# How to build the basic Third Hand Archery 4'x4' Box target



## thirdhandman

materials list
1 board 2"x12"x8'. Cut into one board 48" and one board 45"
1 board 2"x12"x12'. Cut into two boards 6 foot.
1 board 2"x8"x8'. Cut into two boards 2"x8"x3'. To be used as the feet to hold the target upright.
4 boards 1/4"x1 1/2" by 8'. Cut 4 boards 45" and 4 boards 48" for trim.
2 sheets of black plastic film 4'x4'
Staples and 3" wood screws.
A bunch of old clothes. About 3-4 55 gallon bags
1] cut a 8"x36" trap door in the middle of the 48" 2"x12"
2] lay boards on floor and screw the 48" 2x12 into the top of the two 6' 2x12's. Use a square when screwing them together.
3] Measure from the top of the top board down 48" on both 6' 2x12's. Keep the bottom of the 45" board on the 48"mark. Screw the 45" between the two 6' boards.
4] Staple black sheeting to front and back of box on all four corners. Over the top of the black plastic sheeting, staple all 4 corners of the skins snug without sagging. Once all four corners are snug then staple every 2" all the way around.
5] Screw in the trim boards overlapping the joints of the 2x12's.
6] Stand up target and screw in the 3' boards at the bottom of the 6' legs to make a foot to assist holding the target upright.
7]Toss the clothing in, cramming in the corners first and fill to the middle. For the higher poundage bows cram the rags in tighter all the way to the top.


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## adamst

how much do you roughly have in materials $


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## thirdhandman

About $70 including the skins when purchased from lowes. They will make one cut per board free. Let them cut the wood to size. Saves you time and mess and is easier to get in a car if you don't have a truck.


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## huntinfool84

how do these hold up in the weather? is it a target you can leave outside all year long and not have any break down issues or do the clothes get wet and moldy?


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## buckman2591

they do hold moisture if you leave them out uncovered. The target face will get worn out more from shooting than leaving it outside


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## thirdhandman

huntinfool84 said:


> how do these hold up in the weather? is it a target you can leave outside all year long and not have any break down issues or do the clothes get wet and moldy?









This is a target that has been sitting out for 8 years in the rain sun and snow. The owner filled in the dots with a black magic marker, His preference. The cover is still in good shape, clothes are moldy but still stop arrows.















These last two pictures are of a 7 year old target covered when not in use. Note 1,500 shots in the top right aiming dot. Its dry, and the bugs like a warm dry place.


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## Gunner7800

Has anybody tried making these targets thinner? By thinner I mean using a 2x8 to frame it rather than a 2x12. I assume you would have to really get the stuffing packed tight to have just as good stopping ability. Do arrows typically penetrate both sides when using a 2x12?


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## bowhunter247365

no mine go in only about 6''


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## Triggins

I made one with 2x6's and the arrows pass through and tear the opposite side, I still use it, but now there is a huge tear on the backside.


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## buckman2591

Gunner7800 said:


> Has anybody tried making these targets thinner? By thinner I mean using a 2x8 to frame it rather than a 2x12. I assume you would have to really get the stuffing packed tight to have just as good stopping ability. Do arrows typically penetrate both sides when using a 2x12?


Tried it as a 2x8, worked for maybe 20 minutes of shooting then had complete pass throughs. I now make mine 16-24 inches deep tightly stuffed and only have penetration for maybe 5 inches


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## buckman2591

Triggins said:


> I made one with 2x6's and the arrows pass through and tear the opposite side, I still use it, but now there is a huge tear on the backside.


Should make it at least a foot deep


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## thirdhandman

Q
12" will work up to 375 fps. Over that go to 16".


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## huntinfool84

I've got another question. I have my frame built and I did it with the 2x12's as suggested but my question is has anyone put just a sheet of plywood on the back side instead of the other skin? If so how did it work out? If not do you think it would work? I put a sheet of 7/16ths osb sheeting on the back of mine but the skins are not here yet so I am wondering if I should leave it or pull it off and prep it for a skin.


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## thirdhandman

Putting plywood on the back will only work for a very short time. The clothing has to be able to give and gradually stop the arrow. After a few shots in the same area and you will be hitting plywood. We give to sheets of fabric to cover both sides for a reason. After 500 or so arrows you will notice the arrows going in deeper and the back of the target starting to bulge a little. Turn the target around and shoot the clothing back.
I highly suggest removing the plywood and try it our way first.


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## aljburk

Tagged, for next project....


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## huntinfool84

ok thanks, that is what I was wondering.



thirdhandman said:


> Putting plywood on the back will only work for a very short time. The clothing has to be able to give and gradually stop the arrow. After a few shots in the same area and you will be hitting plywood. We give to sheets of fabric to cover both sides for a reason. After 500 or so arrows you will notice the arrows going in deeper and the back of the target starting to bulge a little. Turn the target around and shoot the clothing back.
> I highly suggest removing the plywood and try it our way first.


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## flyinfatkid

I built one 12" thick pack, works great! I did put wheels on mine so I could roll into the garage when I'm not shooting it's about 150lb. I didn't use the third hand cover but I recommend getting it I used a tarp and about 1500 all spread out the tarp is in poor shape. No pass through yet easy two finger pull out!


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## thirdhandman

Hey flyingfatkid: I appreciate your honesty and recommending our skins. It seems like a lot of work to use a tarp if it only last 1500 shots. Thanks


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## flyinfatkid

thirdhandman said:


> Hey flyingfatkid: I appreciate your honesty and recommending our skins. It seems like a lot of work to use a tarp if it only last 1500 shots. Thanks


Yes it was a lot of work. I plan on getting two of your blank 4'x4' covers this winter! If it holds up that long! Your covers hold up the best I've seen.


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## thirdhandman

JMO but I think they look a lot better than a tarp too!


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## buckman2591

Lasts ALoT longer too!!!!


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## thirdhandman

Gunner7800 said:


> Has anybody tried making these targets thinner? By thinner I mean using a 2x8 to frame it rather than a 2x12. I assume you would have to really get the stuffing packed tight to have just as good stopping ability. Do arrows typically penetrate both sides when using a 2x12?


Thinner will only save a couple dollars on materials and some clothing. The 2"x12"x12' board is only about $15.


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## dlewis149helim

Just placed an order the other day and I am waiting on my skins to get here. I have it all done except for some skins, casters, and stuffing! Cant wait. I added a bow hanger on one side and an arrow tube on the other for when im not using it....


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## thirdhandman

I like the idea of a bow holder and arrow holder. Be sure to post em up when finished.


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## jmasiakos

Picked up the wood today to make my lifetime target. Ordered the 48" x 48" blank skins yesterday. Can't wait to get started on this project this weekend.


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## UpstateSC85

tagged


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## thirdhandman

Found a guy that buys from Lowes all discontinued items etc. He has flooring that runs $65 a box. Its discontinued so it is hard to sell. I bought 2 boxes at $15 a box. After ripping them down I had enough to do trim for 10 targets. That figures out to $3 to trim a target.
With that kind of saving I went back yesterday and bought 4 more boxes.


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## thirdhandman

Had a new pro shop owner come by and bought this big boy.






The dart board did not go with the target.


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## Don K

With the blank sides are the guys using paint for circles? Magic Markers? Or just attaching paper targets?

I have been looking at the skins, and reading all the posts. I have access to HUGE rolls of cotton waste that i could use to stuff these. The cotton waste was used to make blankets for a long time but now they are not doing that. Trying to decide between the 36 or the 48 blank........


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## thirdhandman

all the above and some blank bale shooting too.


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## Don K

Well I think I found plenty of supply of cotton rolls to stuff my new targets I just ordered. Looking at it I may have enough material to make a target the size of my house............


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## thirdhandman

That stuffing crammed in should be awesome! Nice find.


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## Mikey von

Just put in an order for 4x4 blank skins!


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## Mikey von

Is the black plastic film just a black garbage/yard bag?


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## thirdhandman

The sole purpose of the black plastic is to give the target a uniform color as the clothing will show through the skins. Recently I started using felt paper from roofing. It comes on a roll, it is easier to handle and we have been building a lot of targets lately. Any type of soft material, so it doesn't harm the arrow, of one color will work.
With your wife's permission you could use an old tablecloth or curtain of a solid color.


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## Mikey von

What works best for actually making (drawing) targets on the blank 4x4 target skins? Anyone with pictures of what they did?


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## thirdhandman

www.arrowmats.com look good work great last a long time.


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## stillern

Sweet thread...thx
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## stillern

Btw where would one score cotton rolls?
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## thirdhandman

Those are scrap from a manufacturer in Ill. They are going to make some great full targets for the local market.


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## Mikey von

thirdhandman said:


> View attachment 1699590
> View attachment 1699592
> 
> 
> www.arrowmats.com look good work great last a long time.


they look good. Have to call them? They are not listed on their site.


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## Don K

Mikey von,

Try http://www.arrowmat.com/ 

I got lucky on getting the rolls when I could. They are now getting purchased by a recycler so the hunt for clothing begins.....


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## Mikey von

Don K said:


> Mikey von,
> 
> Try http://www.arrowmat.com/
> 
> I got lucky on getting the rolls when I could. They are now getting purchased by a recycler so the hunt for clothing begins.....


Works much better. Those look really cool. Do they last?


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## Rollie83

Save for a later build


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## thirdhandman

Rollie check your PM.


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## snewton_89

Marked for later


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## thirdhandman

Snewton 89: If one is planning on building a true lifetime target, the sooner its built the longer it last. Think about it:confused3: Then go ahead and build it.


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## snewton_89

thirdhandman said:


> Snewton 89: If one is planning on building a true lifetime target, the sooner its built the longer it last. Think about it:confused3: Then go ahead and build it.


I'm going to...as soon as I'm home from vacation


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## dcaudle1

Tag


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## rembrandt

I just ordered the 36X36 animal skin from Jim and I'm hoping that they make an industrial garbage bag that will fit over it when I'm thru shooting.......Also, I'm curious if you have the layout plans for the smaller bag target? I can figure it out easy enough but just wondered if there was a plan I could take to Lowes to buy the lumber? Thanks

Dave


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## thirdhandman

Dave: I hope I got your order correct. I packaged 2 sets of 3'x3' target skins 2 Mathews arrow pullers and a bonus set of Hip clips for you and your son. I did not include a rag bag target. Please let me know if this was in error. On the bag targets we just split them front and back and built a 2'x3' x 12' rectangle.


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## rembrandt

thirdhandman said:


> Dave: I hope I got your order correct. I packaged 2 sets of 3'x3' target skins 2 Mathews arrow pullers and a bonus set of Hip clips for you and your son. I did not include a rag bag target. Please let me know if this was in error. On the bag targets we just split them front and back and built a 2'x3' x 12' rectangle.


hey, thats great.....I am looking forward to getting them done....I know my son is too busy to do the building so I will make it for him and he will have a place to shoot in the back yd. Your a good man Charley Brown!


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## rembrandt

Anyone else have photos of their THA targets after making the frame? We need some more pictures!


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## kootenayhunter

This looks interesting. are the target skins available from Thirdhandman? I am interested. also interested in the hip clip mentioned in one of the posts. please let me know prices and am interested n plans for targets as well.


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## thirdhandman

kootenayhunter said:


> This looks interesting. are the target skins available from Thirdhandman? I am interested. also interested in the hip clip mentioned in one of the posts. please let me know prices and am interested n plans for targets as well.


3'x3' skins are $35 a set Hip clip is $10 Plans come with each set of skins. www.thirdhandarchery.com to order.


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## WhoKnows

Ordered 2 sets of blank skins yesterday, looking forward to trying to wear them out


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## thirdhandman

Whoknows::dontknow: If you like our skins Please spread the word over there in Australia. If you don't like them please tell me so I can fix them. An sorry but we have no plans on putting kangaroo's on them.LOL


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## codykrr

Mine is still holding up great!!! built it last year...thousands of shots(though slacking recently with work) and still looks new! I stuffed mine with industrial saran wrap. my arrows barely penatrate and are still easy to pull. plus with the saran wrap you dont need to worry about clothing molding if you leave it outside!


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## Dr. A.

Question regarding tacking target faces to(through) the skins? How well do roofing nails hold to the clothing packed inside the target, especially after impact of arrow? Worried about "floppy face". Do you place a "tack board" behind the skins?


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## Dr. A.

Orders in for the 48" skins! Archery Camp building project: "Kids, you build it, YOU shoot it!" :shade: Go figure, kids can shoot a compound bow but won't let them cut the boards? I don't have a problem with that, lumbers too expensive!


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## awarsoca

tagging for my next project/ t hanks


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## thirdhandman

In the target shown We used roofing cap nails to hold the arrowmat in place. They have a ring shank and stick to the target skins great. Arrowmat.com has all kinds of games available.



Dr. A. said:


> Question regarding tacking target faces to(through) the skins? How well do roofing nails hold to the clothing packed inside the target, especially after impact of arrow? Worried about "floppy face". Do you place a "tack board" behind the skins?


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## Kelleborne

Making this one from materials I had on hand
It's 2"x 10"s about 27"wide x37" tall. I used an old trampoline head I had saved a few yes ago. 
Now I need to stuff it


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## ride394

Built my frame today. I was just hanging out in there waiting for my skins to show up lol. Paint tomorrow and then hopefully I'll have her stuffed and finished come Tuesday. 











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## Bowtecher24

nice


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## thirdhandman

ride394 said:


> Built my frame today. I was just hanging out in there waiting for my skins to show up lol. Paint tomorrow and then hopefully I'll have her stuffed and finished come Tuesday.
> 
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


Wow! Nice job so far:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up Want to see the finished target. Is there going to be a roof on it?


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## ride394

thirdhandman said:


> Wow! Nice job so far:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up Want to see the finished target. Is there going to be a roof on it?


Thanks! And yes there will be a roof and also some archery logos painted on that brace above the feet. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## Appalachia

!!!!!! SCORE !!!!!! I found a store thats simaler to a goodwill , I asked if they mite have some old clothes that were donated but werent fit to sell & they told me to call back in a week or so, last weekend I picked up nearly 20 big garbage bags of clothes for a $20 donation & they asked if I mite need more later on,They told me a lot of yard salers get tired up pack'n up ther goods & just donate them after a while.

I plan on build'n a couple for myself & one for a guy who dont have a butt load of cash to spend on a target & is shoot'n at bales of straw, figured he mite get a kick outta one of these, gotta friend who works at a local lumber yard & they have culls & returned lumber around back for cheap, he's gonna get a call by this weekend (HA !!!).


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## thirdhandman

Nice score Appalachia. The targets are too big and heavy to ship but locally I have sold 6 full targets at $200 each. Food for thought for you.


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## ride394

thirdhandman said:


> Wow! Nice job so far:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up Want to see the finished target. Is there going to be a roof on it?


I got the skins yesterday, but painting got delayed. I have some big ideas for the target face that I think everyone will like. I should have completed pictures by the end of the weekend.


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## rezzen6.5killer

I have to do one of these they look great . I have had several rag bags and they really hold up. Jim any Ideas on a broadhead target?


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## thirdhandman

Yes I do. Here is the tip of the month.
What happens when you shoot down and miss a deer. The dirt stops the arrow. When you pull it out there is a clump of dirt on it.
1] Roto till some dirt until it is granulated. 
2] Take a 2'x2'x2' cardboard box and fill it with the dirt. Pack it tight.
3] Tape the box shut and put aiming spots with a black magic marker.
When you shoot the box, it will cut the cardboard but stop the arrow. When you pull the arrow from the granulated dirt, the cardboard cleans the granulated dirt off. Shoot a dozen shots to each side, then change boxes.
Let us know how it works for you.


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## g_whitcomb

View attachment 1725425

I got my blank skins last week. On my day off my daughter and I built this bad boy! ( Being a guy and all I never read the directions. The tip of the black plastic would have been nice as you can see some of the "innards") I was collecting old clothes and came up with about 15 pairs of pants, 20 shirts, a few jackets and one pair of old underware just for fun. NOT even close to enough. then I found a good use for the Queen size mattress and box spring in the garage waiting for disposal. Yep, it All fit inside. All the covers,cloth,foam etc. Everything but the wood and steel all in a 4x4x1 foot box! I will be Painting target faces tomorrow and post up the finished unit. I am mounting mine outside on a large post with a quick release boat seat swivel bracket so I can rotate sides. It should be good. My last store bought bag target went about 3 months before my hand would fit in the hole in it so we will see about the quality of the covers very soon.


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## iwantone2.4

Its to nice for me to resist...screw it...im making one -_-


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## hollywood88

I will hopefully be making one soon. I have a different idea for free stuffing. The pallets and boxes we get at work come wrapped in a thick stretch wrap plastic. We just pitch it in the dumpster out side so I've been collecting it for a while. Have roughly a truck bed load of it now


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## iwantone2.4

Off to a good start. Got the necessary boards (some treated) for $4.00 lol


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## g_whitcomb

View attachment 1726300

Ok. Side one complete. I am not sure about the other side. A life size section of Deer Vitals, Tic Tac Toe maybe? Tomorrow we will see how well it stops the FMJ's.


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## g_whitcomb

iwantone2.4 said:


> Off to a good start. Got the necessary boards (some treated) for $4.00 lol


I hauled off a pile of lumber a few years back from an old Deck my boss was tearing out. Treated 2x10's, 2x12's all 16 to 20 feet long. I am still finding uses for all of that free wood!


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## actsofthewolf

How do you think lumber covers will work for stuffing? The type that is like really thin tarp material, I have a ton of it.


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## thirdhandman

GreenAcres said:


> View attachment 1726300
> 
> Ok. Side one complete. I am not sure about the other side. A life size section of Deer Vitals, Tic Tac Toe maybe? Tomorrow we will see how well it stops the FMJ's.


Nice paint job. Cant wait to see the other side. If you do an animal, it will last longer if you to put other aiming spots on it also.


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## McKay10racing

What are you guys using for the target face, and where do you get it???


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## actsofthewolf

Tried using lumber covers for the stuffing today and the arrows are a pain to pull. It stops them great, only a few inches of penetration but a real hard time pulling them. I just haven't saved enough clothe to fill it so this will do for now till I save the rest.


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## thirdhandman

McKay10racing said:


> What are you guys using for the target face, and where do you get it???


www.thirdhandarchery.com 4'x4' blank skins.


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## iwantone2.4

All done. Pretty happy with it :darkbeer:


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## rembrandt

iwantone2.4 said:


> All done. Pretty happy with it :darkbeer:


How do you protect it from the weather? I'm gonna be building mine in a few days and I want it covered when not in use. I think the weather is the no. one cause of targets to go bad.......


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## rembrandt

A good way to fill these targets is Thrift Stores....They sell old blankets for $1.00. Those work great.....


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## iwantone2.4

rembrandt said:


> How do you protect it from the weather? I'm gonna be building mine in a few days and I want it covered when not in use. I think the weather is the no. one cause of targets to go bad.......


Either put a roof on it. Or mock up some kinda tarp like cover, thats the plan anyways.


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## OrangeBlood

finished mine, almost. Ran out of trim for one side. About half way full of clothes. Having a hard time finding enough to fill it up, my local goodwill will not let me buy the bulk bags.

I used a canvas drop cloth for the backing under the skins, so not to see the clothes.


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## thirdhandman

Orangeblood: Your target looks great so far.
Rembrandt one way to protect your target is to cover it like this.


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## g_whitcomb

OrangeBlood said:


> finished mine, almost. Ran out of trim for one side. About half way full of clothes. Having a hard time finding enough to fill it up, my local goodwill will not let me buy the bulk bags.
> 
> I used a canvas drop cloth for the backing under the skins, so not to see the clothes.
> 
> View attachment 1728263
> View attachment 1728264
> 
> View attachment 1728266
> View attachment 1728267


The wheels are a great idea. I would be the first one to fire a bad shot and flatten a tire! (These things happen to me) :mg:


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## thirdhandman

Had a customer miss my 4' target and stuck an arrow in my new room addition. That happend 2 shots after I ask him not to aim at the sky while drawing his bow.:thumbs_do He hasn't been back in 3 years.


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## GRIMWALD

I guess you need to go bigger


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## thirdhandman

Thats o.k. grimwald. We'll let you cover that market.


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## GRIMWALD

LOL!!! Is that a pun, "We'll let you cover that market" I have several this size but I would not like to have to send one through the postal service!!! LOL!!!!

GRIM


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## Archer1979

In regards to covering: 

I ended up modifying the plans and built one 3x3, but tall (6ft total) to alleviate having to bend down and pull arrows because my father enjoys shooting with me. There is a product made by Glenrock Archery called the Target Tarp that comes in many sizes. Check them out. It works great on mine and has been the easiest thing to assure the clothes stuffing stays dry and also able to breathe (because *some* moisture is bound to make its way in) Here is a photo of what I'm talking about. I know this thread usually talks about making them spending as little money as possible but these really aren't that bad if you look around amazon,etc.


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## ride394

Here is mine. I didn't have plastic on hand, but I wasn't too worried about it. I'm still debating what I want to do for the actual aiming spots. I may also paint the white, but I haven't decided on a color yet.


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## ride394

Archer1979 said:


> In regards to covering:
> 
> I ended up modifying the plans and built one 3x3, but tall (6ft total) to alleviate having to bend down and pull arrows because my father enjoys shooting with me. There is a product made by Glenrock Archery called the Target Tarp that comes in many sizes. Check them out. It works great on mine and has been the easiest thing to assure the clothes stuffing stays dry and also able to breathe (because *some* moisture is bound to make its way in) Here is a photo of what I'm talking about. I know this thread usually talks about making them spending as little money as possible but these really aren't that bad if you look around amazon,etc.
> View attachment 1735783


That cover is awesome! I'm going to have to check that out.


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## Archer1979

ride394 said:


> That cover is awesome! I'm going to have to check that out.


Definitely! It came just in time to use before *ALL* the friggin' rain we've had lately. And to think, before I found this I rigged two shower curtains and duct tape!:crazy:

**i did treat it with scotch guard outdoor for good measure because the packaging says tarp is "water resistant"


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## Archer1979

BTW - Thank you 100% Thirdhand for an awesome thread!!


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## jbond007m3

You guys talked me into it, I had another design in my head, but was in a conundrum of what to use for the face. 

Only question is: I see some people saying that they should have ordered the black one. I didnt see any part of the ordering process to specify black. Did i miss something? I would definitely want black, its such a slimming color 

Order ID : 3038 

Thanks.


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## pokeydave

Well guys I've read through this entire thing about filling the target with clothing and it sounds great... BUT, I just had my Big Green Target pull yet another arrow insert out of my arrow!!! I cut it open to find that it's full of clothing and some of the pieces are a stringy cloth that hooked onto the edge of the insert. :angry: These are new arrows just from the archery shop... Sooo, what type of clothing should I use?


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## Archer1979

pokeydave said:


> Well guys I've read through this entire thing about filling the target with clothing and it sounds great... BUT, I just had my Big Green Target pull yet another arrow insert out of my arrow!!! I cut it open to find that it's full of clothing and some of the pieces are a stringy cloth that hooked onto the edge of the insert. :angry: These are new arrows just from the archery shop... Sooo, what type of clothing should I use?


I do know that when filling mine I stayed away from light, polyester and silk looking materials just for the fact they would not have a large impact on filling the target overall. I wasn't too picky and have never had a problem with inserts coming out. Maybe entertain the idea that the install of inserts or glue was sub-par??


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## cutter10x

pokeydave said:


> Well guys I've read through this entire thing about filling the target with clothing and it sounds great... BUT, I just had my Big Green Target pull yet another arrow insert out of my arrow!!! I cut it open to find that it's full of clothing and some of the pieces are a stringy cloth that hooked onto the edge of the insert. :angry: These are new arrows just from the archery shop... Sooo, what type of clothing should I use?


i used heavy duty moving blankets...


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## thirdhandman

ride394 said:


> Here is mine. I didn't have plastic on hand, but I wasn't too worried about it. I'm still debating what I want to do for the actual aiming spots. I may also paint the white, but I haven't decided on a color yet.


Ride 394: 
Did you miss step 4.? First cover the target with black face to hide the color of the clothing. If it was covered with a black piece of plastic or black cloth the clothing would not show through and would eliminate the need to paint.


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## ride394

thirdhandman said:


> Ride 394:
> Did you miss step 4.? First cover the target with black face to hide the color of the clothing. If it was covered with a black piece of plastic or black cloth the clothing would not show through and would eliminate the need to paint.


Didn't miss it. I was just on a mission to finish it and didn't have plastic on hand. I typically practice from 40yds at black spots. And if I shoot from 20 I use paper targets so seeing the cloth doesn't really bother me. And for pain I was talking about the white frame and roof.


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## thirdhandman

pokeydave said:


> Well guys I've read through this entire thing about filling the target with clothing and it sounds great... BUT, I just had my Big Green Target pull yet another arrow insert out of my arrow!!! I cut it open to find that it's full of clothing and some of the pieces are a stringy cloth that hooked onto the edge of the insert. :angry: These are new arrows just from the archery shop... Sooo, what type of clothing should I use?


Pokeydave: Big Green is a competitor but I don't think the problem is your target. By your own admission the fabric caught the insert and pulled it out. That isn't possible if the insert is the same diameter and glued in tight to the arrow.
It sounds like the inserts are not the correct size for that arrow.


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## thirdhandman

Ride394: Its hard to hear the intent on written post, hope you didn't take it wrong. I thought that you were talking about painting the face to cover the clothing showing through. sorry:dontknow:


----------



## pokeydave

thirdhandman said:


> Pokeydave: Big Green is a competitor but I don't think the problem is your target. By your own admission the fabric caught the insert and pulled it out. That isn't possible if the insert is the same diameter and glued in tight to the arrow.
> It sounds like the inserts are not the correct size for that arrow.


I thought the same Jim but it happened on another arrow from another archery shop. Both CX Mutiny 250's. The material is a stringy sheet looking piece that the arrow insert got caught on. I'm really looking into this idea and it's sounds easy but a little apprehensive to use clothing! I have 2 thrift shops were I can get clothing just want to make sure I do this correctly. Moving blankets are sort of easy to get a hold also.... Do you cut this material or just stuff it in whole?


----------



## ride394

thirdhandman said:


> Ride394: Its hard to hear the intent on written post, hope you didn't take it wrong. I thought that you were talking about painting the face to cover the clothing showing through. sorry:dontknow:


No worries, I didn't take it wrong. Target works great so far. Took me a little more clothes than I thought. Had to rummage through some family member houses for old clothes lol.


----------



## thirdhandman

pokeydave said:


> I thought the same Jim but it happened on another arrow from another archery shop. Both CX Mutiny 250's. The material is a stringy sheet looking piece that the arrow insert got caught on. I'm really looking into this idea and it's sounds easy but a little apprehensive to use clothing! I have 2 thrift shops were I can get clothing just want to make sure I do this correctly. Moving blankets are sort of easy to get a hold also.... Do you cut this material or just stuff it in whole?


pokey: We've been using old clothes since 1993. Personally the only time our arrow gets stuck is when the fieldpoint is loose and the cloth gets trapped between the fieldpoint and insert. We have tried many fillers over the past twenty years. Old clothing is something most people can find if they look hard enough and it works great. It stops arrows from my Scorpyd 130. It shoots a 425 gr arrow about 370 fps and one finger pulls the bolt from the target.


----------



## Mikey von

GreenAcres said:


> View attachment 1726300
> 
> Ok. Side one complete. I am not sure about the other side. A life size section of Deer Vitals, Tic Tac Toe maybe? Tomorrow we will see how well it stops the FMJ's.


I like your paint job. Care to share some tips?

Here is our target after about 1000 shots. It needs some repacking but is holding up great. It is fun to have 5 or so guys shooting at the same time. Really can't wait to get a dartboard up for some 40 yard cricket. 










close up:


----------



## Archer1979

pokeydave said:


> I thought the same Jim but it happened on another arrow from another archery shop. Both CX Mutiny 250's. The material is a stringy sheet looking piece that the arrow insert got caught on. I'm really looking into this idea and it's sounds easy but a little apprehensive to use clothing! I have 2 thrift shops were I can get clothing just want to make sure I do this correctly. Moving blankets are sort of easy to get a hold also.... Do you cut this material or just stuff it in whole?


with my target I cut the clothes(geez it took *forever!*) into pieces about the size of a hand towel. my logic for this is to provide equal sizes for more uniform packing/filling. after completion I must note: when first starting don't overpack or the bottom of the target may bulge a little more than expected/wanted.


----------



## Bnbfishin

Picked up the target skins at the Oshkosh Deer Fest show a couple of weeks ago. Got the wood yesterday and this morning will be spent building. I already know I don't have enough clothing for this but I gotta start it sometime


----------



## Bnbfishin

Apparently this thread covers you if you actually have the 4'x4' model. Apparently I bought the 36" model while at the show  So after cutting my 2"x12"x8' into the 48" and 45" sections I got to cut (again) the 45" pieces down to 33". All is well. I was able to get this done this morning. I would like to add to predrill the holes for your screws to lessen the chance of the wood splitting on you. I used some pipe style clamps to keep the wood in place while I drilled the guide holes and installed the screws. I have a 2 wheeled hand dolly that is going to be used to move this thing around. That way I don't have to worry about shooting any tires  I also used the "weed preventer cloth" that landscapers use for the backing to the target face. 
Now to hunt down enough clothing/sheets to fill this thing.


----------



## pokeydave

I hit the jack pot at a nursing home for old bed sheets!!! So far I have 2 bags and Lord only knows how much more I will need.....


----------



## hoytbaxter

Tagged for reference. Ordered my 48" skins yesterday. I really likes the stained wooden boxes.


----------



## MattR_WI

I need to crack down and get a few of these made also. Way too many projects and the start of the season is about a month away.


----------



## mikesmith66

Are they clean when they give them to you ??



pokeydave said:


> I hit the jack pot at a nursing home for old bed sheets!!! So far I have 2 bags and Lord only knows how much more I will need.....


----------



## mikesmith66

Helped a buddy build this one yesterday using Thirdhandman's skins. We were going to originally just build the 4'x4' box and set it on an existing frame that his old target sat on. But then he decided to build legs for it after the box was already done. A little extra work, but it turned out well. We only bought the 2x12s for the box and leg supports. We stuffed it full of clothes and it stopped his crossbow bolt fired 5 feet from the target. Bolt only went it about halfway.


----------



## thirdhandman

Nice job!! That should take quite the pounding. Just be sure to move your target faces around for longer wear.


----------



## jmasiakos

So I finally got enough clothes to finish stuffing my 4 x 4. Took a couple of shots at 12 yds to test it out and i am very pleased. The corners had about 6-8" of penetration while the center had about 12". Need to shove some more clothes or blankets tighter in there.







Only problem is the orange dots I spray painted on came right off with the first shot on the center one. Any suggestions on what to use as an aiming target?


----------



## buckman2591

I use tape or black sharpie


----------



## thirdhandman

jmasiakos said:


> So I finally got enough clothes to finish stuffing my 4 x 4. Took a couple of shots at 12 yds to test it out and i am very pleased. The corners had about 6-8" of penetration while the center had about 12". Need to shove some more clothes or blankets tighter in there.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Only problem is the orange dots I spray painted on came right off with the first shot on the center one. Any suggestions on what to use as an aiming target?




These arrow mat targets are pretty good and if the shooter rotates them it makes the skins last much longer.


----------



## jmasiakos

Thanks guys. I was thinking of the arrowmats but how do you attach them to the skins without damaging them?


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## buckman2591

I use the finish nails with the 1" orange plastic washer on them


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## thirdhandman

Cap nails used in roofing. They have a ribbed shank with a plastic head on them. Get them at any roofing supply cheap.


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## buckman2591

thirdhandman said:


> Cap nails used in roofing. They have a ribbed shank with a plastic head on them. Get them at any roofing supply cheap.


There we go! That's the technical name for them


----------



## thirdhandman

Looks like we got a lot of targets going to be built this weekend. Bennet's Archery bought 8 of the 4'x4' targets for their range and 21 archers bought the 3'x3' skins. Were going to need a whole lot more old clothes. LOL


----------



## pokeydave

mikesmith66 said:


> Are they clean when they give them to you ??


Yeh Mike, they are washed! I double checked when I got them home....


----------



## thirdhandman

pokeydave said:


> Yeh Mike, they are washed! I double checked when I got them home....


Had a customer tell me last week that his wife had twins and they used real diapers. Now that the twins are out of diapers he filled the target with old diapers. He told me " he shoots the crap out of it".


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## buckman2591

Ha ha shoot the crap out of it! As it sits, I'll be doing a lot of that in two weeks. It's been almost 3 months without a day off and I've hit the targets for a total of two hours in 3 months


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## jmasiakos

Ordered the arrow mat targets from Amazon. Should get them by Monday. Woot!


----------



## thirdhandman

Be careful if you bought the dart board. The first thing everybody does is shoot the center. Once it is gone its gone.


----------



## stillern

Thanks for the materials list makes things a lot quicker! Did someone post this depth wasn't enough???

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4


----------



## Bnbfishin

HEre is my 3'x3' target. Like I said before I thought I bought the 48" skins but I purchased the 36" instead. This actually worked out pretty well because for one this target is plenty big enough for me to shoot up and second I was only able to half fill this one so far. I don't know when I would have ever filled the 48" model.


----------



## MattR_WI

Bnbfishin said:


> HEre is my 3'x3' target. Like I said before I thought I bought the 48" skins but I purchased the 36" instead. This actually worked out pretty well because for one this target is plenty big enough for me to shoot up and second I was only able to half fill this one so far. I don't know when I would have ever filled the 48" model.


Looks good.


----------



## buckman2591

Can't wait to start tuning my Black Eagle Carnivore's with a Third Hand target!!!! Gotta love a great target, a lifetime warranty on the bags and skins, not to mention Great customer service!


----------



## thirdhandman

Bnbfishin said:


> HEre is my 3'x3' target. Like I said before I thought I bought the 48" skins but I purchased the 36" instead. This actually worked out pretty well because for one this target is plenty big enough for me to shoot up and second I was only able to half fill this one so far. I don't know when I would have ever filled the 48" model.


Looks good so far. I like what you did with the extra foot of lumber on the bottom. Stapling job looks good should hold up well.:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


----------



## rodneyroberts32

Ok guys I need some advice here. I built a 3x4 and all these great looking targets the faces look totally flat. mine bulges out at the bottom and yes it was streched as tight as I could get it when I stapled it. I still have about 8 to ten inches at the top to finish stuffing. So it will only bulge more. I tried to keep them loose but arrows passed through it so I had to pack it as tight as I could as I put the clothes in it. Any advice???


----------



## thirdhandman

rodneyroberts32 said:


> Ok guys I need some advice here. I built a 3x4 and all these great looking targets the faces look totally flat. mine bulges out at the bottom and yes it was streched as tight as I could get it when I stapled it. I still have about 8 to ten inches at the top to finish stuffing. So it will only bulge more. I tried to keep them loose but arrows passed through it so I had to pack it as tight as I could as I put the clothes in it. Any advice???


Rodney I will be happy to help if you will post a picture so we can see what is happening. We need visual information.


----------



## rodneyroberts32

*Hey*

Sorry it rook me a few days to get the pics


----------



## Bnbfishin

Mine probably looks pretty close to that if I had all the clothes inside. Mine isn't full yet. I am guessing you have some heavier material near the bottom? As long as it isn't tearing away from the wood I would say shoot it and see how it goes.


rodneyroberts32 said:


> Sorry it rook me a few days to get the pics


----------



## thirdhandman

Rodney what size target did you build. How deep is it. Its hard to tell how much of a bulge that is but should hold up fine. Just looks a little overpacked to me. No big deal.


----------



## rocks281

Going to build on very soon. Two questions though. How many bags of clothes approximately for the 3'x3' target vs the 4'x4' target. And I have some rather heavy duty plastic sheathing or bags. I am thinking of using some of that as filler maybe around the sides or as the center fill layer sandwiched front and back by clothes. Is that a good idea and is one or the other a better place or should I just forget the plastic and use all cloth? Thanks.


----------



## thirdhandman

We only built one 4'x4' and I didn't keep track of the amount of clothing. The 3'x3' take me about two full 55 gallon contractors bags. My guess would be at least 4 full bags for a 4'x4'. 
Rags work best, sheets, blankets, towels, jeans, shirts etc. I don't thing a few plastic bags or plastic sheeting mixed with the clothing will hurt.


----------



## auwood74

Well not the best by all means but it will work. Not dont yet either, going to build a little cart to mount in on so I can pull it behind 4 wheeler wherever I need it. Still need to trim out the other side yet and more paint


----------



## Bnbfishin

My target still isn't fully packed with clothes but I had to shoot today. It was driving me nuts not shooting. I use my cart to move the target where I need it. It has solid rubber wheels so I don't have to worry about puncturing them. Darn easy to move it around using that thing. I use the same thing but with slightly larger wheels to drag deer out of the woods.


----------



## UKNick

I only have a short range at home so i go for small targets on my boss. Little (1 or 2 sq. inch) foam stickers from my childrens craft stuff like moose, reindeer, bears and yellow letter O and Xs mostly. They heal, dont fall off, dont rot. They amuse me too... who wouldnt want to shoot a penguin whos wearing a bobble hat?

forgot to hit quote but this was in reply to a question earlier in the thread


----------



## thirdhandman

auwood74 said:


> Well not the best by all means but it will work. Not dont yet either, going to build a little cart to mount in on so I can pull it behind 4 wheeler wherever I need it. Still need to trim out the other side yet and more paint


Nice job so far auwood; Without the wheels don't worry about someone walking off with it. LOL


----------



## thirdhandman

Bnbfishin said:


> My target still isn't fully packed with clothes but I had to shoot today. It was driving me nuts not shooting. I use my cart to move the target where I need it. It has solid rubber wheels so I don't have to worry about puncturing them. Darn easy to move it around using that thing. I use the same thing but with slightly larger wheels to drag deer out of the woods.


Nice setup bnbfishing; Especially like the elevated shooting position.


----------



## rodneyroberts32

Hey Jim it is 3' x 4'. its 12 in wide. and still has about 8 in in the top thats not packed yet.


----------



## dwagoner

GreenAcres said:


> The wheels are a great idea. I would be the first one to fire a bad shot and flatten a tire! (These things happen to me) :mg:


they make solid rubber ones for you then LOL 

im getting ready to build one and the wheels is something i already had in mind, luckily i have a harbor freight mins away, but your paint of your face for the spots is super awesome.... ill prolly cut out some cardboard and paint like yours and put SOLID wheels on like this one....


----------



## op27

Defiantly go with wheels. Man are they babies heavy once thy are filled.


----------



## thirdhandman

rodneyroberts32 said:


> Hey Jim it is 3' x 4'. its 12 in wide. and still has about 8 in in the top thats not packed yet.


What material is the target face that you are using? We don't make 3'x4' material.


----------



## rodneyroberts32

its yours, I bought the 4x4.


----------



## pokeydave

thirdhandman said:


> materials list
> 1 board 2"x12"x8'. Cut into one board 48" and one board 45"
> 1 board 2"x12"x12'. Cut into two boards 6 foot.
> 1 board 2"x8"x8'. Cut into two boards 2"x8"x3'. To be used as the feet to hold the target upright.
> 4 boards 1/4"x1 1/2" by 8'. Cut 4 boards 45" and 4 boards 48" for trim.
> 2 sheets of black plastic film 4'x4'
> Staples and 3" wood screws.
> A bunch of old clothes. About 3-4 55 gallon bags
> 1] cut a 8"x36" trap door in the middle of the 48" 2"x12"
> 2] lay boards on floor and screw the 48" 2x12 into the top of the two 6' 2x12's. Use a square when screwing them together.
> 3] Measure from the top of the top board down 48" on both 6' 2x12's. Keep the bottom of the 45" board on the 48"mark. Screw the 45" between the two 6' boards.
> 4] Staple black sheeting to front and back of box on all four corners. Over the top of the black plastic sheeting, staple all 4 corners of the skins snug without sagging. Once all four corners are snug then staple every 2" all the way around.
> 5] Screw in the trim boards overlapping the joints of the 2x12's.
> 6] Stand up target and screw in the 3' boards at the bottom of the 6' legs to make a foot to assist holding the target upright.
> 7]Toss the clothing in, cramming in the corners first and fill to the middle. For the higher poundage bows cram the rags in tighter all the way to the top.


Hey Jim... I have the frame made and was wondering if you cut most of the clothing, bed sheets etc. to fit better or so they don't cause "bulging". Also why the black plastic? Is this to help save the skins and/or slow the arrow. I ordered my skins for you on Sat. So the sooner you ship the sooner I shoot!!! LOL...

Thanks Dave


----------



## rodneyroberts32

The black backing is only so you dont see the clothing through the skins. I used shelf liner on mine and worked the same. All of my clothing I cut up some, just make sure you cut all buttons and zippers off.


----------



## thirdhandman

rodneyroberts32 said:


> its yours, I bought the 4x4.


I was wondering because you said 3'x4' but it looked like ours. All I can say is if it were stapled tight on all 4 corners first then stapled every 2" and covered with molding it should hold up fine. It will not be perfectly flat It may have 1" to 2" belly over the 3' when packing. If it is overstuffed bu cramming it may bulge a little more. It will start to bulge out the back after a couple hundred arrows. When it does, turn the target and shoot a couple hundred more.


----------



## thirdhandman

Awhile back it was mentioned to put rolled roofing on instead of plastic sheeting to give a uniform color. It does work. I also mentioned that spraying some wd40 would help protect it from bugs and somewhat repel rain. That also helps. What I just figured out now is we don't want to do both to one target. The WD40 will dissolve some of the tar in the roofing material and bleed into the skin.ukey: I should have taken a picture but gave the target to my son. He shoots anything.lol

When a 300fps fieldpoint hits a plastic button, it turns it into powder. When it hits a zipper, the zipper separates. In 25+ years of shooting bag targets I haven't replaced 20 fieldpoints.


----------



## Matt Musto

Jim has anyone ever tried filling the inside with expansion foam insulation? If so, what brand and how many cans? Ordering your skins now!


----------



## thirdhandman

Matt: Not that I'm aware of. Foam sticks to the arrow, is harder to pull and wears out. I guess it would be pretty expensive to fill one also. The spray foams are of a different density and texture. I don't think you would be happy.


----------



## Matt Musto

Placed my order Jim. I will stick to clothes, hopefully I can find enough...lol


----------



## rembrandt

A few weeks ago my wife and I moved back to Bama and its been alot of work to get everything unpacked. Just as we got about half way done my Dad past away and we had to go back to Texas. We are back now and today I bought the lumber to build the 3X3 target and I bought the treated 2X12s. My wife and I built the frame today and tomorrow I will put on the landscape cloth and the front skin. This thing is heavy for sure and when I get the front done I will ease it off the saw horses and unto its permanent place on the ground. I will then do the back. It will be worth the effort tho........I will have to put the knife making steps off for awhile however.......


----------



## JustJerry

I have been watching theses target building threads posted by Thirdhand with great interest! Last weekend I ordered a set of the 48" skins and they arrived with Thursday's mail. On Friday I went shopping for the materials and I have provided a copy of the sales receipt.









I've also provided a few pictures of the build stage. It cost a few dollars more, but I opted to use pressure treated wood. Once the wood has sun dried for a few weeks I will paint the whole target with an exterior latex paint. When I paint I will also put a roof over the target! Please let me know what you think!


----------



## JustJerry

I was super pleased with how the construction phase turned out! Thirdhand thank you for the skins and for such a great product ideas!!! Now I've got to get busy rustling up some old clothes to stuff my new toy with!


----------



## pokeydave

Looks Good Jerry..... 

I have mine made and almost ready to pack with clothes...... Need to figure out the wheels for the bottom and paint it!!! Jim from Third Hand Archery is a great guy for helping ALL of us with our projects!!!


----------



## rembrandt

JustJerry said:


> I have been watching theses target building threads posted by Thirdhand with great interest! Last weekend I ordered a set of the 48" skins and they arrived with Thursday's mail. On Friday I went shopping for the materials and I have provided a copy of the sales receipt.
> 
> View attachment 1758016
> 
> 
> I've also provided a few pictures of the build stage. It cost a few dollars more, but I opted to use pressure treated wood. Once the wood has sun dried for a few weeks I will paint the whole target with an exterior latex paint. When I paint I will also put a roof over the target! Please let me know what you think!
> View attachment 1758024


I do like the idea of the wheels. I bought all my lumber and extras from Lowes and with a 10% discount card mine came out at $90.00 and change. I will post photos when I get this thing done. I was thinking about putting a roof over it but I think I will find a way to cover it with a tarp. I will add an arrow holder however and move my Blob up next to the larger target due to having to use both hands to retrieve the arrows. It will be a nice set up when I finish and well worth the effort.


----------



## rembrandt

BTW, I wish I had seen yours before I put the base footing on mine. I would have gone with the wheels.


----------



## hooktc

Just finished mine today,now the stuffing begins.Target skins came Friday along with my bow holder for my treestand.
I put small casters on mine to ease moving it around.Think I am going to build another for the backyard


----------



## rembrandt

I wanted mine up around shoulder level so I had Lowes cut a 12'er in half. I will have photos of mine in a day or so. The only thing I'm a little concerned about is the length of the feet. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to extend them, especially in the rear.......


----------



## jmasiakos

My 4 x 4 in action . . .
http://youtu.be/sUcYBgvYZA4


----------



## jmasiakos

Sorry video got deleted by accident

http://youtu.be/oLee9WccspY


----------



## thirdhandman

You guys sure have been busy building some nice looking targets. Its sort of interesting that only one set of plans goes out and yet we haven't seen 2 targets look exactly the same yet. They all work, and all look great.:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


----------



## pa archer

Are going to have the 4x4 skins with you in Pa. this weekend ?


----------



## thirdhandman

Yes we will have 4'x4' , 3'x3' skins and Rag bags. Hope to see ya there.


----------



## rembrandt

thirdhandman said:


> You guys sure have been busy building some nice looking targets. Its sort of interesting that only one set of plans goes out and yet we haven't seen 2 targets look exactly the same yet. They all work, and all look great.:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


Take a look at mine posted here and on the General forum. It came out great and I'm loving it already.....thanks for a great product....


----------



## hoytlifer

Tagged


----------



## thirdhandman

Had 7 bow hunters buy the new 3'x3' Diy range target skins at the Forksville Pennsylvania bowhunters festival. They will be scattered around the mountains there


----------



## rembrandt

thirdhandman said:


> Had 7 bow hunters buy the new 3'x3' Diy range target skins at the Forksville Pennsylvania bowhunters festival. They will be scattered around the mountains there


No doubt Jim you have a fine product. I love the skins and it is easy to build the frame for it. I have to build another one so my son can have one and I intend to make this one even better. As soon as I get over this back pain I'm having, I will be getting the supplies.......


----------



## Fiferguy

thirdhandman said:


> You guys sure have been busy building some nice looking targets. Its sort of interesting that only one set of plans goes out and yet we haven't seen 2 targets look exactly the same yet. They all work, and all look great.:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


I'm betting that a lot of people don't read the instructions... 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


----------



## rembrandt

Fiferguy said:


> I'm betting that a lot of people don't read the instructions...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


I've been reading all these posts on the subject and it made it a lot easier for me to tackle the project......I had it figured out before I began but the smartest thing I did was have Lowes cut it out and it was like a kit to be put together........


----------



## g_whitcomb

I just use a regular size CD and a mini size CD, one large washer. Red and black magic markers and a yardstick. The black border was because I didn't read the instructions about using black plastic behind the skin to hide the clothes so..... Now you can't see the worst parts.


----------



## g_whitcomb

Mikey von said:


> I like your paint job. Care to share some tips?
> 
> Here is our target after about 1000 shots. It needs some repacking but is holding up great. It is fun to have 5 or so guys shooting at the same time. Really can't wait to get a dartboard up for some 40 yard cricket.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> close up:


I just use a regular size CD and a mini size CD, one large washer. Red and black magic markers and a yardstick. The black border was because I didn't read the instructions about using black plastic behind the skin to hide the clothes so..... Now you can't see the worst parts.


----------



## thirdhandman

Fiferguy said:


> I'm betting that a lot of people don't read the instructions...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


You are probably correct. After reading and seeing everyones step by step it is pretty easy and a lot of great ideas here. Thats is the beauty of our target. To each their own works well here.


----------



## JustJerry

Hey Jim, for the record I did read the instructions! By the way, Jim thank you for an awesome product!!!

Here are some follow-up photos of my target build! The target is painted and finally stuffed for shooting. It is a behemoth! I will be fabricating a removable roof so that I can re-pack as necessary.

A view from the side and the target looks pregnant!







Handle to tip the target dolly style on its' wheels.





I used this very heavy spud bar to pack most of the clothes very tight! It is amazing how tight the target has packed down and and how well the target stops arrows!!!


----------



## thirdhandman

Just Jerry: Looks great! might need a stronger axle. LOL Do you think it would be worth $45 a set printing 4 sets of 5 spot targets on each side. Been looking into that and I really like the Idea especially for indoor ranges. Looks like there is a possibility.


----------



## JustJerry

thirdhandman said:


> Just Jerry: Looks great! might need a stronger axle. LOL Do you think it would be worth $45 a set printing 4 sets of 5 spot targets on each side. Been looking into that and I really like the Idea especially for indoor ranges. Looks like there is a possibility.


Jim, you're right I may need a heavier duty axle! This thing is a beast, but it is 
exactly what I wanted! It's big and tall enough for blank baling for indoor winter practice. 
Yesterday after taking the latest pictures I shot my new target out 100 yds. I like it!!!
I like your idea for the printed 5 spot skins and I would buy some of those. 
My next target project will be the Third Hand stuffable target bags!


----------



## thirdhandman

Yup! I think if we can get them printed and to the pro shops for about $45- $50 they should sell well.


----------



## g_whitcomb

I finished the other side of my target with some fun stuff. "5 of hearts", some deer vitals, some spots and tic tac toe. All in different areas from the other side to use the stuffing more evenly . A couple of old aluminum arrows in the sides to hang your bow when pulling arrows. (Had to show off the Element) I did have to stuff in more old clothes to stop the FMJ's cause they came out the back about 6 inches. Now it's all good


----------



## thirdhandman

Nice job there green acres: How did you do the aiming dots?


----------



## CudaKing

Would fine mulch or playground rubber stuff work as a stuffing? Was thinking about that tonight...


----------



## g_whitcomb

thirdhandman said:


> Nice job there green acres: How did you do the aiming dots?


I use a regular size CD, a mini CD, a big washer, a yardstick and some markers. My target is mounted outside so I have to touch them up every so often, the red seems to fade the most. Thanks for the great product!


----------



## thirdhandman

CudaKing said:


> Would fine mulch or playground rubber stuff work as a stuffing? Was thinking about that tonight...


I haven't access to rubber playground material but I do believe it will work. If you fill it with rubber mulch, don't worry about somebody running off with it. LOL Regular mulch no.


----------



## thirdhandman

Just got word that we are going to produce a printed 4'x4' version. It will be four 5 spot targets on each side.


----------



## digitalhavok

thirdhandman said:


> Just got word that we are going to produce a printed 4'x4' version. It will be four 5 spot targets on each side.


Thirdman - do you think you will ever sell a 4'x4' stuff-able style bag? Thanks!


----------



## thirdhandman

No sir, we have no plans on a 4' bag and our 4' printed is on hold. Printer wasn't able to give a clean enough image.


----------



## aljburk

bump


----------



## crank78

third hand what shops have your targets in them. I think I may have shot a few of them lol. now I think im going to build one.


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## thirdhandman

DIY targets are not packaged for resale and are only sold direct at www.thirdhandarchery,com. The bag targets are sold direct as well as dealers. We sell to some dealers but most buy from our distributors and we don't get a listing of their customers.


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## aread

I have several worn out bag targets. Would the stuffing from them work with a 4 x 4 target?

It seems like it would, but I'm not sure how it would pack down.


----------



## thirdhandman

aread Thats a good question. It really depends on what type of industrial scrap your bags are filled with. Some are filled with the plastic screening from a window and door manufacturer. That will work if packed by hand. Some are packed with scrap cloth that will work. Scrap cotton only works when packed with additional clothing to keep it in place or packed extremely tight.
For our bag targets some will put in a black plastic bag first. Then fill to the top with cotton. Then take a piece of cloth or an old sock and put it over the nozzle of a shop vacuum and suck out all the air. Refill the plastic bag again and suck it out again. This is the only way I know that an individual can pack it tight enough without a machine. Hope this helps.


----------



## KimberTac1911

Any one using packing wrap of skids. I could get a ton free from work. I'm wanting to make a wall in my barn


----------



## thirdhandman

There have been a number of people tell me it works great. I personally feel old clothing works best. Possibly a mixture of both.


----------



## KimberTac1911

thirdhandman said:


> There have been a number of people tell me it works great. I personally feel old clothing works best. Possibly a mixture of both.


Could you the wrap as a filler so I don't need as much clothing


----------



## thirdhandman

Kimber: It will work that way. what I personally don't like is the plastic melting from the speed of the arrow and sticking to the shaft.


----------



## KimberTac1911

thirdhandman said:


> Kimber: It will work that way. what I personally don't like is the plastic melting from the speed of the arrow and sticking to the shaft.


Didnt think about that


----------



## thirdhandman

We have a company locally that makes plastic bags. I was able to get a 600 pound block of scrap bags. Thought I found gold.LOL I had them packed so tight that the arrow would fuse to it and couldn't get them out.


----------



## shovelhead 79

tagged!


----------



## westtexas arche

I like the idea of the third hand set up specially when adding the wheels to it.

I have different suggestion

If any of you live near a lake or the coast you might want to look into getting a block of foam from an old discarded floating dock. I acquired a 4'x8'x16" piece of foam as my back stop and placed a Rinehart target in front of it and it has lasted my 3 years so far. My target has a replaceable insert and that is the only thing that I will replace next year. My only cost was the target. Everything else was donated. The foam is also very durable. When I miss the target and hit the back stop the arrows don't go through the foam but I am sure they will eventually. Both the target and back stop are always outside and have held up just fine to the elements and what I like about it is there was no construction involved. 

Good hunting everybody
Genesis 9: 2,3


----------



## aljburk

I unwrapped a Christmas present last night. Two sets of 4 x 4 skins!!! Yikes! I'm gonna be asking everybody i know for scrap clothing. Lots of good ideas on this thread so far. I know i'm putting wheels on mine. Anymore THA Lifetime target builds out there?


----------



## g_whitcomb

aljburk said:


> Anymore THA Lifetime target builds out there?


I'm not sure mine will make a "lifetime". No matter what size/brand target tips I try, I can't find one the same diameter as my 340 Axis arrows. Too small, bad for the shaft. Too big, bad for the target. Every time I pull an arrow it tears the fibers. I'm at a loss?


----------



## guido316

I have a cloth filled target 3.5' X 4.5' wrapped in a plastic tarp with a small roof over it and the target is still going strong with 4 years of use. I built a 4 X 4 portable target and used plastic wrapping that I use in the garage for tuning. The plastic wrap will certainly stop an arrow, however, the melting on the shaft gets a little old. What you don't want to do is lube up your arrow shaft with WD-40 and shoot into the plastic filled one. Lots of penetration! I'm using target nibs, and field points.


----------



## Munshaw

Anyone think that making the top of the frame on a hinge, and putting several layers of 2" extruded polystyrene panels inside? Would be completely modular and replaceable. Don't know how quickly they'd deteriorate, but the fronts could be rotated around to the back, and flipped etc. then when they were worn out, buy a couple new, cut to fit, and replace in the top. Completely weather/ mould proof as well if you use pressure treat.


----------



## coop923

I'm getting ready to order my skins and would like to use plastic grocery bags as target fill. Our local club uses them with good success in targets compressed with allthread. Has anyone tried this with THA faces?


----------



## thirdhandman

If you are satisfied with the results you get from the club, It will be the same. Plastic does stick to the arrow, just like it does at the club.
The target faces are just that, target faces. The faces have absolutely no stopping power, they are just to hold the medium in and give you aiming spots. While plastic can work, clothing works best. Hope this helps


----------



## coop923

Thanks Jim! I haven't noticed the straight plastic grocery bags sticking to the arrows. The biggest drawback I see is that I'm pretty sure they break down faster than the shrink wrap-style plastics. Maybe I'll re-think that plan, but I'm ordering faces today. I'll post what I come up with either way.


----------



## thirdhandman

Coop: A mixture of old clothes with the bags would probably help.


----------



## MACHINST

Just ordered my faces today to make my target.Cant wait!!


----------



## buckman2591

You will definitely love it and it'll last a lifetime of shooting!


----------



## turkeyhunter60

I went too a Mattress Factory and got there Foam Scraps Free....Stuffed them in a Gunny Sack filled with the Foam Scraps...Works real good...


----------



## hookemaster19

Hey guys, I'm very interested in building a few of these targets and I know 98% are filled with clothes and linen. My BIL works for a company that Super Shreds memory foam for military and space technology testing. They literally can Shred down 6 queen size mattresses of memory foam and fit it in a 33 gallon garbage bag. Like most govt. programs they throw away like tons of foam each year. My BIL can bring home 100lbs a week but they have to sign a waiver of no sale or usage in a patent design of there own. I seen a sample today and these pieces are like confetti or a egg noodle would be the best desc.

So what does everyone think yes,no,maybe???


----------



## Tommy petty

hookemaster19 said:


> Hey guys, I'm very interested in building a few of these targets and I know 98% are filled with clothes and linen. My BIL works for a company that Super Shreds memory foam for military and space technology testing. They literally can Shred down 6 queen size mattresses of memory foam and fit it in a 33 gallon garbage bag. Like most govt. programs they throw away like tons of foam each year. My BIL can bring home 100lbs a week but they have to sign a waiver of no sale or usage in a patent design of there own. I seen a sample today and these pieces are like confetti or a egg noodle would be the best desc.
> 
> So what does everyone think yes,no,maybe???


Sounds like it would definately be worth trying.


----------



## MACHINST

I would get a burlap sack or fill a old shirt and run a arrow into it to see.


----------



## aljburk

hookemaster19 said:


> Hey guys, I'm very interested in building a few of these targets and I know 98% are filled with clothes and linen. My BIL works for a company that Super Shreds memory foam for military and space technology testing. They literally can Shred down 6 queen size mattresses of memory foam and fit it in a 33 gallon garbage bag. Like most govt. programs they throw away like tons of foam each year. My BIL can bring home 100lbs a week but they have to sign a waiver of no sale or usage in a patent design of there own. I seen a sample today and these pieces are like confetti or a egg noodle would be the best desc.
> 
> So what does everyone think yes,no,maybe???


The garbage and shop vac trick would probably work best for this material.


----------



## hookemaster19

Aljburk, I see you live in St Clair, there is a place called the foamfactory.com up by you. They have a machine like my BIL place that shreds micro foam and i called them and they have had many people contact them about the foam for targets. They sell it in 22lb bags to the public.
I think that between 4-5 bed comforters and a bag of foam from my BIL will make a good fill combination so I'm gonna order some target faces and build the frame this weekend and give it hell.


----------



## Wisbuck

KimberTac1911 said:


> Any one using packing wrap of skids. I could get a ton free from work. I'm wanting to make a wall in my barn


Absolutely, that's all I use in my Thirdhand bag targets. Weather proof and 1/4 the weight of clothes.


----------



## aljburk

hookemaster19 said:


> Aljburk, I see you live in St Clair, there is a place called the foamfactory.com up by you. They have a machine like my BIL place that shreds micro foam and i called them and they have had many people contact them about the foam for targets. They sell it in 22lb bags to the public.
> I think that between 4-5 bed comforters and a bag of foam from my BIL will make a good fill combination so I'm gonna order some target faces and build the frame this weekend and give it hell.


I know that place! Did they give you a price?


----------



## hookemaster19

aljburk said:


> I know that place! Did they give you a price?


$24.00+tax for pick up. I live in Monroe Co. But come up that way to shoot all the time. They have never done any archery testing with the foam the guy said but he then went on to say that he has hundreds of inquiries every year about it and that he has a few guys that are regulars for purchasing the foam for archery clubs.


----------



## Wagnon89

Just ordered a set of the 4x4 blanks. Can't wait to get started on my target!


----------



## thirdhandman

hookemaster19 said:


> Hey guys, I'm very interested in building a few of these targets and I know 98% are filled with clothes and linen. My BIL works for a company that Super Shreds memory foam for military and space technology testing. They literally can Shred down 6 queen size mattresses of memory foam and fit it in a 33 gallon garbage bag. Like most govt. programs they throw away like tons of foam each year. My BIL can bring home 100lbs a week but they have to sign a waiver of no sale or usage in a patent design of there own. I seen a sample today and these pieces are like confetti or a egg noodle would be the best desc.
> 
> So what does everyone think yes,no,maybe???


Sorry to take so long for the reply. I think that if you compressed 100lbs in the box it may work. If it does work you could very well be on your way to a side business. building targets for $60 and selling them for $400 like the big boys do. They are all filled with scrap from some factory.


----------



## Blacktailbustr

Built mine today 48"x48" using 2x12's. Netting is stabilization netting and face is stabilization fabric which is super thick and strong. Inbetween the face and netting is a layer of outdoor carpet. Target does not bulge at all. I have it filled with anything and everything you can think of.


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## basnbuks

Tagged


----------



## poetic

hi.. got a couple questions.. first, i have a bunch of Lath left over from covering my windows with plastic for the winter.. which its almost April and still winter here in northern MN.. could the Lath be used instead of "4 boards 1/4"x1 1/2" by 8'. Cut 4 boards 45" and 4 boards 48" for trim" ? also i seem to not be able to find "2 sheets of black plastic film 4'x4' "... and dont wanna spend $20 at menards for a roll of it when i dont plan on using afterwards. any suggestions on what i may be able to use as a alternative? thank you for the help.


----------



## thirdhandman

Wood lath can be used for trim. The black plastic is to do one thing. Keep the color of your clothes from showing through the target skin. Anything material of one solid color will work. A dark sheet, tablecloth, curtain. Just a solid color.


----------



## poetic

thank you... i will order a 4'x4' skin on next pay check. gonna start building box now. my brother is gonna be so jealous. he just, last week bought a $80 12"x12" shooting block from cabela's.. not even gonna tell him that im making it. and then call him over to shoot. knowing that he's gonna bring his "shooting block" than walk around my house to see this bad boy... im gonna love it...thanks so much thirdhand......


----------



## thirdhandman

Sounds great poetic. Have the camera waiting for his facial expressions. Post up pics later. lol


----------



## poetic

Well. I'm on my way to collecting fabric for my box. Good thing I work a shade making workroom. So i have access to all and any types of fabric I want. I'm getting nice pieces of hemp fabric. And cotton. They seem to be the toughest, and thickest. Thick as in shooting durability. Not as in thickness. Remember I make shades for windows. But all around 3x5 feet. What or should I cut them down to? I read on here about hand towel size? Or should I cut down to wash cloth size? Thank you.


----------



## thirdhandman

Poetic: In 25 years of shooting rag targets, I personally have never cut any zippers, or plastic buttons off. The metal buttons can damage a fieldpoint. As far as cutting clothes down, we have never done that either. Ours seem to work just fine, cut away if you like. 
It could turn out to be a cut above ours. :thumbs_up


----------



## Rex D

thirdhandman said:


> Poetic: In 25 years of shooting rag targets, I personally have never cut any zippers, or plastic buttons off. The metal buttons can damage a fieldpoint. As far as cutting clothes down, we have never done that either. Ours seem to work just fine, cut away if you like.
> It could turn out to be a cut above ours. :thumbs_up


I'm in the process of trying to fill mine right now.. So you don't cut the fabric down? Just throw shirts, shorts, sweats, pants etc in as is? What about blankets/comforters or bedding sheets? Do you recommend cutting those down?

I've read where people say to stay away from denim. Not just because of the metal from the zippers and buttons but because it makes arrow removal difficult. What are your thoughts on that?


----------



## thirdhandman

Rex: I don't cut anything down. The reason the store bought targets have cut up pieces is because it is scrap that is left over from the sewing factory. They get paid to haul scrap out from a factory and put it in the bag.
Blue jeans will make it harder to pull your arrow out if the field point or insert is larger than the arrow or the fieldpoint got loose.


----------



## newtonbowhunter

Just ordered my 4x4 skins to start my new project http://www.thirdhandarchery.com/product.asp?PRODID=23


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## newtonbowhunter

I have 3 kitchen size trash bags full of old clothes. How many does it take to fill one up?


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## buckman2591

To fill a 4x4, you're looking at 150-180 gallons of cloth material


----------



## rocks281

Getting ready to finally get this project off the ground. Hopefully pick up the lumber from my folks next weekend. 

Jim, have you ever filled a target with the backside open, put all your clothes in and used some kind of long dowel or 2"x4" the width of the target for compaction? Could this work faster or is there something I'm missing as to why you put all the clothes in from the top, poking and prodding them down with a rod or pole? I suppose with the back side on, you're pushing against it as well? Just curious.

Looking to get my skins order in soon.


----------



## g_whitcomb

rocks281 said:


> Getting ready to finally get this project off the ground. Hopefully pick up the lumber from my folks next weekend.
> 
> Jim, have you ever filled a target with the backside open, put all your clothes in and used some kind of long dowel or 2"x4" the width of the target for compaction? Could this work faster or is there something I'm missing as to why you put all the clothes in from the top, poking and prodding them down with a rod or pole? I suppose with the back side on, you're pushing against it as well? Just curious.
> 
> Looking to get my skins order in soon.


I filled mine that way and in the long run it would have been easier to do all the poking to get everything packed really good. I had soft spots an spent too much time fixing them. Just my 2 cents.


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## thirdhandman

Rocks. When I put the skins on, there is no real pressure on them except a little tugging to get them straight. Then I pack them after the skins are on tight. Not sure I would be able to get the skins on that tight when it is full of clothes.:noidea:


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## rocks281

Greenacres and Thirdhand - makes sense. Thanks!


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## dirtburn

Just ordered my 36" skins, looking forward to this project!


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## jr80

Tag for later


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## rsitzejr

Just got mine yesterday, target build is started. Will take me a bit as I only get to work on it evenings right now.


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## thirdhandman

rsitzejr: Thanks for buying American. Take your time. Might as well make it something special. You will be shooting it for many years.:thumbs_up


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## dirtburn

OK I have my skins and I'm ready to built my 3' x 3' x 1' target, i will be stuffing it with an assortment of clothes and a lot of towels. My plans are to build it reversible so I can shoot both sides but I am concerned about the arrows going through the back skin. Should I be worried about that, the bows that will be shooting it the most range from 300 to 320 fps.


----------



## thirdhandman

Dirtburn: Thanks for buying American. Take your time building your target, as it will last for years and you are the one looking at it. Might as well be proud of building it yourself. 
The concern of shooting through the target. If you shot the same spot over and over and over eventually you will bore a hole through a telephone pole. That said, if you shoot all the spots, one arrow at a time you will not have any problems until the bow is shooting over 375 fps. At that point consider building the target 18" deep.


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## dirtburn

Thanks for offering it! Yeah my son and I are building it into a fence line so we are taking our time so it looks good. By the way I picked up a few of your hip clips, great product really helps take the load off.


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## oldcars

Just finished my target frame and the mail lady showed up with the skins, put it together with lag bolts and braced it real good.. Doubled the heavy black ground cover and pulled it till it sounds like a drum then stapled and framed the targets on both sides. All that's left is paint and a roof since it will stay outside all year. Now to go to the thrift stores and get some old clothes to fill it. Goodwill sells the stuff they can't sell cheap by the pound.


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## thirdhandman

The target looks great my friend. The old car looks better.


----------



## awarsoca

thirdhandman said:


> The target looks great my friend. The old car looks better.


+1 (c:


----------



## phantom1

Great target building thread. Tagged to read later and ttt.


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## rduchateau2954

I've been collecting cloths for a few months now in preparation for building one of these. Before I start this I want to run some things by y'all. 

I have woods behind my house and I will be clearing a lane so that I can shoot from 20-80 yards. So I want the target to be mobile. It also needs to be mobile because there is a herd of unsupervised children next door who are enthralled with me shooting. So here goes. 

I'm thinking about using some knobby tire casters so that the whole shebang rolls. Like these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-inch-pneumatic-swivel-caster-38944.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-in-pneumatic-caster-61450.html

Do you think that I should go with 2 fixed and 2 swivel casters or 4 swivel? 

Also, how are you making the cut for the trap door? I had assumed you all were plunge cutting with a circular saw but I don't see any telltale cut marks.


----------



## thirdhandman

Herd of kids? I don't know that making it movable will change anything with the kids. Moving the target to get different yardages is a pita especially in the woods. If it were me I would put it at the furthest yardage and put ground bow holders at 10 yard increments. www.groundbowholder.com They are cheaper than casters and the range is always ready to be shot. Just cover the target when not being used to keep the sun off.

If you do decide to use casters. Use the 10" ones, they go over bumps etc much better than the small ones. Use two fixed and two swivel as 4 swivel is hard to control. Make it a great day my friend!


----------



## rduchateau2954

Yes I have a feral herd of children. They have no concept of danger, manners, personal property, or property boundaries. It needs to be mobile to avoid being a playground.


----------



## thirdhandman

Considering the distance to and from the target area, and the ground being a little bumpy, may I suggest going with the larger 10" wheels. They will roll over the bumpy ground better than 6". Putting a handle on the side with the swivel casters will make it easier to pull.


----------



## rduchateau2954

Hwy thirdhandman, you need to start thinking up some new products! With the purchase of target skins yesterday I think I own about 90% if your products.

On a side note, what do you think about using mattress foam?


----------



## i8yr5_0

Ok I bought all the materials to build a 4'x8'x16" target today. I do not like the bulged out targets from stuffing them I want a smooth target. So has anyone put an air gap between the white taget face and your stuffed target?


----------



## Roland Johnson

Just finished mine, came out great. Thanks.


----------



## thirdhandman

i8yr5_0 said:


> Ok I bought all the materials to build a 4'x8'x16" target today. I do not like the bulged out targets from stuffing them I want a smooth target. So has anyone put an air gap between the white taget face and your stuffed target?










This target was built with the skin right on the 2x12 without any chicken wire. It might be bulged 1" in the middle. I don't know what will happen if you try to double up the fabric to make 8'.


----------



## i8yr5_0

I'm putting a divider in the middle so there will be 2 separate 4x4 targets.


----------



## thirdhandman

That will help. Are you basically building 2 4x4's connected?


----------



## rduchateau2954

How are you guys making the cut for the trap door in the top?


----------



## thirdhandman

I use a plunge cut. Video showing how to here.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rz0OgrP3Zk


----------



## rduchateau2954

I got you, that's what I figured but I wasn't seeing any of that little bit extra cut from a circular so I was wondering if I was missing something thanks guys.


----------



## i8yr5_0

Yes 2-4x4 targets connected to keep everything tight. I wanted this so I can run different styles of targets because I shoot a large variety of distances.


----------



## ndbwhunter

I'm having issues with my arrows blowing through the target. I'm shooting in my shop at a distance of about 8 yards. Is this too close? I've stuffed and restuffed and stuffed some more, and I always seem to find a soft spot in the target. I used old rags as stuffing material, and the target probably weighs close to 250lbs. The dimensions are 36x36x15". What should I do? I can't get anymore more material into the target. The face is already bulging quite a bit, and it is packed TIGHT!


----------



## thirdhandman

Its pretty simple. Shoot all the spots. If you shoot the same spot over and over, it will bore a hole through the clothing or even a telephone pole. By mixing it up shooting multiple spots it moves the clothing around. When the target starts to bulge, it is time to turn it around and shoot the clothing back into place.
Give that a try and see what happens.


----------



## ndbwhunter

thirdhandman said:


> Its pretty simple. Shoot all the spots. If you shoot the same spot over and over, it will bore a hole through the clothing or even a telephone pole. By mixing it up shooting multiple spots it moves the clothing around. When the target starts to bulge, it is time to turn it around and shoot the clothing back into place.
> Give that a try and see what happens.


The target only has about 20 arrows through it, so it's not worn from shooting. It's bulging from being packed so tight, which is why I can't figure out why I'm blowing through it. I used old rags to fill it. I balled up each one individually, and packed it with a broom handle.


----------



## thirdhandman

shooting 60 lbs or so KE at the same spot will punch a hole through it. You have to rotate spots which pulls the clothes around and closes the holes.


----------



## crab4life

Lowe's has 10 sq feet of barkamulch for 10 bucks. Would just barkamulch in my target be ok?


----------



## buckman2591

Honestly, give it a try. I have yet to see anyone stuff a rag bag with it yet. With that, you would have to pack it extremely tight, as the mulch would compress only about 3% compared to cotton material


----------



## thirdhandman

crab4life said:


> Lowe's has 10 sq feet of barkamulch for 10 bucks. Would just barkamulch in my target be ok?


Crab: I have seen ground up rubber like in playgrounds used and it worked ok but heavy. I can't honestly answer about mulch. I have never seen or tried. I would think that if there were chunks of bark or wood you may possibly get an arrow stuck and tear the cover when removing.


----------



## dirtburn

Finally got ours finished. My son's Scout project was building the fence so we decided to work it in with it. We filled it with hand and bath towels and it seems to work great. getting about 8-9 inches penetration at 300fps and arrows are easy to remove. I weanted to be able to use both skins so I built it to ratate, hopefully get more life out of it that way. Thanks again for a well made product.


----------



## Team Shack

Where did you get the white mess material for this target, it looks very similar to the material that spyder web uses on there targets.


----------



## Mrcnwlvrn

Tagged


----------



## gettinold

tag


----------



## thirdhandman

rduchateau2954 said:


> Hwy thirdhandman, you need to start thinking up some new products! With the purchase of target skins yesterday I think I own about 90% if your products.
> 
> On a side note, what do you think about using mattress foam?


Ive been told mattress foam only works a short while. I haven't tried it.


----------



## thirdhandman

Team Shack said:


> Where did you get the white mess material for this target, it looks very similar to the material that spyder web uses on there targets.


I'm guessing you are asking about the faces of the targets. If so www.diyrangetargets.com will get you there.


----------



## rduchateau2954

Started mine today. It's coming along!


----------



## rut hunt

What do you think thirdhandman? Should I cut it up or just pack it in there


----------



## thirdhandman

I've never used carpet.


----------



## rut hunt

thirdhandman said:


> I've never used carpet.


Its really old and doesn't have any rigidity left on the glue/ bottom side figured it would make good material and it was free


----------



## tackscall

As far as building the box, if you don't own a Kreg Jig, Father's Day is coming up. That tool is SWEET.


----------



## wildlfehrtsrgon

Anyone see a problem with using 1x material instead of 2x material for the build just to lighten it up? Awesome targets guys!! would really like to make one.


----------



## thirdhandman

We made 3 targets 16" deep out of 2 pieces of 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" plywood. Just brace the inside corners with a 16" 2x2.


----------



## jr80

rut hunt said:


> What do you think thirdhandman? Should I cut it up or just pack it in there


There's some pretty sweet lookin DIY targets here where they cut the carpet in strips and pile the pieces on top of each other. I started one but ran out of carpet.


----------



## jr80

@thirdhandmam, is the target cover material the same as in bulk bags? I have several bags that had seed soybeans in them that I can use to make a few target skins out of. It appears to be a woven plastic material and is pretty strong. We can raise the bags filled with just over a ton of beans 20' in the air with our forklift.


----------



## buckman2591

I would say no, they aren't the same


----------



## thirdhandman

jr80 said:


> @thirdhandmam, is the target cover material the same as in bulk bags? I have several bags that had seed soybeans in them that I can use to make a few target skins out of. It appears to be a woven plastic material and is pretty strong. We can raise the bags filled with just over a ton of beans 20' in the air with our forklift.


They all look the same until you have them side by side and there is a huge difference. Ours last much longer than any of the targets let alone dog food or bean bags.


----------



## cougarIIInow

tagged


----------



## DrewJF8

Marked.


----------



## peteinvermont

If the thirdhand skins are 48" square, would it be best to make the size of the frame 45"x45" so that there's more overlap in material for keeping it tight, or am I misunderstanding the specs?


----------



## buckman2591

I build them to spec on the provided directions and use a trim strip to keep it tight


----------



## peteinvermont

buckman2591 said:


> I build them to spec on the provided directions and use a trim strip to keep it tight


and that seems to keep them tight? I guess no need to change what works then. Thanks.


----------



## buckman2591

I staple the skin down every 4-6" then I put the trim strip on and my target skins are as flat as the day I put them on the frame


----------



## thirdhandman

peteinvermont said:


> If the thirdhand skins are 48" square, would it be best to make the size of the frame 45"x45" so that there's more overlap in material for keeping it tight, or am I misunderstanding the specs?


Good question peteinvermont. If you are using the plans that come with the skins, build the box out of 2"x12" at 4'x4'. That will give you 1 1/2" to staple to the face then cover the staples with a 1 1/2" trim board. The trim board gives a finished look but helps hold the staples in place.


----------



## peteinvermont

buckman2591 said:


> I staple the skin down every 4-6" then I put the trim strip on and my target skins are as flat as the day I put them on the frame


I guess that answers it. Thanks buck.


----------



## peteinvermont

thirdhandman said:


> Good question peteinvermont. If you are using the plans that come with the skins, build the box out of 2"x12" at 4'x4'. That will give you 1 1/2" to staple to the face then cover the staples with a 1 1/2" trim board. The trim board gives a finished look but helps hold the staples in place.


I didn't know the skins came with plans - fantastic. Thanks Jim. I hope to go pick up lumber in the next few days and get my order in.


----------



## twostroke24

how do these hold up to broadheads.....I made a styrofoam block stuffed with clothes one time but I had a hell of a time getting the arrows out after when using broadheads.


----------



## b0w_bender

twostroke24 said:


> how do these hold up to broadheads.....I made a styrofoam block stuffed with clothes one time but I had a hell of a time getting the arrows out after when using broadheads.


I don't think you would want to use broadheads with this type of targets. IMHO a 3 sided box full of sand works best for broadheads, it stops the arrows forever never wears out. Well or until the ants carry away the sand.


----------



## twostroke24

Thats a great idea!!!...........does the sand dull the blades quicker??? and what do you use on the outside to hold the sand in???





b0w_bender said:


> I don't think you would want to use broadheads with this type of targets. IMHO a 3 sided box full of sand works best for broadheads, it stops the arrows forever never wears out. Well or until the ants carry away the sand.


----------



## b0w_bender

You shouldn't be trying to use the blades you practice with for hunting. I usually sacrifice the first three broadheads I buy to be practice heads. I paint them red so I never get confused and they are forever the practice heads. I actually intentionally dull them so I can safely handle them. I suppose that if you are using heads that you sharpen then they could be resharpened but sand will significantly dull them. 

What I've done in the past was to build a box out of plywood with most of the top removed and the front open. fill it with sand and have at it.
Unfortunately as a target they aren't very portable though.:wink:


----------



## thirdhandman

twostroke24 said:


> how do these hold up to broadheads.....I made a styrofoam block stuffed with clothes one time but I had a hell of a time getting the arrows out after when using broadheads.


If your broadhead doesn't cut the heck out of the target, I highly suggest getting new broadheads. These targets are for Field points only. 
*Here is a tip for a great broadhead target. Take a rototiller and till up some dirt. Make sure all roots and stones are removed. Take a 24" square box and fill it tightly with the dirt. Tape the box shut and draw some dots on it. When you shoot the dirt will stop the arrow just like missing a deer. Since the dirt is granulated the box will pull most of the dirt of when removing the arrow.*


----------



## mjgonzo

I have myself and four kids shooting so a bag target lasts about 3 months. Ordered my skins today to make a target that will last.

Thanks


----------



## sam4836

Would 1x wood work to help make it a little lighter? Don't know if it would be cheaper though


----------



## buckman2591

1x would work. Corners would need reinforced. But what if your arrow hits the frame, your arrow is going to almost destroy the frame on impact


----------



## Grizzlemethis

I need to stop being lazy and make one of these...maybe this weekend if I ever get anytime


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## buckman2591

Fall is in the air. My arrows will be headed down range tonight at my range full of Third Hand Archery targets!


----------



## thirdhandman

mjgonzo said:


> I have myself and four kids shooting so a bag target lasts about 3 months. Ordered my skins today to make a target that will last.
> 
> Thanks


we appreciate the business thanks for your support.


----------



## Chubsy

After seeing Ride394's target firsthand and shooting into it, I decided I needed one. However, didn't really want / need such a monstrosity. I built a 30" X 33 1/4"hanging target. I opted for 2 X 10 frame with covers that I had acquired through Ride394. Framework was built from 2" sch. 40 PVC. Pics of frame were before being glued together, which is why it looks crooked. Framework is all glued together and it works great. Will post finish pics when I get the frame painted.


----------



## mjgonzo

.QUOTE=thirdhandman;1070710606]we appreciate the business thanks for your support.[/QUOTE]

Got it finished today. Kids added spots to on one side and they want zombies on the other side.


----------



## thirdhandman

Looks great! Should be a lot of fun.


----------



## sam4836

Without reading 13 pages, does carpet work and do you cut into strips? Ours is coming out this weekend


----------



## buckman2591

Strips will work if compressed between two objects to create friction on the arrow


----------



## thirdhandman

I have never used carpet. It doesn't have give to it like rags do. If you stacked the carpet and banded it it will stop arrows and then just attach the target faces to the cube. But I would thing cutting carpet would be a pita and not work well. jmo


----------



## buckman2591

Tried It And carpet sucked. Took forever to cut carpet so I scrapped the idea. Rags are the way to go... Less work and more time shooting!


----------



## PyrateLV

Great idea.
Tagged for later


----------



## newtonbowhunter

Finally took the time to build my target today. Shot a few arrows in it at 20yds only about 5" of penetration.


----------



## tackscall

newtonbowhunter said:


> Finally took the time to build my target today. Shot a few arrows in it at 20yds only about 5" of penetration.


That's a beast! I love it


----------



## newtonbowhunter

tackscall said:


> That's a beast! I love it


Thanks I have a couple pieces of old tin I'm going to build a roof for it.


----------



## thirdhandman

Hey Newt: Nice job:thumbs_up. If you want it to last years take that blue tarp and cover it when not in use. If we shoot an hour a day, which is a lot for most of us, that means the target is baking the rest of the day.
Sun will eat the paint off an unprotected car and does horrible damage to all targets. There is a new product I found this weekend called a target tarp. It custom fits box,bag, and 3 d targets. Anyone interested here is his www.archerytargetcover.com


----------



## JTank70

Inspired by the many already posted, here is my new 3x3 Third Hand Archery skinned target.









Had my skins since the Veteran sale Jim had on the Fourth of July,
Been saving up stuff to fill it with and buying the lumber and finally got around to building it,

It is two sided with the target circle skin on the opposite side.
Frame is all pressure treated 2x12's and 2x4's.
Deck screwed together.

Filling with old clothes and some shrink wrap form work, It is almost full. 
Probably one more small bag of clothes will do it.

I Think I am going to add a couple of bow hangers, arrow tubes, and might just pick up one of those target tarps for it soon too.

My 10 year old son & I shot the deer and coyote tonight. Waiting to shoot the turkey when it is all full.
The arrow hit is quite a bit louder than shooting the Third Hand rag bag target. My son liked that smack.

Thanks Jim, 
Especially for the Sale you had on the 4th. I really appreciate it.

Loving the ground bow holder too. I am going to pick up a couple more of those sometime too.

JT


----------



## JTank70

Jim,

What size Target Tarp do you think I would need for this?

It is 5 feet tall 36x36x12.5"

Not sure what size you targets and tarps are in your pics.

Thanks


Edit, I see they have dimensions on there sight.
looks like a medium will fit


----------



## Archer1979

thirdhandman said:


> Hey Newt: Nice job:thumbs_up. If you want it to last years take that blue tarp and cover it when not in use. If we shoot an hour a day, which is a lot for most of us, that means the target is baking the rest of the day.
> Sun will eat the paint off an unprotected car and does horrible damage to all targets. There is a new product I found this weekend called a target tarp. It custom fits box,bag, and 3 d targets. Anyone interested here is his www.archerytargetcover.com
> View attachment 2022226


I tried telling you about this a year ago....see post #95 on pg 4...but thanks for giving every one the heads up again!


----------



## thirdhandman

JTank70 said:


> Jim,
> 
> What size Target Tarp do you think I would need for this?
> 
> It is 5 feet tall 36x36x12.5"
> 
> Not sure what size you targets and tarps are in your pics.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> Edit, I see they have dimensions on there sight.
> looks like a medium will fit


I'm not real sure as it is not our product. Their website has dementions.


----------



## thirdhandman

Archer1979 said:


> I tried telling you about this a year ago....see post #95 on pg 4...but thanks for giving every one the heads up again!


Archer1979: I totally missed that post. Further proof that I'm getting old and slower.


----------



## buckman2591

I might need to get me some, as time hasn't allowed nearly enough shooting


----------



## Archer1979

thirdhandman said:


> Archer1979: I totally missed that post. Further proof that I'm getting old and slower.


That's the great thing about archery, no matter how old you get your bow never gets slower! :wink:


----------



## newtonbowhunter

I went to a local resale shop and bought 4 big bags of clothes from them for 2 dollars a bag. That was enough to finish filling mine. Me my son and friends have been shooting mine. We like it a lot, and it has stopped every arrow so far with 0 pass through.


----------



## NALBowhunter

Looks great. Tagged for project.


----------



## russellm66

Here's a few pictures of my 4'x4' Box Target. I used 2"x6" treated lumber from my brother-in-laws deck that he tore down. The face is used silt fence from a job site.


----------



## thirdhandman

Looks great russelm. When the face wears out give us a call. Our skins last a whole lot longer then the black silt.


----------



## 12PointJedi

Good looking projects both, Newt and Russelm. 
So Russell, yours is nominally 13" thick. What's in it ad how much penetration?


----------



## buckman2591

12point, I thought he was using 2x6?


----------



## russellm66

it's 11" wide stuff with yard furniture cushions and old clothes. Yes Jim this is what it's replacing . I have had this thirdhand bag target for over 20 years . I have had to restuff it but other then that it's been a good one


----------



## fgignac

tag


----------



## thirdhandman

russellm66 said:


> it's 11" wide stuff with yard furniture cushions and old clothes. Yes Jim this is what it's replacing . I have had this thirdhand bag target for over 20 years . I have had to restuff it but other then that it's been a good one


Glad to hear the Rag Bag Is Still working after 20 years. Covering it from the sun when not in use sure paid off. Ya did a great job on the 4'x4'.


----------



## halfseminole

How would one of these handle the 1500gr+ arrows from my 70#@38" Manchu warbow? Everything I've tried so far has ended up with 18"or so sticking out of the target, and that's with bullet points. I haven't gotten the nerve up to try plum needle arrows, seems that they would blow straight through my setup, which is a foam block in front of a 40# bale of cardboard. I can still get an arrow sticking out on both ends.

Not a normal setup, but I find recreating Asian archery to be fun and relaxing. Also, the bows are short enough for my wheelchair. That helps a lot.


----------



## thirdhandman

The clothing acts a little differently than foam. It gives and gradually slows the bow down. I'm not familiar with the setup you are speaking, but you can build our targets as thick as necessary. 12" thick will stop a 350 gr arrow at 350 fps. 18" will stop a 400 gr arrow 400 fps. I haven't built anything deeper because I don't want to lose the arrow in the middle.


----------



## buckman2591

Build one 20 inches deep and get the clothing packed really tight, should stop anything you throw at it


----------



## 86irocz28

How do you think the target hold up to victory VAP 356gr at 330 fps? I've shot targets that were rated for 350 fps and blew right through them. And burry the arrow up to the vanes in most bag targets.


----------



## buckman2591

Build to the instructions and you won't have a pass through with one of our targets. Our targets don't use nor recommend shredded junk like the other guys use. Compressed, wadded up clothing or like material that is fairly tight inside the target will stop any arrow you can throw at it. I cannot speak for any arrows that use outserts


----------



## 86irocz28

i'm shooting deep six inserts. I tried outserts or the victory penetrators and they bent after 5 shots.


----------



## thirdhandman

Excuse my ignorance but aren't victory penetrators carbon? If so usually carbon is either straight or broke.


----------



## 99_WS6

Hey Jim,
I'm really interested in this and loving the idea of finally being able to build something to allow me to shoot out past 60 yards, my Rhinehart target gets kind of small at that yardage. I read where someone mentioned a Veteran's sale on the 4th and was just curious if you planned on doing a Veteran's sale this Veteran's Day?  I could sure go for some. If not, I'll add it to my Christmas list for the wife, because even if I did get it now, I won't have time to build one til the spring after the baby gets here. I'm sure I"ll be ordering soon either way.


----------



## buckman2591

Your arrows will be fine. As long as your field tip and insert are the same diameter, they will pull fairly easy from one of our targets if the material inside is dry. However if the material inside takes on moisture, the pulling effort put into arrows becomes exponentially greater


----------



## thirdhandman

99 ws6: Thank you for your service. When you get ready call 1-800-339-0232 and I will give you the vets discount.


----------



## IrregularPulse

Might have to finally assemble one of these while I'm on vacation the week after next.


----------



## Beat~

ok i got to ask if my arrow are only penetrating like only <4" even at about 30 yard, is it dangerous to the arrow?
incase your wonder, i stuff in compacted plastic roll, http://www.acepyro.com/images/plastic-roll.jpg , layering em like pages in a book.

so is it dangerous to the arrow as it might damage it?


----------



## thirdhandman

I've not used it but would think if you are using a good carbon arrow it should be O.K.


----------



## 86irocz28

thirdhandman said:


> Excuse my ignorance but aren't victory penetrators carbon? If so usually carbon is either straight or broke.


Nope! they are aluminum.


----------



## pojoe

tag


----------



## Cha-chi

Gonna try and build one of these. Looks like an awesome target setup and sure beats buying bag targets all the time


----------



## thirdhandman

Beat~ said:


> ok i got to ask if my arrow are only penetrating like only <4" even at about 30 yard, is it dangerous to the arrow?
> incase your wonder, i stuff in compacted plastic roll, http://www.acepyro.com/images/plastic-roll.jpg , layering em like pages in a book.
> 
> so is it dangerous to the arrow as it might damage it?


We suggest filling with rags. I really haven't tried the stuffing you are speaking about. Not sure what it will do to your arrow.


----------



## Strider1

I think the carpet back stop is cheaper, easier to build and will outlast stuff rags this one is roughly 3 feet wide, 4 feet tall and 12 inches thick
Old free carpet and a few pieces of 2 x 10


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## thirdhandman

Strider after 1,000 - 2,000 shots let us know how its holding up. If its is only 6" deep it isn't going to take that long.


----------



## Strider1

thirdhandman said:


> Strider after 1,000 - 2,000 shots let us know how its holding up. If its is only 6" deep it isn't going to take that long.


I shoot roughly 100 plus arrows every day and some days in excess of 200. I have shot one of my carpet back stops for 8 months or at least 24,000 shots without a problem
The first one slowly pulled the carpet out forward, not back from pulling the arrows out. I didn't have enough side force so this one has a 1 inch wider carpet so side force is improved hoping I am not going to pull it forward
Depending on the compression no arrows make it through at the 12 inch width
I do use this as a back stop, not the main target
The main target is feed bags stuffed with fisherman type netting which I get from the round bales of hay for the horses
This stuff stops an arrow easily and it pulls out with 2 fingers. A bag full of this stuffing might last 2 months of extensive shooting before I need a new bag and reuse the old stuffing but add a slight bit of new stuff


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## Strider1

A feed bag full of netting. this will take thousands of arrows and then is simple to rebuild


----------



## blazinsoles

My new house has room for one of these in the basement. I think it will match the wall colors jjuuuusst right:wink:


----------



## jace

cant you use 1 x 12's instead of 2 x 12's, would save on weight,


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## thirdhandman

yes you can use one by 12's. I would brace the corners though.


----------



## NDS

Is there a way to keep the face flat to pin 5 spot targets on? How would old hotel pillows work for packing material? Looking at building something for a 13yrd indoor basement range.


----------



## Black Death 30

Tagged


----------



## thirdhandman

NDS said:


> Is there a way to keep the face flat to pin 5 spot targets on? How would old hotel pillows work for packing material? Looking at building something for a 13yrd indoor basement range.









We use roofing cap nails. They have large rubber heads and the shank is ribbed. They work well. I haven't tested hotel pillows. Sorry.


----------



## bowhuntmn

Tagged


----------



## pbuck

Finished putting mine together today. I have it about 3/4 stuffed.


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## buckman2591

Looks good enough to be in the living room!


----------



## pbuck

Dang!!! These take A LOT of filling!!! Lol


----------



## thirdhandman

yup but their worth it.


----------



## buckman2591

Better to be full and stopping arrows than half empty or even worse: filled with the competitions shredded filling allowing pass throughs


----------



## pbuck

buckman2591 said:


> Better to be full and stopping arrows than half empty or even worse: filled with the competitions shredded filling allowing pass throughs


Lol! I actually have a bunch of cotton batting from another bag target in there. I had a pile of old t-shirts and I stuck a little batting in each one then rolled them up tight. Kinda like having a bunch of mini bag targets stuffed into one.


----------



## thirdhandman

What ever works for you. Clothing is tightly knitted cotton. If you can get cotton tight enough it should work.


----------



## hoytcrx

Bump


----------



## Cha-chi

So i picked up my lumber today and i am going to build the frame this evening. I accidently ordered the 36x36 target skins and not the 48x48. thirdhand man can i send these back by chance? they are brand new never opened. I am going to order my new ones today and i got an idea from a friend. There is a local upholstery shop they has all kinds of material the pull of clothes, couches, cushions etc. He said he could fill up 3 or 4 55 gallon bags in a week since they just throw it away anyways. I am going to give it a shot since its pretty much t-shirt style material.


----------



## tackscall

I made mine with the guts from two shot out monster bags


----------



## thirdhandman

Cha-chi said:


> So i picked up my lumber today and i am going to build the frame this evening. I accidently ordered the 36x36 target skins and not the 48x48. thirdhand man can i send these back by chance? they are brand new never opened. I am going to order my new ones today and i got an idea from a friend. There is a local upholstery shop they has all kinds of material the pull of clothes, couches, cushions etc. He said he could fill up 3 or 4 55 gallon bags in a week since they just throw it away anyways. I am going to give it a shot since its pretty much t-shirt style material.


yes you can return it just send it back to us. we will need a return address and what you want and we will ship you the new ones. the difference in price will probably cover the shipping no worries.


----------



## olemil4me

I built a 36x36 target today used shrink-wrap for packing need to stuff a little more when I get some from work will get it painted tomm can't wait to get it outside







arrow were shot into from about 18 yds with a 65 lbs energy 35


----------



## thirdhandman

looks good so far. Need to put a molding over top of thumbtacks. that will keep them in place and make it look a little more finished.


----------



## Cha-chi

I got my skins in today. I didn't get a picture after I did the trim. But I may just end up building a smaller one. I'm waiting on my filler from the local upholstery shop now. I'll post a final pic once it's done. The 48x48 skins are nice for sure!! This target is huge!!


----------



## Cha-chi

Also I didn't get 4 or 6 mil plastic. I got 55 gallon heavy duty trash bags doubled over its pretty stout behind the skin. Can't wait to sling some arrows in this thing


----------



## thirdhandman

Cha-chi: The black plastic isn't for making the target stout. The clothing used to fill the target are various colors and will show through the skins. Black plastic or other material behind the skin is to give the target a uniform color.


----------



## Cha-chi

Ahh okay thanks thirdhandman.

Well since you shipped my skins out so quickly I was able to get it done today. I am shooting a bow at 10 yards in my basement. The arrow weighs 340 grains and is shooting 314fps. I am only getting 3" of penetration this target is awesome thanks for the skins and the plans. I am not even completely done packing yet either lol


----------



## blazinsoles

I got rejected at the local good will last week. Turns out they re wash old clothes and pass it to the next store


----------



## Cha-chi

doeblastr look up upholstery shops in your neighborhood. they just scrap everything they have anyways. It works awesome and its all free. Just take them some trashbags.


----------



## RobRiguez

I'll be ordering a rag back shortly. I need to be able to bring the target inside the house when not in use. I love the look of the target boxes but they have to weigh 1-200 lbs once full of clothes...no?

I found a guy selling bulk clothing on Craigslist for $.25/lb so I got the last 100 lbs of jeans, tshirts, and sports jerseys he had this past weekend.


----------



## thirdhandman

Rob: they will vary in weight. I got a small 4 wheel cart from Harbor Freight and wheel it in and out of the shows pretty easily. Also a two wheel hand cart will work.


----------



## Cha-chi

Has anyone used an old mattress as filler for a target?


----------



## thirdhandman

Not with any success.


----------



## OhioHoytHunter

Hey thirdhand man it was great meeting you at the Ohio deer and turkey expo. I was the real tall guy talking to you and said I'd hit you up on AT because you were pretty busy. But great products and demo at the expo. I'll be ordering here soon and making a target for my backyard. Thanks again.


----------



## thirdhandman

OHH: Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I truly enjoy meeting the fellow AT'ers. Glad you enjoyed the demo's. We ran out of Stabilizer straps at the show but got some more in Thursday. One show left this spring. Madison Wisconsin.


----------



## grizzley30814

I threw together a 3'x3' target last week and tried to use empty woven polypropylene sand bags as filler since I had a lot of them. Didn't work out so good. Stopped the arrow great had about 4-5 inches of penetration. Just took an act of god to retrieve the arrow. I pulled all of that back out and went to the local second hand clothing store. They sell and donate to a lot of local charities. I got 6 bags of old clothes and blankets for my 20.00 donation. Loaded up the target when I got home, works great. I took this one out to the hunting club Saturday night and plan on building another for the house/garage. 
Thanks for the plans and I will be ordering some skins for the next one since it will be in the garage.


----------



## RobRiguez

Ordered my Ragbag, Cant wait till it gets here. My cardboard stack is starting to fall apart already!


----------



## Strider1

Cha-chi said:


> Has anyone used an old mattress as filler for a target?


My wife was throwing out an old feather mattress cover. I took it, rolled it up like a sleeping bag and stuffed it in a horse feed bag. I also stuffed a 1/8th inch thick belting in the back of the bag to offer support to the feathers and use it in front of my carpet backstop
that thing has thousands of arrows shot into it and every now and then I slide a new bag over it and paint new targets on it. It doesn't wear out and stops arrows really nicely and 2 finger pull out
I always shoot at 40 yards, because that is the distance of my range and I do not shoot shorter


----------



## Texas Husker

Thirdhandman or anyone that's ordered the skins- When ordering the skins, how many come per 1 qty? Is 1 qty 1 pair of skins or is 2 qty needed to make a two sided target? Thanks in advance.


----------



## olemil4me

When you order 1 you will get a front and back


----------



## thirdhandman

Hey Tex one set is a front as well as the back skin and instructions for the build..


----------



## Texas Husker

olemil4me said:


> When you order 1 you will get a front and back





thirdhandman said:


> Hey Tex one set is a front as well as the back skin and instructions for the build..


Much appreciated. Order will be placed soon. :cheers:


----------



## Ragman44

Hey guys. I was wondering which way is better to stuff your 4x4 target?

Is it better to build the frame, attach your back skin, then lay it on its back side, place all the clothes in it and attach the front skin, OR....

Cut access hole in top frame piece, build frame, attach both skins and stuff through access hole?

Reason I ask is I would think the first method would prevent buldging of the skins

Thanks. Got my 2x12's and ready to start.


----------



## olemil4me

I cut a access hole in mine so over time I can easily add more stuffing when needed


----------



## thirdhandman

Ragman44 said:


> Hey guys. I was wondering which way is better to stuff your 4x4 target?
> 
> Is it better to build the frame, attach your back skin, then lay it on its back side, place all the clothes in it and attach the front skin, OR....
> 
> Cut access hole in top frame piece, build frame, attach both skins and stuff through access hole?
> 
> Reason I ask is I would think the first method would prevent buldging of the skins
> 
> Thanks. Got my 2x12's and ready to start.


Ragman: If you build the frame first cut a hole in the top horizontal board. Attach a piece of black fabric or plastic to front and back. That keeps the different colors of clothes from showing through. Then staple on your target faces. Do all four corners first snug, then every 2". Then put a trim board over the staples. That gives it more of a finished look but more importantly keeps the staples in place. Then fill through the hole in the top horizontal hole.Remove any metal buttons as they can damage the field points. Don't worry about plastic buttons as they turn to powder when hit and zippers just separate.. Just wad the clothes up and cram them in. That will tighten the target faces nicely. Enjoy.


----------



## slamdmini

Got my frame all built, and ordered some skins today. It will just take me forever to stuff it. I prolly only have half what I need.


----------



## thirdhandman

Thanks for your purchase. It will be there by Monday at latest. Check out some yard sales late in the day. They don't usually want to bring all the clothes back in.


----------



## 99_WS6

thirdhandman said:


> 99 ws6: Thank you for your service. When you get ready call 1-800-339-0232 and I will give you the vets discount.


Hey Jim,
Just ordered mine today from your website, went with the printed version. Thanks for the offer on the Veteran Discount but I figured it won't hurt me to pay full price for such a good product. I'm looking forward to getting this in so I can pick up some wood sometime this spring and get this built. Looks like a lot of fun waiting to happen.


----------



## chief400

Use treated wood and stuff it with poly feed bags. Will last your lifetime and will not hold moisture. Find a farmer that tosses the bags and they're free.


----------



## tackscall

I just left the top of mine open, but I use it in the basement


----------



## Ragman44

Just curious, but going by these specs, if I use pressure treated wood and fill my box with old clothes, wont this thing weigh about 300lbs?


----------



## thirdhandman

Never weighed one but my guess is over 200 lbs. It takes a bit to move them by yourself. 2 wheeler works well.


----------



## Ragman44

thirdhandman said:


> Never weighed one but my guess is over 200 lbs. It takes a bit to move them by yourself. 2 wheeler works well.


Was gonna add wheels to it like others have done but need to make sure I get an axle and wheels that can handle the weight.


----------



## jameson305

...


----------



## Texas Husker

Got the skins (48x48) ordered a couple days ago. :cheers: Thanks again ThirdHandMan. Bought pressure treated wood for the build. I'm planning on a 4'x4' main box with 4"x4" Side legs with a sleeved piece of all-thread in the middle so it will rotate and some carriage bolts or something similar to lock it in to place. Don't have to roof plans laid out yet, but that's where I'm starting anyway. Should start the build this weekend sometime.


----------



## thirdhandman

Texas Husker said:


> Got the skins (48x48) ordered a couple days ago. :cheers: Thanks again ThirdHandMan. Bought pressure treated wood for the build. I'm planning on a 4'x4' main box with 4"x4" Side legs with a sleeved piece of all-thread in the middle so it will rotate and some carriage bolts or something similar to lock it in to place. Don't have to roof plans laid out yet, but that's where I'm starting anyway. Should start the build this weekend sometime.


Texas: Take a few photos as you build and post them up if ya don't mind. I'm sure some of us would appreciate seeing what you are doing and how you are doing it.


----------



## Texas Husker

thirdhandman said:


> Texas: Take a few photos as you build and post them up if ya don't mind. I'm sure some of us would appreciate seeing what you are doing and how you are doing it.


Will do. Hopefully it's as easy as it is in my head [emoji23]


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## Ctrider

Finally got my 3x3 done this weekend. I may end up doing some casters or put on a dolly to make it easier to move but for the most part it'll stay put. 

Takes way more stuffing than you'd think!

Here's the frame. We used 3/4" plywood to save some weight and reinforced with 2x4's ripped in half the long way to build the box. 









Here is assembled with the adjustable legs









And finished with stain and the outer frame to make it look clean. 









Be happy to share any details of people want them, just ask.


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## thirdhandman

Very nice carpentry work Ctrider! Just a note for the others who are watching this thread. If you are shooting over 350 fps a box like the above using plywood, can be made deeper than 12". I had a crossbow that shot 400 fps with a 400 gr arrow. I built my target 18" deep and it stops the arrows fine.


----------



## Ctrider

thirdhandman said:


> Very nice carpentry work Ctrider! Just a note for the others who are watching this thread. If you are shooting over 350 fps a box like the above using plywood, can be made deeper than 12". I had a crossbow that shot 400 fps with a 400 gr arrow. I built my target 18" deep and it stops the arrows fine.


Thanks, my dad is a carpenter so I had a little coaching and access to his basement/workshop. 

Good point! I made this one about 16" deep knowing my hunting buddy is shooting a screaming bow so he can shoot it and not poke through the other side. I've only got it half full and not packed that tight and it's stopping my FMJs just fine.


----------



## CContres24

Here is my 3x3 target I built over the weekend. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I was amazed at how much stuffing it took to fill it though. I would guess I put somewhere around 100lbs of old cloths and rags in it. I stapled a piece of canvas drop cloth behind each target to hide the color of the stuffing. So we'll see how that holds up. I shoot a bear arena 30 and I put an arrow in the target from about 6' out to test it out and it didn't pass through, so I would says it's good to go. If you can find enough stuffing to build one then I say go for it. It's definitely a pretty sweet target.


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## Ragman44

chief400 said:


> Use treated wood and stuff it with poly feed bags. Will last your lifetime and will not hold moisture. Find a farmer that tosses the bags and they're free.
> View attachment 2214059


Thanks Chief. Originally I thought I had enough clothes to fill my 4X4 but it looks like I wont even be close and the weight is going to be immense.

I know a few people I work with who own horses. I hit them up and they have quite a few. I wonder how long a couple of feed bags filled with clothes would last as a smaller target?

Thanks again.


----------



## thirdhandman

CContres24 said:


> View attachment 2216611
> 
> 
> 
> Here is my 3x3 target I built over the weekend. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I was amazed at how much stuffing it took to fill it though. I would guess I put somewhere around 100lbs of old cloths and rags in it. I stapled a piece of canvas drop cloth behind each target to hide the color of the stuffing. So we'll see how that holds up. I shoot a bear arena 30 and I put an arrow in the target from about 6' out to test it out and it didn't pass through, so I would says it's good to go. If you can find enough stuffing to build one then I say go for it. It's definitely a pretty sweet target.


Wow! Nice job. Are those locking casters? Just curious. Does the target move when not locked or do we need locking casters?


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## CContres24

No they're not locking casters. They're just cheap pneumatic casters from horrible freight. I put it out in the yard when I shoot and it doesn't move at all. It rolls really well through the grass though and it's pretty stable because the legs are kicked out on 15* angles.


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## Texas Husker

Got the majority of it built. Need to do the wire, paper and skins. Then trim boards, stuffing and paint/stain.

























The last picture is upside down. The bulk of the all thread is on the outside.

For the rotation capability, I drilled a 1 1/8 inch hole through the legs and sides. I sleeved this with a 1"x6" galvanized pipe. The spacer in the middle is a 1 1/4" x 1 1/2" nipple. Then there is a 1 foot length of 3/4" all thread that is secured with washers and double nuts. It spins easily with one hand and little pressure. I have sat in it and it doesn't budge. I did forget to leave the 4"x4" legs sticking above the box to put a cross-brace on top so I had to attach a spacer block first. Looks a little out of place but I didn't want to redo the legs and rotation setup... I had some 2x4s laying around so I just threw some feet on it for now for stability. I have a few more pictures, build lists and whatnot that I will put all together when completed for those interested. So far, quick tally has me around $115 or so.


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## thirdhandman

Tex: I like you going outside the box to do this build. How are you planning the fill? will this be used indoor or outside?


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## thirdhandman

CContres24 said:


> No they're not locking casters. They're just cheap pneumatic casters from horrible freight. I put it out in the yard when I shoot and it doesn't move at all. It rolls really well through the grass though and it's pretty stable because the legs are kicked out on 15* angles.


Sweet! Works well and in expensive via horrible freight. Enjoy my friend!:thumbs_up


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## Texas Husker

thirdhandman said:


> Tex: I like you going outside the box to do this build. How are you planning the fill? will this be used indoor or outside?


Thanks. The fill will be as normal. I just hadn't cut the hole yet. I got the Lid cut out and then put on the wire, weed paper (double layer) and skins. Had some extra primer board 1x2s so I trimmed it out. I just need hardware for the lid and then I can start filling it. The target will be outside. After I trim a tree, I will have 60 yards distance in the area I'm putting it. I'm still trying to come up with a design for the feet still. If I wasn't planning on moving in a couple years I would've used longer 4x4s and cemented them in. I plan on getting one of those target tarps to keep it protected. Anyway, here's some more pics:


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## thirdhandman

Tex: I have one extra target tarp for ya! Just pm me with a name and address. I just ask ya post up a picture for them when ya finish.
Just a suggestion, fill it where you plan on shooting it. LOL it will be heavy.


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## Texas Husker

thirdhandman said:


> Tex: I have one extra target tarp for ya! Just pm me with a name and address. I just ask ya post up a picture for them when ya finish.
> Just a suggestion, fill it where you plan on shooting it. LOL it will be heavy.


Thanks a ton! pm sent :cheers: This target is quite heave empty, but the plan is once it is full, I'll remove the feet and tip it into my truck bed, back it in and stand it up and reattach the feet/new design. I'll keep the updates coming. Just in the acquiring more filling stage now.


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## chuck9044

Ordered a set of the 4x4 skins and a hip clip. Another project but this one I'm looking forward to doing. The hip clip is something I have been interested in for a while now. Thanks Thirdhand


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## thirdhandman

Chuck9044: I designed the original Hip Clip in 1993 after having knee surgery. Need a way to carry the bow in the woods while on crutches. It works well on a quiver belt at the range or back yard. When hunting its better to put on a belt then over your head and opposite shoulder. That will carry the bow higher in the woods and still allow room to have a big coat on.


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## Ragman44

So I got it built but still waiting to find the perfect filler material.

Don't have enough clothes, the feed bag idea was good but what I got from my friend was a bunch of store bought feed bags which are more like a kitty litter bag and not the sack-like material I was looking for. 

Anyone have any other ideas for filler material ?


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## tackscall

Pallet wrap works. Also I actually had a couple old Monster Tough bags from Dicks that were shot out, I emptied them into my new target. It was similar to trampoline material inside


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## thirdhandman

Yup: Its funny what one finds inside a commercially built target. Last week I found screen material from windows and somebodies trash from lunch in one.


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## Ragman44

tackscall said:


> Pallet wrap works. Also I actually had a couple old Monster Tough bags from Dicks that were shot out, I emptied them into my new target. It was similar to trampoline material inside


When you say "Pallet Wrap" do you mean the used plastic shrink wrap? Cause Im sure I can get alot of that.


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## WIbowhunter

Ragman44 said:


> When you say "Pallet Wrap" do you mean the used plastic shrink wrap? Cause Im sure I can get alot of that.


Yes it works well. I have a few targets I made and filled with shrink wrap. Just bunch it up tight and pack it in the target.


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## tackscall

Ragman44 said:


> When you say "Pallet Wrap" do you mean the used plastic shrink wrap? Cause Im sure I can get alot of that.


Yes. Mix in clothes too if you can, the arrows can be hard to pull if it's just the wrap in there


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## Ragman44

Got her finished. Yes Tackscall, you were right. Filled with shrink wrap. Arrows are hard to pull. Gonna have to just use clothes I guess.


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## dr.shwack_em

I built one I plan on getting the third hand target face for my next one I used weed screen and screening filled with the material from my bag target that was shot out and it works great.







here were my first shots at 60 easy 2 finger arrow removal and already had all the material.


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## stillern

Lowe's home wrap. No need for chicken wire at all.


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## Ragman44

My son shooting at our new target.

Thanks for the instructions ThirdHandMan. When these trampoline faces get shot out I will be buying a couple of skins from ya.


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## thirdhandman

My pleasure ragman. Ya both should get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Shooting with your kids helps keep ya from hunting for your kids. :wink:


----------



## 4tonns

*My 4X4 Third Hand target*

When the kids practice for 4H competitions or just to shoot for fun we usually have to barrow targets from the county agents office. We got tired of barrowing targets and the cheap beginner targets from Academy don't last very long so we ordered some third hand target covers and made a pair of 4 x 4 targets. While the targets were on order I went to 2 local feed stores and a grocery store and asked them to save all the pallet wrap they could. When the faces came in I cut up some rough cut 1x12 lumber to prober lengths. I then cut an old trampoline to staple under the target faces. Her are a few pictures.
View attachment 2252105
It takes ALOT of wrap to stuff these big targets. I had 5 trash bags full per target and probably could have used 1 more.
View attachment 2252137

View attachment 2252145
The Third hand target face is very thick and should last a long time.
View attachment 2252161
She is drilling some holes to tie rope to the runners in order to move the targets around. These thing are big. I bet I probably can hit them.






The finished product. The kids are going to paint the wood the color of their choice. Then I will get a tarp or large BBQ cover to put over them whn they are not in use.


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## metalnwood

Thanks to whomever had the suggestion to go and see an upholsterer.

I had put off this project for along time because I didnt have anything to put in it and you cant find old clothes around here without paying for them. I called a guy up and he had bales of nice dry fabric, some thick, some not, some ripped off old furniture but 2/3rds was brand new, end of roll etc.

He told me that every couple months he gets rid of it but until then it just goes in to his bales. Perfect find!


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## redstorm24

tagged for next project


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## ZBritt00

More pics!!


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## FamilyGator

*Got mine done!*

Quick and easy build, very impressed with the covers...can't wait to shoot it!


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## ZBritt00

Finally got one built!


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## FamilyGator

What about sectional couch cushions? They are regular foam about 5 inches thick each...I tested and arrow will in to the nock with just one so it may not be enough?


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## buckman2591

Sectional couch cushions don't last very long. Maybe 1000 shots if tightly compressed, but over time you'll blow holes through it. Take it from me, 72,000 shots, one worn out rag bag and my fiancés closet full of old clothes worked the best! Don't tell her where they went, she thinks they're in storage!!


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## FireFighterRick

Definitely going to make this a project of mine


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## unclejdof3

I put this on my to do list also. thanks guys.


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## Cali Predator

Just a little something I put together......


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## thirdhandman

Looks great and very accommodating. Like the bow hooks.


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## Nkrinke

Jumping in for next project


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## OhioHoytHunter

Yup, gotta make one of these!


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## mn.moose

Got my tic tak toe skins... now I need to try to find something to fill it.... any ideas on how to find scrap or material?


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## rduchateau2954

mn.moose said:


> Got my tic tak toe skins... now I need to try to find something to fill it.... any ideas on how to find scrap or material?


A lot of rummage sale donate anything that doesn't sell to goodwill. Sometimes offering a few bucks and saving them a trip will get you bags of cloths for next to nothing.


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## ZBritt00

Not sure how many times it's been shot but it's alot. Holding up very well. Awesome faces thirdhandman!!


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## clw2223




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## clw2223

clw2223 said:


>


Got it finished today turned out great. Thanks


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## thirdhandman

Looking good guys.


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## g_whitcomb

It will be two years this August. The support has evolved but the same target. I have a hole you can put your fist in because I was on fire, shooting groups. I don't recommend it. It just destroys the skin.
































I'm pretty sure I'm out of warranty,lol


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## thirdhandman

Greenacres: We put many spots on the targets to spread out the shots. LOL Shooting one spot is tough on nocks, arrows, and targets.


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## ZBritt00

GreenAcres said:


> It will be two years this August. The support has evolved but the same target. I have a hole you can put your fist in because I was on fire, shooting groups. I don't recommend it. It just destroys the skin.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm pretty sure I'm out of warranty,lol


How did you do the spots?


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## g_whitcomb

thirdhandman said:


> Greenacres: We put many spots on the targets to spread out the shots. LOL Shooting one spot is tough on nocks, arrows, and targets.


Yeah. Lesson learned. But when all those arrows kept smacking together it was too hard to resist


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## g_whitcomb

ZBritt00 said:


> How did you do the spots?


I use a standard size CD, a mini CD and a large washer. Magic markers and sharpies.. Every few months I just colored them in but Since building the covered stand I haven't had to redo them.


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## ZBritt00

GreenAcres said:


> I use a standard size CD, a mini CD and a large washer. Magic markers and sharpies.. Every few months I just colored them in but Since building the covered stand I haven't had to redo them.


Good to know, they look good!


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## thirdhandman

GreenAcres have you started shooting the back yet?


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## g_whitcomb

thirdhandman said:


> GreenAcres have you started shooting the back yet?


Oh yeah. It is mounted from the sides and you just remove a bolt and roll it over.


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## jace

do plastic bags work as a filler, I thought I read they did


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## thirdhandman

I haven't tried them, but am told that plastic bags, plastic wrap used in transportation of boats, hot tubs etc work.


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## Strider1

thirdhandman said:


> I haven't tried them, but am told that plastic bags, plastic wrap used in transportation of boats, hot tubs etc work.


I had unlimited white plastic wrap from large bales of hay. I stuffed a feed bag and shot a few arrows into it to see if it would stop them and how hard they were going to be to pull out before committing to a large quantity of the stuff
Stopped them fine but I couldn't pull them out, Took both hands and me standing on the bag
The speed of the arrows and the sticky properties of the plastic welded the arrow to the plastic
Had to throw that idea out
I use fish netting used to wrap bales of hay stuffed in feed bags, Works great plus pulls out with 2 fingers
When a bag gets shot up I just slip another over the old one, paint new targets and good to go


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## Roots

If you only used feed bags to stuff if. Would it work ?


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## thirdhandman

Never tried that. But it may work.


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## Gamover06

Strider1 said:


> I had unlimited white plastic wrap from large bales of hay. I stuffed a feed bag and shot a few arrows into it to see if it would stop them and how hard they were going to be to pull out before committing to a large quantity of the stuff
> Stopped them fine but I couldn't pull them out, Took both hands and me standing on the bag
> The speed of the arrows and the sticky properties of the plastic welded the arrow to the plastic
> Had to throw that idea out
> I use fish netting used to wrap bales of hay stuffed in feed bags, Works great plus pulls out with 2 fingers
> When a bag gets shot up I just slip another over the old one, paint new targets and good to go


I was thinking of using bale netting. I was thinking it would get caught on the insert and pull the netting out when removing the arrow. Have you not had this issue?


----------



## Matt Musto

I finally built my box last night after purchasing the skins almost 2 years ago. I need to staple the skins on and build a cover for the top. I was wondering what is the best way to pack the clothing in (in wads, cut up, in layers, etc.), to get the best stopping ability? Any recommendations either way?


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## Matt Musto

Well I finished up completely and my wheel design failed due to the weight of this sucker. I used old training wheels from my sons bike and the metal brackets could not handle the load. I'll have to look back trough this thread for better ideas.


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## thirdhandman

Hey Matt: If you are going to place it in one area and leave it, a two wheeler or wagon works fine.


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## carpe_diem

Thanks third hand for the skins and tips throughout this and other threads. Target turned out great with 150ibs of clothes from Y's buys used clothing.


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## sm000

I didn't see this posted anywhere. But if ya'll have a trampoline place near you, they'll make you a 4x4 for about $30. They'll sew the sides and bottom for you, and put grommets in the top so you can tie it. Go to the Goodwill and ask for their throw aways. Cut all the zippers and stuff out of them, and fill and hang the bag between 2 4x4 posts. I haven't seen a better target yet. All for $30.


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## thirdhandman

sm000 said:


> I didn't see this posted anywhere. But if ya'll have a trampoline place near you, they'll make you a 4x4 for about $30. They'll sew the sides and bottom for you, and put grommets in the top so you can tie it. Go to the Goodwill and ask for their throw aways. Cut all the zippers and stuff out of them, and fill and hang the bag between 2 4x4 posts. I haven't seen a better target yet. All for $30.


Gee: I wonder why someone with one post count would go out of their way to post on a sponsor's thread with a post like this. Then I also wonder why someone would want to buy a trampoline cover for $30 when you can get 2 proven tough target faces and instructions for $30.


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## thirdhandman

carpe_diem said:


> Thanks third hand for the skins and tips throughout this and other threads. Target turned out great with 150ibs of clothes from Y's buys used clothing.
> View attachment 2628385
> 
> View attachment 2628401
> 
> View attachment 2628425


Wow! nice job young lady. I'm impressed. The first picture showing direct sun on the target even with the roof over it. It will last a whole lot longer if you hang a tarp off the front or completely cover it, when not being used.


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## carpe_diem

We shoot in the evenings primarily and wanted the sun at our back, so it was a compromise in the direction it faced. We ordered a target tarp for it this week. Loving the target! Simple to build and spent around $200 total for a double faced target. Much better than an outdoor morrell! This was my 11 year old daughter helping and shooting. Thanks again!


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## buckman2591

Getting my hunting bow setup this week and can't wait to pound my third hand archery targets!


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## fourts

tag


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## Beekeeper1

I did not buy a third hand skin....I will soon. But I did build a 4x4 from all the posts here. All I can say is ....I love this target.
Thanks everyone. Shooting a 14 Obsession Evolution @ 70lb and never...not even close to a pass thru.
Thanks everyone.
Jack


----------



## gmwilkes

Well looks like I'm going to be building one of these as soon as I get the overtime money. Think I'll be drawing up an idea to add wheels for portability, and a lid to keep as much moisture out as possible of I don't cover with a tarp.


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## unclejdof3

Oh yeah got my materials yesterday and ordered my skins today. Now to get to work this weekend.


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## buckman2591

Looks like I need to figure out a way to cover my targets. Every arrow I've shot into my targets has ripped the target material due to direct exposure to sunlight and the elements every day


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## unclejdof3

finally got to build my life time target. can't wait to get it filled so that I can start shooting. Also ordered a rag bag can't wait to shoot the dots out of it. LOL


----------



## bendnsend

Taggg


----------



## Strider1

buckman2591 said:


> Getting my hunting bow setup this week and can't wait to pound my third hand archery targets!


To me there is too much wood around the target and a good chance of burying an arrow into it
I cover my wood with heavy belting rolled up and stuffed with netting so a hit on the frame pulls out very easily and doesn't require me using 2 screw drivers and splitting the wood to extract
Very nice looking target


----------



## Strider1

Gamover06 said:


> I was thinking of using bale netting. I was thinking it would get caught on the insert and pull the netting out when removing the arrow. Have you not had this issue?


Yes that happens if the insert is loose but if the insert is tight it seems to pull out just fine
If you are getting too much pull out put a peace of carpet between the netting and the front of the bag since the bag will get blown to pieces in a few thousand rounds
I shoot about 300 arrows a day and go through a feed bag about every 3 weeks
Each night when finished shooting I take a small paint brush, a old can of paint and repaint the targets on the face so they are fresh the next morning
I had good luck with a feather cover my wife was throwing out and used it for about 6 months but flying feathers gets annoying but an arrow really pulls out easy but I did need the rug stuffed behind the face of the target and slid a new bag over the old every few weeks
Clothing works great too but the netting is the easiest to pull out, light weight and for me unlimited amounts
Tried stuffing paler twin in bag but that didn't work, plastic from round bales did not work either. The arrows welded themselves to the plastic making pull out impossible


----------



## Gamover06

Strider1 said:


> Yes that happens if the insert is loose but if the insert is tight it seems to pull out just fine
> If you are getting too much pull out put a peace of carpet between the netting and the front of the bag since the bag will get blown to pieces in a few thousand rounds
> I shoot about 300 arrows a day and go through a feed bag about every 3 weeks
> Each night when finished shooting I take a small paint brush, a old can of paint and repaint the targets on the face so they are fresh the next morning
> I had good luck with a feather cover my wife was throwing out and used it for about 6 months but flying feathers gets annoying but an arrow really pulls out easy but I did need the rug stuffed behind the face of the target and slid a new bag over the old every few weeks
> Clothing works great too but the netting is the easiest to pull out, light weight and for me unlimited amounts
> Tried stuffing paler twin in bag but that didn't work, plastic from round bales did not work either. The arrows welded themselves to the plastic making pull out impossible


Perfect thank you for responding. I have in limited wrap also so I will give that a shot.


----------



## thirdhandman

unclejdof3 said:


> View attachment 2806922
> View attachment 2806914
> View attachment 2806898
> finally got to build my life time target. can't wait to get it filled so that I can start shooting. Also ordered a rag bag can't wait to shoot the dots out of it. LOL


Archery and motorcycle. Must be nice having to chose between which to do today.:thumbs_up


----------



## unclejdof3

thirdhandman said:


> Archery and motorcycle. Must be nice having to chose between which to do today.:thumbs_up


I typically do both It's a hard life.


----------



## Strider1

unclejdof3 said:


> I typically do both It's a hard life.


I too ride a motorcycle daily. For 6 months it is my main transportation
3 hours of every day I spend with a horse with a nice 2 hour daily ride up through the bush
Another hobby of mine is race cars and building custom guns
Buying match grade barrels and fitting them to the receiver and then working everything else


----------



## unclejdof3

Strider1 said:


> I too ride a motorcycle daily. For 6 months it is my main transportation
> 3 hours of every day I spend with a horse with a nice 2 hour daily ride up through the bush
> Another hobby of mine is race cars and building custom guns
> Buying match grade barrels and fitting them to the receiver and then working everything else



Sounds like some awfully fun hobbies.


----------



## thirdhandman

Strider1 said:


> To me there is too much wood around the target and a good chance of burying an arrow into it
> I cover my wood with heavy belting rolled up and stuffed with netting so a hit on the frame pulls out very easily and doesn't require me using 2 screw drivers and splitting the wood to extract
> Very nice looking target


Simple solution to that problem... Stand closer.:jksign:


----------



## buckman2591

Honestly have only hit that trim a few times, and I have stepped out to 80 yards on that target. Aim small miss small my friend. Good form helps too


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## Strider1

buckman2591 said:


> Honestly have only hit that trim a few times, and I have stepped out to 80 yards on that target. Aim small miss small my friend. Good form helps too


What do you do when you do bury an arrow in the trim?? I use two screw drivers and split the wood on either side until I can pull the arrow out.
while I try to aim small sometimes one gets away and goes where it shouldn't thus the rubber covering all wood on the frame
Everything is covered with rubber and stuffed with netting, it stops an arrow from hitting the wood and easy to pull out
Feed bags stuffed with netting off hay bales
this is a nice 40 yard range
Notice the steel plate, in summer the plate disappears in the tree growth but it is used as a back stop for some very expensive PCP guns
I have two of these carpet back stops, cheap , easy to make and does the job
I have 9 or 10 bag targets made up ahead of time
Since I have horses , 50 of them feed bags are plentiful, easy to replace, just slide a new one over the old and paint new targets, 2 finger pull out
I shoot an honest 300 arrows a day


----------



## buckman2591

Strider1 said:


> What do you do when you do bury an arrow in the trim?? I use two screw drivers and split the wood on either side until I can pull the arrow out.
> while I try to aim small sometimes one gets away and goes where it shouldn't thus the rubber covering all wood on the frame


I unscrew the trim and take it in the shop. Usually clamp it in the vise and take a razor blade and make stress relief cuts close to the arrow and pull the shaft out. I did have to resort to surgery with the dremel once


----------



## Strider1

40 yards. shooting from a covered deck, rugged, walls on 2 sides to protect me from wind and rain, walk over bricks to save the grass
I seldom miss the large red circles anymore and have gone to 2 inch white in the center of the 6 inch red
Cover the trim to prevent the occasional surgery 
I shoot pennies off the top of the backstop using a high quality custom PCP gun built by me


----------



## Strider1

A recent picture of the back stop in summer There are 6 pennies lined up on the top of the back stop , they are there all the time The back stop plate gets hidden in the growth
Care to give them a try?? LOL


----------



## rduchateau2954

Strider1 said:


> I too ride a motorcycle daily. For 6 months it is my main transportation
> 3 hours of every day I spend with a horse with a nice 2 hour daily ride up through the bush
> Another hobby of mine is race cars and building custom guns
> Buying match grade barrels and fitting them to the receiver and then working everything else


You sell drugs for a living? Eesh


----------



## Strider1

rduchateau2954 said:


> You sell drugs for a living? Eesh


one of my home built motors in my drug running vehicle
540 cubic inches, 1000 hp of american muscle


----------



## thirdhandman

Strider isn't a drug dealer, he is a retired congressman. LOL
Strider on a serious note. What ever you do for a living, keep it up. Thats a beautiful place ya got there and some expensive hobbies.


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## Strider1

thirdhandman said:


> Strider isn't a drug dealer, he is a retired congressman. LOL
> Strider on a serious note. What ever you do for a living, keep it up. Thats a beautiful place ya got there and some expensive hobbies.


Taught engineering at a large university for 45 years and the wife is a nurse, both pay well and I am very handy, 

Built the house myself including laying bricks, plumbing, electrical, roofing, siding, you name it I do it.


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## Strider1

My son is the one with the talent
This was at Sturgis, the large motorcycle show a few weeks ago
It is brand new but made to look old, A moon shine vehicle that they could run people around and show off while advertising
He builds many things like this
His biggest build was 2 1/2 million dollars and you and I could pick it up and put it in the back of a truck


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## Strider1

Found it. The lazer cutting bill alone was about 1/2 million 
This will go to some distant planet
All titanium


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## thirdhandman

I am impressed Strider. Well done. :focus:


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## Kaveman44

just bought my skins and i already built the frame , my wife says mine has to have wheels so it doesn't stay in the yard all year, i went to HOME depot and got Wheel Barrel wheels and some 5/8" all thread for the axel , you guys think thats strong enough, I'm gonna use 2 pieces of 4x4 wood to support the all thread, just drill a 5/8' hole through the 4x4 for the all tread, I'm putting the wheels on the side , almost like a dolly


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## Strider1

Kaveman44 said:


> just bought my skins and i already built the frame , my wife says mine has to have wheels so it doesn't stay in the yard all year, i went to HOME depot and got Wheel Barrel wheels and some 5/8" all thread for the axel , you guys think thats strong enough, I'm gonna use 2 pieces of 4x4 wood to support the all thread, just drill a 5/8' hole through the 4x4 for the all tread, I'm putting the wheels on the side , almost like a dolly


Why not just use a dolly? I have a low 2 x 4 on the back that the dolly slips right under and it is easy to move
The 5/8th threaded rod with sure chew up the inside bushing on the wheels plus the cost of the wheels?? A simple dolly works fine and is not dedicated to one job


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## rduchateau2954

I've got mine on wheels. If I ever get a chance to finish it I'll post some pictures.


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## thirdhandman

Which ever way one decides to do it, If your are planning to move it, Ya need wheels


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## g_whitcomb

I got 2 new sets of skins last week so since I was off today I "re-skinned" my target after 2 years of abuse. 








































Tomorrow I am going to build another target for inside my garage so when the weather is bad I will be able to shoot 18 yards.
I don't think that I will put permanent targets on it this time. I'm going to try just putting a few random pieces of tape on it so I can keep the abuse moving around and hopefully get more than two years out of it. Anyone know what type of target points inflict the least amount of damage to the skin? I've been using combo points ??

Anyway, thanks Thirdhand for a wonderful product


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## Kaveman44

Just need some old shirts and pants


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## Kaveman44

How do I straighten out my picture ?


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## dragonheart

What material are you using for "skins"?


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## g_whitcomb

dragonheart said:


> What material are you using for "skins"?


Buy 'em from Thirdhand, the op who started this thread.
http://thirdhandarchery.com/home.asp


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## buckman2591

Kaveman44 said:


> View attachment 2871522
> 
> 
> Just need some old shirts and pants


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## Kaveman44

thanks BUCKMAN


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## buckman2591

GreenAcres said:


> I got 2 new sets of skins last week so since I was off today I "re-skinned" my target after 2 years of abuse.
> 
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
> 
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> 
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> 
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> 
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> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> Tomorrow I am going to build another target for inside my garage so when the weather is bad I will be able to shoot 18 yards.
> I don't think that I will put permanent targets on it this time. I'm going to try just putting a few random pieces of tape on it so I can keep the abuse moving around and hopefully get more than two years out of it. Anyone know what type of target points inflict the least amount of damage to the skin? I've been using combo points ??
> 
> Anyway, thanks Thirdhand for a wonderful product


Greenacres, I have found in my abuse challenge to a third hand range target, regular field points work the best, or bullet points. The key to making these targets last is 1: match your field points outer diameter to the outer diameter of the arrow; this reduces tearing of the target threads both going in and coming out, 2: protect them from direct sunlight and the elements; it will break down your target faster than your arrows will, 3: rotate your target to shoot the other side every 1000 shots


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## buckman2591

You're welcome


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## g_whitcomb

buckman2591 said:


> Greenacres, I have found in my abuse challenge to a third hand range target, regular field points work the best, or bullet points. The key to making these targets last is 1: match your field points outer diameter to the outer diameter of the arrow; this reduces tearing of the target threads both going in and coming out, 2: protect them from direct sunlight and the elements; it will break down your target faster than your arrows will, 3: rotate your target to shoot the other side every 1000 shots


I was thinking about how the combo points can actually "penetrate" the fiber because they are so sharp vs the bullet point just pushing the fibers aside? We'll give them a try.


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## thirdhandman

buckman2591 said:


> Greenacres, I have found in my abuse challenge to a third hand range target, regular field points work the best, or bullet points. The key to making these targets last is 1: match your field points outer diameter to the outer diameter of the arrow; this reduces tearing of the target threads both going in and coming out, 2: protect them from direct sunlight and the elements; it will break down your target faster than your arrows will, 3: rotate your target to shoot the other side every 1000 shots


X2: You might want to try using a rubber headed roofing cap nail to pin targets on temporarily and then move them a few inches at a time. Sun will bake the life out of the skins and cause them to break threads. Keep them covered with a tarp to make them last a lot longer.
I like the Sponge Bob shorts being used. Lol


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## rduchateau2954

Well I finally got around to putting mine together. Did it a little different. Two 2x12's for "feet" one has fixed casters and the other had rotating. Filled up for now, want to see how much it settles before adding trim, cutting off excess, and finishing paint.









Ran out of the garden felt paper I used under the skin, so you can see the layers on one side. Arrow mat will cover 90% of the target so I'm not concerned.

















I did have something odd happen though. Because I knew I was going to be doing this I had the word out to everybody for their old cloths. If I ever die or get arrested and some body finds a reason to open this up I'm gonna get asked some questions lol. Most of my guy friends don't have cloths that survive. They get old or holey and they become shop rags.

So, just about everything in there is from either single women or mom's. Some of it was stuff headed to good will but some of it was an impromptu closet cleaning.

Victoria's secret isn't a secret to my archery target lol. Along with that I've got dresses/skirts/fancy cloths next to little kid cloths and even a sexy Santa outfit in with my old jeans and t shirts.

If I die, delete browser history, burn archery target.


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## thirdhandman

o, just about everything in there is from either single women or mom's. Some of it was stuff headed to good will but some of it was an impromptu closet cleaning.

Victoria's secret isn't a secret to my archery target lol. Along with that I've got dresses/skirts/fancy cloths next to little kid cloths and even a sexy Santa outfit in with my old jeans and t shirts.

If I die, delete browser history, burn archery target.

The main purpose of the black plastic or felt is so nobody sees you pink undies from victoria's secret. lol Ya might want to put the trim board on now because they help keep the staples in place, especially if you are packing it tight.:wink:


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## rduchateau2954

You'll never prove they were mine. 😉


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## tjd60449

I gave my hunny $ to get new panties and she showered me with old ones......Plus she prances around the house showing them off. If this is how it goes, I need to build a lot more of these!


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## rduchateau2954

I'm not about to change my name to Norm and open a woodworking shop but it's finished. Was going for a tan color but ended up with forest service brown.

Threw my arrow mat up for a quick pic before dark.


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## compaq4

I attempted something similar and hoping to complete the project eventually


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## rduchateau2954

compaq4 said:


> I attempted something similar and hoping to complete the project eventually


I might suggest having all 4 caster free spinning or whatever you call it. I've got two that rotate and two fixed, even with the knobby tires I had to wrestle it over uneven ground. Regular lawn was fine but some rough spots where I just pulled some stumps was a beast .

I might just rig up a hitch so I can pull it around with the riding mower.

Edit: one thing I want to add. You'll notice the feet are in just a bit, the reason being I tried to get fancy and cut my 4'x4' "frame" at 45 degree angles. This lead to it not being strong enough when screwed together, I had to use L brackets to brace it.

Also, I used 1"x3" pine to frame it. It looks okay but being that wide the sides do not sit flush, the inside sides are pushed out by the target. Use 1"x2" trim boards.


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## Lck82

I just built my first lifetime archery target.
Too bad i did it a day before i saw this post.
Mine in 5.5' tall and 5' wide with the Shootable area 5'×5'.
Too bad you dont make a 5'×5' target skin.
I will be making another one 36"×36" and will be sure to buy your cover.
Not the prettiest one on this thread.
Would much rather have thurdhand's skin then my ugly burlap.
Anyways i am very happy with mine and heres some photos.


----------



## Lck82

I just built my first lifetime archery target.
Too bad i did it a day before i saw this post.
Mine in 5.5' tall and 5' wide with the Shootable area 5'×5'.
Too bad you dont make a 5'×5' target skin.
I will be making another one 36"×36" and will be sure to buy your cover.
Anyways i am very happy with mine and heres some photos.


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## rduchateau2954

Photos not showing?


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## rduchateau2954

No. Pics in first post don't work, no pics in second.


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## rduchateau2954

This is what I see:


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## Lck82

Bummer. Guess i cant upload pictures from my phone.


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## ptgarcia

rduchateau2954 said:


> Photos not showing?


I see them fine.


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## rduchateau2954

Yea I can see em now


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## Lck82

Can someone tell me the exact plans for a 36x36 target?
Thanks


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## thirdhandman

Lck82 said:


> Can someone tell me the exact plans for a 36x36 target?
> Thanks


Send an email with your request to [email protected] and we will email them to you.


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## Lck82

*my take on the lifetime archery target*

36x36


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## thirdhandman

Nice Job. 
Thanks for the compliment! People only copy the best.:wink:


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## Jbarrow

Howdy everyone I am going to build one of these shortly. Does anyone have problems with Gold Top Kinetics getting hung inside when it is filled with clothes and sheets? I shoot into bag targets now and they get stuck like crazy!!!


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## thirdhandman

Jbarrow: If the fieldpoint and insert match the diameter of the arrow shaft and the field points are tight, they will pull easily. If the diameter of the fieldpoint or insert is bigger than the shaft, yes it will hang up.


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## Inn.Outdoorsman

Some creative and talented builders here.


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## Noel Kendall

I purchased the target skins at the Deer & Turkey Classic in Indy a few weeks ago. Haven't built the frame yet. Since then I remodeled one of the bedrooms in my house which included pulling out the old carpet. Can I use any of the carpet - even as only a partial filler or should I stick with more "forgiving" material like old clothes as is suggested ?


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## thirdhandman

Good question Noel. I have heard from a couple that putting a piece in front and a piece in the back helps keep arrows going in straighter. Other than that I don't think it will help much.


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## stevemart

Hi Folks
Im gonna be building one of these targets over the easter holidays.Can any of you guys tell me does it have to be filled from the top ?.Could i put on the back skin then fill and then attach the front skin as im thinking it would be easier to compact the stuffing that way
cheers


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## thirdhandman

stevemart said:


> Hi Folks
> Im gonna be building one of these targets over the easter holidays.Can any of you guys tell me does it have to be filled from the top ?.Could i put on the back skin then fill and then attach the front skin as im thinking it would be easier to compact the stuffing that way
> cheers


stevemart: If you put a 6" by 24" hole at the top you will be able to pack it as easy as possible. Just follow the instructions and you will do fine.:wink:


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## chrisjay23

Looks good


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## aleaddict

These skins are amazing. I build a 3'x3' box for my daughter to practice with her recurve. I stretched plastic poultry netting (7/8") and landscape fabric to back the skins... stuffed with unusable linens donated through work. Nothing difficult about it.


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## thirdhandman

Real nice Job on the build, aleaddict. Your daughter should get plenty of years out of that target.:wink:


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## Jeff1815

Just got one built now going to recycle center for some free rags


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## thirdhandman

Real nice job on that one Jeff. Might I suggest having the target in the place you want it before filling. It is going to weigh more than 150 pounds when complete.:wink:


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## rmt1993

tag 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hooiserarcher

Here is one of many that I have built. Been using them several years now, good product.


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## Jbarrow

I have finally gotten some old clothing material and this evening I'm going to start packing the target. Is it ok to get the clothes wet to help get a tighter pack or just chunk it in there? I know I am probably over thinking this I just want it to be right the first time. Thanks !!


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## Bowman_CY

What type of black film is that? just roofing felt or plastic?


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## chrisjay23

Definitely on my to do list


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## KRONIIK

Jbarrow said:


> I have finally gotten some old clothing material and this evening I'm going to start packing the target. Is it ok to get the clothes wet to help get a tighter pack or just chunk it in there? I know I am probably over thinking this I just want it to be right the first time. Thanks !!


 I haven't quite got around to filling mine yet, but I've read a lot of threads about these targets, and have never seen any recommendation to wet the filler material.
It will only make it more likely to mold, smell musty, and perhaps even help to attract insects or vermin. 
Not at all necessary if you pack it correctly, I'm sure.


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## Jbarrow

Me and my helper got her built. Now My kiddo only wants to shoot at this one instead of his


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## thirdhandman

Jbarrow said:


> I have finally gotten some old clothing material and this evening I'm going to start packing the target. Is it ok to get the clothes wet to help get a tighter pack or just chunk it in there? I know I am probably over thinking this I just want it to be right the first time. Thanks !!


Jbarrow: Glad you ask before doing. Wetting the clothing would definitely be bad from a standpoint of mold and mildew. Just wadd the old clothes and rags up, and fill the corners first. Use the cut out 6x24" piece at the top of the target to tamp the clothing down to fill all voids. Make sure the top corners are filled. That's all it takes. Enjoy.:wink:

Bowman CY: The first time the target is shot, the black plastic leaks. The plastic is not for water protection. All the black is for is to keep the fabric colors from showing through the target. I use black plastic large trash can liners because they are inexpensive and readily available. Landscape mesh would work. Do Not use rolled roofing. The dark oil in the roofing bleeds through the white skins and doesn't look very nice.:wink:


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## Jbarrow

We only packed it real tight instead of using water. I put a sheet of 18 oz vinyl both at the front and the back that I roll up before and after shooting to help keep the sun and water off of the target.


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## DonsHarley

Lck82 said:


> I just built my first lifetime archery target.
> Too bad i did it a day before i saw this post.
> Mine in 5.5' tall and 5' wide with the Shootable area 5'×5'.
> Too bad you dont make a 5'×5' target skin.
> I will be making another one 36"×36" and will be sure to buy your cover.
> Not the prettiest one on this thread.
> Would much rather have thurdhand's skin then my ugly burlap.
> Anyways i am very happy with mine and heres some photos.


5 x 5 skins would be nice.


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## bubba g

Subbed for later


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## AttilaTheHun

Subscribed


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## thirdhandman

Jbarrow said:


> We only packed it real tight instead of using water. I put a sheet of 18 oz vinyl both at the front and the back that I roll up before and after shooting to help keep the sun and water off of the target.


Great idea Jbarrow: Sun eats the target's worse than arrows.


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## Martian

who do you order the skins from?


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## Martian

where do you get the outer skins from


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## Jbarrow

I ordered mine from the man!!

Jim Litmer VP Sales www.thirdhandarchery.com 1-800-339-0232 
International customers please order by email [email protected]


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## madarchery

If you want a tight target, add the fabric to a garbage bag and draw a vacuum. Tie the bag and stuff it in. Fill the they and shoot, as you pop the bags they would expand and really fill the target. For this wanting a waterproof target stop at a furniture store, they would be happy to provide you with more thick plastic sofa bags that you can use as fill.

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk


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## thirdhandman

madarchery: that suggestion works great for bag targets because you only need one big bag. I haven't tried it for a box target but don't think it would do well especially in the corners and where the bags come together in their corners.:set1_thinking:


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## DonsHarley

Jim do you think we'll ever see a 5 x 5


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## pbuck

After 2 winters of HEAVY pounding with my .27 indoor shafts, my faces are showing some wear. I know there's lots left up high but I don't shoot anything that high in competition so I don't put targets up there. The middle is worn so much because no matter how you pin a 5 spot or Vegas target up there's always a couple towards the center. 









I couldn't begin to guess how many shots are in these things but I practice pretty much every day from early December to the end of March and I couldn't be happier with the way these have held up. I rotate the box often and only recently had a couple arrows poke through the back side due to the holes beginning to form. 

I have two new faces to put on and I'm going to need a couple more bags of clothes then it'll be good to go for 2 more years. THANKS, Jim for the great products.


----------



## V-TRAIN

have any of you shot crossbows into these. we got one to get my 7 year old little girl into hunting, and finally got her to shoot it the other day.
she loves it, i wanted to make one of these, didn't know if i should make it deeper than 12" for a cross bow. 
the way she has been shooting the bag target, i don't think it will last to long. lol


----------



## thirdhandman

pbuck said:


> After 2 winters of HEAVY pounding with my .27 indoor shafts, my faces are showing some wear. I know there's lots left up high but I don't shoot anything that high in competition so I don't put targets up there. The middle is worn so much because no matter how you pin a 5 spot or Vegas target up there's always a couple towards the center.
> 
> View attachment 4095178
> 
> 
> I couldn't begin to guess how many shots are in these things but I practice pretty much every day from early December to the end of March and I couldn't be happier with the way these have held up. I rotate the box often and only recently had a couple arrows poke through the back side due to the holes beginning to form.
> 
> I have two new faces to put on and I'm going to need a couple more bags of clothes then it'll be good to go for 2 more years. THANKS, Jim for the great products.


Happy to hear it is working out for you. If you want a little more out of it, get 3 more concrete blocks like the one under the target. Lay them flat in a square at your shooting station. That will raise you about 8" and you will be able to get more use out of the upper part of the target.
When you do decide to reskin the target, first remove the old skin. Put up a new black plastic sheet and the new skin and repack. If you try to just go over the old skin it will not stretch the fabric tight.


----------



## thirdhandman

DonsHarley said:


> Jim do you think we'll ever see a 5 x 5


No sir: I have to custom order them 2,500 minimum. Since this is my 3rd request for 5' ones in 4 years of having them, I doubt that I could sell them very quickly. That and the fact the the clothing pressure starts to bulge the middle too much at that length. Sorry.


----------



## thirdhandman

V-TRAIN said:


> have any of you shot crossbows into these. we got one to get my 7 year old little girl into hunting, and finally got her to shoot it the other day.
> she loves it, i wanted to make one of these, didn't know if i should make it deeper than 12" for a cross bow.
> the way she has been shooting the bag target, i don't think it will last to long. lol


Good question vtrain. Since your daughter probably shoots a lighter poundage if you pack the clothing too tight, it will bounce out her arrows. If you are shooting a crossbow of 400gr arrows over 350 fps I would definitely build it deeper.


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## pbuck

thirdhandman said:


> Happy to hear it is working out for you. If you want a little more out of it, get 3 more concrete blocks like the one under the target. Lay them flat in a square at your shooting station. That will raise you about 8" and you will be able to get more use out of the upper part of the target.
> When you do decide to reskin the target, first remove the old skin. Put up a new black plastic sheet and the new skin and repack. If you try to just go over the old skin it will not stretch the fabric tight.


Thanks, Jim. I can't really do the block trick since I shoot from right in front of my workbench. I'm happy with how it's worked out because the main reason I'm using the 4x4 is for a little protection from the block wall behind the target. (Not that I'd miss or anything lol) The extra unused space isn't really a concern. I feel I've gotten my money's worth and then some. 

I already have two more faces but won't need them till next winter so I have some time to collect some more stuffing. It's getting a little compacted and the top is a little sparse still.


----------



## V-TRAIN

thirdhandman said:


> If you are shooting a crossbow of 400gr arrows over 350 fps I would definitely build it deeper.


Yea, it's like the next best ten point that they make, it has the hand crank, it's cooking it's 350 or a hair more. It's the perfect thing to get a kid into hunting with. You think I should go like 18" or 20" ?


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## thirdhandman

18" should do it. 20" and you may loose your 20 inch bolt as the clothing will make the target bulge an inch or two.:wink:


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## V-TRAIN

thirdhandman said:


> 18" should do it. 20" and you may loose your 20 inch bolt as the clothing will make the target bulge an inch or two.:wink:


lol, yea, i haven't even thought about that. i will measure the bolt lengths and go from their i guess. i was kind of thinking of using shrink wrap for like the bottom 10% and the top 10%-15% to keep it from bulging to much, or maybe using some house wrap for the face, underneath one of your skins. that would cut the weight down a little, and support the face a little more.


----------



## V-TRAIN

have any of you ever put some of those morrell skins on over the fronts. not for the main face, but just to give something fun to shoot at.
i ordered 3 of those yesterday, i got a turkey, deer, and bear, they are like $8. my little girl is all excited, lol they look kind of neat.
this is what i am talking about:
http://morrelltargets.com/target-faces/


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## rduchateau2954

I've got an arrow mat on my blank skin. Almost bought the dart board but my archery buddy switched to crossbow.

Sent from my AS985 using Tapatalk


----------



## thirdhandman

pbuck said:


> After 2 winters of HEAVY pounding with my .27 indoor shafts, my faces are showing some wear. I know there's lots left up high but I don't shoot anything that high in competition so I don't put targets up there. The middle is worn so much because no matter how you pin a 5 spot or Vegas target up there's always a couple towards the center.
> 
> View attachment 4095178
> 
> 
> I couldn't begin to guess how many shots are in these things but I practice pretty much every day from early December to the end of March and I couldn't be happier with the way these have held up. I rotate the box often and only recently had a couple arrows poke through the back side due to the holes beginning to form.
> 
> I have two new faces to put on and I'm going to need a couple more bags of clothes then it'll be good to go for 2 more years. THANKS, Jim for the great products.


Impressive pbuck. 2 years, thousands of shots and not one shown on the trim.:thumbs_up My neighbors hit mine the first day and quite a few since.


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## pbuck

thirdhandman said:


> Impressive pbuck. 2 years, thousands of shots and not one shown on the trim.:thumbs_up My neighbors hit mine the first day and quite a few since.


Mmmmmm I think there's one in the bottom on the other side. Max I can shoot is 19 yds. I hope I can keep most of them in a 4'x4' square from that distance. Lol!


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## cjoh101

Just finished mine today! All I have left is to finish the legs and filling it the rest of the way.


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## rduchateau2954

thirdhandman said:


> Impressive pbuck. 2 years, thousands of shots and not one shown on the trim.:thumbs_up My neighbors hit mine the first day and quite a few since.


Lmao, I've got maybe 500 in mine. Shot 7... right into the trim. 

Sent from my AS985 using Tapatalk


----------



## madarchery

thirdhandman said:


> madarchery: that suggestion works great for bag targets because you only need one big bag. I haven't tried it for a box target but don't think it would do well especially in the corners and where the bags come together in their corners.:set1_thinking:


You use the bags as filler like others use cloths. You can ock it in the same way if you wish. I have shot into our bailed plastic and it stops the arrow easily. We fill a dumpster weekly so it would easily be found. 

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk


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## thirdhandman

madarchery: I agree that the bailed plastic depending on the type used will stop arrows. All plastics are not the same. Some plastics melt from the speed and friction from the arrow. That can make it difficult to pull arrows. Try building one that way, and see how well it works. Others would be interested in hearing how it turns out.


----------



## mucky

Where is the best place to find bulk used clothing or rags. I am having a hard time finding any. I have experimented with shrink wrap. While it seems to do O.K., the arrows stick slightly to the wrap, being that the wrap sticks to objects. Anyway, I live in S.E. Michigan, and any avenue for clothing would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


----------



## thirdhandman

Uniform rental, linen rental, hospitals and motel get rid of worn out cloth. Garage sales at the end of the day.


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## Coug09

V-TRAIN said:


> lol, yea, i haven't even thought about that. i will measure the bolt lengths and go from their i guess. i was kind of thinking of using shrink wrap for like the bottom 10% and the top 10%-15% to keep it from bulging to much, or maybe using some house wrap for the face, underneath one of your skins. that would cut the weight down a little, and support the face a little more.


Use chicken wire. It really helps cut down on bulge


----------



## RobColella

Looks awesome, Coug09. I'm going have to follow suit with my own build. I was going to make something permanent, but believe now I, too, will go with a wheeled version.


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## thirdhandman

Coug: That target looks great. Nice job on the wheels. Got to tell you be careful. After you shoot the chicken wire a while it will break and just tips of the broken ends will stick through the skins. If one brushes against those tips, they will cut. The Weave of our skins hold the clothing tight without the bulge. These were built without any chicken wire.





















The target on the far left and far right are what they looked like before putting in any clothes.


----------



## Noel Kendall

mucky said:


> Where is the best place to find bulk used clothing or rags. I am having a hard time finding any. I have experimented with shrink wrap. While it seems to do O.K., the arrows stick slightly to the wrap, being that the wrap sticks to objects. Anyway, I live in S.E. Michigan, and any avenue for clothing would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks


I checked with the local Goodwill outlet store - they sell bulk clothing by pound. $.99 per lb.


----------



## Noel Kendall

doeblastr said:


> I got rejected at the local good will last week. Turns out they re wash old clothes and pass it to the next store



Don't go to the Goodwill "retail" store. If you can, find the "outlet" store. Mine, at least, is one great big open area with bins holding clothing in one, shoes in another, etc. The retail where I am have all the clothes on hangers. The outlet store just piles all the clothing in large bins.


----------



## mucky

So how many pounds of clothing would you figure it would take to fill a 48x48 target?


----------



## thirdhandman

Mucky: That is a difficult question to answer. Jeans are more dense than towels etc. Just a guess, average around 100 lbs for a 4'x4'x1'.


----------



## Jeff1815

Got my 4X4 stuffed and built the 3X3 and got it stuffed ready to shoot. By the way moving them is no problem just use tractor and loader can put them anywhere I need.


----------



## thirdhandman

The 4'x4' looks ginormous next to the 3'x3'. Where in Kentucky r u?


----------



## rmt1993

Jeff1815 said:


> Got my 4X4 stuffed and built the 3X3 and got it stuffed ready to shoot. By the way moving them is no problem just use tractor and loader can put them anywhere I need.
> 
> View attachment 4124209


how do you get your faces to be so flat and discreet with stuffed with clothes? mine always bulges out when I stuff it


----------



## rduchateau2954

So I've been thinking (brace yourselves) about how to hang my arrow mat. 

Since my target isn't winning any beauty contests I thought I'd ******* it up a bit more. Zip ties 4' dowels to the top and bottom of the mat and hung it using brass hooks. 

Then I added some screws to the bottom to pull it tight.

Now I've got three different heights and unlimited left to right adjustment.



















Sent from my AS985 using Tapatalk


----------



## pbuck

rduchateau2954 said:


> So I've been thinking (brace yourselves) about how to hang my arrow mat.
> 
> Since my target isn't winning any beauty contests I thought I'd ******* it up a bit more. Zip ties 4' dowels to the top and bottom of the mat and hung it using brass hooks.
> 
> Then I added some screws to the bottom to pull it tight.
> 
> Now I've got three different heights and unlimited left to right adjustment.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my AS985 using Tapatalk


Looks like a good idea.


----------



## Jeff1815

thirdhandman said:


> The 4'x4' looks ginormous next to the 3'x3'. Where in Kentucky r u?


Jim, I'm in Meade county just west of Louisville. Trying to set up target range for me and my daughter she shoots collage archery and I'm trying to practice enough to out shoot her. Got a long way to go lol.


----------



## Jeff1815

rmt1993 said:


> how do you get your faces to be so flat and discreet with stuffed with clothes? mine always bulges out when I stuff it


The only thing that I do is to pull the faces as tight as I can staple good and stuff.


----------



## aleaddict

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=4048130&d=1459127234

I used 7/8" plastic poultry netting rather than galvanized chicken wire to prevent bulging. I used a 2nd layer of Vigora WeedBlock Diamond bought at HD as an outer layer to provide a pitch dark background to the THA skin. I have had zero bounce outs and the skins look flat and tight.


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## aleaddict




----------



## odin544

Just got my first bow this week and plan to build one of these soon so I can practice in the garage. That will give me 10 yards to shoot. But I figure that's more than enough to work on my form and just practice what I'm doing.


----------



## thirdhandman

odin544: Welcome to the world of archery or should I say the addiction. Shooting at 10 yards will really help a lot. The draw, anchor and release are exactly the same at 10 yards to 100 yards. The only difference is which pin to use and a whole lot of walking.:wink:


----------



## OhioHoytHunter

Jim, got my skin's the other day and thinking about making one li!e aleaddict did. I like the idea of having it on wheels for mobility, and then can always use a grill cover if I want to leave it up.


----------



## snapcrackpop

Do the inside corners measure 48"x48" or outside corners with the 2x12 frames?


----------



## thirdhandman

Outside corners 48".


----------



## hunterdan49

aleaddict said:


> View attachment 4139786


got my target skins the other day jim thank you ..I was going though your thread looking for ideals to make mine target mobile..this is the way im going to do it ^^^^hope aleaddict don't mind im going to copy his ideal. ,I cant wait to get it done ..I want to start throwing arrows at....


----------



## carpe_diem

mucky said:


> So how many pounds of clothing would you figure it would take to fill a 48x48 target?


Mine took about #200 of clothes in mixed densities. I cut off all metal buttons. Good will wouldn't sell in my town. I hit up a local thrift store and they sold them for 20 cents a pound.


----------



## erdman41

Not sure if anyone has made a rotating one yet.

https://youtu.be/fPwhGCE4zZs

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## thirdhandman

Wow! What a simple solution. Much easier than what I've been doing.:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thu mbs_up


----------



## sunra

This beast is heavy! I have other pics on this thread 
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3830474


----------



## snapcrackpop

I built mine with 2x12 black walnut boards cause that's start I had.


----------



## KRONIIK

That'll work. 
It'll take a long time for the walnut to rot, too. No need to paint it if you don't want to.
At least the dark heartwood. The white sapwood's not quite so rot-resistant.


----------



## snapcrackpop

I made two! Second one I'll donate to the local archery Club. I need to add a flip-down supports, kinda tippy in the 2" casters.


----------



## Arrow Buster

We built 11 targets for our indoor range at Waukegan Bowmen. Our members provided the clothes for the stuffing. We spent less than $80.00 for the construction of each target. This proved to be the most economical way to replace our worn out targets and are working great!


----------



## hunterdan49

just thought I would post some pictures of my third hand target I finish tonight..i think it turned out good ..shot 40 yds with it ..thanks jimmy..
View attachment 4192034
View attachment 4192050


----------



## aljburk

Finally moved my target from the garage to out in the yard!


----------



## phillip0416

Has anyone ever gotten in trouble from their neighbor or something because of complaints for these? I live in a suburban area and am slightly worried about this because the homeowners association doesn't play around with anything (including misplaced trash cans).


----------



## Jeff1815

Got my third hand archery range going. 4X4 at 50 yards 3X3 at 40 yards and two rag bags at 30 and 20 yards. The picture not so great, looks far away, but you get the idea. Now it practice time so I can out shoot my daughter!


----------



## thirdhandman

phillip0416 said:


> Has anyone ever gotten in trouble from their neighbor or something because of complaints for these? I live in a suburban area and am slightly worried about this because the homeowners association doesn't play around with anything (including misplaced trash cans).


Better check your local laws regarding shooting. It may not be legal. If not legal, it would only take one phone call.


----------



## Deerhunter0721

Marked


----------



## rduchateau2954

phillip0416 said:


> Has anyone ever gotten in trouble from their neighbor or something because of complaints for these? I live in a suburban area and am slightly worried about this because the homeowners association doesn't play around with anything (including misplaced trash cans).


Put it on wheels and store it in the garage when not using it.

Sent from my AS985 using Tapatalk


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## DonsHarley

phillip0416 said:


> Has anyone ever gotten in trouble from their neighbor or something because of complaints for these? I live in a suburban area and am slightly worried about this because the homeowners association doesn't play around with anything (including misplaced trash cans).


I've never had a problem shooting archery or guns but I own my property and don't let my neighbors dictate to me what I can do on it. I would put it on wheels and not leave it out but the odds are good that one of your neighbors that has no life will blow you in sooner or later. If you don't mind me asking what benefits do get for buying into a homeowners association and paying fees to let others tell you how to live?


----------



## mottoman112

looks really good thanks!


----------



## Outsider

Anyone tried to fill the target with heavy duty plastic covers? The ones they use to cover shipments. Like a huge clear plastic bag. See the image below for reference


----------



## thirdhandman

Outsider: After 30 years of trial and error I find clothing the best. That being said there have been many that have successfully used that type of plastic for an arrow stop. The benefits are plastic makes it lighter to carry, will not rot like wet clothing. The negative is, if not packed tight enough you will get pass throughs. If packed too tight arrows will be hard to pull and plastic will residue will stick on the arrow. I think you would be fine with it especially if you mixed some clothing with it.:wink:


----------



## V-TRAIN

Here is mine finally. I bought 2 archery bags from bag corp several years ago and they have been just sitting in my shop. I put one on the front and back, and then also a morell deer and bear target face.
Got to fill it up, will use the hand truck to move it around. was thinking of adding tires, but seemed silly when I have a hand truck with flat free tires. This thing is going to be a blast to shoot at 40 plus yards, can't wait. lol


----------



## beegee59

Thanks Jim, Finally got my 4x4 built love it ,works great!


----------



## jdk81

I've had a thought. I've been planning my 4x4 for a while now, and built the frame yesterday. 

Has anyone hung one from something? 

It will be easier to move (with tractor), it will have just a little bit more give for the arrows, and I have 2 spots that will be perfect(overhang porch and a limb on the range).


I have braced the bottom corners of the frame with 1/4 steel L brackets, and I plan on hanging the target from the side boards.

I am not sure of what I should use for hardware to hang it.. I am leaning towards some flat steel and welding 2 loops to that, which would work fine i believe. What do you think?


Any pictures of your setup or personal experience with this? 





Thanks for looking.


----------



## Outsider

thirdhandman said:


> Outsider: After 30 years of trial and error I find clothing the best. That being said there have been many that have successfully used that type of plastic for an arrow stop. The benefits are plastic makes it lighter to carry, will not rot like wet clothing. The negative is, if not packed tight enough you will get pass throughs. If packed too tight arrows will be hard to pull and plastic will residue will stick on the arrow. I think you would be fine with it especially if you mixed some clothing with it.:wink:


Thank You for response. I might mix it then


----------



## lweingart

jdk81 said:


> I've had a thought. I've been planning my 4x4 for a while now, and built the frame yesterday.
> 
> Has anyone hung one from something?
> 
> It will be easier to move (with tractor), it will have just a little bit more give for the arrows, and I have 2 spots that will be perfect(overhang porch and a limb on the range).
> 
> 
> I have braced the bottom corners of the frame with 1/4 steel L brackets, and I plan on hanging the target from the side boards.
> 
> I am not sure of what I should use for hardware to hang it.. I am leaning towards some flat steel and welding 2 loops to that, which would work fine i believe. What do you think?
> 
> 
> Any pictures of your setup or personal experience with this?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for looking.


Use 2 eye bolts through the side boards about 3/4 of the way up. 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## borderdog

Got mine set up!


----------



## jdk81

lweingart said:


> Use 2 eye bolts through the side boards about 3/4 of the way up.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


I was also considering this. Worried about the 175 lbs or so weight down the eye bolts. Thinking doing 2 on each side might work better than just one?


----------



## thirdhandman

1 eyebolt 3/8" diameter on each side will be plenty. Think about how many times you have seen too adults swinging side by side on a single porch swing hung by eyebolts.


----------



## jdk81

Very good point. I decided to use 3/4 gate hangers I had lying around. I figure they will work perfectly. Starting to stuff her full this evening, it's looking great!


I must say I appreciate the help Jim. Truly is a great product, and has cost me a total of 37.50 out of pocket thus far. All the other stuff I had lying around.


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## BGagner

Tagged for another project since I just closed on my house and have a place to shoot now . I'm sure this project will be on the bottom of the honey-do list though...


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## rok1167

i thought i was done with projects for a while, guess not, thanks for the idea. where's the best place to get cloths? rummage sale?


----------



## wallaby

thirdhandman said:


> Yup: Its funny what one finds inside a commercially built target. Last week I found screen material from windows and somebodies trash from lunch in one.


Bump

Iv'e read through this thread thus far in one day, but I can hold it i no longer, this ^ made me laugh hard. I tried to make a year to the day to comment but I missed it by three.

Means nothing but I'd put this in the top 5 posts for AT.


----------



## wallaby

Cali Predator said:


> View attachment 2450338
> View attachment 2450346
> View attachment 2450354
> 
> 
> 
> Just a little something I put together......


Typical So Cal


----------



## thirdhandman

wallaby said:


> Bump
> 
> Iv'e read through this thread thus far in one day, but I can hold it i no longer, this ^ made me laugh hard. I tried to make a year to the day to comment but I missed it by three.
> 
> Means nothing but I'd put this in the top 5 posts for AT.


*Wallaby, Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Its been posted one year today. 650 post and over 100,000 views in a year. I like it!!!!!! Hopefully it has helped many and thanks for keeping it going.:wink:*


----------



## RobColella

erdman41 said:


> Not sure if anyone has made a rotating one yet.
> 
> https://youtu.be/fPwhGCE4zZs
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Awesome idea!!! What hardware did you use to make it rotate?

Rob


----------



## erdman41

RobColella said:


> Awesome idea!!! What hardware did you use to make it rotate?
> 
> Rob


3/4" pipe flange bolted to the target. Then a 3/4" x 5" pipe through the 4x4 column.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## RobColella

Thank you!!!


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## friend of coal

Tag


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## thirdhandman

erdman41 said:


> 3/4" pipe flange bolted to the target. Then a 3/4" x 5" pipe through the 4x4 column.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Great Idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## jldunn86

For those in the Houston area and maybe worth checking in other areas as well. Bulk clothing can be bought by the pound from thrift stores.

http://abc13.com/fashion/bulk-thrift-shop-offers-fashions-by-the-pound-in-houston/999551/

So this one is on my list..


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## jldunn86

http://abc13.com/fashion/bulk-thrift-shop-offers-fashions-by-the-pound-in-houston/999551/

Good luck..


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## thirdhandman

Great post. * Independant thrift stores *should be a good place for stuffing.


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## Rat

I received my skins Friday and I began building my target today. I decided to use erdman41s design for a rotating hinge. 

Gage has a friend over for the weekend so after coffee and breakfast tacos this morning I put them to work. I live on a rock pile so it wasn't easy for these two youngsters to get the holes dug. I had to give them a few quick lessons on the use of a rock bar, but they caught on pretty quick. We got most of the heavy lifting done today, well, except the actual heavy lifting when we get the target stuffed. 

A 4' x 4' target is HUGE! We will be stuffing it in the next few days and I can't wait to get some carbon in this thing!


----------



## teket999

Just got some supplies to start my project today. I called the Salvation Army and they sell clothes by the pound. Problem is they sell to a company on contract only. They said they'd call the company Monday and see if they can make a one time exception. Here's to hoping! They shouldn't mind since they buy in only 40,000 lbs of clothing at a time... I'm only looking for 125 lbs!


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## Methodman

I made mine with a chicken wire front, stuffed with wads of shrink wrap, and old carpet for the "skin" on the front of the chicken wire. Shooting 400 grain arrow at 295 fps.....2 foot thick....my 10 year old can pull the arrows out with two fingers.


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## Rat

All done, works like a champ; note to get it stuffed. Here's a shot from 20 and 30 yards...


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## teket999

*Brian's Third Hand Target Project*

Here's my progress so far tonight. The only reason it's not done is my brother-in-law wanted to do a woodworking project so I am doing this with him. Only he works 10 hour days 4 days a week starting today and only had an hour tonight. This is what we accomplished in 45 minutes. More progress to be made tomorrow. I'm gonna have this rotate on 1" galvanized metal pipe and flanges from 4 x 4 posts stuck in the ground with a slant roof overhead. I hope the pic is attached to this post... I think I did it right...


----------



## Rat

I used the same hinge design on mine, it works great. I also used two barrel latches, one on each post, to lock it in place.

It's a great design.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## teket999

Rat: For your design, how far of a space did you leave above the box between box and roof for it to rotate without it contacting the roof? Just double checking my figures. I'm thinking 6 inches or less.


----------



## Oncorhynchus

Awesome thread, thanks for all the great ideas. Marked


----------



## Kramer588

The Good Will in St Paul, MN sells clothes by the pound, i called them today and they said any clothing amount over 25lbs is sold for 99 cents per pound. So how many pounds of clothing would a guy need to fill a 3x3, or 4x4 target?


----------



## Rat

teket999 said:


> Rat: For your design, how far of a space did you leave above the box between box and roof for it to rotate without it contacting the roof? Just double checking my figures. I'm thinking 6 inches or less.


I didn't measure it, I rotated the target and then set the cross member an inch or so for clearance. But it is prolly between 5 and 6 inches. I can measure it when I get home if you want an exact measurement.


----------



## teket999

Rat said:


> I didn't measure it, I rotated the target and then set the cross member an inch or so for clearance. But it is prolly between 5 and 6 inches. I can measure it when I get home if you want an exact measurement.


 No Need to measure unless you really have the time. I bet a few people in the future though would appreciate it though and so would I. I don't want to put you out though. I estimate 6" will be plenty of height but I'd like to make it less... so its up to you. Thanks in advance if you do.


----------



## teket999

Rat said:


> I didn't measure it, I rotated the target and then set the cross member an inch or so for clearance. But it is prolly between 5 and 6 inches. I can measure it when I get home if you want an exact measurement.


So the cross member is only 2" above and it misses the cross member when rotating? That's all I really need to know.


----------



## erdman41

teket999 said:


> So the cross member is only 2" above and it misses the cross member when rotating? That's all I really need to know.


Build your roof first and your target with the flanges on it. Measure from center of the flange to the farthest corner of target. Then use your tape to make a swing by the roof to make sure it clears.

Unless everyone has the same roof pitch the distance needed for clearance will vary.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## teket999

erdman41 said:


> Build your roof first and your target with the flanges on it. Measure from center of the flange to the farthest corner of target. Then use your tape to make a swing by the roof to make sure it clears.
> 
> Unless everyone has the same roof pitch the distance needed for clearance will vary.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Thanks erdman. That's a good way to go about it.


----------



## Spierce1985

here is a photo of my completed target. I didn't take photos through the whole process but figured I would post a finished product photo. I want to say thank you to Thirdhand!!! shipping was super fast and this thread is amazing!!! I was so sick of wearing out bag targets. This target should last a good long time! just have to scrounge up more clothes!! takes way more than I would have imagined.


----------



## Rat

About 1 5/8 inch between the target and the crossmember, 5 inches to the bottom; same on top.


----------



## teket999

Thanks Rat! 



Rat said:


> About 1 5/8 inch between the target and the crossmember, 5 inches to the bottom; same on top.
> 
> View attachment 4381546


----------



## Rat

It works! I'll use the drawn on targets until I get my target faces in. Nice to finally be shooting it!


----------



## Fiferguy

So I needed to put paper targets on my ThirdHand, but the wire pins I made weren't getting the job done. Saw some on Lancaster that I thought I could make cheaper, and I was right. They work great too!

All I did was take a 1-1/4" drywall screw and epoxy it into a wire nut. It just screws into the target face with no problems. Made 10 of them for less than 4 were on Lancaster.


----------



## thirdhandman

Those will work wel until you hit one. The metal nail can damage the fieldpoint. A roofing cap nail has a soft galvanized rib shanked nail with a rubber head. They work well and cheap.http://www.lowes.com/pd/Grip-Rite-1..._clickID=a35691eb-9e80-408b-8d14-64559919e303


----------



## Fiferguy

thirdhandman said:


> Those will work wel until you hit one. The metal nail can damage the fieldpoint. A roofing cap nail has a soft galvanized rib shanked nail with a rubber head. They work well and cheap.http://www.lowes.com/pd/Grip-Rite-1..._clickID=a35691eb-9e80-408b-8d14-64559919e303


That's why I don't hit them... 

They use those galvanized roofing nails at the indoor range I shoot at, but they still damage points. That much energy is going to deform metal regardless. But for my home range, I don't shoot at the nails.


----------



## S.Alder

Jim is a great guy and I love my Third Hand products. I have been using a Third hand Bag for 3 years now. I store it inside, and have wheels on my stand. Awesome product. Thousands of arrows and no pass throughs. If you don't have them, and you use a climber stand, you must get the stand stabilizer straps. I won't climb a tree without them.


----------



## Swamp archer

Definitely going to try this


----------



## teket999

Just finished... Just need to stuff it with clothes!


----------



## thirdhandman

teket: Looks great so far. Instead of just finished, a lot of guys would say just getting started looking for enough old clothes to fill her. Don't get impatient looking for clothing, you will be shooting this target for many years.:wink:


----------



## Rat

thirdhandman said:


> teket: Looks great so far. Instead of just finished, a lot of guys would say just getting started looking for enough old clothes to fill her. Don't get impatient looking for clothing, you will be shooting this target for many years.:wink:


I posted on Facebook to all my hunting/shooting friends that I needed cloths/sleeping bags/linens for the target. I offered a six pack of beer (their choice) for each bag and I would pick them up. Worked like a champ! In fact, I have enough left over for a bag target!


----------



## Rat

teket999 said:


> Just finished... Just need to stuff it with clothes!
> 
> View attachment 4442105
> View attachment 4442113
> View attachment 4442129
> View attachment 4442145


Looks real good! I may need to stain mine as well; I like how it blends in. I also need to get the roof done and lights installed; maybe next weekend...


----------



## teket999

Rat said:


> Looks real good! I may need to stain mine as well; I like how it blends in. I also need to get the roof done and lights installed; maybe next weekend...


Thanks Rat! Yes The stain is deck stain with a water proofer that will help it look good as well as work good. Mine is in the front yard so the neighbors see it and I want it to look nice so no one thinks otherwise.


----------



## teket999

thirdhandman said:


> teket: Looks great so far. Instead of just finished, a lot of guys would say just getting started looking for enough old clothes to fill her. Don't get impatient looking for clothing, you will be shooting this target for many years.:wink:


Yes I know right? lol. I called the salvation army here and they sell clothes by the pound but to an overseas company for poor countries. They sell them in 30,000 lb batches! They were supposed to clear it with the company if I could buy 125 lbs or not. That's where I am. I have to call Monday but wait till Wednesday which is payday.


----------



## mucky

Has anyone made a target deeper than 12". I was thinking of a 2x10 and a 2x6. If so, how did you join the two boards together?


----------



## KRONIIK

^ 
I edge-glued two 2x8s after planing the edges straight, and used a biscuit joiner with #20 biscuits every six inches or so. Also used TitebondII (waterproof) glue.
A lot of work, but it was lumber I had on hand, and it ended up a couple inches wider- (thicker target) than a single 2x12. About 14 inches vs. 11-1/2.


----------



## rp65

Great Idea.


----------



## Outsider

Have time to finish mine today. Want to wrap the target skin around the box so I went with heavy duty tarp from harbor freight. I hope thirdhandman won't mind ;-)
I used a lot of shrinkwrap to fill the target. Also tomorrow I will get a big plastic bag from work to cover the target with it. Did not have a chance to shot at it yet. But that thing is packed !









































Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk


----------



## Outsider

I decided to purchase this log rack cover http://www.ebay.com/itm/SpeeCo-Full...881959?hash=item3d1dcb8427:g:oK4AAOSw1x1UO~43 it should cover the target good.


----------



## thirdhandman

Ya got a lot of sweat equity there. Will be curious on how long it lasts.


----------



## Outsider

thirdhandman said:


> Ya got a lot of sweat equity there. Will be curious on how long it lasts.


I was able to wrap the target twice with the tarp. So two layers of target face. If it won't work for long I will order yours for sure. Also shrink wrap is available to me every day from my work place. We throw away a lot of it.


----------



## thirdhandman

Outsider: There have been many suggest a plastic wrap filler. Please let us know how well it stops your arrows, what type of plastic wrap and is it harder to pull arrows.


----------



## Outsider

thirdhandman said:


> Outsider: There have been many suggest a plastic wrap filler. Please let us know how well it stops your arrows, what type of plastic wrap and is it harder to pull arrows.


I will let you guys know for sure. Currently on the bottom I have place heavy duty shipping foil. The one that they cover wood with when shipped on big truck. And the rest is filled with regular shipping shrink wrap.


----------



## thirdhandman

I haven't used plastic but my guess is the heavy duty plastic wrap will work ok. The clingy shrink wrap type, I would think will do its job and cling to the arrow.jmo


----------



## Outsider

thirdhandman said:


> I haven't used plastic but my guess is the heavy duty plastic wrap will work ok. The clingy shrink wrap type, I would think will do its job and cling to the arrow.jmo


I'm little bit concerned about the shrink wrap also. Before I have build a target made of corrugated cardboard. When I shoot at it the glue from cardboard will stick my arrows and after shooting they need cleaning. But this was because of the friction since cardboard was stationary. When you shoot at clothes or shrink wrap they compress and this stops the arrow. At least I hope this is what is going to happen :wink:
I have a lot of shrink wrap at work and that is why decided to try it. If it won't work I will fill it with clothes.


----------



## thirdhandman

Both clothes and shrink gradually stop the arrow and both get penetration. The big difference is heat generated by an arrow doesn't do too much with clothes. It does melt plastic.


----------



## Outsider

Got my cover and it's awesome! I can just remove the front cover and I'm good to go.

























Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk


----------



## amclimber

Nice work on this thread, thirdhandman. Very helpful info.


----------



## thirdhandman

Thank you amclimber. This came as a result of AT'ers asking for a bigger rag bag. I kept telling them to stand closer. The very first DIY range box target was a rag bag split in half and attached to a frame. It made the Rag Bag a full 2'x3'x1' target.
After I saw how many people liked it. I decided to make one to fit the huts used to hold bale targets at clubs.:wink:


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## aeasley10

Outsider said:


> Got my cover and it's awesome! I can just remove the front cover and I'm good to go.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk


Where did u get the target cover? What size is it and what's it made of? 


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## Outsider

Check the post above with link

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## Emiller44

Here's mine I made. I capped it with aluminum to finish it off!










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## thirdhandman

Nicely done! Love seeing all the different versions of the same idea.


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## tackscall

mucky said:


> Has anyone made a target deeper than 12". I was thinking of a 2x10 and a 2x6. If so, how did you join the two boards together?


Get a Kreg jig, incredibly useful!

https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p34/kreg-jigreg-k4/


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## aeasley10

Outsider said:


> Check the post above with link
> 
> Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk


Sent u a PM brother


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## Geko

Great thread! Thanks Jim for it. Very good ideas here. I am starting my project today, will surely post pictures soon


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## thirdhandman

My pleasure Geko. Looking forward to seeing the pictures.:wink:


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## Skydiver386

Have you found any difference in penetration between stuffing materials like cotton shop rags VS microfiber towels VS cotton t-shirts?

Most guys seem to think old denim blue jeans work best, but I can't seem to get very many pairs of old jeans and I'm thinking of a good substitute for a crossbow over 400fps.


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## thirdhandman

Cotton towels work great, I would think microfiber and t shirts will work great too. Just make sure to pack them tight by hand without voids.:wink:


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## Coug09

tackscall said:


> Get a Kreg jig, incredibly useful!
> 
> https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p34/kreg-jigreg-k4/


We glued two 2x10's but we had the equipment (clamps) to press them together overnight. 

Worked excellent. Of course there were screws in the end too but it really helps to keep moisture out too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Geko

Hi Jim,
I ordered 4 test skin sets for our new range and I will be commissioning the targets today (to be ready in 2 days) but while reviewing the final plans I got a little confused. This thread is about instructions for a 4' by 4' targets, but the skin sets we will receive from you are 36" right? There is some talk in the thread about printed 4x4 skins and this made me hesitate. Are you selling only 3 foot printed skins right now or both 3 and 4 ft. Tic Tac Toe skins?


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## thirdhandman

This thread is about our 4'x4' blank skins. There is another thread about 3'x3' animal and tic tac toe skins. Two totally different products. The 4'x4' skins are blank.


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## Geko

thirdhandman said:


> This thread is about our 4'x4' blank skins. There is another thread about 3'x3' animal and tic tac toe skins. Two totally different products. The 4'x4' skins are blank.


Hmm.. I thought I asked a polite question, not to mention I did just order and paid for 4 sets of skins, and the above reply (which didn't even answer my question) is quite strange to me, but to each his own. I can't find the thread you refer to and there is enough talk about printed skins in this thread right here to make things confusing... and I did take the time to read all 29 pages of it. Here you go, from nearly 3 years ago:



thirdhandman said:


> Just got word that we are going to produce a printed 4'x4' version. It will be four 5 spot targets on each side.


Anyway... whatever. I hope the skins will be nice when they arrive, printed or unprinted, whatever size they will be in. I see a lot of happy customers and I wish you great business.


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## thirdhandman

Geko: The question you ask was perfectly fine. I am sorry about this confusion over the years. We started out with 3x3 printed. Then customers ask for 4'x4' which we started out as blanks and to this day are still blanks. We thought there would be a possibility of getting them printed but it didn't work out. There has been a lot to go on in this thread over the past 3 years.:wink:


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## Geko

Thanks for the kind reply. It is appreciated!


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## bigpamusky

Nice!!!!


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## odin544

I built my target using shrink wrap inside as my wife's work goes through a ton of it, so I had all I needed for free. It doesn't melt to the arrow as some speculate, at least not the stuff I have. What I am using has been stretched though as it was wrapped around pallets full of products. Arrows pull out very easy with 2 fingers. I built my target 12" deep. I get about 6 inches of penetration.


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## thirdhandman

odin: there are several types of plastic wrap that do work well as you discovered. We suggest clothing because for most archers it is available if they look around and it works great. Some of the plastic will flat out weld to the arrow. The problem is figuring out which plastic wrap does and doesn't work well.
I thought I hit pay dirt once. Had a manufacturer of shoe box plastic bags. They paid a trucker to haul out truck load of scrap bags weekly. I had them load a 600 pound block of them in my P/U truck and took them home. Hand unloaded all of them and wheelbarrowed them to the back yard. Shot 5 arrows into a bundle of bags. They stuck so tight I had to remove one bag at a time to get the arrows back. The trash man would only take two cans a week, so it took quite a while to get rid of all the bags. lol


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## odin544

thirdhandman said:


> odin: there are several types of plastic wrap that do work well as you discovered. We suggest clothing because for most archers it is available if they look around and it works great. Some of the plastic will flat out weld to the arrow. The problem is figuring out which plastic wrap does and doesn't work well.
> I thought I hit pay dirt once. Had a manufacturer of shoe box plastic bags. They paid a trucker to haul out truck load of scrap bags weekly. I had them load a 600 pound block of them in my P/U truck and took them home. Hand unloaded all of them and wheelbarrowed them to the back yard. Shot 5 arrows into a bundle of bags. They stuck so tight I had to remove one bag at a time to get the arrows back. The trash man would only take two cans a week, so it took quite a while to get rid of all the bags. lol


Yeah, "plastic" could be a lot of different things! I'll see if I can find out exactly what it is that I used and let you know. I was going to do the clothing but I would have had to buy it somewhere, plus my target is pretty light!


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## thirdhandman

Two benefits to plastic. Lighter and doesn't mildew like clothing. Its just hard to find the right plastic.


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## Skydiver386

Jim, have you ever experimented with granular filler like maybe plastic pellets, bean bag fill, cat litter, etc? Clothes are cheap, but where I live in Ohio keeping something filled with old cotton clothing dry and free of mice and insects worries me.


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## thirdhandman

No I haven't experimented with other materials. I wanted something most people could find anywhere. Leave it out side... The mice need a place to sleep and play dodge ball. :set1_rolf2:


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## KRONIIK

While building mine, I had considered filling it with some sort of dry shredded bark mulch or something on that order, but just ended up using old clothing. 

Mine is covered with a little cedar shake roof so it stays dry, and it's up on 4x4 posts the mice would have to climb, with no real access openings for them if they did. 
No problems with pests or moisture whatsoever so far in the rainy month or so I've had it set up.

I love shooting this thing; it's one of the best archery-related projects you can make.


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## thirdhandman

Got to agree it is a lot easier than most would think.


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## DaveHawk

What ever happened to the targets (can't remember the name) that had 1/4" mesh nylon hardware cloth to hold the arrows and a kevlar pad hanging in the back to stop the arrows? They had two finger arrow removal. Anyone remember these? Did anyone ever build one themselves?


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## dbd1313

would someone mind posting a clear picture/instructions of the "flip" mechanism to turn the target over?


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## Rat

dbd1313 said:


> would someone mind posting a clear picture/instructions of the "flip" mechanism to turn the target over?


I used two 1" floor flanges and two 1" x 6" (long) pipe nipples. Bolt the floor flanges to the target on the sides at the centerline mark Then bore two holes through your supports (4 x4 in my case), use a jack to raise the target so the floor flanges are even with the bores in the supports and thread the nipples through the bores into the floor flanges. Done. 

I can post pictures when I get home if you need them.


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## dbd1313

Rat said:


> I used two 1" floor flanges and two 1" x 6" (long) pipe nipples. Bolt the floor flanges to the target on the sides at the centerline mark Then bore two holes through your supports (4 x4 in my case), use a jack to raise the target so the floor flanges are even with the bores in the supports and thread the nipples through the bores into the floor flanges. Done.
> 
> I can post pictures when I get home if you need them.


Thanks that's perfectly clear instructions photos aren't necessary. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


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## thirdhandman

Glad Rat took care of that one.


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## mikx

Looks great. Thanks for sharing!


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## thirdhandman

Skydiver386 said:


> Jim, have you ever experimented with granular filler like maybe plastic pellets, bean bag fill, cat litter, etc? Clothes are cheap, but where I live in Ohio keeping something filled with old cotton clothing dry and free of mice and insects worries me.


Shreded rubber works until one gets holes in the target.


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## StrikerN40015

Great ideas here!


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## thirdhandman

KRONIIK said:


> While building mine, I had considered filling it with some sort of dry shredded bark mulch or something on that order, but just ended up using old clothing.
> 
> Mine is covered with a little cedar shake roof so it stays dry, and it's up on 4x4 posts the mice would have to climb, with no real access openings for them if they did.
> No problems with pests or moisture whatsoever so far in the rainy month or so I've had it set up.
> 
> I love shooting this thing; it's one of the best archery-related projects you can make.


Thanks KRONIIK; We appreciate all the help we can get.:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## g_whitcomb

KRONIIK said:


> While building mine, I had considered filling it with some sort of dry shredded bark mulch or something on that order, but just ended up using old clothing.
> 
> Mine is covered with a little cedar shake roof so it stays dry, and it's up on 4x4 posts the mice would have to climb, with no real access openings for them if they did.
> No problems with pests or moisture whatsoever so far in the rainy month or so I've had it set up.
> 
> I love shooting this thing; it's one of the best archery-related projects you can make.


I've had mine outside and have a roof over it too. The only pest problem I've had was wasps. Damn they can build a nest in no time!


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## anschwartz

GreenAcres said:


> I've had mine outside and have a roof over it too. The only pest problem I've had was wasps. Damn they can build a nest in no time!


Those dryer sheets will keep the wasps away. Used sheets are OK.


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## thirdhandman

Heard dryer sheets worked on mosquitos, didn't know it worked on wasp. Good to know.


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## S.Dobbs

Tagged


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## DHwreckage

these targets look pretty sweet for a cheap diy set up, they look much better then the foam blocks!


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## DaveHawk

Small paper bag stuffed with paper and wrapped at the top hanging nearby looks like a hornets nest and the wasps don't want to be anywhere near a hornets nest.....works up under my porch overhang


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## xanthophobia

I made mine using old trampoline material for "skins", it's black...instead of white. Has held up great for three seasons so far. Stuffed with old t shirts from goodwill outlet. "Clothes by the pound".


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## cloquet

tagged.


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## wademiller

I have about 2 plus 55 gallon barrels full of used clothes. I am going to build to at least one or more targets. Have an idea and was gonna put it out here for any thoughts. I am looking to build mine from 24 inch plastic drain/culvert pipe. Thinking about 18 to 24 inches deep. gonna build a wood back possibly and cut an extra piece of pipe in half and attach of the to over hang to keep rain off it. Looking for any constructive criticism.


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## wademiller

bump


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## monahmat

I've heard a couple people say not to use denim. Is there a reason for that or can you use jeans so long as you remove zippers and buttons?


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## mgwelder

monahmat said:


> I've heard a couple people say not to use denim. Is there a reason for that or can you use jeans so long as you remove zippers and buttons?


I have used denim in my bag target. Remove ALL metal or plastic zippers, buttons, or snaps.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## Rat

wademiller said:


> I have about 2 plus 55 gallon barrels full of used clothes. I am going to build to at least one or more targets. Have an idea and was gonna put it out here for any thoughts. I am looking to build mine from 24 inch plastic drain/culvert pipe. Thinking about 18 to 24 inches deep. gonna build a wood back possibly and cut an extra piece of pipe in half and attach of the to over hang to keep rain off it. Looking for any constructive criticism.


The pipe is a good idea, but I wouldn't use a board on the back. You will need some way to attach the target skins and some way to fill it; maybe fill it and then attach the skins. The skin on the front and back will let you shoot both sides. I think that using wood on one side will not be as good as the 'flex' of the skin helps stop the arrows. Also, it will eventually compress the material and not be as good at stopping arrows. Eventually you will have an arrow punch through the material and if you have wood as a backing it sill stick the wood and maybe destroy the arrow. I also don't think you need to go so deep, my target is only 12 inches deep and it stops arrows fine. 

Otherwise I think it will look cool and be a great target. Easy to move too, just roll it where you want it.


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## drake2h

Definitely interested in trying this out. Thanks to all of you who have contributed ideas!


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## ezmethod

Not sure if this has been asked earlier on but can you order these skins in a custom size? Like say 4'x6' ?


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## wademiller

Thanks. Ya after posting and looking at other 4x4 targets figured 24 was too deep. I have an old trampoline that I saved from my in-laws and was going to use that on both ends. I have some real big hose clamps that I will join together to clamp the trampoline material over the ends of the pipe. I still need to get the pipe. Was going to check with a local drain tile company for a couple strap shorter pieces. cheapest I can find in 24 inch is over 150 for 20 footer. Too cold now for this. Has been below 0 for the better part of the last 2 weeks


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## jdwilkie6

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## jdwilkie6

If you use a couple paper clips or snack bag "clip" you can attach target to bungee with that. Now you can side up/down and left/right. I've had this 48"x48"x12" target done for a while. Just added an extension to the face along with third hand Archery's face. While talking to a guy at a local shop recently he gave me the idea of putting rods on the sides to attach bungee cord to. 


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## Heritagehd

following for future reference. Thanks for all the great ideas!


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## Orian

Hey Jim thank you for the quick order processing and shipping, question..
Do you attach 1 or 2 skins (not counting the black plastic) to each side of the target frame ?
I'm building a frame same as per your instructions in your first post, 4' square target area 12" deep.

Also would there be any advantage to stretching the skins as tight as possible or would it be better
to allow them slight slack ?


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## g_whitcomb

Orian said:


> Hey Jim thank you for the quick order processing and shipping, question..
> Do you attach 1 or 2 skins (not counting the black plastic) to each side of the target frame ?
> I'm building a frame same as per your instructions in your first post, 4' square target area 12" deep.
> 
> Also would there be any advantage to stretching the skins as tight as possible or would it be better
> to allow them slight slack ?


1 per side, nice and tight


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## OspreyZB

Tagged


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## OspreyZB

Tagged


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## stanmc55

Here are a few that I have built for myself....

This is a 2x2x14". I used one 4x4 side with enough left over to recover when needed...a sharpie works good for making spots.

.









This is a 3x3x12"that I just rebuilt and stuffed with better materials from old bag targets.....











Here is another 3x3 that is 16" deep. I use this one out in the yard, the wheels work well.











All of these targets are on casters or wheels as they end up being very heavy. It is well worth the money spent!


Oh, I almost forgot one! It isn't a third hand target but worth showing. 










I put this one on casters so the wife could pull it around the yard behind the mower so I can practice those running shots!! LOL
REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


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## TMully10

Question on the third hand Skins. When ordering the set for does it come with two sheets one with animals and one with tic tac toe or is it just one sheet printed front and back? Building one tonight and going to order the skin but just wasn't clear if i needed too order one set or two. 

Thanks


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## stanmc55

They come as a pair. 


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


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## Dirtbiker8844

Thanks for sharing!


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## stanmc55

Dirtbiker8844 said:


> Thanks for sharing!


If you go to their sight, I believe you will find that you can get one of each, which is the standard order,or a pair of the animals , or a pair of the tic tac toe by putting in the proper code when ordering....


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


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## chad4372

Nice. 

Chad


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## travislsullivan

Cannot wait to get to shooting my target! Filled it with a bunch of plastic bags and I mean a bunch. 6 months worth from friends and neighbors. Should last a bit if imagine.


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## raleigh8605

Is it possible to pack these targets to tight? I just made a 3x3 target filled with plastic bale wrap and it's a little tough to get arrows out. I literally packed this thing until it I could not fit any more in because it's only 12" deep and I didn't want my arrows poking through the other side. I made a target a couple years ago with a carpet face that I packed with bale wrap as well that was 18" deep but not packed nearly as tight. I can pull my arrows out of that target with two fingers although my arrows got buried deeper.


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## stanmc55

raleigh8605 said:


> Is it possible to pack these targets to tight? I just made a 3x3 target filled with plastic bale wrap and it's a little tough to get arrows out. I literally packed this thing until it I could not fit any more in because it's only 12" deep and I didn't want my arrows poking through the other side. I made a target a couple years ago with a carpet face that I packed with bale wrap as well that was 18" deep but not packed nearly as tight. I can pull my arrows out of that target with two fingers although my arrows got buried deeper.


When you say bale wrap, are you talking about the plastic twine or the sheeting?


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## raleigh8605

stanmc55 said:


> When you say bale wrap, are you talking about the plastic twine or the sheeting?
> 
> 
> REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


Sheeting


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## thirdhandman

raleigh8605 said:


> Is it possible to pack these targets to tight? I just made a 3x3 target filled with plastic bale wrap and it's a little tough to get arrows out. I literally packed this thing until it I could not fit any more in because it's only 12" deep and I didn't want my arrows poking through the other side. I made a target a couple years ago with a carpet face that I packed with bale wrap as well that was 18" deep but not packed nearly as tight. I can pull my arrows out of that target with two fingers although my arrows got buried deeper.


Bale wrap will work but is not the recommended filler. Old clothing, blankets, sheets, towels etc work best. Bale wrap is plastic and does melt from the friction of the arrow. It makes it harder to pull arrows using plastic bags or plastic sheeting.


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## madarchery

Agree, I was one mentioning plastic and while it works not near as well as clothing. 

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk


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## vandy148

built this on an old trailer to be towable. I used mostly things laying around the garage and shed. I have about $35 into it


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## mgwelder

I am thinking about building one of these box targets. My question is has anyone used 8x8 for the frame, or are they all thicker. Looking at lumber prices, and yeowch!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## adr1601

mgwelder said:


> I am thinking about building one of these box targets. My question is has anyone used 8x8 for the frame, or are they all thicker. Looking at lumber prices, and yeowch!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


I built mine 24'' thick and from I'm seeing I wouldn't build one less than 16'' thick. In all fairness mine is in the basement and I'm shooting it from 2-12 yrs.


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## Rat

mgwelder said:


> I am thinking about building one of these box targets. My question is has anyone used 8x8 for the frame, or are they all thicker. Looking at lumber prices, and yeowch!


I built mine 12 inches deep (2 x 12 frame), build it right and only build it once I say.


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## stanmc55

mgwelder said:


> I am thinking about building one of these box targets. My question is has anyone used 8x8 for the frame, or are they all thicker. Looking at lumber prices, and yeowch!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


Minimum of 12"..........MINIMUM.


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## thirdhandman

mgwelder said:


> I am thinking about building one of these box targets. My question is has anyone used 8x8 for the frame, or are they all thicker. Looking at lumber prices, and yeowch!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


A 2x12"x 12' is $15 and we only use one. That is packed with clothing will stop arrows up to 350 fps. I haven't tried it but would thing a 2"x8" would only stop about 275 fps.


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## mgwelder

Ok I understand.

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## mgwelder

Well, I pulled the trigger and just bought a 2x12x16. Before long I will have a 4x4 frame to stuff. Eventually I will be getting a skin...

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## thirdhandman

MG ya might want to take pictures to post here as you build it.


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## EqualizerMan

mgwelder said:


> Well, I pulled the trigger and just bought a 2x12x16. Before long I will have a 4x4 frame to stuff. Eventually I will be getting a skin...
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


e 

Should be fun to see this!


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## stanmc55

EqualizerMan said:


> e
> 
> Should be fun to see this!


Yeah! Welders working with wood is always a fun thing to watch! lol


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## mgwelder

stanmc55 said:


> Yeah! Welders working with wood is always a fun thing to watch! lol
> 
> 
> REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


I know! At least with metal things are easyer to reattach or fill in. Cant do that with wood. I have the frame made and painted. Door cut in the top, and wheels and axel on. Will post pics

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## mgwelder

Just ordered the target face

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## KRONIIK

You'll love it. 
One of the best projects an archer can make.


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## mgwelder

Here is is so far.

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## PaBowhunter1966

Sun is terrible on it. I have had mine covered for three years when not in use and it is falling apart terrible. But they say Learn by your mistakes. I have and I won't do it again. Good luck with yours guys They look nice and I hope they hold up for you all.


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## stanmc55

mgwelder said:


> Here is is so far.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


Lookin good! For a welder!!!! LOL. JK


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## mgwelder

PaBowhunter1966 said:


> Sun is terrible on it. I have had mine covered for three years when not in use and it is falling apart terrible. But they say Learn by your mistakes. I have and I won't do it again. Good luck with yours guys They look nice and I hope they hold up for you all.


I plan on making a full cover for it when not in use.

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## Orian

Got one in the works myself...

































Will be parking this one inside an open faced shed of about 6'w x 6'd x 8'h to be built once the target is finished.


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## stanmc55

Orian said:


> Got one in the works myself...
> 
> View attachment 5788825
> 
> 
> View attachment 5788833
> 
> 
> View attachment 5788841
> 
> 
> View attachment 5788849
> 
> 
> Will be parking this one inside an open faced shed of about 6'w x 6'd x 8'h to be built once the target is finished.


Lookin good!!!!


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## Orian

Question...

Anyone know if this trex deck board wrapper would leave tar like black streaks on the arrow
shafts, used as an under layer black plastic target face ?









Will still be using Third Hand Target face on top of this layer, just using it to shaddow the close
inside.


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## mgwelder

I have the frame made; now I am having trouble with the chicken wire. I cant seem to get it stretched right. It still puckers. How tight do I pull it? In what order do I attach which side? Please help.

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## stanmc55

Is chicken wire in the recipe???? I used geo cloth like landscapers use.....


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## stanmc55

Orian said:


> Question...
> 
> Anyone know if this trex deck board wrapper would leave tar like black streaks on the arrow
> shafts, used as an under layer black plastic target face ?
> 
> View attachment 5788881
> 
> 
> Will still be using Third Hand Target face on top of this layer, just using it to shaddow the close
> inside.


Won't hurt a thing....


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## thirdhandman

mgwelder said:


> I have the frame made; now I am having trouble with the chicken wire. I cant seem to get it stretched right. It still puckers. How tight do I pull it? In what order do I attach which side? Please help.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


mgwelder; If using our DIY skins, chicken wire is not suggested. Our fabric will remain tight without chicken wire.


----------



## mgwelder

thirdhandman said:


> mgwelder; If using our DIY skins, chicken wire is not suggested. Our fabric will remain tight without chicken wire.


I finally did get the wire stretched and stapled down well on 1 side. The wire wont hurt the target face will it? I just thought it would help keep the internals in. I did buy one of your blank skins for 1 side. 

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## Orian

mgwelder, from posts I've read of other people using chicken wire over time some have
said it can end up scratching the arrow shafts and cause damage to the shaft coating or
even cut into the carbon fiber on carbon arrows. Some claim no damage but if thirdhandman
suggests you don't need it, I would take it off.

I just realized you said you only have 1 skin, so your putting the chicken wire on the backside of
the target and the skin on the front.
Might get away with that but I expect arrow penetration to 35 to 50 percent so some length of
the shaft will come out the back and could hit the wire.

I would just get another skin for the back then you could turn the target to shoot the other side
later in next year or so to keep the closes pushed back in center plus spread out the arrow
holes wear over both target sides.


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## thirdhandman

mgwelder: We sell the skins in sets of two. Look in the bag there is a skin for each side. The reason we suggest skinning both sides is after a number of shots you will start getting deeper penetration. At that point you simply turn the target and shoot the other side. This will make the target last twice as long and save you re stuffing the target each time you start getting deeper penetration.:secret:


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## mgwelder

thirdhandman said:


> mgwelder: We sell the skins in sets of two. Look in the bag there is a skin for each side. The reason we suggest skinning both sides is after a number of shots you will start getting deeper penetration. At that point you simply turn the target and shoot the other side. This will make the target last twice as long and save you re stuffing the target each time you start getting deeper penetration.:secret:


I did not realize it came with 2. I feel stupid! I read the invoice and still missed it. I removed the chicken wire (what a nightmare I made for myself), stapled a double layer tarp then the skin on each side. Next I will have to make the trim then stuff, and shoot! Will post more pics when trimmed. Thank you everyone for all the help!

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## stanmc55

mgwelder said:


> I did not realize it came with 2. I feel stupid! I read the invoice and still missed it. I removed the chicken wire (what a nightmare I made for myself), stapled a double layer tarp then the skin on each side. Next I will have to make the trim then stuff, and shoot! Will post more pics when trimmed. Thank you everyone for all the help!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


Lookin forward to your pics!


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## thirdhandman

mgwelder said:


> I did not realize it came with 2. I feel stupid! I read the invoice and still missed it. I removed the chicken wire (what a nightmare I made for myself), stapled a double layer tarp then the skin on each side. Next I will have to make the trim then stuff, and shoot! Will post more pics when trimmed. Thank you everyone for all the help!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


So ya got a deal twice as good as you expected. Enjoy my friend.


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## tschmidt250

Maybe it's been asked but I couldn't find it in the 81 pages. Would 2x10s work ok instead of 2x12s? I have some laying around I'd like to get rid of and this would be the perfect project.

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## thirdhandman

I haven't tested 2x10's but will tell you that 2x12 will consistently stop 400 gr. arrows up to 350fps. My guess that a 2x10 would work up to about 300 fps.


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## stanmc55

tschmidt250 said:


> Maybe it's been asked but I couldn't find it in the 81 pages. Would 2x10s work ok instead of 2x12s? I have some laying around I'd like to get rid of and this would be the perfect project.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk


If you have plenty of 2x10 material, rip enough 2 " pieces and use 3" drywall screws to attach them thereby making the depth approx 12".........

I have built several of these targets and have concluded that 12" is a minimum requirement for me. The last two I built were 14" and 16" in depth.. 


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


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## tschmidt250

stanmc55 said:


> If you have plenty of 2x10 material, rip enough 2 " pieces and use 3" drywall screws to attach them thereby making the depth approx 12".........
> 
> I have built several of these targets and have concluded that 12" is a minimum requirement for me. The last two I built were 14" and 16" in depth..
> 
> 
> REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


Good idea. Thanks 

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## mgwelder

I still have to stuff it and make a cover, but it is complete!









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## thirdhandman

Looks good MG. Might want to put a bar handle on top above the wheels so you can tip it easily and balance it when rolling it around. A board 2"x2" x 20" Extend the handle out both sides for balance but also would double as a bow hanger.:teeth:


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## stanmc55

Nice job, Mig!!! (From a carpenter to a welder!)


Are you going to only be using your target on concrete? If you plan on using it out in the yard you may want to extend the axles out about 6-7 " on each side. My first target was a 3x3 with wheels on It like yours. They worked great until I decide to pull it out on bare ground. It is so top heavy that the least little dip would have the target wanting to fall over. Extending the axles solved the tipping problem......

REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## mgwelder

stanmc55 said:


> Nice job, Mig!!! (From a carpenter to a welder!)
> 
> 
> Are you going to only be using your target on concrete? If you plan on using it out in the yard you may want to extend the axles out about 6-7 " on each side. My first target was a 3x3 with wheels on It like yours. They worked great until I decide to pull it out on bare ground. It is so top heavy that the least little dip would have the target wanting to fall over. Extending the axles solved the tipping problem......
> 
> REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


I have a spot in the corner of my back yard where it will set, and stay. It will be replacing my thirdhand ragbag target.(wink) I will be making a cover for it to keep rain and sun off while not in use. The wheels mainly will be used to turn it around to use both sides. I have put a handle on it but may have to make it bigger.

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## Orian

Do you all find approx. 12" spacing on the screws to hold the trim on to be good enough ?
That's what I did on mine, but could add more screws if advisable.


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## stanmc55

Orian said:


> Do you all find approx. 12" spacing on the screws to hold the trim on to be good enough ?
> That's what I did on mine, but could add more screws if advisable.


That will be good .....plenty close...


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## thirdhandman

Orian said:


> Do you all find approx. 12" spacing on the screws to hold the trim on to be good enough ?
> That's what I did on mine, but could add more screws if advisable.


Trim Is just holding the staples in place and should be fine although a couple more would not hurt. The staples every inch or two is necessary to hold the skins in place.


----------



## Orian

Thank you all for the help with this, been watching this thread for a few years now.
It's coming along..



































Only 5 files per post .. next


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## Orian

Next 5




































Pictures are not in order due to upload issues.

But the target is ready to be stuffed with close.


I wanted to put some text below each picture to explain
the process but just getting them posted here was hard enough
to do.

If anyone's interested I've already posted a detailed build from the start
with better pictures and text on another web site, just send me a PM and
I'll give you the link. Not trying to promote another site just want to share
something worth while for us bow hunters and target shooters.


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## thirdhandman

Orian: Beautiful Job! Looks great. Just one suggestion for anyone following this thread. We have found that the skins take a tremendous pounding by our bows. The skins are only attached by the staples. The more staples the better. I staple mine every inch which might take a minute or two longer and may cost a $1 more but well worth it. The staple itself should be put in parallel with the board, 90 degrees to what is shown in the above pictures.
Orian, if your molding is screwed on, it would be wise to take the molding off and add staples. Otherwise the skins could pull apart at the staples.:wink:
PS the wrinkles in the skins will completely disappear once the clothing is added.


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## stanmc55

thirdhandman said:


> Orian: Beautiful Job! Looks great. Just one suggestion for anyone following this thread. We have found that the skins take a tremendous pounding by our bows. The skins are only attached by the staples. The more staples the better. I staple mine every inch which might take a minute or two longer and may cost a $1 more but well worth it. The staple itself should be put in parallel with the board, 90 degrees to what is shown in the above pictures.
> Orian, if your molding is screwed on, it would be wise to take the molding off and add staples. Otherwise the skins could pull apart at the staples.:wink:
> PS the wrinkles in the skins will completely disappear once the clothing is added.


I agree, really nice job building the frame!!! But more staples are definitely needed to hold the skin on......... I use a hammer stapler and my staples almost overlap! That might be a little bit of overkill, but this is a situation of "the more the better"!! 

Again, nice job!!!!!!


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## Orian

Thanks guys, I did double up on the staples (about 1" spacing) after I took that picture but only
explained that in text below the picture on the other site.
When I was trying to upload pics. last night the server ended up resetting about 3 to 4 times before
I could finish the second posting. Sorry about any confusion.


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## stanmc55

Orian said:


> Thanks guys, I did double up on the staples (about 1" spacing) after I took that picture but only
> explained that in text below the picture on the other site.
> When I was trying to upload pics. last night the server ended up resetting about 3 to 4 times before
> I could finish the second posting. Sorry about any confusion.


I'm just glad to hear that you had already added more staples thereby increasing the chances of a successful build..... good job!!!!! It looks really good!!!!


REMEMBER the ALAMO!!!


----------



## mgwelder

I finally completed it, ang moved it into place. Ready to go!









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## thirdhandman

MG That should give you years of entertainment. Nice job!. Can't tell what you are using to hold the targets in place. Rubber headed roofers cap nails work great and are cheap. https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...W2scoHXw3v0k4o7V5C5x1h6QLH7NvSUvZoaAtRL8P8HAQ


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## mgwelder

thirdhandman said:


> MG That should give you years of entertainment. Nice job!. Can't tell what you are using to hold the targets in place. Rubber headed roofers cap nails work great and are cheap. https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...W2scoHXw3v0k4o7V5C5x1h6QLH7NvSUvZoaAtRL8P8HAQ


Thank you very much! To pin them on I use some pins I made from coat hangers I saw on the net. I dont shoot near the pins to avoid damage to arrows.

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## mgwelder

mgwelder said:


> Thank you very much! To pin them on I use some pins I made from coat hangers I saw on the net. I dont shoot near the pins to avoid damage to arrows.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


First 3 arrows, 20 yds. Will be more accurate when I get my peep put back in!









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## Orian

Very nice mgwelder, looks great!

Where did you get the barbique cover and what size was it ?
Maybe that's a tarp ? The tarp I have over mine is coming up a bit short.
Still working on filling mine, wife says she needs new curtains in the living room..
I looked at the old ones humm cotton, I said Ok.


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## stanmc55

One more time , mig..... that is sharp!!!! Good work!!!!


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## mgwelder

Orian said:


> Very nice mgwelder, looks great!
> 
> Where did you get the barbique cover and what size was it ?
> Maybe that's a tarp ? The tarp I have over mine is coming up a bit short.
> Still working on filling mine, wife says she needs new curtains in the living room..
> I looked at the old ones humm cotton, I said Ok.


The cover is made from 2 free harbor freight tarps that I got my lovely wife to sew together for me. Custom fit with a paracord drawstring on the bottom. 

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## mgwelder

stanmc55 said:


> One more time , mig..... that is sharp!!!! Good work!!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you!

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## philsummers21

Finally made my target thanks to this thread. Just waiting on my target skins to show up to finish it up. So far the carpet is working awesome and free. I've got $70 into this so far with the skins. Not bad. Target was shot at 5' with 80# obsession 342 fps. 430grain arrow. It will stop.











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## thirdhandman

Phil: The build looks great. I haven't tried carpet the way you have it, but I'm afraid over time there will be soft spots from hitting the same area over and over causing pass thru's that will be hard to repair. I don't see anyway of compressing the carpet soft spots. For the benefit of the other At'ers, after 1,000 shots or more, please let us know how it is holding up and how the penetration is.:teeth:


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## big44a4

philsummers21 said:


> Finally made my target thanks to this thread. Just waiting on my target skins to show up to finish it up. So far the carpet is working awesome and free. I've got $70 into this so far with the skins. Not bad. Target was shot at 5' with 80# obsession 342 fps. 430grain arrow. It will stop.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nice! No luck finding free carpet here. I'll have to go old clothes route. 


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## philsummers21

thirdhandman said:


> Phil: The build looks great. I haven't tried carpet the way you have it, but I'm afraid over time there will be soft spots from hitting the same area over and over causing pass thru's that will be hard to repair. I don't see anyway of compressing the carpet soft spots. For the benefit of the other At'ers, after 1,000 shots or more, please let us know how it is holding up and how the penetration is.:teeth:


Will do. So far it seems to be holding up really well. I had to compress it 3x before it quit loosening up. But even when it loosened up the arrows would only go to the fletchings. 


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## thirdhandman

Phil: I sincerely hope this works well as it will give me another avenue to sell skins. The testing that I did years ago didn't do to good.


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## Orian

I've seen posts and pictures of people using threaded steel rods like 1/2" or 5/8" one on each side
to compress the layers of carpet or other material but myself I didn't want all that hardware on the
sides of my target because sure enough I will hit it with an arrow sooner or later.
So I decided to stay away from layered compressed carpet and went the cotton clothing route.

Mind you I will still find a screw head in my trim boards over time but the odds are in my favor
it'll be a while.  Less steel is better.

Another thing I found out myself was with used carpet it will contain a large amount of sand and
fine dirt, when I replaced my carpet in the living room it left about 1/8th to 1/4" of sand/dust on
the floor where it sat. The carpet was empackted with it over the years of people and dogs walking
on it.

Used carpet is like Ultra Man Sand Paper. If your gonna go with carpet get it new not used.


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## scooter03

What kind of staples and staple guns is everyone using


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## mgwelder

scooter03 said:


> What kind of staples and staple guns is everyone using


I used an arrow brand staplegun (standard type). 1/2" long staples. Be sure to staple every 1"- 2" apart. The closer the better.


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## thirdhandman

same here mg. Important to run the staples parallel to the wood being stapled. There is a lot of pressure when the arrows hit the back of the target. Stapling parallel to the board helps keep the skin from fraying.


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## scooter03

Awesome I'll pick one up using the hand style or air gun


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## mgwelder

thirdhandman said:


> same here mg. Important to run the staples parallel to the wood being stapled. There is a lot of pressure when the arrows hit the back of the target. Stapling parallel to the board helps keep the skin from fraying.


I stapled diagnal, to try to get more fibers. ( my way of thinking anywsys). Lol

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## douglasjwood

Just now stuffing my target.









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## Orian

There should be a way to alter Philsummer21s frame to include either the top or the sides
to compress with threaded rods nuts etc.
Adds extra hardware but for 25 yard or less targets say 3x4' square for indoor garage etc.
Should be fine.

Extra steel for long range and 4'x4' targets might be an issue, but for indoor 20 yard shoots maybe fine.
Add the tighetners on the outside of the main frame.

Add a couple of thridhand skins and fearing strips and your good to go.
I still say use new carpet not used stuff.


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## jato4x4

Does anyone have an estimate of how many pounds of clothes it takes to fill one of these? My goodwill sells clothes by the pound, But i have no idea how much it would take. Thanks in advacne


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## shimmon83

looks like my blank skins left KY today, short trip to OH and the fun begins... i have 6 rag bag personally, and 5 more for our local sportsman club. 

this new 4x4 target will take place of my 2 rag bags hanging in the barn for indoor practice sessions and to hang some animal and spots targets from for fun! 

love all third hand products!


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## tallbow

Thirdhandman, great simple instructions. I built something like this recently, but it was more complicated... wish I'd seen your version first.
One of my DIY targets is similar to this but with burlap coffee sack facing (you can get these for free from coffee shops) and plastic filler instead of clothes. You can get big sheets of plastic for free -- like what they use to wrap cardboard pallets for recycling -- and it's lightweight and weatherproof. Burlap faces will last 500-1000 target-point shots, but aren't so good for broadheads.


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## mgwelder

jato4x4 said:


> Does anyone have an estimate of how many pounds of clothes it takes to fill one of these? My goodwill sells clothes by the pound, But i have no idea how much it would take. Thanks in advacne


I used 4 to 5 lawn bags full of clothes to stuff mine.

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## rjoe

tagged


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## spamking

This sounds like a great project . . . very cool targets everyone.


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## Orian

One of the biggest advantages to building these targets is seldom mentioned.
That's the cost and time savings it gives you by not having to look for lost arrows
on occasional stray releases and not having to buy new arrows to replace broken
or damaged arrows due to a hard hit on a rock in the ground or being stepped on etc.

The 4x4' target saves a lot on both time and money from lost or damaged arrows.
Not to mention they last a lot longer than many compressed high density foam targets as well.

From shooting at 20 to 100 yards a 4x4' is a whole lot better target area than a 16" x 24" or 24 x 24.


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## douglasjwood

I totally agree!

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## scooter03

So do I love it that my daughter's 20 pound diamond prism sticks in and it stops my 72 pound pro defiant turbo with ease


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## Roju

philsummers21 said:


> Finally made my target thanks to this thread. Just waiting on my target skins to show up to finish it up. So far the carpet is working awesome and free. I've got $70 into this so far with the skins. Not bad. Target was shot at 5' with 80# obsession 342 fps. 430grain arrow. It will stop.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


This is like what I'm going to build. I wasn't planning to build my own but I've been volunteered to repaint and recarpet a room in the ex-in-laws house. Since I'll have a 14' X 16' room worth of carpet available, I figured "why not".  

Only difference is I'm going to do like mgwelder's and add wheels, already picked them up from Harbor Frieght today. I picked up (4) 3" rubber casters WITH A BRAKE for only $4.49.


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## philsummers21

I did put wheels on one side. Also as an update I've shot this one pretty much everyday, along with my boy and it's held up great so far. I'd say we shoot 100 arrows a night each and been going for like 3 or 4 weeks now. And we have been shooting the crap out of the middle and nothing seems to be tearing up inside


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## pseshooter84

How much carpet does this take?

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## pseshooter84

Also what kind of carpet? Just any scraps? I can get Scraps free as I work at Lowes but thinking the outdoor carpet won't get ruined as quick and start to mold and smell from the moisture 

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## philsummers21

I've found the real dense carpet works best but they all work. Makes sure it's not rubber backed if outdoor carpet. Also don't worry about moisture. It gets compressed quite a bit and no room for moisture really. Takes quite a bit of carpet. Stack it vertically not horizontally as well


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## OhWell

Has anyone tried stuffing a ThirdHand bag with plastic grocery bags? If so does it work?


----------



## stanmc55

philsummers21 said:


> Finally made my target thanks to this thread. Just waiting on my target skins to show up to finish it up. So far the carpet is working awesome and free. I've got $70 into this so far with the skins. Not bad. Target was shot at 5' with 80# obsession 342 fps. 430grain arrow. It will stop.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


How did you go about compressing the carpet to get that many layers in???

Btw, nice job!
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## philsummers21

Ratchet straps compresses pretty easy. But built it all minus one side then ratchet strapped that one tight


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## stanmc55

scooter03 said:


> What kind of staples and staple guns is everyone using


Having been in the home building business, I have standard staplers and hammer staplers available. Look around at your friends tool boxes and borrow a hammer stapler , if anyone has one. They sure are easier on the hand!!!


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## mgwelder

OhWell said:


> Has anyone tried stuffing a ThirdHand bag with plastic grocery bags? If so does it work?


I stuffed a large dog food bag with plastic bags a couple years ago. It does work, but it takes a ton of them since they compress so easily. The one bad thing is after a couple dz. shots they start breaking down easily.

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## Roju

philsummers21 said:


> ......Stack it vertically not horizontally as well


I was actually planning to compress it on it's side, mount the wheels on the bottom, then flip it up so the carpet was vertically stacked because, minus the wheels, that's the way the targets are done at the range I go to. 

I see most people stacking them vertically, having an engineering background, it doesn't seem like it would make a difference considering that we're shooting round arrows, throwing knives....yeah I get that. Can someone shed some light on why everyone does vertical? I'm not a carpet expert, nor do I ever claim to be an archery expert, I follow the masses when it's not related to software or automotive engineering :teeth: . I'd love for a pro to chime in, maybe there's something I'm missing.


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## Roju

mgwelder said:


> I stuffed a large dog food bag with plastic bags a couple years ago. It does work, but it takes a ton of them since they compress so easily. The one bad thing is after a couple dz. shots they start breaking down easily.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


I forgot to add this in to my previous post. 

You can tell you're not from California, plastic bags are like GOLD out here. :set1_rolf2:


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## philsummers21

Vertical stack because an arrow won't hit perfectly horizontal when shooting longer distances


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## Roju

philsummers21 said:


> Vertical stack because an arrow won't hit perfectly horizontal when shooting longer distances


Ok, that makes sense.


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## crashdummy6

So, I ordered some skins and am going to get to building soon, but I have a question, and forgive me if this has been asked and answered, I just do not have the time to read 35 pages of posts.

What gives this structure lateral rigidity? It can't be the outside frame. Do the skins being staples all around firm it up or are people tolerating the wobble that must be there. I saw one design that put a cross-piece across the bottom which would help.

Any thoughts?

Thanks


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## philsummers21

I used lag screws to hold it all together. There is no wobble


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## douglasjwood

I used 3" deck screws on mine, and it doesn't wobble at all.

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## thirdhandman

If you Use 2" x 12" boards and 3" deck screws you will have a target 2x as solid a target as anything commercially built on the market.:wink:


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## pseshooter84

This seriously sounds like a hell of an idea, but I am a procrastinater. I still haven't finished the shed 100%. I work at Lowes and we have a banding machine which would work amazing. 

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## douglasjwood

thirdhandman said:


> If you Use 2" x 12" boards and 3" deck screws you will have a target 2x as solid a target as anything commercially built on the market.:wink:


That's exactlywhat I did.

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## mgwelder

Roju said:


> I forgot to add this in to my previous post.
> 
> You can tell you're not from California, plastic bags are like GOLD out here. :set1_rolf2:


Nope! Texas.

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## Orian

I used 3" stainless deck screws on 2x12s spacing about 1.75" apart, seven across the width of the board.
My frame bottom is modified from the original design in that I used an additional 2x12 across the bottom
about 10" above ground level and also used 2x8s instead of 2x6s for the footers.
Bottom half of the overall frame is stout like a tank, top corners are stiff but will give pushed on from the side.
I had no issues dragging the empty frame across the yard about 125' from the house but was careful and
grabbed the frame below mid point to pull on it.

This target (6' tall) will be standing in an open faced shed and only be moved about once a year to
turn it around. It's set up behind the house for shots from 20 to 45 yards. 

I will be building another target later this summer that will be a 4' x 4' x 1' on wheels.
This target will be stored in the barn and wheeled out to the pasture for shots from 50 to 100 yards.


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## thirdhandman

If planning on dragging through the grass a long way, may I suggest something like one of these on an axle.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ns=P-SalesRank|1


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## OhWell

Roju said:


> I forgot to add this in to my previous post.
> 
> You can tell you're not from California, plastic bags are like GOLD out here. :set1_rolf2:


I can send you some.....I use them for packing material all the time !!!LOL


----------



## Orian

Yup, thanks Jim, I have a pair of wheels from Northern tools in the basement just asking
to be used for a project like this.

May build my target shed either 9 or 10 foot and run a 4x6 across the roof frame to
hook up a come along to the target so as to spin it around in a 360.
Simple and easy.

Shed was gonna be 8' high but may go to 10 or 12' to do this.
Now is the time to think about these things.


Was also looking at grass bariers and putting sand at the base.
Cost of adding plastic block etc. would tack on another 100.00 no good.
So I'm looking at using pressure treated deck boards and sand at the base.
To keep the cost down and hold back the grass/weeds.

I'll bet the cats simply cant wait to see the sand go down.
I have no cats but folks next door do.
Lots of them makes food for the foxes.


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## thirdhandman

Orian: There really is no need to use a come along. Leave enough room,3" to 4" on each side to turn the target and have it sitting on a shelf a little deeper than the base of the target. Just turn it a little at a time and it doesn't take that much really.:wink:


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## shooter87

Cool


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## jthandcraft

So, just completed my 48 x 48 target. Had everything ready to go and got my TH skins in today. Just in case anybody wants to know, mine took 4 of the big paper lawn sacks completely full of clothes. I made a $30 donation to a local Goodwill collection center. I got to pick through 3 big bins of clothes that were destined for the baler.


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## jthandcraft

Oh, and the target works awesome. I used a drywall pad sander mounted on a pole to "tamp" the clothes. The end result was tightly packed but not bulging. I shot my 50# recurve and the arrows penetrated about 3 inches with easy removal. Love this target!!


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## PaBowhunter1966

I have had my target completed for about three years now and have kept it covered with a tarp all the time when not in use. I just uncovered it last week to do some shooting and it was in such bad shape, I had to burn it. It really made me sick to do it because all the work involved in making it. It was kinda fun burning it.


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## jthandcraft

PaBowhunter1966 said:


> I have had my target completed for about three years now and have kept it covered with a tarp all the time when not in use. I just uncovered it last week to do some shooting and it was in such bad shape, I had to burn it. It really made me sick to do it because all the work involved in making it. It was kinda fun burning it.


So, I am curious, why was it in bad shape especially when you had it tarped?



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## crashdummy6

PaBowhunter1966 said:


> I have had my target completed for about three years now and have kept it covered with a tarp all the time when not in use. I just uncovered it last week to do some shooting and it was in such bad shape, I had to burn it. It really made me sick to do it because all the work involved in making it. It was kinda fun burning it.


Did you have it painted with outdoor paint?


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## PaBowhunter1966

The wood frame was fine but the target was falling apart. I could tear it by barely touching it.


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## jthandcraft

That sounds like UV damage but you said you had it under a tarp....head scratcher!!


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## douglasjwood

I would have just put a new skin over it.

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## thirdhandman

PaBowhunter1966 said:


> I have had my target completed for about three years now and have kept it covered with a tarp all the time when not in use. I just uncovered it last week to do some shooting and it was in such bad shape, I had to burn it. *It really made me sick to do it because all the work involved in making it. It was kinda fun burning it.*


For years Don, you endorsed our products, came by the booth each year to say hi and see what was new. On numerous occasions you said you loved our products. Then there was a misunderstanding/ disagreement about Equalizer Tree stands. Because I don't agree with you about something totally different than our business, you threatened to go to your local dealer that you set up and tell them and all your friends not to buy from us anymore. That is a little over board IMHO.
The simple solution would be put a new set of skins on it. $35 for 3 years of shooting in the sun is a pretty darn good deal. Yes covering it keeps the uv light off it and prolongs the life. Cover anything and leave it bake under the cover out in the sun for 3 years and let us know how its going to work for you.
It made you sick after all the work you did to burn it. Recovering it would be the simple solution, but then again you would still have that axe to burn.:wink:


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## jthandcraft

As difficult as it is to get the quantity of clothing to stuff this thing, I have to agree that re-skinning would be the logical choice especially when the wood frame is still fine....still not understanding why it needed to be burned unless you simply wanted to just set fire to something which is your prerogative. It is sounding like there is a little more going on here than just "target that is falling apart". If I got three years out of a set of $30 skins, I will be very pleased but I am guessing it will be from shooting the skins versus element damage as I plan to use a tarp for mine. Just don't see how one gets to the point of needing to burn it...other than Africanized honey bee infestation, low on firewood, or maybe some strange highly contagious strain of hemorrhagic fever that is only carried by old Judas Priest cotton t-shirts.....just sayin' 


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## mekholsters

I built a 3'X3' a couple of weeks ago and it has been great. I stuffed it full of clothes and the stuffing from my old Yellow Jacket and it's stopping shots out of my 70lb carbon icon as well as my daughter's genesis. Couldn't be happier. I've got a buddy who is saving all of the pallet wrap from his job for me and hopefully within a month or two I will have enough. I wasn't going to bother with it, but it rained hard here last week and i shot it the next day and my field point got so stuck in the wet clothes that I pulled out the insert trying to remove my arrow. They were pretty new, and I had picked them up the day before, so I'm not 100% sure the glue cured all the way, but I'm gonna swap out the clothes for the shrink wrap for durability sake anyways. I need to get it painted, but I haven't decided on a color yet. Overall I'm extremely happy with the product.


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## Orian

Some people are people some are a holes.
Very simple, very simple people.
Some need a capital A before holes.


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## jthandcraft

So I have been playing around with different stuff to shoot at and thought I would share this. Most folks are using the roof Cap nails to hold targets in place. I took it one step further and made caps themselves as "aim small, miss small" targets. Since I don't want hit the shanked nail with my field points, I simply removed the nail and replaced with a golf tee by enlarging the hole in the plastic disk with a drill. Now I have a bullseye within the disk to shoot at. Also works great when shooting 4" balloons without the risk of screwing up a field point or arrow. Pretty satisfying to split a golf tee 


















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## thirdhandman

Good Idea jthandcraft. I have used the cap nails for small targets also. I have only hit the nail square a couple times, but haven't noticed any damage to the field point.


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## jthandcraft

Yeah, certainly not implying that I am wreaking havoc on the supply of golf tees (both golf and archery) by drilling them regularly....lol


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## Bagzzz82

Great info. Thanks for Sharing 


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## De0827

Gotta get me one of these.


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## crashdummy6

Finally got done.


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## thirdhandman

Looks great Crashdummy. These work good for holding targets in place. Roofing cap nails.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YGNAM...t=&hvlocphy=9014432&hvtargid=pla-308990988128


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## MCDM

crashdummy6 said:


> Finally got done.


Looks Good man!! How heavy is that thing to move?


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## JustSomeDude

I'm building a 4' target this weekend. Would treating the skins with Campdry be a good idea? (Silicone waterproofing for tents).

Is it worth the trouble to build a roof? I shoot just about every day


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## crashdummy6

MCDM said:


> Looks Good man!! How heavy is that thing to move?


HEAVY. One person cannot move it far. (turn it around at best and that takes a couple tries. I am a tad over 6 foot, 245 lbs, can bench 270, in the gym 5 days a week, and it was all I coule do to move it off my concrete porch. I had help moving it 20 yards to where it is now. Now I need to move it to my back yard, 100 yards out. I am going to see if the neighbor can come down and use his tractor with forks.....


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## thirdhandman

Playing Monday morning quarterback here. If building a 4'x4' target without help moving it. Why not put the target in place where it will be shot, then fill it with the clothing?:secret:


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## jthandcraft

I think protecting from rain/snow fails in comparison to protecting against UV as it will break down the skins. Tarp will work just fine!


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## thirdhandman

Agree 100% tarps are better. Loose fitting and light colored are best.IMHO :wink:


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## philsummers21

I just put foam filled wheel barrow tires and a handle on one side. Tilt it back on to the tires. Wheel it where it needs to go and bam


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## crashdummy6

thirdhandman said:


> Playing Monday morning quarterback here. If building a 4'x4' target without help moving it. Why not put the target in place where it will be shot, then fill it with the clothing?:secret:


Because I had it on my porch out of the rain and it was taking a few weeks to come up with enough clothes to fill it. I got lucky and had my son and my brother help me move it over father's day weekend. i fed them ribs, they helped me move target. Win-Win.


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## JustSomeDude

I built a 4x4' with Thirdhand skins/cloth stuffing and a 38"x24" or so with Morrell faces with plastic wrap stuffing.
FUN


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## pseshooter84

Just ordered the 4x4 skins for my build with plastic on the inside. Can't wait to set it all up. Also ordered the bow holder.. hopefully that will work in the ground blind this season

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## PaBowhunter1966

Still love all your other products Jim and if I have an honest problem with one of any companies product I will tell the complete truth about it. The treestand issue has nothing at all to do with the skin falling apart in less than three years. I had it covered on the edge of a field at a wooded area witch is not in direct sun light and it like dry rotted in less than three years. I am telling it like it is. Best of luck with all of your other great products. No need to throw stones because I live in a house with windows also.:wink::wink::wink::wink:


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## philsummers21

Even if dry rotted in three years should be replaced under warranty I'd think. 


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## thirdhandman

We do not warranty against dry rot from the sun. The sun will eat the paint off your house, eat right through $1000 canvas awnings. Try sitting the sun for 3 years unprotected and let me know how it works for ya. If you want it to last, cover it when not in use.


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## philsummers21

Well that's kinda crap imo. Targets sit outside. I shoot mine daily I'm not going to cover it non stop


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## JustSomeDude

I took an 8x6' tarp and tied the grommets together with paracord to make a slipcover. I might try an 8x10 and see if it is too loose on the sides. It's really easy to cover.
I don't cover most of my targets because I like to shoot my way on and off of my course. But I'll cover the giant one.


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## thirdhandman

philsummers21 said:


> Well that's kinda crap imo. Targets sit outside. I shoot mine daily I'm not going to cover it non stop
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk











They make these target tarps for a reason. Leave the targets sitting in the sun It will dry them out. Most people will shoot for maybe an hour a day. That leaves a whole lot of time sitting in the sun for no reason.


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## PaBowhunter1966

Mine was covered when it was not being shot.


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## PaBowhunter1966

Read what I wrote The target was covered when not in use and it was not in direct sunlight. It was at the edge of a woods.
It was not wet either because it burnt really good and it would not have if it was wet.


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## stanmc55

Do not use clear plastic to cover your target. It will cause rot. 


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## thirdhandman

PaBowhunter1966 said:


> Still love all your other products Jim and *if I have an honest problem with one of any companies product I will tell the complete truth about it. *The treestand issue has nothing at all to do with the skin falling apart in less than three years. I had it covered on the edge of a field at a wooded area witch is not in direct sun light and it like dry rotted in less than three years. I am telling it like it is. Best of luck with all of your other great products. No need to throw stones because I live in a house with windows also.:wink::wink::wink::wink:


Don: If you truly had a problem with one of our products, why did you not pick up the phone and call us, so we would have a chance to make it right?? If we sell a faulty product we stand behind it. I guess you have never had a problem with any other manufacturer because you aren't constantly ragging on here about any other product for months, like you have with this.. Especially one that cost $30. You truly have an agenda here, because we disagree about the tree stand issue. Which I do not have a vested interest in, but your unnamed sources tell you different. Are you by chance a Democrat?
You made a statement to me in a private message, after we disagreed about a tree stand issue, you were going to tell all your friends and local dealer to quit buying our products. I guess keeping it to all your friends is not enough. Now you want to tell the world.
Next time you have an issue with a manufacturer, try calling the manufacture first.ukey:


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## jhunter13

I am removing a 24 ft above ground pool. Thinking of using the liner to fill some targets. Anyone ever do this?

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## thirdhandman

I haven't done this but according to a lot of guys, heavy duty plastic wrap and shrink wrap works. Might be worth a try then let us know how it works. Can't hurt to try.:tongue:


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## PaBowhunter1966

thirdhandman said:


> We do not warranty against dry rot from the sun. The sun will eat the paint off your house, eat right through $1000 canvas awnings. Try sitting the sun for 3 years unprotected and let me know how it works for ya. If you want it to last, cover it when not in use.


If you stand behind a faulty product What is this post right here saying. I will use my Rinehardt targets for field points and broadheads and pick it up and use it in the basement also where it is out of the weather. I have had the same Rinehardt cube target for four years and it still in great shape.


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## thirdhandman

PaBowhunter1966 said:


> If you stand behind a faulty product What is this post right here saying. I will use my Rinehardt targets for field points and broadheads and pick it up and *use it in the basement also where it is out of the weather.* I have had the same Rinehardt cube target for four years and it still in great shape.


If you had used our target in the basement it wouldn't have dry rotted either. Lots of folks here say that Morrell targets are expensive but the greatest. Usually followed up with all ya got to do is replace the cover every couple years. All ya needed to do is replace the $35 skins and you could have left it out another 3 years. $12 a year is pretty cheap in archery. Keep it out of the sun and it will last longer and cost even less.


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## philsummers21

Guaranteed to never be shot out because it won't last that long. Haha. Oh well still enjoy shooting it 


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## Bullpride

Any chance you guys can do a 48x48 with the targets printed on them? If not, what is the best way to do targets? I would like to avoid shooting at paper, as I shoot ~50 arrows a day and will go through a lot of paper.


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## Bullpride

Bullpride said:


> Any chance you guys can do a 48x48 with the targets printed on them? If not, what is the best way to do targets? I would like to avoid shooting at paper, as I shoot ~50 arrows a day and will go through a lot of paper.


Never mind. Asked and answers in the thread already. I'll likely pick up some arrowmats, once I get my blank skin ordered and everything built. 


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## Derrick760

I am planning on building two 4x4 targets this summer. I found a goodwill distribution center that sells the less desirable cloths in bulk by the pound, about how many pounds do i need per target? The more you buy at once the lower the price per pound.


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## PaBowhunter1966

thirdhandman said:


> If you had used our target in the basement it wouldn't have dry rotted either. Lots of folks here say that Morrell targets are expensive but the greatest. Usually followed up with all ya got to do is replace the cover every couple years. All ya needed to do is replace the $35 skins and you could have left it out another 3 years. $12 a year is pretty cheap in archery. Keep it out of the sun and it will last longer and cost even less.


Like said how many times now Jim IT WAS NOT IN THE SUN It was covered at the edge of a woods In the shade


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## mgwelder

Derrick760 said:


> I am planning on building two 4x4 targets this summer. I found a goodwill distribution center that sells the less desirable cloths in bulk by the pound, about how many pounds do i need per target? The more you buy at once the lower the price per pound.


In mine I used 5, 30 gallon trash bags. Pack tightly, remove all zippers, buttons, rivets ect....

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## Derrick760

I was looking through the internet and found another place in LA that has 100 pound bails of t-shirts for $85, this is a better deal than what I found before and there are no buttons or zippers to worry about. Do you think 100 pounds will do two targets?


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## pseshooter84

I got a 4x4 in the process of being built now. Only using plastic on the inside to prevent mold hopefully and keep it a bit lighter. I believe I will be adding some casters to it though as it was allready hard to put just with the 2x12 framing. Excited to get this done, been filling my car with scrap industrial size saran wrap from work every few days now. Tomorrow when I get more will be my 4th car load of the stuff. 

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## thirdhandman

Derrick760 said:


> I was looking through the internet and found another place in LA that has 100 pound bails of t-shirts for $85, this is a better deal than what I found before and there are no buttons or zippers to worry about. Do you think 100 pounds will do two targets?


2 targets 4'x4' a hundred pounds of T shirts will be close. T shirts are light weight and work great. If you pick up at the supplier, you might even get a better deal.


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## pseshooter84

Hey when I got my skins they were smaller than 48" and I had to redo the framing to make it smaller. Are they supposed to be like 46 1/2"?

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## thirdhandman

No sir: They are to be 48" Call me to let me know how to make it right for you. 1-800-339-0232


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## thirdhandman

crashdummy6 said:


> Finally got done.


Looks great, especially in that setting.


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## thirdhandman

Bullpride said:


> Any chance you guys can do a 48x48 with the targets printed on them? If not, what is the best way to do targets? I would like to avoid shooting at paper, as I shoot ~50 arrows a day and will go through a lot of paper.


There are many vinyl targets that can be attached easily and inexpensively with roofing cap nails. Here is one of many good sources for target faces.
http://www.lancasterarchery.com/targets/archery-targets/target-faces.html


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## thirdhandman

pseshooter84 said:


> Hey when I got my skins they were smaller than 48" and I had to redo the framing to make it smaller. Are they supposed to be like 46 1/2"?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


They are 48''x48''. Please recheck the outside dimensions of the box. If all four boards are 48'' the box will not be 48x48. Pm me if this is correct.


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## pseshooter84

thirdhandman said:


> They are 48''x48''. Please recheck the outside dimensions of the box. If all four boards are 48'' the box will not be 48x48. Pm me if this is correct.


I had to take it back apart and redo it but that was months ago. The skins were smaller than 48" but I wasn't going to fuss over it. No big deal, I order alot from you guys and that was my first and only small issue I've had. You make a great product 

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## thirdhandman

Thanks pseshooter84:wink:


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## citymarshall

These are the best i have found I can't imagine shooting any other. Richard


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## Orian

No problem with mine. Thanks Jim!

2nd year and still don't have to to shoot the back, the front's still fine.


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## Skyborne

I have a cabela's target. What is it filled with, Plastic bags??


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## thirdhandman

Think I just found a new source of scrap. I went to an American Flag manufacturer to purchase a couple flags for the Patriot Guard Riders. They gave me a tour of how they made the various types flags. During the tour I saw a lot of scrap. I enquired about it and got a return answer this week. Looks like I'll have a Part time job this summer building Pure American Made Targets.:wink:


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## mgwelder

thirdhandman said:


> Think I just found a new source of scrap. I went to an American Flag manufacturer to purchase a couple flags for the Patriot Guard Riders. They gave me a tour of how they made the various types flags. During the tour I saw a lot of scrap. I enquired about it and got a return answer this week. Looks like I'll have a Part time job this summer building Pure American Made Targets.:wink:




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## wachapman16

I am in need of information about how to make targets for youth archery. Any help would be wonderful. Low cost or no cost even more so.


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## brandonjb

nice


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## Rat

Time for new skins. After two years and probably 60K plus in arrows, being outside and uncovered the face is pretty shot out. 

I had originally planned to build a roof over the target, but I never did; I think I will just make a good target cover. The face is obviously degraded from UV as you can easily pull/tear the material in the shot out areas. My fault for not keeping it covered. 

No worries, $35 is cost of replacement; I'm good with that. 

Order will coming soon Jim and thanks again for a great product!


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## CladStabber

Are the arrows hard to pull?

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## Rat

CladStabber said:


> Are the arrows hard to pull?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


No, two finger removal most of the time; every now and then you get that one arrow though...


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## LiningerArchery

👍🏻 Looks good


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## Asells

Anybody ever try using the plastic from the farm ag bags? I could definitely get my hands on some of that stuff.


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## kevin.elijah22

Looks great 

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## thirdhandman

Asells said:


> Anybody ever try using the plastic from the farm ag bags? I could definitely get my hands on some of that stuff.


You might want to try by over stuffing in any bag to see how well it works. I would try wadding it up first and then pack it tight. Wadding it up allows for some give to gradually stop the arrow.
It you try it, please let us know your results.


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## Asells

I was just thinking about it. I want to get one of your 48x48’s, but im trying to figure out where to get all the filling. I know the plastic is bery thick and may not bunch up well.


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## Outsider

Just a feedback on cover. Have my target outside all the time for over a year. The cover is one you can buy from fireplace wood racks. So far holding really good.


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## Rat

Outsider said:


> Just a feedback on cover. Have my target outside all the time for over a year. The cover is one you can buy from fireplace wood racks. So far holding really good.


Is that a 48 x 48 target? I like that idea if it is.


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## Outsider

Rat said:


> Is that a 48 x 48 target? I like that idea if it is.


Yes it is. Here is where I purchased the cover https://www.ebay.com/itm/262492881959?rmvSB=true you can look for similar one.


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## Rat

Outsider said:


> Yes it is. Here is where I purchased the cover https://www.ebay.com/itm/262492881959?rmvSB=true you can look for similar one.


Sweet, thanks for that.


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## Pbzeppelin4

Thank you I’ll be making this next weekend


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## mgwelder

Asells said:


> I was just thinking about it. I want to get one of your 48x48’s, but im trying to figure out where to get all the filling. I know the plastic is bery thick and may not bunch up well.


Check different thrift stores. From time to time they get rid of clothing that doesnt sell or is not good enough to sell.

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## mgwelder

Outsider said:


> Yes it is. Here is where I purchased the cover https://www.ebay.com/itm/262492881959?rmvSB=true you can look for similar one.


What is the cover made from? Plastic/vinyl like tarp material, or fabric like grill covers?

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## Outsider

mgwelder said:


> What is the cover made from? Plastic/vinyl like tarp material, or fabric like grill covers?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


It's a polyester. I have seen grill covers made of the same material. Pretty heavy duty.


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## Rat

I just ordered my new skins and I was thinking...

Has anyone ever used the 48 x 48 skins and built a 24 x 24 x 48 (tall or long) target? This would give me four sides to shoot instead of two. I noticed on my 48 x 48 target the extreme top and bottom don't see much use/wear. I was thinking this might be a way to use more of the target face if I built it 24 x 24 x 48 long (48 inches on the horizontal axis). 

What do you think Jim; is 24 inches too deep?


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## upatreearchery

Tag


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## thirdhandman

Rat said:


> I just ordered my new skins and I was thinking...
> 
> Has anyone ever used the 48 x 48 skins and built a 24 x 24 x 48 (tall or long) target? This would give me four sides to shoot instead of two. I noticed on my 48 x 48 target the extreme top and bottom don't see much use/wear. I was thinking this might be a way to use more of the target face if I built it 24 x 24 x 48 long (48 inches on the horizontal axis).
> 
> What do you think Jim; is 24 inches too deep?


I've never heard of anyone trying that. I really don't think you will wear out two sides of our skins. :no: The only down side of a 24" deep is if you got too much penetration with a crossbow the bolts are usually 22" or less and would be a bioch to find if it penetrated too deep but not a pass through.:secret:


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## Rat

My skins are on the way, so we will see. I'm not totally sold on the idea either; it is really nice to have that 48 x 48 target butt when shooting at 80 yards, you know, just in case!


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## Rat

Before and after.
Before, this is what it looks looks after two years, about 50-60k arrows, and no cover. The UV damage was bad, you could rip the target material by hand. 

After, a brand new target for $39!

I also lowered it about 7 inches to make better use of the whole target.









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## Rpri5684

Nice!

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## andrew8404

Awesome ideas in this thread! Will have to order soon and put my new tools to work! 


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## thirdhandman

andrew8404 said:


> Awesome ideas in this thread! Will have to order soon and put my new tools to work!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Just some basic tools is all you will need. A Drilldriver, saw and tape measurer and staplier is all it takes.


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## Ryanrambo24

Carpet target is great

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## eskimoohunt

Who has used plastic shrink wrap for stuffing??


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## eskimoohunt

Anyone?????


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## thirdhandman

there have been plenty of people to use plastic wrap with varying results from good to not so good. Just make sure to wad it up so it has give to it. Some types of plastic wrap will melt and stick to the arrow a little bit. If it is put in stacked solid, it will stop the arrow and will not give it back very easy.:secret:


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## OakStuddedAcres

On the to do list now


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## eskimoohunt

So it sounds like cloths or rags are better

What about them getting wet ect?


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## Blackdogfarms

Just bought my bow today and looking at building a 36x36 model of these targets. What else are people using for the filling. 

Clothes, rags and moving blankets what I have seen so far in the first 10 pages of the thread. 

My problem is I am overseas and I don't have a goodwill to get free clothes from and also don't have access to a lot of free material.


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## eskimoohunt

Called goodwill 
No bag cloths right now

I don’t want to buy some for the Target that’s for sure


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## Blackdogfarms

Found some clothes today and ordered my 3'x3' from thirdman. Question - What are the specs on the black plastic film? What material is used? Like tar paper for roofing?

Thanks


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## thirdhandman

the clothing inside the target varies in color the black plastic that I use is just to give it an even color of white believe it or not. I would not suggest using tar paper as the tar will leach into the target face any solid color will work white black it doesn't matter just want to give your target a nice clean look.


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## Blackdogfarms

Okay so the dark fabric is strictly aesthetic


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## sticks32

Great Ideas! Thank you!


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## Joh2115566

I’m trying out the rag bag. Shipping soon! I used to use one I made out of clothing and chicken wire but it keeps falling apart so trying this out. Heard good things!


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## wardlow

really cool. thanks for the pics!


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## thirdhandman

eskimoohunt said:


> Called goodwill
> No bag cloths right now
> 
> I don’t want to buy some for the Target that’s for sure


I recently found a local flag manufacturer that has all kinds of scrap. It works great for the target material. I just googled flag manufacturer Buffalo. Might want to call and ask for some scrap. Custom flags and poles. 1-716-262-9088. French rd Depew, Ny.
Each individual piece of scrap needs to be waded up and put in.:wink:


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## thirdhandman

Blackdogfarms said:


> Okay so the dark fabric is strictly aesthetic


The different colored clothing filler will show through the target skins. Yes, the one color fabric makes the target appear much nicer. It really doesn't matter what color you cover the face with. I just found that the black plastic contractors bags can be found easily and work well. :secret:


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## Jdunn2847

ride394 said:


> Built my frame today. I was just hanging out in there waiting for my skins to show up lol. Paint tomorrow and then hopefully I'll have her stuffed and finished come Tuesday.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


What is this skins y’all are talking about? What material are y’all using on the outside???


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## thirdhandman

http://www.thirdhandarchery.com/product.asp?PRODID=23


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## Joh2115566

Rag bag kinda let me down today. Maybe it’s not stuffed enough, but the top 2 targets had full penetration and put 2 holes in my wall! Now I’m scrambling to fix it and paint it before my wife gets home. Argh. The bottom targets have less than half penetration. I guess you just gotta be careful with the top. I’ll try to stuff more clothes in.


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## Frankthetank88

Looks good definitely want to make one


----------



## tackscall

These are the guts of a Hurricane bag target I let get soaked outside, I’ll toss them around in the sun until dry and then stuff a new box with them. That’s how I stuffed the big one I made that I shoot in my basement










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## thirdhandman

Hey tackscall: Do you recognize what type industrial scrap that is? Looks like it may be stamped out from clothing patterns.:set1_thinking:


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## tackscall

thirdhandman said:


> Hey tackscall: Do you recognize what type industrial scrap that is? Looks like it may be stamped out from clothing patterns.:set1_thinking:


This is the second hurricane I’ve torn up and there’s no telling what you find in them lol, cardboard, old burlap target faces etc. I can’t figure out what was stamped out of the rubber foam 


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## thirdhandman

Tackscall: I guess the point is they use a cover that will wear out in a year or two and fill it with whatever scrap they can find. It works but in a year or two the cover needs to be replaced. Third Hand Archery targets come with a lifetime guarantee. Wear a hole in every spot with fieldpoints, take a picture and send it to us for a new cover.:wink:


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## mucky

Finally built mine. Used some higher grade plywood to make it deeper and lighter. Stuffed it with clothes left behind at the school I work at


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## thirdhandman

Blackdogfarms said:


> Okay so the dark fabric is strictly aesthetic


Yes, sir. Any solid one color fabric will make it appear much nicer.:secret:


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## Judo Chop

I've had one of these sitting outside for the last 3 years with a grill cover over it. This year, I noticed that the clothes were wet and moldy and I had mice chew holes through the target face and make a home inside. Two questions for everyone:

1. If you keep your target outside, do you cover it or leave it uncovered to combat moisture?

2. How do you keep mice away?


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## thirdhandman

IMHO it is best to keep the target covered when outside. Moldy clothing doesn't hurt anything if left outside. Keeping the sun off the target will make it last much longer. I started putting moth balls in some of my targets. I haven't done any side by side comparisons but I do believe the mice and bugs don't like moth balls.
Field points and judo points work well on mice.:wink:


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## thirdhandman

From the DIY Sportsman.:wink:


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## ThunderEagle

Jim,

I joined a local archery club this year that has mainly been focused on 3D, but they really want to build a Field Course. I took my 3x3 target from my garage down for one of the ASA shoots we had to act as the backstop for the chrono so they could see how it works. They are considering going with the 4x4 and making the bales for a 14 target field course. The wood would be easily obtainable from left overs from job sites of several members, and they have some plans for structures that would put a roof over them (they are kicking around bag targets as well that I'm trying hard to talk them out of). 

Do you have any suggestion as to places to look to for large amounts of fabric to stuff 14 4x4 targets with? I was thinking maybe a hotel and sheets, or something along those lines.

Next, do you have any suggested way of painting/drawing on these? It might be nice to paint the field targets on for anyone who just wants to shoot, and then hang paper when we have more official shoots.

Thanks.

View attachment 6642301


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## thirdhandman

ThunderEagle: Motels are constantly changing out soiled/ worn blankets sheets and pillowcases. If you have a local uniform company they can be a great place to pick up uniforms, jackets and linens. Linen supply, and hospitals have worn and soiled sheets etc. End of day yardsales people sometimes just give them away as they don't want to put them back.

Once you have the clothing, it's tough to wear the clothing out. Old target stuffing can be mixed with clothing on our targets. The nice thing is once the targets are built if they get torn up, for $30 they can easily be fixed.
If they buy 14 targets call me for club pricing. The best I can tell you about aiming spots is that they can be pinned on with roofing nails. A more permanent aiming spot would be a black magic marker.:wink:


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## thirdhandman

Thundereagle: Thanks so much for getting the local club to try our target skins. Please post pictures if you can.:wink:


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## ThunderEagle

thirdhandman said:


> Thundereagle: Thanks so much for getting the local club to try our target skins. Please post pictures if you can.:wink:


I've got to bust one out either tonight or tomorrow morning to take to our Christmas party Saturday night to show the other members what we are doing and just how much stuffing we need. I think I have enough to stuff a 3x3, but not one of these. We are going to build basic boxes, and the build a platform/housing for each of them to protect from the elements. Should be pretty nice when we are done.


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## thirdhandman

ThunderEagle said:


> I've got to bust one out either tonight or tomorrow morning to take to our Christmas party Saturday night to show the other members what we are doing and just how much stuffing we need. I think I have enough to stuff a 3x3, but not one of these. We are going to build basic boxes, and the build a platform/housing for each of them to protect from the elements. Should be pretty nice when we are done.


Too bad you live so far away from here. I have enough flag material on hand to fill 4-5 targets 4'x4'.


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## LINDY7443

great how to...


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## thirdhandman

This is great. Christmas day and we got 3 orders for DIY Skins. I'm guessing somebody is going to be busy building targets over the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone.:santa:


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## TigrTrackr

*Consider Denim for stuffing*

Interesting. I have used old denim (blue jeans) and their density lends it to good stopping and durability. Folding and placing the jeans in horizontal works well.


----------



## g_whitcomb

I built this one probably 5 years ago? I'll be on my 3rd set of skins this spring when I rebuild it, again?
Still better than the bag targets that I can shoot out in a couple months.


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## thirdhandman

WTD: Looks great! Is it deception? Looks like it is only 6" deep. If so what did you fill it with?:set1_thinking:


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## g_whitcomb

thirdhandman said:


> WTD: Looks great! Is it deception? Looks like it is only 6" deep. If so what did you fill it with?:set1_thinking:


It’s 2x10’s and this one has every bit of fabric from a queen size mattress and box spring,one regular sofa and some clothing! 
So it’s full[emoji6]


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## 419hayden

Whitetaildeception said:


> I built this one probably 5 years ago? I'll be on my 3rd set of skins this spring when I rebuild it, again?
> Still better than the bag targets that I can shoot out in a couple months.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/QUOTE
> 
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> 
> 
> Wow really like this one


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## as.ks.ak

Absolutely nothing fancy, threw my frame and lid together tonight. Luckily I used scraps laying around. So lots of random screw holes etc. We’ll call it rustic, probably could sell it in a suburban area at a market and hike up the price. [emoji23]

The scrap I used for the lid has a sticker on it that reads “caution over 70lbs”. I’m fairly certain its correct right now and I might need to add another once this thing is stuffed!! 

Pretty pumped to get it completed and hung on the side of my shed!







































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## thirdhandman

:mg:Holy heck Batman! That is going to be a strong one. What are the black things on the lid?:secret:


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## as.ks.ak

They’re those rubber keepers you normally see on CDL rigs used to keep the battery box held down. They just happened to be laying around the shop. 

I’ll take a better picture for you later today. 


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## Orian

Hey Jim, I got a second target built for long range shooting out in the pasture.
I call it a M.A.S.H. target unit (moble arrow stopping housing). 
Got the wheels and axle from harbour freight found a couple wheel barrow axle mounts
from an old broken handled wheel barrow 5/8" dia. to attach the axle.
Used a couple of snap pins outside the wheels to provide a quick diss connect.
Once pulled out to a location, I figure to use a jack and remove the wheels and replace
them with treated lumber wood blocks about 10" square by 3" thick with a 5/8" hole drilled in center.

























I have 2 anderson window carry straps attached to the lid to pull it open and
2 anderson window shipping handles half way up on the side opposite the wheels
to lift and pull the target.

Still thinking to add a short detachable "tounge" to pull it with the lawn mower.


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## thirdhandman

Looks great! Keep it out of the sun and away from broadheads and it will last a whole lot longer.:wink:


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## as.ks.ak

Alrighty, I got my faces mounted and I’ve began stuffing. Just need a bit more shrink wrap to finish and will be shooting soon!

Facepalm moment I didn’t get a pic of it, will post when I get one of it in the light. 

These are those fasteners I used. It’ll be interesting to see if they work when I’ve got this thing stuffed tight. May need a different system...the price was right soooo[emoji2375]




















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## Dutchmaster

What’s the weight when done


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## LibbyHoffy

Nice!


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## thirdhandman

Dutchmaster said:


> What’s the weight when done


Way too many variables to answer. If using 2x12 treated will be much heavier than untreated or out of 1/4" plywood. Filled with plastic bags lighter than jeans.


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## Plant 175

I wonder for filling if you could use those billboard covers they sell so cheap ?


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## thirdhandman

I'm Not familiar with billboard covers. I got some towels and sheets again this week in Harrisburg from the motel. Just got to ask, they also have tons of lost and found clothing. Uniform rental companies and linen supplies have scrap.


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## Dutchmaster

Cool


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## Dutchmaster

What’s the weight when done


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## Orian

as.ks.ak, the hold down straps should work fine.

If you happen to still have the cut out piece from the top 2x12 you could attach it
to the bottom of the lid to stiffen it up and add weight down on the stuffing.
I did this with my top lid, like in the picture below..









This is a picture of the underside of the lid.
By the way the target skins hold up great, this is from my 2nd target build.


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## waldo320

Looks good


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## Plant 175

Jim
Here are the billboard tarps if they would work
https://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/BILLBOARD(G)2.png


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## as.ks.ak

Now to finish stuffing and fill ‘er full of holes!


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## Remarkable

Nice.


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## thirdhandman

Plant 175 said:


> Jim
> Here are the billboard tarps if they would work
> https://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/BILLBOARD(G)2.png


I've never tried them for targets. I did get a couple a few years ago to cover firewood and patio furniture.


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## Nursery Rat

Next project for sure. Like the bow and arrow holder idea. Has to be better than bag targets.


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## Nursery Rat

Nice view of the mountains


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## jboland921

Nice


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## RS 33

Sweet


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## KG34

nice. works good


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## Greenbriar

thanks


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## as.ks.ak

I’d say it’s working great!! Blank bail mechanics work from my recurve at 10 yards. [emoji1417]


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## iknifeducks

Tagged


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## cbpull

I see a trip to the hardware store in my near future. Thanks for the posts!


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## Archer3980

Great job. Just found me a new winter project. Ty


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## thirdhandman

Ty If you have children it makes a great project for you and the kids too.:secret:


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## dbd1313

while I'm sure covering the target would provide the most protection from the elements, has anyone ever tried giving the skins a coating with a UV clear coat like below? I just don't feel like pulling the cover on an off whenever I use it. 

https://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant-clear-coating/


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## Plant 175

If you leave it outside is there a cover that everybody uses ?


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## Anchor Zero Six

I plan to build one of these this summer.

Just as a heads up of where to find filler materials aside from goodwill. I work for a large uniform rental company and we sell our rejected scrap items such as red shop towels pretty cheap and in quantity. I know the other rental companies also do the same.

If you have one local you may want to check that option out.


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## Plant 175

Jim
I wanted to put mine on a swivel so I can turn it around. I know it depends on what your using but if you made the sides out of 2 inch wood what would you think the over all weight would be if I was going to buy a swivel ?


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## as.ks.ak

Plant 175 said:


> Jim
> I wanted to put mine on a swivel so I can turn it around. I know it depends on what your using but if you made the sides out of 2 inch wood what would you think the over all weight would be if I was going to buy a swivel ?


All depends what you’re planning to stuff it with. 


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## carsdwl11

I ordered skin this week . I can get plastic wrap by the truckload if I want it . The question is plastic or clothing ???
It will be used for a 40 lb bow that my daughter is shooting .


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## dbd1313

carsdwl11 said:


> I ordered skin this week . I can get plastic wrap by the truckload if I want it . The question is plastic or clothing ???
> It will be used for a 40 lb bow that my daughter is shooting .


I'm having the same dilemma

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## Orian

I've been using cotton t-shirts, blue jeans etc. haven't tried plastic.
Cloth can absorb moisture from the air but plastic can sweat from humidity,
so wetness is a tread off but some plastics can melt and stick to an arrow shaft,
cotton wont. That's why I stayed with cotton.


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## dbd1313

Well here she is. Ended up stuffing with plastic pallet wrap mostly with a layer of towels and sheets toward the outside and some poultry netting. Put a couple arrows in and only 3-4 inches of penetration and pulled with 2 fingers. Need to work on a better/nicer base for it next.









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## LTesnohlidek

awesome thank you


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## thirdhandman

dbd1313 said:


> while I'm sure covering the target would provide the most protection from the elements, has anyone ever tried giving the skins a coating with a UV clear coat like below? I just don't feel like pulling the cover on an off whenever I use it.
> 
> https://www.krylon.com/products/uvresistant-clear-coating/


dbd: I didn't think about this finish before. Please try it and let the At'ers know how it works.:clap:


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## carsdwl11

Update ..... the plastic over wrap I got from work will stop an arrow . The target has been working great , I just stuffed it full to the point it couldn't hold anymore and we started shooting . Time will tell if i will need to add to the plastic fill but I cant imagine it needing much if any .


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## keetonjw

A bunch of good looking targets!


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## as.ks.ak

Sooooo UPDATE on mine as well. The shrink wrap a stuffed my target with ended up melting to the shafts as they entered the target. So I ended up pulling the plastic out and just filling with clothes. Works great now too. 


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## Audible

Great variety of choices!


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## thirdhandman

Very few plastic wraps out there will work without melting to the arrow. finding the ones that do work is like finding a needle in a haystack


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## Dmac678

Great info!


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## lancerileyuy

will using rubber tire interior work on this design?


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## flat49

Nice looking design!


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## Rat

My hinge, by request. Sorry for the nighttime pictures, but it's dark when I leave and dark when I get home...









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## Arsmith

nice


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## g_whitcomb

Orian said:


> I've been using cotton t-shirts, blue jeans etc. haven't tried plastic.
> Cloth can absorb moisture from the air but plastic can sweat from humidity,
> so wetness is a tread off but some plastics can melt and stick to an arrow shaft,
> cotton wont. That's why I stayed with cotton.


Cotton. The fabric of our lives.

Cool, comfortable and your arrows will not chafe


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## Teamclark

So I want to build one of these and fabric seems to be the most available/easiest option but since it will be outside, how do you keep the interior fabric from getting mildew/moldy?


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## thirdhandman

The only way to keep it dry is to keep it covered when not in use. This will also make the target last many more years. The sun is the only thing that will do as much damage to the target as broadheads. :secret:


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## Kmarks

Saved for later


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## LetOneFly

Finally got the beast filled. This was a really fun project and can't wait to put some arrows in it. 

Now I'm looking for some ideas on what to put on for aiming points? There will be 3 of us in the house shooting at it and I want to avoid shooting groups on it to often. I was thinking about a bunch of differnt shapes, numbers, etc so I can play some games with the kids. I plan on putting them on with Sharpie. Any ideas?

This pic is in the garage with the overhead lights off and the target light on.


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## thirdhandman

Nice build. Here are some good target faces to check out.:secret:
http://www.lancasterarchery.com/targets/archery-targets/target-faces.html


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## Conjurer

Tag


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## F/V Lost

Made one and adding a small roof to mine.


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## NALAjr

There's no doubt that this is an awesome target. The problem is that it's very expensive. I checked out a site that was emailed to me because I asked about homemade targets on the TRAD board I belong to and the guy showing his building of the target said that it took him 100 pounds of clothes to fill it. That's $100 just for the clothes. By the time you add in the other costs, the target is nearly $200.
I'd like to have one, but this just doesn't seem like a good option for those on a budget.
I've talked to a couple people that are very frequent Goodwill shoppers and they've never seen a Goodwill store here in North Houston that sells clothes by the pound. My sister tells me that they have them in Columbus, Ohio near her, but not here.

I shoot low poundage longbows and recurves. What are other options for fill?

Thanks.


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## LetOneFly

NALAjr said:


> There's no doubt that this is an awesome target. The problem is that it's very expensive. I checked out a site that was emailed to me because I asked about homemade targets on the TRAD board I belong to and the guy showing his building of the target said that it took him 100 pounds of clothes to fill it. That's $100 just for the clothes. By the time you add in the other costs, the target is nearly $200.
> I'd like to have one, but this just doesn't seem like a good option for those on a budget.
> I've talked to a couple people that are very frequent Goodwill shoppers and they've never seen a Goodwill store here in North Houston that sells clothes by the pound. My sister tells me that they have them in Columbus, Ohio near her, but not here.
> 
> I shoot low poundage longbows and recurves. What are other options for fill?
> 
> Thanks.


I have $110 on the nose for my build. I was a little concerned about my filling as well. I had three methods of material fill.

1- Word of mouth. I let everyone I knew know that I was looking for old clothes, towels, bedding, etc. FREE 25%

2- Facebook marketplace posts. While i did have a few replies and only two actual meets, one lady had 4 boxes full. FREE 25%

3- Goodwill. I asked about the used clothes and was told they go to the outlet and sell by the pound. If they don't sell there they ship them oversees, so no go with that. What I was able to do is take advantage of the 2 for .88 sales on older clothing that isn't selling. I really tried to get larger sized thicker items to make the most of my dollar. Also, if you know anyone that shops "The Will" you will likely have access to $5 off $20 coupons. Thanks to my wife and mother in law, that saved me some coin. I probably didn't save alot in the end based on her spending habbits however.LOL I also don't mind buying from Goodwill. I'd rather buy from there rather than spend my money in many other places, that's for sure. $40. 50%

Anyway, it is doable and it can be done in a relatively short period. I filled my 4x4 in a week and a half and have enough material left over to fill a bag that I just ordered from Jim for my Dad.

One more thing, it was a really fun build and the boys are excited to shoot at something they helped build.

Dave


----------



## thirdhandman

NALAjr said:


> There's no doubt that this is an awesome target. The problem is that it's very expensive. I checked out a site that was emailed to me because I asked about homemade targets on the TRAD board I belong to and the guy showing his building of the target said that it took him 100 pounds of clothes to fill it. That's $100 just for the clothes. By the time you add in the other costs, the target is nearly $200.
> I'd like to have one, but this just doesn't seem like a good option for those on a budget.
> I've talked to a couple people that are very frequent Goodwill shoppers and they've never seen a Goodwill store here in North Houston that sells clothes by the pound. My sister tells me that they have them in Columbus, Ohio near her, but not here.
> 
> I shoot low poundage longbows and recurves. What are other options for fill?
> 
> Thanks.


If you shoot traditional and everyone that you plan on shooting it shoots traditional, you could use a 2"x10" for your frame. It will be lighter, a little less expensive for wood and save you about 15% on the clothes necessary. I have built over 50 targets and still can find old clothes. End of day at church rummage sale, or yard sale I have had people fill the whole target for $10 just to not have to carry it back in the house. I've picked them up by asking motels about soiled and worn sheets and towles and lost and old found clothes. Uniform rental companies have all kinds of used uniforms. Linon companies have soiled table cloths, sheets etc. Ya just have to ask the right people.:wink:


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## NALAjr

I had family members who are very diligent Goodwill shoppers try and double check if any Houston stores sell clothes by the pound and they told them that none of the Goodwill stores in Houston do that but they do in Fort Worth. BUT...They did some digging for me and found a thrift store in the city that does sell by the pound. If you buy over 50 pounds, it is 0.15 cents per pound. At least I think that’s what the rate is. I’m gonna verify that for sure. If that’s the case, I’ll certaibly fill the target with them. These same family members are also very serious rummage sales shoppers too so one way or another I’m gonna have me one of these targets soon. I just have to get some help assembling it all and then I have to buy the target faces.

Looking forward to putting it all together and enjoying it.


----------



## Blam62

Anyone try stuffing these with plastic bags and shrink wrap?


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## 1963Deerhunter

I built 1 3-4 years ago and is a great target, but heavy.


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## Conjurer

I've had a similar target with plastic bag filling. The plastic always sticks to the arrows. At first it was annoying, having to clean the arrows all the time. Later, as the target softened up, bags would start to stick and pull out with the arrows.


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## TxSheepdog

That thing is sweet.


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## SDMiller2468

I built my third hand target last summer and I love it. I haven't shot it as much as I thought I would, but it seems to be holding up so far. I plan on shooting the other side this summer and fluffing up the stuffing. Thanks the great product third hand!


----------



## thirdhandman

SDMiller2468 said:


> I built my third hand target last summer and I love it. I haven't shot it as much as I thought I would, but it seems to be holding up so far. I plan on shooting the other side this summer and fluffing up the stuffing. Thanks the great product third hand!


Any Pictures?


----------



## Phelptwan

Finally got around to building a pair of targets;

Started with a lot of clothes. Pulled off a LOT of zippers, buttons, and rivets.








Made up some frames, and stapled down one side.








Started filling up with clothes.








Got one filled up and the other's about 1/3 full, waiting on some other family for some more donated clothing, and I think I can probably stuff a bit more in the target on the right.








Ran out of paint...buy new cans before your projects.








I think the TicTacToe came out pretty good. I'll post up pictures of the other three sides when I decide what I want to do on them. The paint seems to be pretty solid, but it seems to bleed across the threads a bit.


----------



## VLuong24

Pretty good idea


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## thirdhandman

Looks good. So many good things and designs are being done with the skins.:thumbs_up


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## Martin Chemnitz

Love the bow hanger and arrow tube. Great ideas


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## tedrh

i think this is the one i will try to build


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## nirv996

Just what I needed. 


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## Mnorth27

Interesting use of clothing.


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## AABryan

Thank you for sharing this! I'm going to give it a try.


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## Bassun

Jim - Thanks for putting this together. I just ordered the 4x4 for an upcoming build. I was going to do the whole layered carpet, but ran across this and was quickly convinced this is much better - looks better - works better - and is easier! I have a combo 22lr / bow stand in the works, and this will take care of the bow portion.

I will post some pics when I'm finished, but the basic design for the targets is this: Up front you have a stack of horizontal 4x4's all locked together with thread-all. Those are on a pivot so they can stand vertically, or I can lay them down flat. Behind that is a second row of 4x4's. They start one 4x4 higher and are also hinged. They lay down on top of the first set if I lay them both down. Bottom row lays basically flush on the ground, so you can walk on them. Behind that is the third row - which instead of wood, will be the bow target. 

Frame is treated 4x4's and I will (eventually) get around to enclosing it, and putting a roof on and lighting it. Great thing is so far the cost has been for the lags, latches and threaded rod. 4x4's for target wood was salvaged from heavy pallets. Frame 4x4's were salvaged from an old fence. I will probably buy some wood for the archery target frame, and of course the skins were $35 and there will be some cost for the clothing. It will not be nearly as extreme of a build as some of these I've seen (HOLY COW NICE WORK YALL!) but it will do what I need. I have a clear LOS for almost 60 yrds. If I shoot over the neighbors driveway (country setting), I can easily jump out over 100 yards. I figure for not much more cost, go 4' by 4' and move targets around helping things to last even longer!

Thanks again Jim!


----------



## thirdhandman

My pleasure Bassun. Looking forward to pictures of the build and finish.:wink:


----------



## Bassun

Hey - quick question for you guys, that I have not seen answered anywhere. Using the roof cap nails to affix targets, what happens when you hit one?


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## thirdhandman

I've never been lucky enough to hit one dead on. Even if I did, the aluminum cap nail might bend. It could drive it in to the Target. I doubt seriously whether it would hurt the field point


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## Bassun

Yeah, I don't think it would hurt the point. The metal seems like it would be softer in the nail. I was more concerned with scraping the shaft etc. I'm guessing it's not a big deal since I haven't heard anything. I am using some printer paper for target's at the moment, so I'm a little closer to the nails than I would like, lol.

Build is not finish finished (as in the rest of the stand surrounding it), but it is built and shootable. So far I am blown away! I shot more than 6 arrows for the first time in over 25 years yesterday, and the rags worked great! I got lucky in that my sister in law had bags of clothes from a yard sale that she wanted to toss out. 4x4x12" filled up ALL from one place...and free! I actually have extras! I may could have filled an 18" version, lol.

I did make a couple of mistakes during the build though. I intended on drilling a couple holes on the sides to put rope in for handles, and forgot. I also didn't do the cutout for the hole in the top the way I wanted. I planned on cutting it out with a 45 degree bevel so I could just set it back in...but my jig saw blades were not long enough to cut the depth on that angle. Oh well. I just used a couple of pieces of the scrap 1x2 and screwed them on top. Works fine for me  All in all, call it $100 investment for a 4x4x1 target...I'll take that!


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## pottergreg

IMO 11 1/4" of clothes is not enough. I am going to tear mine apart and add a 2x4 width 3 1/2" with some long counterbored screws to the 2x12 and see if that will stop arrows. I have tried blunt bullet shaped tips, I have repacked it a couple of times, pressing every piece of cloth with a 2x4 from above and arrows go through, I am only shooting under 60 pounds.


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## Bassun

pottergreg said:


> IMO 11 1/4" of clothes is not enough. I am going to tear mine apart and add a 2x4 width 3 1/2" with some long counterbored screws to the 2x12 and see if that will stop arrows. I have tried blunt bullet shaped tips, I have repacked it a couple of times, pressing every piece of cloth with a 2x4 from above and arrows go through, I am only shooting under 60 pounds.


WOW! I am surprised you have any issues with pass through, especially at under 60 lbs! I am, admittedly, shooting an even lower poundage as I am just getting back into shooting and more worried about form and technique vs speed. I did not measure it, but I am probably only getting 3-6 inches in. I don't know what my true FPS is, but I would guess around 250 @ 375 grains. I have a mix of cotton shirts and shorts, puffy coats, comforters and denim. I just packed it in with a hoe handle as I balled it up and dropped it in. I did take my time and pack it well, and do have some bulge. But definitely, not any risk of pass through for me.

Good luck with the add on!


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## thirdhandman

Shirts, pants, towels,table cloths, sheets, jeans etc. No sweaters or woven items like sweaters. 11.5" from the 2"by 12" has been plenty stopping party for bows shooting IBO speeds up to 350 fps. Once the target starts to bulge, which is after several hundred shots if shooting the five spot, just turn the target and shoot the old clothing back.
We built this one to 18" deep and it was shot at the ATA this year. For 3 days at about ten yards shooting over 400 fps. this target had 0 pass-throughs and was never turned. Every shot was able to be pulled with two fingers.


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## g_whitcomb

Bassun said:


> Hey - quick question for you guys, that I have not seen answered anywhere. Using the roof cap nails to affix targets, what happens when you hit one?


Golf tees my friend. Golf tees


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## Phelptwan

Side B


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## Tider37

Is the material list and instructions for making the 4x4 target the same as from Back on the first post from 2013? Any improvements since then. 

Thanks. 
Chris


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## Johnathan 0110

looks good


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## thirdhandman

if you have a bow shooting over 350 feet per second you will want to go to a deeper Target so instead of using 2 by 12 bring it to 16 to 18 in deep other than that everything else remains the same.


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## Tider37

Thanks


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## JDReeves

I look forward to digging through this entire thread for inspriation when my store bought bag target dies.


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## thirdhandman

When your store bought target dies, save the stuffing. We can mix the most stuffing along with clothing to build the target. In fact some targets are filled with similar materials as rags.:wink:


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## fireheadman

sub'd for updates


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## IIPA

I've had the skins for a while and finally acquired enough clothing to get started. It took all of the clothing in the clear 50 gallon bags to fill, about 220 lbs worth of cotton mixed with a few synthetics. Leftover lumber and hardware from a old deck tear down and new deck build helped keep the cost way down. I used black iron pipe and flanges for the proof of concept build but swapped those out for 3/4" x 10" galvanized pipe/flange since this will live covered outside. Simpson Strong-Tie SD #10 x 1 1/2 screws were the perfect fit to mount the flanges. Super easy to flip to shoot the front or back, two finger arrow pulls. Definitely the best target I've used. Thanks Thirdhandman for a great product. :cheers:


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## IIPA




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## thirdhandman

I'm honoured that you have 2 post in two years and one of them is a great build like this.:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up

Very nice job. Keep it covered and it will last a long time. 
Thanks for taking the time to post for the At'ers.:wink:


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## thirdhandman

Phelptwan said:


> Finally got around to building a pair of targets;
> 
> Started with a lot of clothes. Pulled off a LOT of zippers, buttons, and rivets.
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> I think the TicTacToe came out pretty good. I'll post up pictures of the other three sides when I decide what I want to do on them. The paint seems to be pretty solid, but it seems to bleed across the threads a bit.


It does take a lot of clothing to fill 2 4'x4' targets. Knitted blankets will not work very well as the arrow will pass right through it. If it isn't too late, I would consider removing the Knitted blanket.:wink:


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## chiparcher

I work at a place where we have a lot of vinyl get thrown away in 2-3" wide strips 5'-6' long. Does anyone see any potential issues with using that as a filling material?


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## thirdhandman

I tried vinyl from a silk screen company. Thought I might have found a gold mine. Didn't work worth a crap. It definitely will stop the arrows but is a biach to pull the arrows. Sorry to rain on the parade.:sad:


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## zqcolor

I am planning to pickup some free used bookcase or table to diy the target


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## frankiecruzer

thirdhandman said:


> I tried vinyl from a silk screen company. Thought I might have found a gold mine. Didn't work worth a crap. It definitely will stop the arrows but is a biach to pull the arrows. Sorry to rain on the parade.:sad:


I was PCSing and told my wife to save all the clothes the kids outgrew, or anything we don’t use. I had enough to make the target and works great. Now my daughter tells me everyday we need to shoot out bows, thank you for a great product. I made the stand the other day and now will get her start in archery!! She want to go bowhunting for deer because she wants to spend time with me and she wants “meat”.










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## Hampton3

Just ordered some of these skins. After reading through the post on the thread I would like to know if my arrows are going to blow through the target if I make it 18” thick. I’m shooting 475 gr at about 375 FPS. Or 70 lbs at 29”. I will assume I can cancel my order in the morning if need be.


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## thirdhandman

We built one 4'x4'x18" for the ATA show last year. It was used in the Scorpyd crossbow booth. It was shot from about 10 yards for 3 days without a single arrow sticking out the back. They were shooting 400gr arrows up to 450fps. This is the target from the ATA. It was filled with old clothes.


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## 4 Fletch

frankiecruzer said:


> I was PCSing and told my wife to save all the clothes the kids outgrew, or anything we don’t use. I had enough to make the target and works great. Now my daughter tells me everyday we need to shoot out bows, thank you for a great product. I made the stand the other day and now will get her start in archery!! She want to go bowhunting for deer because she wants to spend time with me and she wants “meat”.


That is so awesome.


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## couchsurfer

Going to have to try the old rags idea, been looking for a good way to make a simple target. Had tried wadded up plastic/visqueen, but got inconsistent results.


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## Rat

It is time to rebuild my home archery shop and I'm going to build a dedicated indoor blind bale and tuning target. My shop is pretty small (30 x 20) and the archery area is only a small portion of that. So I'm going to build a smaller bench top model of the 48 x 48 outdoor DIY target. 

I'm going to use 36 x 36 skins but build the frame 24 x 24 x 12. By my, admittedly poor, math, that should be about 55-60 pounds of clothing; so roughly 70 pounds total weight. Easy enough to move around the shop without needing a dolly or a chain hoist; although it will probably have a dedicated place most of the time. 

My question is this: Since I will be reducing the area to 24 x 24 should I make it deeper, say 18 inches, instead of 12? My gut says no, but I want to know what you think Jim.


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## thirdhandman

Good question Rat: Since it is going to be more of a benchtop target, you might want to consider the 4'x4' blank skins. Being blank they would look nicer and you would be able to get 4 targets out of one set of skins or have extra skins if they needed to be replaced. I would however agree with the 18" deep target. The clothing does all the work of stopping the arrows. I made one of them out of 2"x2" frame covered with 1/4" sub floor material. The target ended up weighing about 35 pounds.
Hope this helps ya.


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## sabret00th

This is awesome, will definitely be adding this to my to-do list this weekend


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## Rat

thirdhandman said:


> Good question Rat: Since it is going to be more of a benchtop target, you might want to consider the 4'x4' blank skins. Being blank they would look nicer and you would be able to get 4 targets out of one set of skins or have extra skins if they needed to be replaced. I would however agree with the 18" deep target. The clothing does all the work of stopping the arrows. I made one of them out of 2"x2" frame covered with 1/4" sub floor material. The target ended up weighing about 35 pounds.
> Hope this helps ya.


Thanks Jim, good idea on the blank skins; I'll go that route.


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## thirdhandman

sounds good. That will save you future cost of replacement skins if need be.

Something we recently found as an improvement on the build. The skins are a loose weave which spreads with each shot and makes them last longer. That is the good news. The bad news is if one doesn't use enough staples etc they can separate on the ends and fray. When building, after stapling every 2" run a bead of wood glue over the staples before attaching the wood trim. :secret:


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## jdwilkie6

Not sure if this was mentioned somewhere in this thread but Jim have you had anyone lay the clothing down in the box before putting on the front skin

I don’t have pics but when I built mine but I laid it down with the backside of the target on the ground. I then took clothes laid them flat and turned as needed. So a layer of shirts vertical then a layer of shirts horizontal until I had it filled up to the top and bulging then I stapled the face on

I had originally stuffed it from the top. I may not have done as good of job stuffing although I thought I had it packed well it 
Did seem to have voids. Operator error. Lol. 

Wasn’t getting pass throughs but some arrows seemed to go in further than others. Some more than I liked. 

While I don’t shoot a lot I do shoot from 14yds or less and it seems the arrow penetration is more consistent across the entire 4x4 face 

Just thought I’d share my experience since it’s been about 3yrs this way with no problems 12” deep


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## thirdhandman

This is good to know. I have not had anybody try that that I know about. Do you possibly have a picture when it was first finished? When you put the front skin on, how did you stretch the skin so it was tight? Do You ever get field points stuck in the clothing? We are always looking for improvements, and this just may be a good one to know.:wink:


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## jbond007m3

I am looking to replace my skins from 7 years ago. Silly question, does 1 order include 2 skins?


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## thirdhandman

Yes it does. $35 + mailing to replace the front and the back.:wink:


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## ToddDeerhunter

Nice how many pounds can it stop


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## ToddDeerhunter

nice


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## Hampton3

Mine is 14 inches thick. Pulling 70 lbs., probably only penetrations 10 inches, maybe. It’s all about how good you stuff it.


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## niccernicus

Looking to finish mine up this spring. Last year, I got a bunch of boat wrap as people started getting their boats ready for summer. I probably had 4 or 5 boats' worth. Stopped my arrows pretty well, but I think I can go a little heavier on the stuffing this spring. I was getting about 6-8 inches penetration (if I remember correctly) as it sits. I'll post pics up of the finished setup when it's warmer. Also used a bunch of leftover landscape timbers to make a hanging frame.


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## Mike Carlson

Looks great


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## jdwilkie6

Consider putting the back on and laying the target backside down. Then before you put the face skin on put the clothes in but lay them flat and criss cross them as you layer then build it up enough so that when you put the face on it will compress it. Did this 3yrs ago on my 4x4 target and I get more consistent stoppage then when I had tried stuffing from the top. 


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## KineKilla

Finished the build but ran out of clothing. Have to keep collecting items to stuff inside. Sure takes a lot.


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## thirdhandman

Just finished this one for my 6-year-old Grandaughter. Filled it with Sheep wool to keep the arrows from bouncing out.


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## MikeB1980

Just placed my order for the faces. These all look great. Cant wait to get one built and start using it.


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## dwardo

Thanks! Those look sturdy, been looking at making something line this.


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## jbob85

nice!


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## mr.glass

Looks good


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## KineKilla

Finished.

Shot it quite a bit last night, seems to be holding up well. I expect a decent lifespan.









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## ryanmordente

thanks for the post!


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## jorob712

Great filling


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## chipdip

I need to make one of these soon


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## MikeB1980

Finally got enough clothes in it and was able to shoot. Worked perfect at point blank and super easy arrow pull. The wheels work great too. Two fixed wheels from HF and two wheels from an old wagon laying around with handle for steering so I can take it in and out of the barn based on weather conditions.


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## thirdhandman

Nice build Mike. That should last you a long time.


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## xforce pse

Tagged


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## tripleb2431

Had my skins for about 4 or 5 years now finally got around to building the box. Need to sand and paint yet but loving it already.









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## ac338in

Add one more thing to my to do list. I joined two days ago and this forum has already cost I mean saved me a lot of money.


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## BigBullDreamer

might have to build one of these looks simple enough


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## tripleb2431

BigBullDreamer said:


> might have to build one of these looks simple enough


Only took couple hours. Just coming up with enough clothes for these is about the hardest part. But once you get them filled as long as you keep them dry you shouldn't have to do that part again for long time. I've have same clothes in mine for probably 7 years now.

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## Dwiscombe

Thanks


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## CASHMONEY

for?


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## MikeB1980

Just a tip for getting clothing. If you or someone you know works at a place with a uniform service talk to the uniform delivery people. At the machine shop I work at they told me they just throw away the old uniforms that may have a hole or something in them and they brought me several bags of discarded uniforms for free.


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## Pgohil

Built this out of rough cut sassafras. 1"x9.5" boards. 36"x36" of target area. Third hand archery skins. Stuffed with old clothes. 

Only getting about 5" of penetration at 70 lb 5 yards out. I can shoot out to 20 yards in my basement and @20, only 3" of penetration. 
I believe the main key is to get the clothing stuffed super tight.









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## jdwilkie6

did the same thing a couple years ago. nice job

consider nailing all rod (i belive it’s called) to the sides then get a flat bungee cord to attach to each side. 

then get small clamps and you can clamp paper targets to bungee cord 

this will allow you to move it left/right/down/up without having to try and pin the paper to the target 

i’ll post a pic when i can


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## jdwilkie6

4x4 target. i also added a 2’ shop light above mine 

here’s the bungee cords, all rod, small clamps and a paper target i was talking about



























































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## Pgohil

That's a great setup. I've been making dots with a sharpie. Your way is much better, thanks for sharing.

PGohil
WV

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## Mr. Ken

You really need something more solid behind the paper target. You can just pin the target to the screen face. Or you can staple a big piece of cardboard to front of the target and then staple the paper target to the cardboard.

I just ordered a set of the 48 X 48 skins and the cannot fire release today.


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## Rat

The frame for the new bench top tuning target, 24 x 24; gonna order the skins when the sun goes down and I head inside. 

I was thinking about packing this little target, I used a rock bar for my big one, but since this one is only 10 inches deep I'm thinking a little different. 

I'm going to vacuum bag as much material as I can to fit into this space, then add the face, then puncture the vacuum bag with my first arrow. That should allow me to get the maximum amount of material into the space.

I'll let y'all know how it goes, maybe even video it or something.


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## thirdhandman

That certainly looks heavy duty. If you are filling with old clothes, it will stop arrows up to 350 fps. It really is best if the clothing has a little give. It allows the clothing to catch the arrow and makes for easier arrow removal. 
P.S. You can cut your 4'x4' skins into 4 2'x2' skins and have extras for later. :secret:


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## Rat

thirdhandman said:


> That certainly looks heavy duty. If you are filling with old clothes, it will stop arrows up to 350 fps. It really is best if the clothing has a little give. It allows the clothing to catch the arrow and makes for easier arrow removal.
> P.S. You can cut your 4'x4' skins into 4 2'x2' skins and have extras for later. :secret:


That's what I plan on doing, 4 x 4 skins cut down. 

A little give, roger that...


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## thirdhandman

ac338in said:


> Add one more thing to my to do list. I joined two days ago and this forum has already cost I mean saved me a lot of money.


Welcome to the addiction! Lot's of good people here and some good ideas.:wink:


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## thirdhandman

jdwilkie6 said:


> 4x4 target. i also added a 2’ shop light above mine
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Great idea to help spread out the shots and make the target last longer. Thanks for sharing.:thumbs_up


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## DustinThompson

Thanks for the inspiration!


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## andrew8404

Haven’t shared mine. Here’s my backyard set up. Enough for 20 yards.










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## prattk112

This is a first for me to hear about someone using clothes as a backstop. Thanks for sharing!


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## thirdhandman

prattk112 said:


> This is a first for me to hear about someone using clothes as a backstop. Thanks for sharing!


Welcome to the archery addiction. Lots of good folks with good ideas and information here.:wink:


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## Viking27

Thank you!


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## farscapesg1

Built a 4x4 one and stuffed it with pallet wrap. Works great for the 30# recurve with only about 3” of penetration. 

Only problem I’m worried about is my arrows snagging when being pulled. The Gold Tip Warriors have inserts that are slightly larger than the outside arrow diameter. Picked up some Gold Tip .246 Accu-points since those seem to be recommended... and they are still slightly bigger, but don’t snag as much.

How worried should I be about the longevity of the skins with the arrows snagging?


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## thirdhandman

Arrows that don't have matching field points do way more damage to any target. If the field point is bigger than the arrow, it will fray the skin when removing the arrow. If the field point is smaller than the arrow, it will fray the skin of any target on entry. There are way too many variables to be able to say how much faster one can wear out a target. I will say this, if the field point doesn't match you will loose at least half the target life.:mg:


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## jbond007m3

Just bought another set. Had the first set for several years. I only shoot at one side, so it was two skins and I didnt shoot much for a couple of years during that span.

About a year ago I started trying other random sheeting:
I tried a volleyball net to hold in clothing and used cardboard lashed to the front for my target surface. Lasted a few months (a few thousand arrows) until the netting was blown out.
I tried those cheap (sometimes free) Harbor Freight tarps. Lasted a month or so.
I tried a bed sheet. Lasted a month or so.
I tried a feed bag. Lasted a few months, but my source for cheap bags could only supply small 50 lbs ones. So I had to sew two together (a pain) and they didnt seem to last as long as I remember these skin sets lasting and are almost the same price.


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## thirdhandman

007: If you don't mind me saying so. Just because a target is home made, doesn't mean it has to look home made. I seen junk yards that looked better than some home made archery ranges using tarps, or dog food bags and as you stated, they don't last as long as ours do. If we are going to take the time to build something that we are planning on shooting at for years. A few extra dollars for the skins is a great investment. farscapesg1 just had a great example a couple post back.:secret:


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## sonofslinger

Built one of these things about ten years ago. It's still going pretty strong after all this time and several guys shooting at it.


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## thirdhandman

sonofslinger: Did you by chance pick them up at the Little Rock hunting expo?


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## thirdhandman

tripleb2431 said:


> Had my skins for about 4 or 5 years now finally got around to building the box. Need to sand and paint yet but loving it already.
> 
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> Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk


It took some time but should last even longer if ya keep it out of the sun.:thumbs_up


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## bowhnter4ever

Tagged


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## flyinokra

tagged


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## hct4all

Great ideas.

Thank you


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## frog81

Tagged


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## mpockoski

whoa - long thread! 
TLDR - are we still filling with clothes for a target that's going to sit outside all the time? is there a mold gross-wet clothes solution now or do we just deal with it

thanks!


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## Majuba

Also deciding between clothes or pallet wrap for filling. Heard a lot of negatives regarding pallet wrap melting onto arrow shafts.
Will start my build in the next week or two.


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## thirdhandman

mpockoski said:


> whoa - long thread!
> TLDR - are we still filling with clothes for a target that's going to sit outside all the time? is there a mold gross-wet clothes solution now or do we just deal with it
> 
> thanks!


Leave most bag targets sitting out in the weather uncovered and they will get wet and moldy. Also the sun will eat them up. Covering them with a tarp or building a nice shooting stand to keep them covered will take care of the mold and rot issues.


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## Majuba

Got hold of a bloke today that can get me old hotel towels. He is a maintenance manager for a large hotel group in town.
Anyone used towel material before?


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## thirdhandman

Wow! you just hit a gold mine. I ask for old towels and sheets from the motels when I'm out of town for hunting expos. They work awesome. We have a couple customers who buy our skins and have access to filler. They build the targets and sell them. Love to have a picture of one of our targets with a kangaroo next to it. lol:wink:


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## Solonys

thirdhandman said:


> Leave most bag targets sitting out in the weather uncovered and they will get wet and moldy. Also the sun will eat them up. Covering them with a tarp or building a nice shooting stand to keep them covered will take care of the mold and rot issues.


In your experience is the roof on those targets sufficient to keep the mold/rot issues in check, or do you also cover them with a tarp? I built a 3H target 2 years ago and currently stuff it with plastic wrap because it lives outside year-round, but am getting a bit tired of having to re-stuff it every 6 weeks. It has a small roof like the ones in your picture and sits in the shade.


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## dsj2

How do the thirdhand faces hold up to wood arrows and glue on field points.(larger holes)


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## thirdhandman

Fine when the arrow goes in as the size of the hole is no big deal. However, the shoulder of the field point will grab and eventually cut the individual strands of fabric causing quicker wear than normal field points. It will last longer than most targets but it does wear them eventually.:secret:


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## thirdhandman

Solonys said:


> In your experience is the roof on those targets sufficient to keep the mold/rot issues in check, or do you also cover them with a tarp? I built a 3H target 2 years ago and currently stuff it with plastic wrap because it lives outside year-round, but am getting a bit tired of having to re-stuff it every 6 weeks. It has a small roof like the ones in your picture and sits in the shade.


The roof does help keep the rain off but they will still get wet. Wet is no big deal if you leave the target on the stand. Mold becomes a problem only if you decide to bring the wet target into the home. Other than that you can hardly tell the difference when shooting outside unless it is below freezing. Then the target becomes an Ice cube if wet enough.:secret:


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## dsj2

I have been putting the points in a drill press , with a stone breaking the sharp edge trying to help with that problem when pulling the arrow. Can feel the grab when pulling from burlap.


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## Solonys

thirdhandman said:


> The roof does help keep the rain off but they will still get wet. Wet is no big deal if you leave the target on the stand. Mold becomes a problem only if you decide to bring the wet target into the home. Other than that you can hardly tell the difference when shooting outside unless it is below freezing. Then the target becomes an Ice cube if wet enough.:secret:


Unfortunately bringing it inside is difficult seeing is it is 4 feet square, and I shoot all winter because I'm crazy! I'll give it a try; if mold becomes an issue I can always go back to plastic I suppose 

Thanks for making such a great product!


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## thirdhandman

Finally getting a partial shipment of 4x4 skins tomorrow. They have definitely been coming in slower since the Covid hit. The good news is they are going out quicker since the covid hit. Lots of archers staying home to shoot now.:wink:


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## citymarshall

Cover your target with a tarp and it won't be wet and moldy. I've done this with my target for several years.


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## niccernicus

Finally got a pic of my setup. Just got done adding a bit more stuffing. Used boat wrap to fill it up. Must have about ten boats worth in it. Good to have friends on a lake in WI. Frame built with leftover landscaping timbers from a home project.









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## thirdhandman

Very nice build. The landscape ties are a great idea. :thumbs_up If you want to make it last the longest, cover it with a tarp when not in use.:wink:


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## niccernicus

Thanks. I actually need to upgrade the plywood. I had some junky 1/4" laying around. Not bad shape for one year uncovered in Wisconsin. [emoji106]

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## Majuba

*Having a go down under*

Decided to start building my box target here in Australia.
Now I'm a diesel mech by trade and not too flash when it comes to working with wood, so I'll be the first to admit it is not the best.....
I used a $3 canvas tarp as my face material and backed it up with kids playroom 4mm rubber foam mat blocks.
Fill finish of the back tomorrow and put on the feet.
Progress for the day.


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## chuckwagon526

:thumbs_up


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## Majuba

Final product - stuffed with towel material, feet and hinged top cover fitted.
Did not come out too bad.


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## thirdhandman

Majuba said:


> Final product - stuffed with towel material, feet and hinged top cover fitted.
> Did not come out too bad.


Very nice build. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up When you wear the face out, and if you shoot much you will, replace them with our skins and your efforts on the build will be rewarded.:wink:


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## BobaSethVincent

thank you for sharing. I need to build AT LEAST two


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## thirdhandman

Boba, give me a call if you need anything aditional. We can give better discount the more you buy.:wink:


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## Major Pain

It’s been about 5 years since I built mine and it’s still in great condition. Painter tape works like a charm for making aim points. One long piece of tape down the middle for walk back tuning. The tape stays put when pulling the arrows too.


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## thirdhandman

Very nice build Major Pain. Thanks for sharing. Future Hunter????:wink:


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## Major Pain

We can only hope he loves it!


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## jdlugolinski

I'm pinning this for my next target. Normally I just fill a box with a bunch of boxes/cardboard. After December we have enough Amazon boxes for 3 targets.


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## BGLASER

Nice target


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## thirdhandman

People ask all the time, how much clothes to fill a target. I decided to reskin this 10-year-old target and the clothes were wet. I spread the old clothes on the lawn to dry while I reskinned this target. For those of you who are interested, it takes this much. I emptied the target right where it stood. Took the old skin off and reskinned it. I filled it while in my garden trailer, then slid it back in the target stand. It took about 2 hours including clean up. Hope I get another 10 years out of this one.


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## thirdhandman

jdlugolinski said:


> I'm pinning this for my next target. Normally I just fill a box with a bunch of boxes/cardboard. After December we have enough Amazon boxes for 3 targets.


Cardboard can and does work. Clothing works great and arrows remove easily.


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## thirdhandman

Major Pain said:


> It’s been about 5 years since I built mine and it’s still in great condition. Painter tape works like a charm for making aim points. One long piece of tape down the middle for walk back tuning. The tape stays put when pulling the arrows too.


Yes, the lines work great for walk back tuning as well as sighting a bow in.


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## thirdhandman

andrew8404 said:


> Haven’t shared mine. Here’s my backyard set up. Enough for 20 yards.
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Nice build Andrew. Just be very careful not to sky draw the bow. An accidental trigger pull and the neighbor behind the target may take offence.


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## farscapesg1

Maybe a silly question but will the 4'x4' skins still hold together if cut in half? When I built built an outdoor one I mistakenly bought 2 sets so I was thinking about cutting the extra set down to make a 2'x2' target for close shooting in the garage and hopefully light enough to transport (will probably use shrink wrap for less weight).


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## thirdhandman

Yes you can cut the 4x4 skins. I use a single edge razor, then heat the ends to keep them from fraying. I cut the 4x4 into 4 pieces 2'x2' and make two targets with one skin. I made mine 16'' deep by using plywood sides. Filled it with old clothes and it stops my 400 gr arrows at 375 fps from 10 yards and still gets 2 finger pull.


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## Ches

Jim
I love your tree stand bow hangers, I have 3. I just placed an order for your blank 4'x4' skin. When I make my target, is the frame OD 48" or is the ID supposed to be 48"? Has anyone ever used boat canvas as a filler?


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## thirdhandman

Great question. The outside measurements are 48'' x 48''. For those who may not have considered the thickness of the wood adding to the dimensions of the target, 2 boards 2''x12'' by 48'' for the top and bottom and 2 boards 2'' x12'' by 45'' for the sideboards will make a 48''x48'' target.


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## Ches

Thanks Jim, I saw your plans on page 1, read thru page 20, will look at the next 40 some later. I, like others, will modify slightly from your build. I forgot about having to turn it so wheels it will be. I have spots on my current target and use this plastic head nails also. I have tried painting dots with not much luck. Since 4'x4' targets are blank, what works best to add dots other than the nails. I hit too many of them (only by dumb luck).
Ches.


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## thirdhandman

Painters tape seems to work well for dots. I like these mats myself. Gives you a lot of options and spreads out the shots.


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## wvholler

Wow what a bunch of great info. Thanks everyone for sharing. 


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## Ches

Jim
Have you ever had someone build in air holes or will enough air flow thru the covers be enough? To help keep it dry or dry out, I was thinking of drilling some 1" holes in the bottom and top (roof over it) and then stapling metal window screen material over the holes to keep mice and bugs out. Your thoughts.
Ches.


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## thirdhandman

No, I have never heard of anybody doing that. The clothing is too tight normally to allow any airflow IMHO.


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## Ches

Well then. I will be the first. Just ordered 10 x 2" vents. I have Top and bottom built and working on sides and wheels. Great winter project. Just not sure what I am going to do with it till spring.


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## thirdhandman

Shoot indoors. Your draw, anchor and release are the same at 5 yards or 50 yards. Just using a different pin and not as much walking.


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## leoncrandall74

Just thought I'd share mine here.. it differs slightly from the original version. 
I used plywood scraps for the frame(16" wide) and added 1.5" foam board for a flat firm face under the skin, in hopes to be able to get concistant results bare shaft tuning. 
It works amazingly well. 
Thanks Jim, I love this target!!






























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## Major Pain

Major Pain said:


> It’s been about 5 years since I built mine and it’s still in great condition. Painter tape works like a charm for making aim points. One long piece of tape down the middle for walk back tuning. The tape stays put when pulling the arrows too.


Post #950 in this thread shows some more info on putting these together. Building the DIY Range Target

More shooters need to build their own target!


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## thirdhandman

leoncrandall74 said:


> Just thought I'd share mine here.. it differs slightly from the original version.
> I used plywood scraps for the frame(16" wide) and added 1.5" foam board for a flat firm face under the skin, in hopes to be able to get concistant results bare shaft tuning.
> It works amazingly well.
> Thanks Jim, I love this target!!
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Very nice build Leon. If you have access to filler material, you might consider buying the skins, building targets and selling them. That quality build around here goes for $250.


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## thirdhandman

Here is a quick good looking easy fix for a cover. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Steel-Fire...086374&hash=item2ad84ef5cf:g:RpsAAOSwx7hecuCJ


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## hedgeapple50

You guys are missing the best free filler! Plastic sacks from Dillions grocery, Wal-Mart etc. The company I work throws away large clear plastic sacks that our Castings come in.
I just accumulate enough to fill a tarp material type feed sack .
Another one I have read about is compressed Hay bales from TSC or what ever farm store is in Your area. Throw 3 or 4 plastic trash bags on it to slow deterioration.

Sent from my LGL322DL using Tapatalk


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## Ches

OK, I got the body of my 4 x 4 done today. I still need to fill it and add the roof plus handles but I wanted my garage back. I added 10 vents to the thing in hopes it will aid in drying out the material. Only had to purchase the paint, 2 x 2x4's, and the vents. I have two pieces of 4 x 5' black plastic I will put over the front and back to help with rain.


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## thirdhandman

Looks nice so far. It Will look great when filled as all the wrinkles will disappear from the tightness caused by filling it with the clothing.


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## Sdalton34

huntinfool84 said:


> I've got another question. I have my frame built and I did it with the 2x12's as suggested but my question is has anyone put just a sheet of plywood on the back side instead of the other skin? If so how did it work out? If not do you think it would work? I put a sheet of 7/16ths osb sheeting on the back of mine but the skins are not here yet so I am wondering if I should leave it or pull it off and prep it for a skin.


Probably be busting arrows


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## leoncrandall74

Sdalton34 said:


> Probably be busting arrows


I put plywood on the back of mine and have no issues. 

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## thirdhandman

The reason we give two sheets per target is to make it last longer. If you shoot the front until it starts to bulge in the back, simply turn the target around and shoot the clothing back. To me, it makes more sense to have it one's time and labor last twice as long. The clothing stops the arrow slowly because it has give to it with a skin on the back. To put plywood on it takes some of the give away and allows the arrows to penetrate a bit more.
To test this for yourself. Put a wadded-up shirt in a paper bag and suspend it with a string, then shoot it from 5'. The bag has give and the arrow will not pass through. Then put the same shirt in the same bag and put it up against a solid board and shoot from the same 5'. Now go get a Third Hand Pro Arrow Puller to remove the arrow out of the wood.lol


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## Ches

OK, I am about 3/4 full on my target, should be done shortly. My question is how often do you need to tamp the material down or add new material. I have been tamping it as I go taking special interest to the corners. My initial plans were to have the pitched roof hinged so I could get to the access hole on top. But, while filling, I started to think I might only have to access this every few months, and if that is true, I would just put 4 screws in each half of the roof and skip the hinges. I have it on wheels so I can turn it often.
Ches.


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## thirdhandman

On mine I have never added clothes in 8 years. I just occasionally turn it from the front to the back and shoot the clothing back and forth. But I've not had to add any to it. Mine is filled with mostly uniforms from a uniform rental company shirts and pants especially some linens. Since you've been tamping it down the whole time, it should be good to go. Hope this helps.


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## Ches

Yes that does, exactly what I was thinking. Thanks for confirming it. I will still be able to access it easily, just don't need to add hinges. The last 6" - 8" is really sucking up the cloths. Must be blowing out the faces. Great way to empty the closets, and it's not even spring.
Ches.


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## Simmonsr19

Love that! Tomorrow’s project.


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## LetThemGrow

Simmonsr19 said:


> Love that! Tomorrow’s project.


Oh, as well as the bow storage post u made?


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## Ches

OK, almost finished, just need to get cover tarp. I think it's a winner. At 10 yards, I get 9" of penetration and easy arrow removal. My target is 12.5" frame which should get me about 13" with material push out. Snow is too deep for me to move it back to shoot further. But it felt good to pull the bow back again. First shot (white bare shaft) was a little wild, shows you what not shooting does to form. Thanks Thirdhand, you got me thinking of making one for deer camp.
Ches.


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## Zturfman

thirdhandman said:


> On mine I have never added clothes in 8 years. I just occasionally turn it from the front to the back and shoot the clothing back and forth. But I've not had to add any to it. Mine is filled with mostly uniforms from a uniform rental company shirts and pants especially some linens. Since you've been tamping it down the whole time, it should be good to go. Hope this helps.


Have you ever heard of anyone trying to fill these with the plastic from shrink wrapping boats? I had heard that it works great but thought I would get your opinion. Thanks in advance


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## thirdhandman

I have heard that many times. If you go back through this thread itself you will see many posts regarding the same. I have no proof that it works as good as old clothing. The few plastics I used didn't produce the results I wanted.


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## thirdhandman

Ches said:


> OK, almost finished, just need to get cover tarp. I think it's a winner. At 10 yards, I get 9" of penetration and easy arrow removal. My target is 12.5" frame which should get me about 13" with material push out. Snow is too deep for me to move it back to shoot further. But it felt good to pull the bow back again. First shot (white bare shaft) was a little wild, shows you what not shooting does to form. Thanks Thirdhand, you got me thinking of making one for deer camp.
> Ches.
> View attachment 7370175


Very nice build Ches. The wheels and stand will come in handy.


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## Zturfman

niccernicus said:


> Finally got a pic of my setup. Just got done adding a bit more stuffing. Used boat wrap to fill it up. Must have about ten boats worth in it. Good to have friends on a lake in WI. Frame built with leftover landscaping timbers from a home project.
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How has the boat wrap held up now that you’ve been shooting it for a while?


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## Ches

thirdhandman said:


> Very nice build Ches. The wheels and stand will come in handy.


It was nice and light till I added the clothes. Going to be a chore to get it to the back of my yard in spring. As much as it weighs, I am going to put patio blocks down so the tires don't sink in. I was concerned about it blowing over in the wind, not any more.


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## leoncrandall74

Ches said:


> It was nice and light till I added the clothes. Going to be a chore to get it to the back of my yard in spring. As much as it weighs, I am going to put patio blocks down so the tires don't sink in. I was concerned about it blowing over in the wind, not any more.


Nice build! As soon as mine was built, I had to empty it and add some rope handles just so I could lift it. Deffinetly not gonna blow away.

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## thirdhandman

Ches said:


> It was nice and light till I added the clothes. Going to be a chore to get it to the back of my yard in spring. As much as it weighs, I am going to put patio blocks down so the tires don't sink in. I was concerned about it blowing over in the wind, not any more.


The platform board on the bottom front will serve you fine if you get someone else to help guide the target. One person on each side, lift and drag on the wheels and that target will be able to move fairly easily.


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## Ramey

[emoji106]


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## Ches

Jim, a second person will make it a lot easier. I moved it out of garage by myself. I can move it but a bit of a choir.
Ches.


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## thirdhandman

Ches said:


> It was nice and light till I added the clothes. Going to be a chore to get it to the back of my yard in spring. As much as it weighs, I am going to put patio blocks down so the tires don't sink in. I was concerned about it blowing over in the wind, not any more.


We had a customer who lost his house, barn, and boat during hurricane Katrina. He sent me a picture of where his target was still standing. They can take a beating.


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## ChrisG45

Finally got around to building 1 of these, loving it !
















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## thirdhandman

Very nice build Chris. How long that take you?


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## ChrisG45

thirdhandman said:


> Very nice build Chris. How long that take you?


A couple weeks,was in no rush

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## ChrisG45

thirdhandman said:


> Very nice build Chris. How long that take you?


Wished I would have built it years ago

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## thirdhandman

ChrisG45 said:


> Wished I would have built it years ago
> 
> Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


No worries. Keep it out of the sun and away from broadheads and it probably will outlast your kids. Whether you have any kids now or not. lol


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## GlassAlongside

ChrisG45 said:


> Finally got around to building 1 of these, loving it !
> 
> Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


Love it! Looks great. How much did the 2021 prices for lumber set you back on this build? Wood must be made with silver or gold inside these days.


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## ChrisG45

GlassAlongside said:


> Love it! Looks great. How much did the 2021 prices for lumber set you back on this build? Wood must be made with silver or gold inside these days.


Probably double what I would've spent a year and a half ago

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## Assassin24

Yeah really. Now I’m afraid to build one out of fear someone will steal it for the lumber. Surprised my chicken coop is still standing.


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## thirdhandman

I wouldn't worry about it getting stolen too much. Just put it in a place where a tow truck can't get near it. 😂


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## PeteHNsen

Awesome info! Going to build one this weekend!


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## thirdhandman

Pete, Take your time. Do it right and you will be proud of it for a very long time.


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## Sridgeoutdoors

Anyone else getting arrows stuck in dense clothing. Hard to pullout?


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## thirdhandman

Sridgeoutdoors said:


> Anyone else getting arrows stuck in dense clothing. Hard to pullout?


There are only a few reasons this can happen. If your field point and or insert are bigger in diameter than the arrow shaft they will get stuck. If your field point isn't on the arrow tight, it stops as soon as it touches the bag, but the arrow tries to continue spinning which opens up the thread and leaves a small gap. As the field point goes through the clothing, the clothing stretches a bit and gets caught in the small gap. Outserts catch the clothing and fray the cover when one pulls the arrow out.
Keep the field points tight, use field points and inserts that match the diameter of the arrow, no outserts and you can pull them out with 1 finger. Hope this helps.


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## Shane Dean

thirdhandman said:


> materials list
> 1 board 2"x12"x8'. Cut into one board 48" and one board 45"
> 1 board 2"x12"x12'. Cut into two boards 6 foot.
> 1 board 2"x8"x8'. Cut into two boards 2"x8"x3'. To be used as the feet to hold the target upright.
> 4 boards 1/4"x1 1/2" by 8'. Cut 4 boards 45" and 4 boards 48" for trim.
> 2 sheets of black plastic film 4'x4'
> Staples and 3" wood screws.
> A bunch of old clothes. About 3-4 55 gallon bags
> 1] cut a 8"x36" trap door in the middle of the 48" 2"x12"
> 2] lay boards on floor and screw the 48" 2x12 into the top of the two 6' 2x12's. Use a square when screwing them together.
> 3] Measure from the top of the top board down 48" on both 6' 2x12's. Keep the bottom of the 45" board on the 48"mark. Screw the 45" between the two 6' boards.
> 4] Staple black sheeting to front and back of box on all four corners. Over the top of the black plastic sheeting, staple all 4 corners of the skins snug without sagging. Once all four corners are snug then staple every 2" all the way around.
> 5] Screw in the trim boards overlapping the joints of the 2x12's.
> 6] Stand up target and screw in the 3' boards at the bottom of the 6' legs to make a foot to assist holding the target upright.
> 7]Toss the clothing in, cramming in the corners first and fill to the middle. For the higher poundage bows cram the rags in tighter all the way to the top.


I ordered my target faces from Third hand a while back, just haven’t found the time to build the target just yet. I keep seeing posts on here reminding me. Looks good!


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## thirdhandman

Don't wait too long, the cost of lumber is going up.


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## Rem788

I’ll be ordering the skins soon. I have read quite a few of the posts but not all 1,200+ so this may have been covered already. I see that quite a few people worry about the stuffing settling over time and bulging the faces outward. 

Has anyone made target stand that the target can sit inside of independently and rotate. I think if there were some sort of steel post, or giant bolt that wasn’t threaded end to end, through the frame and then through each side of the target you would be able to spin it? When one side has been shot for a while you could unlock a latch, spin it so that the top is now at the bottom and you’d be shooting the back of the target while also letting gravity do its thing letting the stuffing settle in the opposite direction. 

Just a thought. Any opinions are welcome. 


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## conquestador

Maybe I'm missing something but my feeble intellect is telling me that in order to spin it you would need something like an axel in the center so it would rotate like a wheel. Now you have something in the middle of your target that you don't want to hit. My first fabric filled target was 5' tall and there was considerable settling. I cut it down twice to where it is now about 3' squared. I think that rotating it though is a great idea. How about putting grommets in each corner and manually do the rotation when you think it needs it?


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## Rem788

conquestador said:


> Maybe I'm missing something but my feeble intellect is telling me that in order to spin it you would need something like an axel in the center so it would rotate like a wheel. Now you have something in the middle of your target that you don't want to hit. My first fabric filled target was 5' tall and there was considerable settling. I cut it down twice to where it is now about 3' squared. I think that rotating it though is a great idea. How about putting grommets in each corner and manually do the rotation when you think it needs it?












I’m no artist but hopefully this helps. Extra braces to keep the structure square and two short axles so there’s nothing solid through the middle of the target. Also there would need to be a latch of some sort on the front and back to stop it from spinning when shooting it. 


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## leoncrandall74

Rem788 said:


> I’m no artist but hopefully this helps. Extra braces to keep the structure square and two short axles so there’s nothing solid through the middle of the target. Also there would need to be a latch of some sort on the front and back to stop it from spinning when shooting it.
> 
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Just an idea.. could use a pipe flange on the bottom to act as your pivot point. Would spin side to side not top to bottom tho. Would be much easier with fewer parts. The weight of the target would hold it from moving around.

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## Rem788

leoncrandall74 said:


> Just an idea.. could use a pipe flange on the bottom to act as your pivot point. Would spin side to side not top to bottom tho. Would be much easier with fewer parts. The weight of the target would hold it from moving around.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


Yes sir that’s true. My idea was for a dual purpose though. I want o be able to easily change sides as well as getting rid of the stuffing bulging out over time. By flipping it upside down the stuffing could settle back into place without opening the top trying rearrange it by hand. 


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## leoncrandall74

Rem788 said:


> Yes sir that’s true. My idea was for a dual purpose though. I want o be able to easily change sides as well as getting rid of the stuffing bulging out over time. By flipping it upside down the stuffing could settle back into place without opening the top trying rearrange it by hand.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It's a good idea!

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## BobbyBuckshot1970

adamst said:


> how much do you roughly have in materials $


I can show youthe stand i made its better like 30 dollars worth pvc from menards


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## carletes47

very nice and well thought out
and with your men's VXR 28


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## conquestador

Rem788 said:


> I’m no artist but hopefully this helps. Extra braces to keep the structure square and two short axles so there’s nothing solid through the middle of the target. Also there would need to be a latch of some sort on the front and back to stop it from spinning when shooting it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yeah, I missed the part about shooting into the BACK of the target. If you don't try it, you'll never know and neither will we. I've learned to put a few dryer sheets into my mix of fabric to keep the mice from commandeering it, but I did once have a swarm of bees find their way in


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## Bgilpin

That’s awesome I’m gonna have to try that out


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## JMASavage

Are the 48x48 skins still available? Just looked on the third hand website and didn’t see them.


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## ChrisG45

JMASavage said:


> Are the 48x48 skins still available? Just looked on the third hand website and didn’t see them.


Must be out of stock ?,I'm sure Jim will chime in

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## Zturfman

thirdhandman said:


> materials list
> 1 board 2"x12"x8'. Cut into one board 48" and one board 45"
> 1 board 2"x12"x12'. Cut into two boards 6 foot.
> 1 board 2"x8"x8'. Cut into two boards 2"x8"x3'. To be used as the feet to hold the target upright.
> 4 boards 1/4"x1 1/2" by 8'. Cut 4 boards 45" and 4 boards 48" for trim.
> 2 sheets of black plastic film 4'x4'
> Staples and 3" wood screws.
> A bunch of old clothes. About 3-4 55 gallon bags
> 1] cut a 8"x36" trap door in the middle of the 48" 2"x12"
> 2] lay boards on floor and screw the 48" 2x12 into the top of the two 6' 2x12's. Use a square when screwing them together.
> 3] Measure from the top of the top board down 48" on both 6' 2x12's. Keep the bottom of the 45" board on the 48"mark. Screw the 45" between the two 6' boards.
> 4] Staple black sheeting to front and back of box on all four corners. Over the top of the black plastic sheeting, staple all 4 corners of the skins snug without sagging. Once all four corners are snug then staple every 2" all the way around.
> 5] Screw in the trim boards overlapping the joints of the 2x12's.
> 6] Stand up target and screw in the 3' boards at the bottom of the 6' legs to make a foot to assist holding the target upright.
> 7]Toss the clothing in, cramming in the corners first and fill to the middle. For the higher poundage bows cram the rags in tighter all the way to the top.


Are most guys building these out of treated or untreated lumber and painting it? Going to be pricey either way with lumber costs right now but just want to make sure it’s going to last a while!


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## leoncrandall74

Zturfman said:


> Are most guys building these out of treated or untreated lumber and painting it? Going to be pricey either way with lumber costs right now but just want to make sure it’s going to last a while!


I made mine out of scraps of plywood. It worked great! Could just paint it.
















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## thirdhandman

As many of you know Third Hand Archery has been out of 4'x4' skins for over a month. I finally went to the source of our material and picked up a 1,000 lb roll of fabric. We built the fixtures and started cutting today. We have enough cut today to fill most of the backorders by tomorrow. They are now listed on our website again tonight.
BTW we are now capable of cutting special lengths now unlike in the past. We can cut them in 48'' width to whatever length you need to build custom targets or target walls. $4 per foot by 48'' piece.


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## flybyjohn

I posted this in another thread but thought I would bring it here where all the other builds are being shown. I finished the first of 5 targets I am building last night. I wish I would have taken pictures along the way but only have finished pictures. I used many of the ideas that came up in this and other threads. 

I started with 5/4 x 6 treated deck boards that were purchased from the cull bin in Home Depot. $24.00 for seven 8' boards that were used for all the wood except the face boards. I used 2 - 2x4x8 boards ripped down from the cull bin also. $3.29 for both. I ordered a custom length of skins from Jim so I could have a 4'x5' target. I built the frame and attached one skin to the face and laid the target down and filled it with clothing, sheets, and blankets that I got from the salvation army thrift store in a bail. The bail was $100.00 but cheaper than buying the clothes individually. There was supposed to be 1500 lbs in the bail. Luckily I planned this in advance and ordered 4 extra target skins from Jim so that I could use more of the clothing. 

Before I put the clothing in the box, I made a liner/tub out of Visqueen plastic, welding the corner seams up with a hot iron and parchment paper. I filled this tub that was placed inside the box with clothes and linens layering them until they reached about 3" above the box. I then welded a top sheet of Visqueen to the bottom tub and it made a sort of bag around the clothing. I cut a small hole in the corner and sucked out all the air with my shop vac. I taped the hole when done. It sucked the clothing down 2" below the top of the box so I laid in a few more blankets to get it even with the top of the box, placing a black blanket as the last layer. I stretched the skin over the top and stapled it down. Standing it up took all the muscle I had and I shot an arrow into it. Upon removing the arrow, the target began sucking in air and puff up to a drum-tight surface but was still pretty flat.

I mounted this target using some metal I fabricated to sit on top of two fence posts that were precisely placed in the ground several days earlier. This way I can rotate the target side to side and top to bottom, allowing the clothing to resettle each time I turn it. Turning it is easier than spinning the wheel on the Price is Right. Just need to fashion up a tarp now to keep the sun off it when not shooting. 
My arrows only weigh 380 grains and are right about 304 fps. They penetrate just about 5-6 inches and are two-finger pulls. I am thinking about painting the face of one side flat black and leaving the other side white. As easy as it is to switch between sides, I figure why not. Gives me a different contrast depending on what I am shooting at. 

Total cost for this target figuring 1/5 the cost of the clothing since I am making 5 targets total, is right about $104.00. 

My wife and daughter saw my bail of clothes and went through it last night and found quite a few high end jackets and clothes. They plan on selling them ( the ones they don't want to keep) and I should get the money that I paid for the clothing back.


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## thirdhandman

Very nice build. That is the first 5'x4' target I've seen. Keep it covered from the sun and your children will have to finish wearing it out when they get old. lol


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## ShaneC

Jim,

I have built 4 of the targets. I used clothes and quilts for two of them and they work great. I have access to some of those exercise floor mats that click together. They are 2x2 so I can cut them so the seams would not line up. I made the target out of 2x12's so I can put them 12 thick as each pad is about an inch thick. Do you think this would be enough to stop the arrows? I could put them at say 40-60 yds and use the ones filled with clothes closer.


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## thirdhandman

Those pads do have a memory and eventually will get shot out if they stop the arrow. You might consider putting a few in front, then wad up some old clothes and a few in the back.


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## klemsontigers7

How flat do the faces stay? Can you put an indoor target face on it and expect the face to stay flat enough not to rip the target if the arrow kicks sideways upon entry.


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## flybyjohn

I found a smoker cover for 10.97 shipped. Fits like a glove. 

My target stays pretty flat on the face. here are two pictures of the face, top to bottom and side to side.


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## thirdhandman

klemsontigers7 said:


> How flat do the faces stay? Can you put an indoor target face on it and expect the face to stay flat enough not to rip the target if the arrow kicks sideways upon entry.


Absolutely. Ranges use our targets and most of them use paper targets on them. We use roofing cap nails to fix the targets on the skins.


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## thirdhandman

flybyjohn said:


> I found a smoker cover for 10.97 shipped. Fits like a glove.
> 
> My target stays pretty flat on the face. here are two pictures of the face, top to bottom and side to side.


Great buy on the smoker cover. That will protect the target from the sun and make it last a long time.
to klemsontiger7, when one applies the skin to the frame, simply square it up and staple it every couple of inches. It will show the fold marks from shipping until you put the clothing inside. The clothing takes out the wrinkles and the skin should stick out about a half-inch all the way around but flat.


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## thirdhandman

Rem788 said:


> I’ll be ordering the skins soon. I have read quite a few of the posts but not all 1,200+ so this may have been covered already. I see that quite a few people worry about the stuffing settling over time and bulging the faces outward.
> 
> Has anyone made target stand that the target can sit inside of independently and rotate. I think if there were some sort of steel post, or giant bolt that wasn’t threaded end to end, through the frame and then through each side of the target you would be able to spin it? When one side has been shot for a while you could unlock a latch, spin it so that the top is now at the bottom and you’d be shooting the back of the target while also letting gravity do its thing letting the stuffing settle in the opposite direction.
> 
> Just a thought. Any opinions are welcome.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Great question. To make it spin easier while on a floor or stand, drill a hole dead center of the bottom side bottom board 1 1/2'' drill bit 1'' deep. Put a golf ball in it and a piece of tape over it while setting the target upright. The target can now be easily turned to rotate. As soon as you see the target face getting a little soft, rotate and shoot the clothing back.


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## MI-archer

I made a few now, I worked for a railroad and would save all the the shipping bags from box cars we cleaned out. A layer of great stuff foam works well also. Lay your rags or clothes down a layer of great stuff spary foam. It glued it all together and I used the bucket of my tractor for weight to pack t all on tight and let it dry. Been shooting mine for three years still holding up good


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## sschultz

Anybody use discarded plastic sheeting for fill in these


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## thirdhandman

Yes there have been a lot of people use all kinds of plastic sheeting with all kinds of results. Some works great. Some plastics grab the arrow darn near make it impossible to remove.


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## sschultz

Thanks


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## Skiatookbandman

NALAjr said:


> I had family members who are very diligent Goodwill shoppers try and double check if any Houston stores sell clothes by the pound and they told them that none of the Goodwill stores in Houston do that but they do in Fort Worth. BUT...They did some digging for me and found a thrift store in the city that does sell by the pound. If you buy over 50 pounds, it is 0.15 cents per pound. At least I think that’s what the rate is. I’m gonna verify that for sure. If that’s the case, I’ll certaibly fill the target with them. These same family members are also very serious rummage sales shoppers too so one way or another I’m gonna have me one of these targets soon. I just have to get some help assembling it all and then I have to buy the target faces.
> 
> Looking forward to putting it all together and enjoying it.


What your after are the non-sellable items they bale for recycling. This will generally be at their work up center in larger metro areas that have multiple stores.


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## thirdhandman

Rem788 said:


> I’ll be ordering the skins soon. I have read quite a few of the posts but not all 1,200+ so this may have been covered already. I see that quite a few people worry about the stuffing settling over time and bulging the faces outward.
> 
> Has anyone made target stand that the target can sit inside of independently and rotate. I think if there were some sort of steel post, or giant bolt that wasn’t threaded end to end, through the frame and then through each side of the target you would be able to spin it? When one side has been shot for a while you could unlock a latch, spin it so that the top is now at the bottom and you’d be shooting the back of the target while also letting gravity do its thing letting the stuffing settle in the opposite direction.
> 
> Just a thought. Any opinions are welcome.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Our material doesn't stretch very easily. That said, we have 3 targets from over 10 years ago in the backyard. I added some fabric the first month or so and haven't added anything since.


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## rhoover800

This is pretty cool, I need something like this for my garage.


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## uwprunner

How is broadhead extraction?


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## rhoover800

This is pretty cool, I need something like this for my garage. I like the darts target.


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## thirdhandman

uwprunner said:


> How is broadhead extraction?


If your broadhead doesn't do extensive damage to this target, I highly suggest a different broadhead. For a good broadhead target you might consider the Rinehart 18-1


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## uwprunner

I would agree, I was asking how hard it was to pull a broadhead out of the target once embedded.


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## thirdhandman

uwprunner said:


> I would agree, I was asking how hard it was to pull a broadhead out of the target once embedded.


Mechanical broadheads are of little problem as the blades do close back in most cases. Fixed blades will most likely need to be cut out. If you pull hard, they will pull the fabric through the skins and cause damage.


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## Major Pain

After being busy all year I decided to get out and start shooting. Last year my broadhead went through the block and into my lifetime target leaving a nice hole. Long story short, bumblebees made a nice home inside the target. After cutting the square opening about 10 of them flew out. Moral of the story, don’t let your broadheads punch holes in your target. 
It’s a little unnerving to hear what sounds like an airplane taking off while trying to pull your arrows from the target








.


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## symbat

Here is my new 4x4 target. It is just a larger version of the 3x3 that I posed in another thread. The cover that I use is a 4x4 firewood rack cover that I picked up on Amazon.

Here is the 3x3 with the printed skins.










And here is the 4x4 with blank skins.


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## frugalarcher

@thirdhandman I just want to start by saying that the rag bag is my favorite target and by far the toughest bag target I've shot. However, its kinda big. Have you ever thought about making a smaller version (say a 22x22" target)? Also it would be nice if it was more of a square shape so that you could shoot it without a target stand if you wanted to.


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## thirdhandman

frugalarcher said:


> @thirdhandman I just want to start by saying that the rag bag is my favorite target and by far the toughest bag target I've shot. However, its kinda big. Have you ever thought about making a smaller version (say a 22x22" target)? Also it would be nice if it was more of a square shape so that you could shoot it without a target stand if you wanted to.


Thank you for the compliment. That is a good question. The short answer is no, not in a bag target. If you are good with a hammer and a saw You might consider the 4'x4' skins. If you fold them to a 2'x2' square and cut the panels you can make 2 targets out of each of the 2 skins. That way one can build 4 targets 2' square and however deep you want to make it. Hope this helps.


Products Detail


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## thirdhandman

Major Pain said:


> After being busy all year I decided to get out and start shooting. Last year my broadhead went through the block and into my lifetime target leaving a nice hole. Long story short, bumblebees made a nice home inside the target. After cutting the square opening about 10 of them flew out. Moral of the story, don’t let your broadheads punch holes in your target.
> It’s a little unnerving to hear what sounds like an airplane taking off while trying to pull your arrows from the target
> View attachment 7661185
> 
> .


Now that would be a Major Pain, lol, but an easy fix. Just get another set of skins and let the bees out and reskin it.


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## thirdhandman

symbat said:


> Here is my new 4x4 target. It is just a larger version of the 3x3 that I posed in another thread. The cover that I use is a 4x4 firewood rack cover that I picked up on Amazon.
> 
> Here is the 3x3 with the printed skins.
> 
> View attachment 7661470
> 
> 
> 
> And here is the 4x4 with blank skins.
> 
> View attachment 7661472
> 
> 
> View attachment 7661474


Nice job on both target builds and thank you for your support.


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## Major Pain

thirdhandman said:


> Now that would be a Major Pain, lol, but an easy fix. Just get another set of skins and let the bees out and reskin it.


Yeah I was planning on laying the clothes out to dry and get it ready for new skins. I thought after soaking it with wasp killer and cutting that big hole, they would be gone. Nope. They all were still in there and stung me twice. I read that they were not aggressive but that was a lie.


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## frugalarcher

thirdhandman said:


> Thank you for the compliment. That is a good question. The short answer is no, not in a bag target. If you are good with a hammer and a saw You might consider the 4'x4' skins. If you fold them to a 2'x2' square and cut the panels you can make 2 targets out of each of the 2 skins. That way one can build 4 targets 2' square and however deep you want to make it. Hope this helps.
> 
> 
> Products Detail


That's a good idea. I might do that whenever the rag bag I have starts to wear out. Thanks


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## thirdhandman

Major Pain said:


> Yeah I was planning on laying the clothes out to dry and get it ready for new skins. I thought after soaking it with wasp killer and cutting that big hole, they would be gone. Nope. They all were still in there and stung me twice. I read that they were not aggressive but that was a lie.


I didn't have bees but had a few field mice upset the first time I replaced the skin. Hard to believe how many clothes I had in this one. I built it 18'' deep for crossbows.


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## thirdhandman

frugalarcher said:


> That's a good idea. I might do that whenever the rag bag I have starts to wear out. Thanks


If you wait till the Rag Bag wears out, I probably will be dead and gone. lol


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## thirdhandman

klemsontigers7 said:


> How flat do the faces stay? Can you put an indoor target face on it and expect the face to stay flat enough not to rip the target if the arrow kicks sideways upon entry.


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## symbat

I think I read somewhere that you don't but I will ask anyway. Can the 4x4 target faces be ordered with silk screened/painted target faces on them? I am thinking about working with our local range to build some new targets.


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## thirdhandman

symbat said:


> I think I read somewhere that you don't but I will ask anyway. Can the 4x4 target faces be ordered with silk screened/painted target faces on them? I am thinking about working with our local range to build some new targets.


Great question symbat. The short answer is no. The way it's made you can pin any Target face that you want to it and change it out as often as you like. No matter what target face I would choose it would be the wrong one for the general public overall. And I just don't have the space or the money to produce multiple target faces. Sorry. 🤔


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## symbat

Jim,

Thank you for the quick response.


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