# how to hand 10'x30' arrow curtain, & needs to be removable!



## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

We have saved up quite a bit and just need a little less that $100 to buy our 10'x30' arrow curtian!

We need to figure out how to hang this sucker from the steel rafters of the church gymnasium in such a way that it can be taken down easily enough by one person for storage but the support cables and clips can be stored out of the way so as not to interfere w/ the basket-ball games and our baton twirlers. 

I'm really at a loss here to figure this out! 

Any suggestions or advice on how to rig this up?

Some sort of a free-standing frame would work as well???


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## Huntmaster (Jan 30, 2003)

The best I can figure is to span the distance with a small cable and hang it from that. Your tackle wouldn't be on the celing that way, and if anything has to stay, at least at the walls it won't be in the way.

I've seen poles that are movable......like a basketball backstop/volleyball poles that had enough weight that the curtain didn't pull them over, but I'll be darned if I can find it on the net. They were a pole that was bent slightly at the top, and had a large rolling base and a cable winch I think (never saw it a foot away, someone else got the curtain down.


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## Serious Fun (May 12, 2003)

From the Southwest USA...

You can see how the USAA Rio Rancho USAA National Championship site does it. 
http://www.azjoad.com/2009/Albums/2009_USAA_Indoors/album/Rio Rancho/index.html
The location is a middle school gym. They use volley ball standards. The New Mexico Road Runners also lean Oriented Strand Board (plywood like) agianst the back wall for protection.

Here are photos for of Precision HS in Phoenix, AZ
http://www.azarchery.com/azjoad/2009/2009_azjoad_indoor_photos.htm
They have a anchor bolt at each end of the gym and use the basketball backstop frame too.

At the Embry Riddle Aeronautics University in Prescott AZ, they use a combination of a wire to eyebolts at each side wall, a volley ball standard in the middle and carabineer style attachment from the wire to the netting.
http://www.azarchery.com/azjoad/2007/2007_az_indoor_photos_jp.htm


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## massman (Jun 21, 2004)

*Try this...*

We use movable stands outside so, we added extension arms up to a height of 9 feet. The top of the arm is V notched and there is a 1/2" dia. hole drill just below the point of the V. The curtain was secured using large self tapping screws to a 2" dia 10 foot long piece of PVC tubing. The tuping is secured to the top of the arms retained in the v notch using a short bungee. The same ones used to secure tarps on a tent frame.

BEST Regards,

Tom


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## engtee (Oct 2, 2003)

At Precision High School, in Phoenix, we put large eyebolts into the end walls and stretched rope. The rope did go over the basketball backboard holder, giving it support in the middle. To attach the netting to the rope, you could even use shower curtain hooks. If you choose to use rope, make life easy and put knots in it to keep whatever hooks you use from sliding too far. Please take careful note: this type of netting is not foolproof, by any means. It will stop most arrows, but not all. At Precision, which was a JOAD indoor event, we also covered the wall behind the netting with sheets of plywood and it was hit three times, through the netting.
Thanks, Bob, for the pics.


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

The net will NOT be used to protect life or property, and we really can't hurt a cinder block wall. I'm trying to save arrows here....

We are shooting along the long length of a basketball court.
the shooting line in under one basket, the targets are at center court, 10 yards out. The curtain will be right behind them at 10 Yards, 1 Foot.
There is another 20 yards to the cinder-block wall on the far end. 

My hope is that when any arrows do pass though, they will have so little energy by the time they get there and skidder to a stop at the far end, they will not have enough energy to mushroom the tip.

We've already had to cut down 2 dozen since the first of the year. some of them are "little people" arrows after the second cut. (each time we cut back we loose 2")


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

do you have pictures of the gym?

I use my net outdoors most times. I have AVP volleyball poles with 2 guy wires on each. Using the "s"hooks on the top of the volleyball poles I attach the guy wires down with tent stakes and can pull the cable tight enough to keep it from sagging.

In the few gym's I've setup to shoot in, they almost always had side basketball hoops so I just attached to these with rope and pulled the cable tight. Then used a second rope to stretch the top of the net out so it would stay in where I wanted. If there are all the normal pulleys and cable locations to setup volleyball nets one cable to the ceiling that would pull the main cable out of the way would make it possible to leave the main cable in place most of the time. Small caribiners to attach the net to the cable would allow for one person to lower the cable, attach the net and then stretch the cable and hang the net.

I have yet to have a pass through on my net and I have shot at it with a 55lb Martin Scepter shooting lubed ACE's. Arrows have gotten most of the way through but the vanes always seem to stop them at that point. VERY IMPORTANT for the net is not to stretch it or pin down the bottom. Let it hang loose.

DC


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

yes sorta...




















I'll take some better pictures tomorrow if it will help.
Tell me what you need to see.

(The though of an arrow hitting one of those Sodium Halide lights _really_ scare me!)


It's a basic basketball court.


We (currently) shoot from under one back-board, targets are at the center-court line. we have another 16 yards to the cinder block wall at the far end.

(The kids have been pestering me to move them back to 20 yards. Which leaves only 6 yards of buffer between the targets and the curtain. I told them soon as we can shoot outside or I get the arrow curtain we can go to 20 Yards ;-)


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## AKRuss (Jan 10, 2003)

Our club just got a ballistic net the same size but I haven't tried to set it up yet. I am planning on tossing parachute cord attatched to hollow rubber balls (dog toys) through the rafters and tie them off. I'll untie the balls before pulling the cord back through. I'm hoping a cord tied to each corner and two in the middle will do it but I won't be attempting this until October. I think ballistic netting is important, especially against a cinder block wall as we've had arrows ricochet off the floor, then the wall and arch back to the line.


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## Huntmaster (Jan 30, 2003)

I see a voleyball standard there, and I bet there's anohter. Just use the backstop as a center support (in the down position only), unless you have another set of standards available. You could also use an old tire and a pipe for a center standard, possibly two if you need. Just don't use the winch system on the backstop. I use to sell those things. The winches are strong enough to lift the curtain, but any twisting of that backstop on the way up is likely to trash the hardware.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

I was looking for what's on the side walls of the gym for something to attach the top cable of the net.

I don't think I ever took a picture of ours setup indoors but I am sure there's one somewhere of it setup outdoors.

I can pull that cable straight just using guy wires and volleyball poles provided I can get a good anchor in the field when I setup so there should not be any reason you can't use good anchors on the side walls to pull that net up. The 2 gyms I've been in had the main court full size, then had basketball hoops and backboards on the sides (like 2 smaller courts side by side) so I had access to the supports for the side backboards.

Did you get the JVD or AIM net? Just curious.

I'm looking for a picture of ours setup on the outdoor range. I probably also have some from last year at our boy's camp. I'll keep looking.

DC


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

Huntmaster said:


> I see a voleyball standard there, and I bet there's anohter.
> You could also use an old tire and a pipe for a center standard, possibly two if you need.


That is exactly what our volleyball standards are made from already.

In a rough test I was not able to get then to suspend three king sized sheets sewn end to end without sagging greatly.

Right now I'm thinking : 
eye-hook in each opposite wall, 
a removable cable strung taught between them
two volley-ball posts in the middle to support the cable
hang curtain from the cable.

seems about the simplest and least expensive solution thus far.


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

dchan said:


> Did you get the JVD or AIM net? Just curious.


I'm looking at the BCY arrow curtain. It's just a shade over $300 through the NADA/NASP purchase program. I currently only have just under $200 of it in our budget(had to buy 24 X-Small and Small finger tabs last month) but hope to redirect some of my next paycheck to finish paying for it.


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

Here's a picture of mine setup out doors.

http://www.campsf.org/index.php?opt...y&Itemid=2&g2_itemId=469&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

This is a 10x30 using telescoping volleyball standards and guy wires anchored down with 12" tent spikes (2 each end)

It had to put up with wind strong enough to lift the whole net off the ground and there was actually less sag when the net went up. I was lazy and didn't re-tension after the second day. 

I set it up on a Sunday Afternoon. This picture I believe was taken on Wednesday afternoon.

The upshot of this is that 2 eyebolts able to hold about 200lb pull (4" lag eye's into a stud should work fine) and a strong 3/16" cable should be able to handle your net no problem. You may not even need the standards in the middle. Just near the ends of the net to assist with a small amount of sag.

DC


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

dchan said:


> http://www.campsf.org/index.php?opt...y&Itemid=2&g2_itemId=469&g2_imageViewsIndex=1


I want to go to YOUR summer camp!


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## dchan (Jun 29, 2004)

SandSquid said:


> I want to go to YOUR summer camp!


Based on what exactly?. (curious)

I'm hoping we will be able to continue. Next year the SF School district moved their start date up a week so now some of our volunteer staff will be going back to work a week earlier and we are thinking some of our campers may not be allowed to go because it would leave less than a week between the end of camp and the first day of school. 

FYI it looks real pretty and nice at the camp but it has it's draw backs.

The archery range is at 7400ft above sea level, the camp site and Lake where the kids stay is at 7000 ft. the hike up to this range is almost straight up. It might as well be steep stair case except with loose rocks and dirt the whole way up. 

Pretty place to camp and shoot. Tough on the lungs and legs. As the archery instructor, I got to climb up there 2-3 times a day!

DC


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