Building Agility Equipment: Tire Jump

Building agility equipment such as a basic tire jump is not hard to do. Put together scrap materials such as cardboard, foam, and an old plastic tablecloth. Add colored tape for decoration. Build a frame out of PVC, attach the tire with a few bungee cords and you've got it made!

Another way of building agility equipment of this type is to do what some folks have done: take electrical conduit pipe, form it into a circle, tape together, attach hooks at intervals, and bungee or chain it to the frame.

We prefer the foam version since it more closely matches a competition tire jump, even though it will take longer to make. (Instructions for building agility equipment: Tire Jumps shown below).

The inside diameter of the tire is the most important thing you want to pay attention to. No sense in making a tire jump too small for your dog to fit through. (Although it could make for some funny photos!)

Common competition sizes appear to be 19, 20 and 24 inches in the United States. Check with event organizers about standards for building agility equipment for competitions you may be entering.

We recommend 1 1/4 inch or 1 1/2 inch (32 to 40mm) PVC pipe for the frame since the tire is fairly heavy and needs a sturdy base.

BASIC TIRE JUMP

ESTIMATED TIME

• To cut cardboard ring pieces and tape them together: 30 minutes
• To cut pieces of foam and glue onto cardboard: 60 minutes
• To cut tablecloth, wrap around foam and tape: 45 minutes
• To purchase pipe and connectors and cut pipe: 30 minutes
• To assemble pipe into a frame: 5 to 10 minutes
• To attach tire to frame:5 minutes

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TOOLS AND MATERIALS

FOR THE TIRE:

• Pencil
• String [at least 2 feet (600mm) long]
• A thumb tack or push pin
• Scissors and/or serrated knife to cut cardboard and foam
• Scissors to cut tablecloth
• A large cardboard box
• Foam from an old couch cushion or two
• An old plastic tablecloth
• Colored tape to match tablecloth
• Glue that will work with foam

• Twenty feet of 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch (32 to 40mm) PVC pipe
• See below for lengths to cut to
• Four bungee cords

INSTRUCTIONS

MARK AND CUT OUT THE CARDBOARD:

The aim is to end up with a cardboard circle 2 1/2 inches (65mm) wide

• Decide on your inside diameter and add 1 inch (25mm)
• This will be your total diameter
• Tie the string firmly onto your pencil
• Measure the radius (1/2 the total diameter) from the pencil along the string
• Put a thumb tack through that point on the string
• Stick the thumb tack in the box and use the string and pencil to draw a section of the circle
• It’s unlikely you will be able to complete the circle in one go
• Mark a line 2 1/2 inches on the outside of that section
• Move the thumb tack over and do another section the same way
• Do at least four sections, then cut them out
• Overlap sections and tape them together
• Measure to make sure you have kept your total inside diameter
• Trim cardboard as needed to make a circle

• Cut pieces of foam 3 inches (75mm) wide and 2 inches (60mm) thick
• Glue them onto one side of the cardboard, overlapping a little of each edge
• Hint: Pieces shorter than 10 inches (250mm) may work better
• When done, turn the ring over and glue foam to the other side

CUT AND WRAP THE TABLECLOTH:

• Cut a long strip of tablecloth 5 or 6 inches (125 to 150mm) wide
• Fold the edges under so you have a strip 4 inches (100mm) wide
• Dabs of glue will keep the edges in place and looking neat
• Start winding the strip firmly around your ring, compressing the foam about halfway
• Overlap each wrap by at least 3/4 inch (18mm)
• Keep a similar tension and angle with each wrap to do an even job
• If you run out of wrap, tape the last turn and prepare another strip
• When you start the next strip, firmly cover the last couple of turns
• If things are not as even as you like, do not be afraid to redo
• When the entire ring is covered, tape at intervals for decoration and fastening

That was the hard part of making the tire jump - besides cleaning up the bits of foam! Now for the home stretch.

CUTTING THE PVC PIPE:

Cut the pipe or have it cut as follows:

FOR A 19 OR 20 INCH INSIDE DIAMETER TIRE:

• Two pieces 42 inches for Side Poles
• Two pieces 36 inches for the Base and Top Poles
• Six pieces 12 inches for Base Supports
• Six T-connectors

FOR A 24 INCH INSIDE DIAMETER TIRE:

• Two pieces 42 inches for Side Poles
• Two pieces 42 inches for the Base and Top Poles
• Six pieces 12 inches for Base Supports
• Six T-connectors

• Attach all six Base Supports to two T's
• Put the straight end of a T on the two perpendicular Base Supports
• Face the perpendicular part of the added T's upwards
• Attach the Base Pole to the other straight end of the added T's
• Put the Side Poles in each upward facing T
• Add a T-connector to the top of each Side Pole
• Attach the Top Pole between the T's at the top of each Side Pole

ATTACHING THE TIRE TO THE FRAME:

• Hook a bungee cord around each quadrant of your tire
• Hook the top bungee cords into the end of the T's at the top of the frame
• Hook the lower bungee cords around the bottom of your frame
• Use rubber bands to keep bungees in place on the Side Poles

Well, that's the end of this round! If you've built a bar jump and weave poles as well, you're getting to be a pro at building agility equipment. If you haven't made those yet, click on the links below.

Comet didn't realize what the tire jump was for at first, but he got the point (with the help of a few pieces of cheese...)

Here's the link to other pages on building agility equipment

Or go from Building Agility Equipment: Tire Jump to Cheap Agility Equipment: Weave Poles