Practice Box
Building your sand box takes only 4 pieces of plywood 1/4 to 3/4 inches thick, the thinner the
thickness the lighter the box.. The length of the side panels and backboard is
dependant on the length and width of practice box bottom. Cut the back board
width 2X shorter than the thickness of the plywood in order that it will lay
flush with
the side panels. A normal table is some 43" wide but you don't nearly need
anything so wide for practice. A dimension of 29" long X 24" wide X
8 " high will work well for a practice box.
The height of the walls should be 8 to 10 inches high. Attach the side panels and back with 7 door hinges. The kind of door hinges with removable pins. The removable hinge will allow you to disassemble the box when finished. The hinges should be place 2 on the bottom of each side and one in the middle of the sides to attach to the back. The back should also have one hinge attached to the center bottom to stabilize it.
Cover the plywood bottom with 2 pieces of felt or a thin rubber mat and 1 piece of felt. The back wall should be covered with the diamond rubber alligator backing, you will need 3M spray adhesive to attach it.. You can order the felt and rubber alligator from one of the gambling supply houses on the internet.
The wooden box itself is of the least concern, but you may want it as light as possible. The type of wood and size of the box control it's weight. I have made boxes as small as 1 1/2 foot square and break down and fit in a suitcase for travel.
The landing surface and backboard are important to duplicate for in casino conditions. Use the rubber backing because it adds a lot to realism, and adjust for the amount of felt. You may find a thin rubber bottom at a Wal-Mart's or textile shop. Also you may get an extra piece of felt to just lay down over the piece you have glued on the plywood bottom to give it extra bounce when needed.
The biggest cost is the rubber diamond backboard and the table felt, but you should be able to build the box for under $150.00. If you have the money or simply don't want to build one yourself buy your practice rig from the many people offering the products these days.
Sandbox back
Sandbox side 1
Sandbox side 2
<Sandbox bottom
