How to Build a Croquet Set
Croquet is an easy and enjoyable game that can be played by almost anyone. This game, which involves hitting plastic or wooden balls through hoops in the ground, requires a few simple supplies. With a clear lawn and sunny sky at your disposal, all you need is a homemade croquet set to get started. Croquet can be played as a recreational game or a competitive sport.
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Things You'll Need
- Plywood 4 strips of polymer 9 metal wires Pliers Saw Chisel Wood glue Paint Varnish
Instructions
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1
Carefully measure and cut six handles and six mallet heads. The head of the mallet should be approximately 9 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. The handle should be approximately 36 inches long and 3/4 inch in diameter. If you would like to craft each piece yourself, outline the shapes that you want and carefully cut them out. If you don't want to cut each piece out, you can look for precut handles.
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2
Etch grooves into the mallet. Each groove should be a shallow indentation around the head of the mallet at each end. Remember that these should not be too deep or they will affect your swing.
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3
Bore a hole into the center of the mallet and etch a few layers away from the tip of the handle so they will fit together. When the pieces fit snugly, glue them together.
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4
Paint the groves on the mallet. Cover the rest of the mallet with a layer of varnish.
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5
Order your polymer balls. Quality polymer balls need to be made by a professional. However, you can take the dimension and polymer material to a manufacturer and specify the dimensions and weight. They should ideally be 2.34 inches in diameter and weight one pound.
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6
Use pliers to shape the wire into wickets. The ideal dimensions are 5 by 11 by 0.25 inches. It is important to pay close attention to detail and make sure that your wickets are large enough for your croquet balls.
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7
Cut your wooden stake out of plywood. The dimensions should be 18 x 2.5 inches. Etch out grooves in the stake. Paint the grooves and apply a layer of varnish to the rest of the stake.
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Tips & Warnings
You can obtain any of these individual pieces from a retailer if you would prefer to fashion only a few pieces from scratch. The advantage of making your own croquet set is that you have the freedom to use any dimensions you want. Feel free to make child-size pieces for younger players, or extra large ones for taller family members.
