out last weekened and it looks like someone bulldozed the whole thing.


Back to discussion...

Yes I was kinda worrying about the shooting through the tarp business. We were thinking of getting some paintball netting and use that as the bunker stuff, maybe put a tarp right behind it just so you can't see through it. 1 inch pvc is 2 bucks per 10 foot pole, if you get any bigger than that it jumps to almost 5 bucks.


Goal price is 10 bucks per bunker, give or take. But if you can come up with an awsome bunker for like 30 bucks, by all means post it.