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There are quite a few types of targets you can make that work great for knife and tomahawk throwing. Here are a couple easy ones to get you started: PLANKS OF WOOD You can make a target out of boards or planks that you have laying around. Always place the grain of your target vertically. The knife or 'hawk will cut into the grain easier this way. Thin "planks" aren't the greatest targets to have, but they are better than not being able to throw at all. Get about 4 - 2"X12" planks, about 6 feet in length. Lay them out next to each other and attach them in the back with a few 2X4's and lots of screws. Place a 2X4 on the top, bottom and middle of the planks and screw them down. Be sure to get a "softer" wood. LOG ROUNDS These are my favorite target to throw at! Get them as wide across as you can. That way you can fit more targets on the face of the log and that will help prolong the life of the target. If you only have one target on your log, you're always throwing at the same exact spot, (usually a bullseye), and that's one sure way to chew up a target fast! (If you plan to compete in one of the many throwing competitions going on throughout the US, the standard target has 3 rings on it. The largest is 16" so I would recommend getting a log with at least a 20" diameter). If you only plan on throwing knives at your target, you should be able to get away with a section only 4" thick, but I recommend getting thicker ones if possible. When the face gets chewed up, you can just turn the log around. When both sides need replacing you go and get a chainsaw and take off a few inches from each side and you have 2 brand new target faces! Just paint your bullseyes over and you're ready to throw! If you are going to throw axes or hawks then the target will get chewed up much faster so I would get the thickest stumps you can find. Just remember you're going to have to move them and set them up so be sure they aren't too much for you to handle. TYPES OF WOOD If you use a harder wood (like oak) your throwers will be more likely to bounce out or not get a good solid stick. That also depends on the knives/axes you are using. Some throwers may have sharper points and edges that make them stick a little better in hard woods. But I suggest always going for a softer type of wood if you have a choice. My favorite wood to use is Cottonwood. After it's been outside for awhile, getting rained on and soaking up all the moisture, it acts like a "self-healing" dart board. The holes seal up quite a bit after you pull your knives out. Pine, Palm, Spruce, and Poplar are also softer woods that work great for knife and axe throwing targets. Stay away from plywood. It will work for some of the smaller throwers but its not the greatest target. Its loud when the knives hit it, your knives will bounce out of it more often than if you're throwing at a log round, and if you throw bigger, heavier knives... they can go right through it! LUMBER YARD/FIREWOOD DEALERS If you're having trouble finding log rounds you can call a lumber yard or firewood type place. I recently stopped at a lumber mill in Kenosha, WI and the guy told me he would save a bunch of soft wood like Pine and Cottonwood and cut me 12" thick logs, (no smaller than 16" in diameter), for $5 a piece! PHONE/ELECTRIC COMPANY The phone company also has crews cutting down trees all the time and cleaning up downed trees after storms. Stop and talk to one of the crew and explain your dilemma. It might only cost you a 12 pack of beer and those guys can be a valuable resource for us throwers :-) AIR FORCE BASES AND JUNKYARDS If you are close to any Air Force base you can pick up "aircraft chaulks" from the base recycling center. These things are basically a curb that you'd find in any parking lot but they are made out of wood. They're usually 12 inches wide and 4 feet long. They are also heavy as hell and take a lot of abuse from axes and knives! They only cost about a dollar a piece so pick up a bunch if you can! You can also call your local junk yard or recycling center to see if they have any old railroad ties. FRIENDS And finally, use your friends. People cut trees down everyday. Just let your friends know that you're looking for stumps and if they see any decent sized ones on the side of the road to grab them or call you. Once the word is out for awhile, you may end up with more targets than you need. But thats a good problem to have! For some ideas of ways to set your targets up (both indoor and outdoor targets), just check out all of the ideas shown here so be sure to check them out: TARGETS Best of luck with your search for the perfect target! Article Contributed by: Scott Gracia The Great Throwzini Web Site It's free, and there's no obligation. |
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