Okay so last weekend’s volleyball game was a disaster. My buddy Sam spiked the ball right into that old tree behind my yard, again. The net sagged like wet noodles afterwards. Total bummer. Figured I gotta build something better. Saw some folks online using fence posts, but who wants permanent holes? Nah. Needed something removable.

Stumbling at the Start

First idea? PVC pipes. Cheap, light, easy. Grabbed two chunky 2-inch thick ones from the hardware store downtown. Dug holes, plopped them in concrete like folks do for mailbox posts. Waited a day feeling kinda smart. Shoved the metal poles for the volleyball net in. Big mistake. Game got intense, someone bumped the pole – WHOOSH! Down came the whole net, pole and all. The concrete base just pulled the PVC pipe apart like wet cardboard. Looked down and saw bits of white plastic everywhere. Ugh. Felt like an idiot. PVC ain’t built for that.

Rubber Tree Time

Back to the drawing board. Needed something tougher. Way tougher. Remembered seeing those massive spools they use for cable wire? Big wooden cylinders wrapped in thick, rough black rubber. Strong. Heavy. Local landscaping place had a couple chillin’ out back. Asked the guy about ’em. “Timber?” he laughed, “Nah, those are just old cable drums. Take ’em if you want, saves me hauling ’em away.” Score!

• Hauled two home in my pickup. Man, those things were heavy. Strained my back a little, gotta admit.
• Cleaned off all the old grit and dirt stuck to the rubber.
• Chopped them down roughly to size with my chainsaw. Didn’t need 4 feet of timber sticking out!

Making it Stick (Without Sticking Around)

Okay, solved the strong post part. Now how do I make it stand up without pouring concrete again? Saw people use auger bases for tents and market stalls – big metal screws that twist into the ground. Perfect! Found some heavy-duty ones online meant for temporary fencing. Didn’t trust those little patio umbrella ones for this.

1. Hammered the auger tip into the ground to get it started.
2. Slapped a big old wrench on the attachment eye and twisted HARD. Sweat pouring down my face.
3. Did this for both spots where the net poles needed to go.
4. Plonked the giant rubber tree drums right onto the augers.
5. Shoved the net poles down through the center hole.

Stood back. Perfect fit. Solid as a rock! Gave the pole a good shake – barely wobbled. The rubber tree timber just sits there, heavy and stable.

Does it Actually Work?

Invited the guys back over last night. Sam eyed the setup. “New posts? Lookin’ sturdy.” Game got fierce, people diving, net got slammed a bunch. Not a budge. Not even a wobble. Zero movement. When the sun went down, just lifted the rubber trees right off the augers, pulled the poles out, and carried the posts to the shed. Twisted the augers out of the ground – took some grunt work, but easy enough. Done in ten minutes flat. Ground? Just a little hole where the screw was, no mess.

Yeah, they ain’t pretty. Old industrial cable drums wrapped in black rubber sitting in my backyard. They look like something left over from a construction site. But they work. Solid. Removable. Cost me almost nothing except some sweat and backache. My kinda project. So yeah, forget fancy fence posts or dinky PVC. Sometimes the clunky, heavy, free stuff is the absolute best.