QUESTION OF THE DAY: Would you prefer to buy a cornhole board or build one yourself? Do you like the design of this cornhole board? What would you change?
I've been building Pro boards now for a year and here are a couple tips. 1. I used to use Aspen for my framing but didn't like the quality of the wood as it was prone to tear especially when routed. I switched to using Poplar and saved a little money by getting the 24" W x 6' L Poplar glued boards and ripping them down to 3" pieces. I prefer a 3" frame as it looks better and shaves some weight as well. 2. Make sure you use a mallet to pound in the carriage bolts so they dig into the side of the frame. 3. Use or build a rounded corner template large enough to support a palm router's base. I like to use either a 20 or 30 rounded corner. 4. On your legs, create a dado that is deep enough to make the cross support brace to be flush with the legs. 5. I use (2) 2" cross support braces for the middle. You can go the full 3" or 3.5" but feel a 2" brace is adequate and saves a little on weight. 6. I seal the top board with a coat of spar urethane & sand it before I put on any vinyl. 7. I purchased a 34" vinyl cutter to cut stencils for designs. I usually put the entire design on a sheet of stencil vinyl and remove or tape up areas as needed. 8. I use craft paints & a foam brush or roller from Hobby Lobby to apply the colors for the design. Craft paints are $.49 a small bottle which is usually enough for one project. Happy building!
Got any video or links to your design? I like the designs where they either have rope handles on one side, or have the long 4' board with a cutout so you can grab it. Another design I saw adds some pegs on one side that fit in nicely on the other when combining them to store them.
Thanks. I'm happy with these boards. I plan on making a follow up where I show the poly finish. Also, the hole on this one was 3" too high. I had an oversight on that part.
I have made a few boards with NFL team laminate wraps I luckily found 2 x 4 1/2 birch for $25 I use 1x4 for frames, pocket holes. my total cost including hardware, without the wraps, is around $100 for 2 boards Wraps are around $60 for a pair.I have also hand painted one
Good video. Was a bit confused by The word "PRO" from title. After watching, you're referring to people who sell boards, not "Pro" ACL approved boards as I originally thought. Learning tips at the end were helpful, nice boards!
Thanks, glad you liked it. Sorry for the confusion about the PRO title, but I'm referring to the type of material used and the amount and location of the support design. I spend a lot of time researching the pro version boards.
It’s fun to build your own. I made a nice set but used an ultra-high grade finish that is too slick. Great effort, and who cares if the specs are off unless you’re going to get serious about the sport?! Now that I am getting more into it, I'm going to build a new set and get as close to spec as I can.
I'm in the process of building the second board soon and if that looks good, then I'll rebuild the first. I'm probably use a polyurethane that has decent slickness, but not too much like you mentioned. I used to own those plastic tailgating boards, but the bags always slid right off which took the fun out of the game.
Nice set but the finish is very important! I’ve built tournament grade cornhole boards for a few customers I use polyurethane on the finish. 4 or 5 coats of spray polyurethane… I believe they use some kind of UV coating and Direct print for the graphic. And pretty sure it’s 100% birch frame and all.. also I didn’t realize until I went to a big tournament to play but 1x3 makes the boards at an official front height.. I used 1x4 select pine on mine own set so Technically they would be illegal for ACL play
A 1x4 in the front will work to set the official height. It just depends on how much you let the top board overhang. It is supposed to be 4" so I'm not sure how a 1X3 would achieve that anyway.
Will you be switching to the Milwaukee tracksaw when it is released? I have owned the Festool TS 55 for 25 years. I'm tired of paying out the nose when buying new blades and accessories. The Milwaukee is definitely on my radar to replace the Festool.
I plan on having the Milwaukee Tracksaw on my channel along with 2 tracks, 2 clamps, and the track connectors. I'm going to show the saw in a video and then compare it to this Bosch in another video. I will decide after that which one I'll keep. I'm hoping Milwaukee comes up with a solution so their Tracksaw will automatically make the dust collection vacuum turn on and off.
great video. curious on what sand paper you used for the top board and corners. concerned that i may snag my new cornhole bags but overall good video with price included.
I hear that polycrylic, the water based finish works well. I currently purchased about 5 different polyurethane brands to test out. I still need to do that and make a follow up video.
Yes..Pro boards sell for $400 to $450..Those are all CNC produced..UV Inkjet and custom UV protection clear coats. Each have their own idea, such as West Georgia Cornhole with their X-Factors frame and Cornhole Solutions with their Pro's weighted extra pieces to prevent bouncing..Another thing they do, which wasn't done in the video is they finish and round off the hole and the edges..They will route them round instead of keeping them square..This prevent bag snagging. The boards he built would be just like Slick Woody's $299 boards...Just they will have an added carrying handles and a UV Printed Design on the top.
They also use Baltic birch plywood, not domestic birch like in this video. Baltic is 13 ply all hardwood ply, and significantly heavier, more sturdy, and free of all voids. Makes the little nicks and things almost non-existent
Hey Scot, I need to make a follow up video showing the finishing touches and also get some plans for my website. Stay tuned, I'll see what I can do in the next 2-3 weeks.
Poly $70 gallon, so maybe $4-5 for that. Cheap Amazon bean bags-$20. Scoring system has to be either bought or made. So materials wind up being around $200, and more time invested with a complete build, including scoreboard and finishing. And people think asking $250-300 is too much haha. Just started making these for sale over the last year. Still at under $7/hr profit. Ridiculous
I didn't think about making a scoring system which may be nice to have on a drink holder stand. I agree that the material cost eats away at the profit.
Hahah the cornhole cost the saw and materials 😶🌫️ …. Well that’s the rule around here, I get a new toy for the savings. The wife just gave me a stink eye🤣. Guess we’re buying the $79 set
Haha, I get what you're saying. I like to think of it as a long term investment and saving money over the long haul with amazing cut lumber and also the fact that it prevents costly errors. 🙌.
These are far from pro broadcast version. Pro boards are built using 18mm Baltic Birch plywood and with cnc routers which make them precise. Hole in not in correct location and your heights are out of regulation. Got some ways to go, but good for beginners and backyard stuff.
I can't believe I messed up and drilled the hole 6" to center from the top instead of 9". I'll have to check the specs again, but I thought my height was correct. Thanks for pointing out the pro version specs. I did a lot of research before building this and purchased the best birch plywood I could find locally.
@@MarkThomasBuilder 9”from top to center of ⭕️. I love what you did though, thank you, for taking the time, giving us a tutorial on building a set and then your experience with latest Bosch tools, I showed hubby the track saw you were using, he is pretty siked. Shhhh 🤫 we’re battery operated Milwalkee users, 😬 we both like that track saw:)
@@kendraborczuch-kitts8935 Thanks, I thought for sure I had the measurement right, but quickly figured it out after reading your comment. Luckily I didn't drill the hole in the second board yet, phew. The Bosch tracksaw is amazing and I recently picked up the clamps to ensure it never moves. Milwaukee is due to introduce a tracksaw. Maybe in 2022.
@@MarkThomasBuilder The only reason why I noticed, cause we did the same thing 😂 building a set not too long ago. 😉 No worries, beautiful craftsmanship. Oh wow, can’t wait to see that tool by Milwalkee. We don’t really have the space for a good rip saw, so that track saw just seems feasible for the projects we do.
@@kendraborczuch-kitts8935 Interesting that I'm not the only one that did that, lol. I've already started searching ways to remove the plywood from the frame. Hopefully I can weaken the glue with vinegar and possibly use my steamer too. 🤞🤞
A very good attempt at a pro level board but you have a few problems. The biggest being that the front of your boards are too tall. They should be a maximum of 3.5" which is why they use 1x3s instead of 1x4s. You did well on the back at 12" but the front is just as important and makes your boards more flat than they should be. For your deck, the birch you used is nowhere close the pro level 13 ply Baltic birch plywood that needs to be used for pro level play. The Baltic birch is much heavier(denser), flatter, and more moisture stable than the birch plywood you used. This has a huge effect on game play. You can actually special order the proper 13 ply Baltic birch A grade from Menards but is $170 per sheet. You should have also used the Baltic birch plywood for the frame as well which again is because of the density and stability versus the wood you used. As noted, you really don't want sharp corners on the board and should be rounded and you'll need the 6-8 layers of poly. The gap you left between the boards and the leg support is not a good thing. It is there to block air mail shots which will get confused with boards off the back.
@@de9231 The boards are set back from the edge of the playing surface. When you raise the back of the board, the front will dip down and be within spec.
Do not compare those to pro ACL boards. You made the Wallmart version. The whole thing should’ve been made out of Baltic birch and you should’ve made dados for the frame
It's a pro version, based on the frame material, design, thickness. I did my best to study the cross braces and try to duplicate it. I know the pros have better plywood, but the birch I found was the best available locally at a home improvement store.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Would you prefer to buy a cornhole board or build one yourself? Do you like the design of this cornhole board? What would you change?
Use wing nuts on the leg bolts.
Good idea, thanks!
I would rather build of course
I've been building Pro boards now for a year and here are a couple tips.
1. I used to use Aspen for my framing but didn't like the quality of the wood as it was prone to tear especially when routed. I switched to using Poplar and saved a little money by getting the 24" W x 6' L Poplar glued boards and ripping them down to 3" pieces. I prefer a 3" frame as it looks better and shaves some weight as well.
2. Make sure you use a mallet to pound in the carriage bolts so they dig into the side of the frame.
3. Use or build a rounded corner template large enough to support a palm router's base. I like to use either a 20 or 30 rounded corner.
4. On your legs, create a dado that is deep enough to make the cross support brace to be flush with the legs.
5. I use (2) 2" cross support braces for the middle. You can go the full 3" or 3.5" but feel a 2" brace is adequate and saves a little on weight.
6. I seal the top board with a coat of spar urethane & sand it before I put on any vinyl.
7. I purchased a 34" vinyl cutter to cut stencils for designs. I usually put the entire design on a sheet of stencil vinyl and remove or tape up areas as needed.
8. I use craft paints & a foam brush or roller from Hobby Lobby to apply the colors for the design. Craft paints are $.49 a small bottle which is usually enough for one project.
Happy building!
Got any video or links to your design? I like the designs where they either have rope handles on one side, or have the long 4' board with a cutout so you can grab it. Another design I saw adds some pegs on one side that fit in nicely on the other when combining them to store them.
Looks great. I’m sure your family will have fun with this for years to come. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! It's an addicting game. I'm glad I made them.
Great video, I like how you showed what you could have done differently.
Looks like a super. Nice setup in general. I think I'll build some too. Thanks.
Thanks. I'm happy with these boards. I plan on making a follow up where I show the poly finish. Also, the hole on this one was 3" too high. I had an oversight on that part.
Works as advertised!
It's a great saw and track system.
Holy brand new tools
Yes, certified refurbished looks brand new!
What I do is use edge banding on the plywood, makes the edges look finished.
I have made a few boards with NFL team laminate wraps I luckily found 2 x 4 1/2 birch for $25 I use 1x4 for frames, pocket holes. my total cost including hardware, without the wraps, is around $100 for 2 boards Wraps are around $60 for a pair.I have also hand painted one
One thing I would do differently is round the corners on the deck. The rounded corners will help prevent snagging your bags on the sharp edges.
Good point.
Thanks for the video 👍
My pleasure!!
we only use Baltic Birch 18mm for frames and tops which are all cut on a CNC. We sell a DIY kit for $180 including hardware, and a superior build.
excellent video - thank you
Thanks, glad it was helpful!👊
Good video. Was a bit confused by The word "PRO" from title. After watching, you're referring to people who sell boards, not "Pro" ACL approved boards as I originally thought. Learning tips at the end were helpful, nice boards!
Thanks, glad you liked it. Sorry for the confusion about the PRO title, but I'm referring to the type of material used and the amount and location of the support design. I spend a lot of time researching the pro version boards.
Would love to see a detailed video on the legs. They look great. Great looking board!
Thank you. I think I used my miter saw and jigsaw for the legs.
@@MarkThomasBuilder I was talking about the notch you added to the legs. Nice touch!
@@RYANMAKO Ahh, yes that took a little practice on a scrap piece. I would do build them that way again, and put the cross piece on too.
@@MarkThomasBuilder a video on the leg notch would also be great for us newbies.
It’s fun to build your own. I made a nice set but used an ultra-high grade finish that is too slick. Great effort, and who cares if the specs are off unless you’re going to get serious about the sport?! Now that I am getting more into it, I'm going to build a new set and get as close to spec as I can.
I'm in the process of building the second board soon and if that looks good, then I'll rebuild the first. I'm probably use a polyurethane that has decent slickness, but not too much like you mentioned. I used to own those plastic tailgating boards, but the bags always slid right off which took the fun out of the game.
Too slick? Just make it with velcro then. 🤣
Could you give more detail on making and placing the legs
I've been meaning to revisit this video. I see what I can do in the next couple of weeks.
Nice set but the finish is very important! I’ve built tournament grade cornhole boards for a few customers I use polyurethane on the finish. 4 or 5 coats of spray polyurethane… I believe they use some kind of UV coating and Direct print for the graphic. And pretty sure it’s 100% birch frame and all.. also I didn’t realize until I went to a big tournament to play but 1x3 makes the boards at an official front height.. I used 1x4 select pine on mine own set so Technically they would be illegal for ACL play
A 1x4 in the front will work to set the official height. It just depends on how much you let the top board overhang. It is supposed to be 4" so I'm not sure how a 1X3 would achieve that anyway.
Will you be switching to the Milwaukee tracksaw when it is released? I have owned the Festool TS 55 for 25 years. I'm tired of paying out the nose when buying new blades and accessories. The Milwaukee is definitely on my radar to replace the Festool.
I plan on having the Milwaukee Tracksaw on my channel along with 2 tracks, 2 clamps, and the track connectors. I'm going to show the saw in a video and then compare it to this Bosch in another video. I will decide after that which one I'll keep. I'm hoping Milwaukee comes up with a solution so their Tracksaw will automatically make the dust collection vacuum turn on and off.
This exact comment ran through my head. I know I will be buying it the second it's available!
great video. curious on what sand paper you used for the top board and corners. concerned that i may snag my new cornhole bags but overall good video with price included.
Thanks man, good question. I believe I went with 180 grit sandpaper. Several coats of poly should also help prevent any snags
@@MarkThomasBuilder awesome thanks
You shouldn't need screws. The right glue will be more than strong enough
Its Baltic Birch plywood that you need to be using.
Thanks for the info. I bought some type of birch plywood from Menards, but probably not Baltic Birch.
Isnt the right kind of paint critical to get the right amount of slickness to the surface? What do you suggest?
I hear that polycrylic, the water based finish works well.
I currently purchased about 5 different polyurethane brands to test out. I still need to do that and make a follow up video.
So your cost is minus the paint and polyurathane?
That's correct. I've thought about putting a decal on there , but never bought one yet.
They sell for $450?! I’d be knocking them out daily!!
This one was $399 factory refurbished. Normal brand new price is $587.99
Yes..Pro boards sell for $400 to $450..Those are all CNC produced..UV Inkjet and custom UV protection clear coats. Each have their own idea, such as West Georgia Cornhole with their X-Factors frame and Cornhole Solutions with their Pro's weighted extra pieces to prevent bouncing..Another thing they do, which wasn't done in the video is they finish and round off the hole and the edges..They will route them round instead of keeping them square..This prevent bag snagging.
The boards he built would be just like Slick Woody's $299 boards...Just they will have an added carrying handles and a UV Printed Design on the top.
They also use Baltic birch plywood, not domestic birch like in this video. Baltic is 13 ply all hardwood ply, and significantly heavier, more sturdy, and free of all voids. Makes the little nicks and things almost non-existent
Where can I find the plans to build these Cornhole boards?
Hey Scot, I need to make a follow up video showing the finishing touches and also get some plans for my website. Stay tuned, I'll see what I can do in the next 2-3 weeks.
Idk where you’re getting the plywood but there’s not birch plywood around here for $51
I picked this up at Menards, back when lumber prices dipped down for a bit. Now they're sky high again.
Poly $70 gallon, so maybe $4-5 for that. Cheap Amazon bean bags-$20. Scoring system has to be either bought or made. So materials wind up being around $200, and more time invested with a complete build, including scoreboard and finishing. And people think asking $250-300 is too much haha. Just started making these for sale over the last year. Still at under $7/hr profit. Ridiculous
I didn't think about making a scoring system which may be nice to have on a drink holder stand. I agree that the material cost eats away at the profit.
Hahah the cornhole cost the saw and materials 😶🌫️ …. Well that’s the rule around here, I get a new toy for the savings. The wife just gave me a stink eye🤣. Guess we’re buying the $79 set
Haha, I get what you're saying. I like to think of it as a long term investment and saving money over the long haul with amazing cut lumber and also the fact that it prevents costly errors. 🙌.
These are far from pro broadcast version. Pro boards are built using 18mm Baltic Birch plywood and with cnc routers which make them precise. Hole in not in correct location and your heights are out of regulation. Got some ways to go, but good for beginners and backyard stuff.
I can't believe I messed up and drilled the hole 6" to center from the top instead of 9". I'll have to check the specs again, but I thought my height was correct.
Thanks for pointing out the pro version specs. I did a lot of research before building this and purchased the best birch plywood I could find locally.
I think if you're supposed to use 1x3 instead of 1x4 then you're starting out an inch high off the ground
Beautiful work, all that hard work and the hole is in the wrong spot 😔
Oh wow, I see what you mean. I'll see about editing this video.
@@MarkThomasBuilder 9”from top to center of ⭕️. I love what you did though, thank you, for taking the time, giving us a tutorial on building a set and then your experience with latest Bosch tools, I showed hubby the track saw you were using, he is pretty siked. Shhhh 🤫 we’re battery operated Milwalkee users, 😬 we both like that track saw:)
@@kendraborczuch-kitts8935 Thanks, I thought for sure I had the measurement right, but quickly figured it out after reading your comment. Luckily I didn't drill the hole in the second board yet, phew. The Bosch tracksaw is amazing and I recently picked up the clamps to ensure it never moves. Milwaukee is due to introduce a tracksaw. Maybe in 2022.
@@MarkThomasBuilder The only reason why I noticed, cause we did the same thing 😂 building a set not too long ago. 😉 No worries, beautiful craftsmanship. Oh wow, can’t wait to see that tool by Milwalkee. We don’t really have the space for a good rip saw, so that track saw just seems feasible for the projects we do.
@@kendraborczuch-kitts8935 Interesting that I'm not the only one that did that, lol. I've already started searching ways to remove the plywood from the frame. Hopefully I can weaken the glue with vinegar and possibly use my steamer too. 🤞🤞
1x3 not 1x4
Are you selling ?
No, but I'm considering to start someday. Thanks!
Pro-ish boards.
A very good attempt at a pro level board but you have a few problems. The biggest being that the front of your boards are too tall. They should be a maximum of 3.5" which is why they use 1x3s instead of 1x4s. You did well on the back at 12" but the front is just as important and makes your boards more flat than they should be. For your deck, the birch you used is nowhere close the pro level 13 ply Baltic birch plywood that needs to be used for pro level play. The Baltic birch is much heavier(denser), flatter, and more moisture stable than the birch plywood you used. This has a huge effect on game play. You can actually special order the proper 13 ply Baltic birch A grade from Menards but is $170 per sheet. You should have also used the Baltic birch plywood for the frame as well which again is because of the density and stability versus the wood you used. As noted, you really don't want sharp corners on the board and should be rounded and you'll need the 6-8 layers of poly. The gap you left between the boards and the leg support is not a good thing. It is there to block air mail shots which will get confused with boards off the back.
When measuring a 1x4 the actual measurement 3.5” which would mean that it falls with in regulation
@@brockjones46781x3 are also not the actual measurements so that is why 1x3 is used in addition to the height of the top board
@@brockjones46783.5” + .75 plywood. Assuming he is talking about total height🤷🏻♂️
@@de9231 The boards are set back from the edge of the playing surface. When you raise the back of the board, the front will dip down and be within spec.
Lol dude you've got issues. It's just a damn board with a hole in it. Chill
if you have the time...build them yourself
It's a good feeling to make your own.
The reason it took u 4 hours is because u used millwalkee instead of dewalt tools.
You put the holes in the wrong place.
I plan to update this. I've been given some great advice on how to do it.
Do not compare those to pro ACL boards. You made the Wallmart version. The whole thing should’ve been made out of Baltic birch and you should’ve made dados for the frame
How is this a “pro” cornhole board??
It's a pro version, based on the frame material, design, thickness. I did my best to study the cross braces and try to duplicate it. I know the pros have better plywood, but the birch I found was the best available locally at a home improvement store.
3-4 hours?? my dad could build that in probably an hour
If you have a workshop all set up and the plans in place, then yes it can be built much faster.