Few things in life are more exciting than watching your favourite team play live sport. Whether you love ice hockey or just the beautiful game in general, nothing beats being there live and in the moment when your team scores a goal!
One way of adding some excitement to your hockey game day is by making your own hockey passer. You can DIY this simple yet effective little gadget and use it to signal the goalie when to make a save or take a shot on goal.
In this blog post, you’ll discover how to make a hockey passer that is perfect for any sized ice rink. You’ll learn the basic construction steps as well as how to use it. So, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
The Parts You’ll Need
To make a hockey passer, you will need the following parts:
- A long pole
- A stop watch
- A whistle
- A football
- A Frisbee
- A stick
- A hockey puck
- A pair of sunglasses
- An LED light
- A cell phone camera
- A hockey helmet
You’ll also need access to a laser cutter and a 3D printer.
The Tools You’ll Need To Join The DIY Hockey Community
Aside from the items mentioned above, you will need the following tools to complete this project:
- A drill with a step-down chuck
- A jigsaw
- A band-saw
- A hacksaw
- A pair of hand pliers
- A pair of scissors
- A safety razor
- A spray adhesive
- A foam brush
- A roller
- Hacksaw knife
- A drill with a rotary knob
- A bench vise
- A deadblow hammer
A Quick How-to Guide
Once you have all of the above materials, you can get started designing your hockey passer. Begin by drawing out the shape of the device on paper. You’ll then need to decide how you intend on using it. For instance, do you want to use it to pass the puck or shoot it?
The next step is to cut away all the unnecessary pieces. Using your drill, make a series of shallow cuts around the paper shape. This will allow you to easily detach the piece of cardboard you have just created.
Detach The Cardboard Piece
Next, take your time to carefully remove all the pieces you’ve just cut away. The goal here is to have a clean cut without any visible remnants of paper. This is where you need to pay extra attention, as any unnecessary roughness will only result in a ruined print.
Assembling The Device
To put it together, follow these steps:
- Cut the foam tape to fit around the paper shape, leaving about 2 inches of extra tape at each end. Cut the remaining foam into 4″-6″ wide strips to make the crossbars of your device.
- Drill a small hole at the top end of the paper shape, using your drill with a step-down chuck
- Fold the paper shape in half, and insert the end of your long pole into the hole at the top. Make sure the pole is completely straight.
- Fold back the two long side pieces and insert the cut ends of your tape over the ends. These are the handlebars of your device. Make sure the tape is completely smooth without any bubbles or wrinkles.
- Cut 2″ segments from the middle of your Frisbee. Using your band saw, make 3 identical cuts along the edge of the disc to create 4 equal triangles. You’ll need these in a moment.
- Fold the middle segment of your Frisbee in half and slide it on top of the other 3 segments. This is the piece you will use to connect the handlebars to the crossbars. Make sure the edges are aligned evenly and that the middle segment is sitting straight on top of the other segments.
- Carefully cut a small groove on one side of your football, using your safety razor. This will be where you fit your whistle. Make sure the cut is deep enough so that it doesn’t come out when you blow on the ball.
- Glue one end of your Frisbee to the middle of your football, using your spray adhesive. Make sure the adhesive covers the whole surface area, and let it dry for 10 minutes. This is your trigger mechanism. You’ll use your thumb to press down on the disc, activating the whistle and changing the direction your team will attack the puck or ball.
- Put one of the cut segments at each end of your long pole, and the other two into the middle. These are the control bars. Make sure the segments are in the right order and that they line up evenly along the center of your device.
- Check your alignment again, and give it a few tweaks if needed. Make sure the top part of your device is flat and no wobbles when you push it firmly on the table. Your device is now complete!
Once you’ve got your perfect setup, take a few minutes to practice using it. You can do this by passing the puck back and forth with one hand while keeping the other hand on the trigger. Doing this with one hand is referred to as single-hand passing. You can also try passing while standing or walking to add more speed to your passes.
Assembly Steps As Pictured
So, let’s get back to the pictures and see how all this fits together. First, you’ll glue your 3D-printed handlebars to your crossbars. Next, you’ll connect the crossbars to the outer edge of your paper shape. Finally, you’ll fold the top segment of your paper shape over the entire device to create a pocket for your phone or other small objects. You can do all of this using your drill with the step-down chuck or an electric drill.
Additional Tips
Once you’ve got your device assembled and working well, there are a few additional tips you can follow to make sure it operates at its optimum efficiency: