Alright folks, today I gotta share this backyard idea I finally got around to trying – making a removable volleyball net pole setup using birch wood. Sounds simple? Maybe, but lemme tell ya, it wasn’t straight smooth sailing.

My Bright Idea and Getting Stuff

Right, so I was sick of how our old volleyball net setup permanently dug into the lawn, wrecking the grass, impossible to move. Got me thinking: why not make poles that pop in and out? Birch timber caught my eye cause it seemed strong enough but still workable for my rusty DIY skills. Headed down to the local timber yard, grabbed a couple of nice straight birch logs, about 8 feet long and decently thick – probably 3-4 inches across. Felt solid. Then snagged two steel spikes from the hardware aisle, meant for fencing, about 2 feet long. My plan? Pound those spikes most of the way into the ground, leave a foot sticking out, and drill a hole big enough into the bottom of each birch pole so the pole just slides over the spike.

The Doing Part

Okay, started out by measuring and marking. Needed consistent spots in the yard. Used string and some old stakes to mark exactly where the net ends would be. Then the fun part: whacking those steel spikes into the dirt with a sledgehammer. Man, that took more effort than I remembered! The ground was tougher than it looked. Got ’em in, left just about a foot clear.

Next up, the birch poles. Needed to get those holes drilled just right in the base. Measured the spike diameter again. Clamped one pole real tight into my workbench so it wouldn’t wobble around. Grabbed my biggest spade drill bit – about the same size as the spike plus a smidge extra for wiggle room. Went slow, didn’t wanna split the wood. Drilled down maybe 8 inches. Lots of wood chips flying! Cleaned it out with the vacuum. Felt proud – looked straight and clean. Did the exact same thing on the second pole. Double-checked my measurements like four times.

Putting It All Together

Here’s the moment of truth. Hauled the poles out to the spikes. Carefully lifted the first pole, lined it up over the spike sticking out of the ground… and pushed it down. It slid on like a dream! Perfect fit. Tight enough not to wobble loose, but loose enough I could pull it back up easily. Did the same with the second pole. Bam! Both were standing tall. Felt chuffed. Now, just had to attach the net hooks and string the volleyball net itself between them like usual.

How It Turned Out (and the Glitches)

The good: It works! Seriously, play is done, grab the pole tops, lift straight up – they slide right off the spikes. Spikes stay in the ground (marked with some bright paint for safety), poles go in the shed. Lawn saved. Removable goal achieved. The birch looks kinda nice too, natural-like.

• The not-so-good: Found out after a few games – birch is tough, sure, but those steel hooks on the net? They dug into the wood a bit when the net got really tight. Might need some metal plates where the hook sits to stop that chewing.
• Other thing: If the pole twists while playin’ and someone hits the net hard sideways? It can wobble a tiny bit on the spike. Not dangerous, just annoying. Might wrap some thin rubber tape inside the hole for extra grip next time.

So yeah, “removable Volleyball birch timber” – did what I set out to do. Made the yard tidier, kept the fun. Learned a couple things for version 2.0 (because there’s always a next time, right?). Simple idea, mostly simple build, got the job done. Can’t ask for much more in the backyard DIY world.