Reptile & Amphibian Forums

While it's not something to keep animals in, it is something that animals will play on.

My local community's baseball/softball organization needed an artificial pitcher's mound so they could have a team & play games at our local school's softball field. They couldn't afford to buy a professionally made mound for $1000 so I offered to furnish materials & build them one.

I used pressure treated 1/2" plywood, PT 2 x 6 and PT 1 x 6. I've got less than $125 in material but quite a few hours since it's more or less a prototype. The pitcher's plate had to be 6" above the level of home plate.

It works good, too. I finished it within minutes of their first home game & they won - which was also thery're first win (1 win - 2 losses). Go Eagles!

Have a good one!
HH

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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Never realized they had removable mounds, very cool you made it for them. Hopefully they keep their new found winning ways.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
Boas make the world go round.

Thanks Randall!

Yeah, artificial mounds have been around for several years but are starting to become more popular because you can easily transform a softball field, which doesn't have a mound, into a baseball field with a mound.

Hopefully the prices for the pro-made mounds will come down before we need to replace this thing. It was quite a job figuring out all the angles and stuff. But as with most projects, it was fun - and well worth the time & effort.

I've got a good group of kids (3 girls & 9 boys) playing Minor League 9 - 10 yr old player's pitch baseball. There are only a few that's had decent instructions up to this point but everyone of them are hungry to learn & play. They'd be there at the field 6 days a week if I had practice or game. First team I've ever had in which all players show up for "optional" practices. I'm lovin' it! I'm livin' a baseball fanatic's dream.

We've got another Home game tonight, if it doesn't get rained out, so we'll see if they're able to ride their excitement into another win.

Thanks!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

It turned out really nice Mikie. Especially considering your "shop" is the great outdoors. Haha

Tell the team they have to win every time they step up on your mound.
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

That is awesome, and a great thing you did for the kids too.

When I saw the first pic I thought it was some kind of kit airplane!
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Larry Stroud - Fort Pierce, Florida

Thanks Larry!

It would just about take a jet engine to get that thing off the ground. Ha! Ha! Nah, two adults can carry it pretty easily.

Later!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

"Especially considering your "shop" is the great outdoors."

Ha! I've gotta build a lean-to or something to give me some kind of cover, at least. Rent a circus tent? Might be kinda befitting - "Hey! Look at that clown tryin' to build such-n-such!" Hahaha!!!

Thanks Randy! I thought of you a lot while building that thing. I did every imaginable woodworking "no-no" in the process. Cutting & sanding PT without proper protection, mask, etc, free-handing 2ft angles on a table saw without a push board; you name it, I did it. Do as I say, not as I do.

Catch ya later!
Mikie
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Very nice Mike. And as a former coach, thanks for helping out youth athletics.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

"And as a former coach, thanks for helping out youth athletics."

Thanks, Chris! I've been coaching & spearheading our local community's baseball/softball teams for about 7 years now & this is the first year I finally got a group in the community to care enough to elect a Board of Directors & actually form our own organization. We're a small community, usually having only 1 - 2 teams each season. But we're finally getting the foundation laid for bigger, better things.

Hiwassee Dam Field of Dreams
"Enriching young lives through America's favorite sport."

I'm dawg-tired, run ragged; but I'm the happiest I've been in years. I'm on cloud nine!

Support your local youth activities - whether you've got a child involved or not. You may never know how much hope & encouragement a child can get from what little you say or do.

Ya'll take care!
Mike
(HH)
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

Nice Job!
If you store it, you want to keep it off the ground so you get air circulation under it. I built a wheel chair access that sat on a concrete patio out of 3/4 plywood, painted the outside of it and applied course sand on the wet paint for non skid surface, and then repainted it,(it looked great).But the under side of the plywood started to dryrot after about 2-3 years because of the moisture coming out of the concrete, Had to replace some of the plywood and put vent holes all through it.
-Bob
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R.Bichlers Colubrids
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html

Thanks for the tip, Bob!

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com